Category: Articles

  • Alexander Zverev makes ‘hitting harder’ claim as he compares Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to the ‘Big 3’

    Alexander Zverev makes ‘hitting harder’ claim as he compares Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to the ‘Big 3’

    Alexander Zverev has told Tennis365 that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ‘hit the ball harder’ than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, in comments that will spark a big debate among tennis fans.

    The world No 3 has failed to win a Grand Slam title primarily because his ambitions have been halted by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, with the serial winners of men’s tennis hard to beat when they reach the latter stages of a major tournament.

    Now Alcaraz and Sinner have taken over as the new kings of the men’s game, with players like Zverev still looking in from the outside as the new ‘Big 2’ start their own era of dominance.

    Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last six Grand Slams between them, with Zverev refreshingly honest as he compared the new kings of men’s tennis with the heroes who have just left the top step of the podium.

    “Tennis has changed in the last few years and I’m not saying Alcaraz and Sinner are better or worse than the ‘Big 3’, but they just hit the ball harder and the game has become faster,” Zverev told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview at an Adidas event in London.

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    “The big difference now is the depth at the top. We have champions all the way down to No.30 in the rankings and that wasn’t the case when I started.

    “The top five in the world would not have really looked out for the guy who was No.25 and think he would be a problem when I started, but this has changed.

    “Clearly, Carlos and Jannik are ahead of everyone at the top now, but the depth we have in the men’s game is different compared to when Roger, Rafa and Novak were dominating.”

    Alexander Zverev

    Alexander Zverev spoke exclusively to Tennis365 at the launch of the new Adidas The London Originals Collection

    Zverev’s first round exit at Wimbledon suggested he is going backwards in his ambition to finally clinch a first Grand Slam title, but he remains convinced his moment will come.

    “I don’t care where I win a Grand Slam at this stage, but I do believe it will happen,” he added.

    “Maybe some people don’t expect me to do well at Wimbledon and my record there isn’t great, but I know my level is there to win a Grand Slam.

    “Clearly, in recent months, I have not played my best tennis and that is what I need to work on now. It’s a lot about confidence and belief and if I get that right, then I will always have a chance.”

    Zverev’s interview with Tennis365 was an agenda-setting moment for the tennis world as he opened up about his emotions prior to his first round defeat against Arthur Rinderknech.

    He admitted his Australian Open defeat against Jannik Sinner in January hit him hard and conceded he needs to work on his belief to reach his Grand Slam goals.

    Then after his defeat against Rinderknech, he offered up thoughts to the media that backed up his comments to Tennis365.

    “It’s more mental, probably, I feel very alone out there at times, I struggle mentally, after the Australian Open, I don’t know,” said Zverev after losing to Rinderknech.

    “Trying to find ways to get out of this hole, but I keep finding myself back in it. I don’t know, I feel generally speaking quite alone in life, it’s not a nice feeling.

    “I’ve been through a lot of difficulties. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in life, generally.

    “I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do. It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.”

    READ NEXT: Alexander Zverev admits he suffered a ‘burnout’ after Jannik Sinner hammering

    The post Alexander Zverev makes ‘hitting harder’ claim as he compares Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to the ‘Big 3’ appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Novak Djokovic makes ‘nervous’ confession after surviving worst-ever start to Wimbledon match

    Novak Djokovic fought back from his worst-ever start to a match at Wimbledon to defeat Alex de Minaur in the last 16 of the 2025 Championships.

    The seven-time Wimbledon winner prevailed 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 against world No 11 de Minaur after three hours and 19 minutes on Centre Court.

    De Minaur broke a struggling Djokovic three times en route to winning the first set in just 31 minutes.

    The 26-year-old Australian made history with this scoreline as Djokovic had never previously lost an opening set 6-1 or 6-0 in a match at Wimbledon.

    Djokovic twice surrendered a break advantage in the second set, but a third break in the seventh game was decisive as he levelled the match.

    The 38-year-old Serbian secured the only break of the third set in the ninth game, but he looked on the brink of being pushed to a fifth set.

    The world No 6 crucially saved a break point at 1-4, 30-40 in the fourth set before winning five straight games to complete a battling victory.

    In his on-court interview, Djokovic said:  “I don’t know how I’m feeling to be honest. I’m still trying to process the whole match and what happened on the court. It wasn’t a great start for me, it was a great start for Alex de Minaur obviously.

    “He broke my serve three times in the first set. We had very windy and swirly conditions on court. He was just managing the play better from the back of the court and I didn’t have many solutions, to be honest.

    “I kind of reset myself in the second set. It was a tough game to close out the second set and I think that was maybe a momentum shift where I felt I was back in the game. There was a lot of cat and mouse play. There were a lot of slices and he is so good at that.

    “He is one of the quickest players, if not the quickest player, we have on the tour. On the grass, where the ball bounces very low, it is extremely difficult to play someone like him if you’re not feeling the ball really well. He exposes all of your weaknesses.

    “I was very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one.”

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    Djokovic, who was seen holding and applying ice to his stomach, brushed off concerns when asked about the issue.

    “No, no, no. It was all good,” he insisted. “Just trying to manage sometimes the breathing, obviously, after 30-plus shots rallies from back of the court, you need a breather and don’t have much time, so maybe that was the case.”

    Asked about the difference between winning comfortably as he had in the previous rounds and surviving a tough match like this, Djokovic said: “Well, I obviously love winning in straights, to be honest, if I can.

    “But on the days like this, as you progress in the tournament, the matches are only gonna get tougher.

    “Alex has been an established top 10, top 15 player for the last couple of years, and he’s very tough to play against on this surface. I’ve never faced him on this surface, so I was slightly more nervous coming into this match and that reflected in my game in the first set.

    “It was a very difficult encounter, a lot of challenging moments for me. Sometimes I wish I had a serve and volley and a nice touch from the gentleman that is standing right there (gestures towards Roger Federer in the crowd), that would help (smiles).

    “But hey, I can’t complain. But I still have to run a lot and that’s fine. It’s part of my game. I was trying to mix it up.

    “I didn’t feel the ball so well in the first set, but as the match progressed, I was getting used to conditions and his pace. And I was starting to find my forehands and making more winners from that corner.”

    The 24-time major winner finished the interview by addressing what it is like to play in front of his former rival Federer.

    “Well, I mean it’s probably the first time he’s watching me and I won the match. The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse (laughs),” Djokovic joked.

    “It’s great, obviously. Great to have Roger, huge champion and someone that I admired and respected. We shared the stage for so many years and it’s great to have him back in his most successful and his favourite tournament, no doubt.”

    Djokovic will face world No 24 Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon after the 23-year-old Italian downed Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(3). He is aiming to tie Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles titles.

    READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach asked how many Grand Slams Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner will win

    The post Novak Djokovic makes ‘nervous’ confession after surviving worst-ever start to Wimbledon match appeared first on Tennis365.

  • The 5 men with the most Wimbledon quarter-finals: Roger Federer 18, Novak Djokovic No 2

    Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are two of the greatest champions in Wimbledon history, with a combined 15 men’s singles titles between them.

    And, perhaps unsurprisingly, they are the two men to have reached the most men’s singles quarter-finals at the All England Club in the Open Era.

    Only five men in the professional age have reached 10+ quarter-finals at SW19, with the two tennis greats out in front as things stand.

    5) Andy Murray – 10

    Murray well and truly made his mark at Wimbledon across his career, with the home favourite triumphing in both 2013 and 2016.

    And, during the peak of his career, he reached a staggering ten straight quarter-finals at his home Slam.

    The former world No 1 reached the last eight for the first time in 2009 and reached that point at the very least until 2018, when he missed the event due to injury.

    4) Boris Becker – 11

    Few players are as synonymous with one tournament as Becker is with Wimbledon, the German reaching seven of his ten Slam finals at the All England Club.

    And the German reached an impressive 11 quarter-finals at his favourite tournament, starting with his back-to-back triumphs at the tournament in 1985 and 1986.

    Following an early exit in 1987, he reached eight straight quarter-finals from 1988-1995, before reaching the last eight for the final time in 1997.

    3) Jimmy Connors – 14

    One of the greats of the 1970s and 1980s, two-time Wimbledon champion Connors had a long and hugely successful career, including at SW19, where he was twice a champion.

    The American ace reached the last eight on his debut in 1972 and then progressed to that stage for 11 seasons in a row, a run that was halted by a surprise fourth-round exit in 1983.

    Connors then returned to the final in 1984 and reached two further semi-finals to bring his total quarter-finals up to 14.

    2) Novak Djokovic – 16

    A seven-time Wimbledon winner, the All England Club has become one of the happiest hunting grounds of the Serbian’s career, and he has reached his 16th quarter-final at the tournament in 2025.

    Djokovic reached his first quarter-final at the tournament in 2007, and then progressed to seven straight quarter-final matches from 2009-2015.

    He suffered a shock defeat in round three in 2016 but has made at least the last eight every year since then – winning the title four times during that run.

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    1) Roger Federer – 18

    No man in the Open Era has won more Wimbledon titles than Federer, so it is no surprise to see the Swiss maestro at the top of this list.

    Federer was just 19 when he reached his first quarter-final in 2001, famously downing Pete Sampras in the fourth round.

    He then reached ten consecutive quarter-finals from 2003-2012, and after a shock round two loss in 2013, progressed to at least the last eight in his final seven SW19 appearances.

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    The post The 5 men with the most Wimbledon quarter-finals: Roger Federer 18, Novak Djokovic No 2 appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach asked how many Grand Slams Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner will win

    Goran Ivanisevic has claimed it will be “easier” for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to dominate at Grand Slams than the Big Three because he feels the duo have “no competition” besides Novak Djokovic.

    Alcaraz secured his fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, while Sinner won his third major at the Australian Open in January. The pair have shared the last six Grand Slam titles between them, winning three each.

    Sinner, the world No 1, has collected two Australian Open titles and a US Open crown. Alcaraz, who is ranked second, has triumphed twice at both Wimbledon and the French Open, while he won his maiden major at the US Open.

    At the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Alcaraz is vying for his third successive title, while Sinner is seeking a maiden crown.

    In an interview with Clay Tenis and RG Media, Ivanisevic was asked how many Grand Slam titles he thinks Alcaraz and Sinner can win.

    “A lot, because they’ll share it between them,” said the 2001 Wimbledon champion.

    “The question is how much longer Novak will play — he’s the only one who can make their lives difficult. But they’re young, they’ll play ten more years. And they have no competition.

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    “Now it’s a matter of numbers — I don’t know if they’ll catch the Big Three, but anything is possible — records are there to be broken.

    “And as I said, they have no competition, so it will be easier. The Big Three had to play each other, plus [Andy] Murray, [Stan] Wawrinka, [Juan Martin] del Potro… Who’s the competition for Sinner and Alcaraz?”

    Ivanisevic, a former coach of Djokovic who currently works with Stefanos Tsitsipas, then gave his thoughts on two rising ATP stars: Jakub Mensik and Joao Fonseca.

    “Of course, someone will appear. Someone will break it in five or six years, when these two are around 30 and who knows how many Slams they’ve won.

    “[Jakub] Mensik is very good, although still a bit inconsistent. [Joao] Fonseca is fantastic, starting with his attitude — he believes he can be the best, and plays with that mentality.

    “He goes for his shots, like Alcaraz, without fear — in tense moments he doesn’t push the ball, he goes all out. He plays with style, has all the shots, and he’s going to learn more.

    “He can improve his serve, but he’s young — he’ll learn through matches, wins, losses. He has time, although it’s a difficult era because of Sinner and Alcaraz. It will be tougher, but one day he’ll win a Slam.”

    READ NEXT: John McEnroe issues scathing Novak Djokovic Wimbledon verdict as he makes retirement comment

    The post Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach asked how many Grand Slams Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner will win appeared first on Tennis365.

  • John McEnroe issues scathing Novak Djokovic Wimbledon verdict as he makes retirement comment

    Tennis icon John McEnroe was left in disbelief by Novak Djokovic’s level in the first set of his Wimbledon encounter with Alex de Minaur.

    In his fourth round clash with 11th seed de Minaur, a badly out-of-sorts Djokovic lost the first set 6-1 in just 31 minutes.

    Djokovic, the current world No 6, hit twice as many unforced errors as winners in the set: 16 to eight.

    The 38-year-old Serbian landed only 48% of his first serves and won just two of 11 second serve points as he hit four double faults.

    The seven-time Wimbledon champion was broken three times — in the first, fifth and seventh games of the match — while he was unable to convert the single break point he had on de Minaur’s serve in the second game.

    Statistically, it was not a vintage set from de Minaur either, with the 26-year-old Aussie making only 40% of his first serves and registering four winners to five unforced errors.

    Commentating on the match for the BBC, McEnroe asserted that Djokovic was “disgusted with himself” and claimed the24-time Grand Slam winner would retire if he continued to play at this level.

    “It is hard to believe we are watching this right now. De Minaur is making it look easy,” said the seven-time major singles champion.

    “I can’t remember him ever play a worse set than this. I mean, it’s literally been years.

    “He’s absolutely disgusted with himself. This is pleasantly surprising for De Minaur. He didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to out there.

    “It’s not gonna happen that he continues to play this badly. If he did, for two more sets, he’d quit on the spot.”

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    Todd Woodbridge, a nine-time Wimbledon champion in men’s doubles, asked McEnroe: “What do you mean, career wise?”

    McEnroe replied: “I would predict [that Djokovic will retire], if he played like this for two more sets.

    “I don’t think it’s gonna happen. I don’t think there’s a prayer that it’s going to happen. But this is incredible to see him play like this.

    “You know, he’s won… Look, let’s hang on here a second. That’s why they have best of five.

    “Roger Federer took the shades off ’cause he can’t believe… He was like, ‘Wait a minute, I can’t believe what I’m watching here. Where was this when I played him in the three finals?’”

    After Djokovic broke de Minaur in the first game of the second set, McEnroe said: “I would have bet most of my life savings on Novak getting that first break in the second set.

    “It is nice to see someone use the court coverage and their speed as Alex De Minaur did in that game. He has put that one-handed slice to good effect early.

    During a marathon second game of set two where de Minaur broke back, the American added: “Djokovic seems to be having trouble with the low ball here in the first 40 minutes or so.

    “His serve percentage has been poor at only 54% so far. That is pretty unheard of for him.

    “The crowd are a bit stunned at what they are seeing so far.”

    READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach asked how many Grand Slams Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner will win

    The post John McEnroe issues scathing Novak Djokovic Wimbledon verdict as he makes retirement comment appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Nick Kyrgios reveals Wimbledon dark horse – ‘I honestly wouldn’t count him out’

    Nick Kyrgios admits it is difficult to look past a Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner final at Wimbledon, but he feels it would be silly to write off Taylor Fritz.

    Fifth seed Fritz has reached the quarter-final at the All England Club for a third time in his career and he has done it the hard way as he has come through a brutal draw.

    He faced the big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round and needed five sets to overcome the rising French star before also going the distance against up-and-coming Canadian Gabriel Diallo.

    The American then dropped one set against 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before he finally had an easy day out in the fourth round as Jordan Thompson retired with a thigh injury after going down 6-1, 3-0.

    Fritz will look to reach the last four at Wimbledon for the first time in his career when he takes on Karen Khachanov and Kyrgios has been impressed with the 27-year-old so far at SW19.

    “The way Taylor Fritz has been playing, it’s probably one of the hardest draws a seed has had,” he told talkSPORT.

    “He’s played three guys who are all very dangerous on grass. He’s come through that and is saying his body feels better and better so I honestly wouldn’t count him out. Fritz can do some damage against those guys.”

    Fritz has been one of the standout players on grass the past five years as he has recorded 35 wins – the most on the ATP Tour since 2020 – and he feels he is no longer a one-dimensional player thanks to tweaks.

    Asked about the changes, Fritz replied: “The biggest tweak, like the thing that I experiment the most with is just return positioning and grips and stance on returning.

    “Whether I want to be holding a chip grasp and standing in close, and then the chip grip is just my backhand grip, so I don’t have to switch grips or anything. If I want to take a step back, look to hit over, look to be switching grips, I guess, if we’re serving the other way.

    “I’ve been able to just, like, I mean, from basically the first time I got on grass, before Stuttgart, the days leading up to the tournament, I just tried both, experimented, felt like this feels better. Just to see.

    “I think maybe a couple years ago I was one-dimensional. I was pretty much only doing one or the other.

    “Now I feel like I’ve found a good balance of, like, what conditions need to be met in the match based off of what my opponent’s doing off of it, how he’s serving, how I’m hitting the ball, to kind of decide which way I want to go about returning.”

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    Of course, two-time defending champion Alcaraz and world No 1 Sinner are the men to beat with 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic also in the mix.

    Djokovic, though, will need to get past Sinner in the semis and Alcaraz in the final if he is to win a record-equalling eighth title.

    “Novak has at times looked incredible but the way Sinner and Alcaraz are playing and dialled in, it’s pretty tough to go past those two guys,” Kyrgios said.

    The Australian also feels Sinner is the man to beat as he added: “It’s hard to look past Jannik Sinner. He looks really locked in and incredible.

    “He hasn’t lost more than four games in a single set. His form is concerning to the rest of the field. It’s hard not to see an Alcaraz-Sinner final.”

    The post Nick Kyrgios reveals Wimbledon dark horse – ‘I honestly wouldn’t count him out’ appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Watch: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova fumes after major line call error at Wimbledon

    The role of electronic line calling at Wimbledon and other tennis events is under further scrutiny after a shocking error in Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s SW19 clash versus Sonay Kartal.

    In an already tense fourth-round clash inside Centre Court, world No 50 Pavlyuchenkova was the victim of a major electronic line call mistake in the ninth game of the match.

    Serving in a tight game at 4-4 in the first set, the Russian held a game point and appeared to stop mid-rally after one of Kartal’s groundstrokes, before the automated line-calling system called out: “Stop, stop.”

    Kartal’s forehand initially looked out at first sight, and close-up replays confirmed this was the case, with an operational error thought to be responsible for the lack of line call.

    Umpire Nico Helwerth told Kartal before the start of the delay that he had seen the ball sail long, and he then attempted to clarify the situation with the operators.

    However, despite the clear evidence that Kartal had missed the point, the point was not given to Pavlyuchenkova but instead replayed.

    The former French Open finalist would have won the game had she been awarded the point, but ultimately went on to lose the game – with Kartal handed the chance to serve for the set.

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    While Pavlyuchenkova had kept her call in the initial aftermath of the decision, she fumed towards German umpire Helwerth at the resulting change of ends.

    “I don’t know if it was in or out, I don’t know. You cannot prove it,” vented Pavlyuchenkova, in regards to the decision to replay the point.

    “Because she’s local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me. They stole a game from me. They stole it.”

    Kartal held a set point when attempting to serve the opener out, though there was arguably a sense of justice done when Pavlyuchenkova broke back and ultimately took the first set in a tiebreak.

    While this has been the most obvious and controversial error at this year’s Wimbledon, several players have been critical of the system at the All England Club, which is being used in place of line judges for the first time this year.

    Among those critical was Emma Raducanu, who was unhappy with a call in her third-round defeat to Aryna Sabalenka on Friday.

    “That call was for sure out,” claimed Raducanu. “It’s kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part, they’ve been okay.

    “It’s just, like, I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. So yeah, I don’t know. Hopefully, they can kind of fix that.”

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  • ‘Novak Djokovic could have a better chance of winning Wimbledon than Jannik Sinner’

    Toni Nadal has given his verdict on Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s prospects of winning the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

    The Spaniard, who is the uncle and former coach of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, has named Alcaraz “the star of the year and the man to beat” at Wimbledon.

    Sinner, the world No 1, is chasing his maiden Wimbledon crown and fourth Grand Slam title overall.

    Djokovic, who is seeded sixth, is seeking a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and record-extending 25th major.

    In a column for El Pais, Nadal highlighted the difference between Djokovic’s results at Grand Slams and other events this year.

    “[Djokovic] carries a well-deserved reputation as a tireless fighter attached to his tall frame, something that should never be forgotten,” said the 64-year-old.

    “And his 38 years of age, rather than indicating that he doesn’t have many opportunities left to increase his trophy cabinet, could become a real incentive for his feisty character.

    “The Serbian player has had a very irregular season, with certainly incomprehensible defeats, but we mustn’t forget that in previous Grand Slams, he not only lived up to expectations, but also defeated Carlos in the first of the year, the Australian Open, and in Paris he also made things very difficult for Sinner in the semi-finals, after having defeated the current world number three, Alexander Zverev.

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    “Although it’s clear that Novak is far from his best form these days, I think if he manages to progress through the rounds, he could be the second contender with the best chance of winning the title.”

    Nadal went on to argue that Sinner’s epic French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz — in which the Italian was unable to convert three championship points — could affect his title hopes at Wimbledon.

    “As for the Italian player, it remains to be seen whether his painful defeat on June 8 in Paris can influence his upcoming challenges,” he continued.

    “In the world of sports, it’s very easy to see how one’s mood and perception can change due to a ball that goes wide or goes in by just a few centimetres.

    “Until that fateful date, the general feeling was that the great Italian tennis player was almost unbeatable; it’s even possible that he himself was beginning to feel that way.

    “However, he knows that at the crucial moment, he failed to steady his nerves, while his opponent, in a more daunting situation, was able to respond resolutely and courageously.

    “It’s hard to believe that recent, bitter memory won’t return to Sinner’s mind, but we can never completely rule out, as is the case with great players, that he will bring out that best version of himself; if that hypothetical replay of the final were to happen, we’d have to see how much it would affect the outcome.”

    Sinner and Djokovic are on course to meet in the semi-finals at Wimbledon, while Alcaraz could await the winner in the final.

    READ NEXT: What Jannik Sinner said about Novak Djokovic relationship and the Serb’s Wimbledon prospects

    The post ‘Novak Djokovic could have a better chance of winning Wimbledon than Jannik Sinner’ appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Andrey Rublev’s telling Carlos Alcaraz ‘weakness’ comments highlight his Wimbledon challenge

    The 2025 Wimbledon Championships have been a huge positive for Andrey Rublev.

    Twelve months ago, the Russian was stunned in the first round by Francisco Comesana, part of a string of results that contributed to the 27-year-old’s fall from the top 10 earlier in 2025.

    Back in 2025 as the 14th seed, a refreshed and more at ease Rublev has found clarity at the tournament where he was a quarter-finalist in 2023, and is back playing some of his best tennis in months.

    He defeated Laslo Djere and Lloyd Harris in four sets in his opening two rounds, before his best performance to date over qualifier Adrian Mannarino in round three.

    However, Rublev now faces arguably the toughest task in tennis: taking on Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon.

    Two-time defending champion Alcaraz has not been at his free-flowing best this tournament, but stats rarely lie – and his recent achievements are extraordinary.

    The Spaniard has now won 17 straight matches at Wimbledon, not tasting defeat at the event since 2022, and is on a 21-match win streak in 2025, not losing since the Barcelona Open final in April.

    Rublev knows how to beat Alcaraz, having defeated the world No 2 in the Madrid Open quarter-finals back in 2024, an event the Russian would ultimately go on to win.

    However, it was Alcaraz who won their other two contests, at the ATP Finals in 2023 and 2024, with both victories coming in straight sets.

    Rublev has not faced Alcaraz since then, and the two have never met at a Grand Slam, though he has had a recent taste of facing a dominant force at one of tennis’ four biggest tournaments.

    He came up against Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of the French Open last month, falling in straight sets to the world No 1.

    That meeting against Sinner, and his most recent clash against Alcaraz, give the former world No 5 an intriguing insight into what it is like to take on the very best.

    “What is it like to play against him [Alcaraz]? I don’t know,” said Rublev.

    “But with me he play, the last matches, he played well and he destroyed me. Especially the last one in Turin. Yeah, he lost two matches [at the ATP Finals]. With me, he played unbelievable.

    “I don’t know what it’s like. It’s the same feeling like with Sinner. You’re playing the best players. They know how to do everything.

    “They know how to hit. They know how to defend. They know how to be patient. They know how to be strong mentally. They know how to serve, how to return.”

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    It would be easy to discount Rublev on paper, but then tennis is never done on paper – as this Wimbledon has proven, perhaps more than any other Grand Slam in recent years.

    The five-set format undoubtedly gives Alcaraz huge breathing room, allowing him the time to discover enough of his best tennis to prevail, even if he is not at his best throughout large stages of the match.

    That certainly proved to be the case in his five-set victory over Fabio Fognini in round one and, to a lesser extent, his third-round four-set triumph versus Jan-Lennard Struff.

    Despite that, he is the favourite for this match against Rublev – so what can the 14th seed do to potentially cause a significant shock?

    The 27-year-old has a clear blueprint in his mind of what will be needed, but it certainly will not be easy.

    He added: “It’s like: ‘Okay, I will have a chance maybe if I play also my best tennis today, then maybe I have a chance.’

    “If I show weaknesses, it’s like you’re done. So you cannot show any weaknesses. That’s the difference.

    “Because some matches maybe you relax a bit or you complain a bit, but still you can win because you’re too much maybe ahead in the score or you are better player.

    “With them, these one or two points cost you match.”

    Alcaraz and Rublev meet in the final match inside Centre Court on Sunday, with all eyes on just how close the Russian can get to the two-time champion.

    Read NextNovak Djokovic v Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer Compared: Match wins at the four Grand Slams

    The post Andrey Rublev’s telling Carlos Alcaraz ‘weakness’ comments highlight his Wimbledon challenge appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Sonay Kartal’s tattoos: What they mean and her next one

    Sonay Kartal is enjoying a career-defining run at Wimbledon 2025 and she is set to celebrate by adding another tattoo to her already impressive collection after the tournament.

    The 23-year-old, who started the 2025 season at No 87 in the WTA Rankings, is projected to rise to a new career-high No 44 after reaching the fourth round at the grass-court Grand Slam.

    She is already assured of being the new British No 2, moving one place ahead of Emma Raducanu after the 2021 US Open winner lost in the third round, while she will also overtake Katie Boulter and become the No 1 if she wins her next match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the fourth round.

    Kartal has 14 tattoos and asked after her first-round win over 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko if she will get another one to celebrate, she replied: “I would have to go a few rounds further to get one, I think. Maybe if I made it to the second week, I’ll probably get one. Knowing me, I’d get one.”

    She has now gone a few more rounds, beating Viktoriya Tomova and Diane Parray, and stated: “My next tattoo? I did say I would get my ‘colour holder’ number after I played the Billie Jean King Cup, when I got that live rubber. That’s going to be one of them.

    “I’m open to suggestions. Like if people throw me some good ideas, I will definitely consider them. 90% I would end up going with one of those ideas.”

    She was also asked about her most special tattoo.

    “I have one on the back of my arm which is one of my first dog, a massive golden retriever. I bought some like doggy ink and got his paw print downsized, got it tattooed and put into a little picture on the back of my arm,” she revealed.

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    There is also a quote: “The show must go on.”

    Does it relate to anything specific?

    “Not really. I’d like to say it did, but honestly, on that one I just liked the design,” she said. “My tattoos all started with meaning. Then I guess the more I got, the kind of more spontaneous and braver I got. Yeah, I mean, early days I would have to like it for a good few months. Whereas now I like it for two days, and I’ll get something put on.”

    What about the other tattoos?

    Left forearm – An eagle, a bumblebee and a checkered heart

    The eagle is to celebrate her Turkish heritage as her father hails from the European country and Kartal means eagle in Turkish.

    The bumblebee was added after this year’s French Open as she was initially due to get matching tattoos with her sister after the first round, but had to postpone her ink meeting: revealing: “Me and my sister got a matching bumblebee. I gave her the choice. She said, ‘Will you get tattoo with me?’ I said yeah. Came off after my first match and she had got the bumblebee. So I had to hold my word, and yeah, I went in the end of the week to get that one.”

    There is also a black-and-white checkerboard heart.

    Left bicep – Paw print

    This is the “special” one of her first dog, Chester, who passed away two years ago.

    Right thigh – “Time is everything we have and don’t”

    Another quote, but unlike “The show must go on” this one has a meaning.

    “It’s just a quote I like to live by. Sometimes I think I can get a bit stressy and stuff, so for me, it kind of just tells me it’s like to calm down, just to be in the moment a little bit.”

    Right forearm – A snake

    One of the many tattoos that don’t have a special meaning, as she ” was just scrolling through my phone and saw that one as well”.

    Left hand – The date

    This one does have a meaning as it’s “The date, it says 2022, I did all the four Grand Slams my first time.”

    Right bicep – A butterfly

    Another one that is yet to be discussed publicly, but it one of the more visible ones when she wears sleeveless shirts.

    The rest…

    Karatal also has at least four tattoos on her knuckles and she admitted: “These ones kind of have no meaning. The knuckle ones just trying to be stylish maybe.”

    The post Sonay Kartal’s tattoos: What they mean and her next one appeared first on Tennis365.