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Jannik Sinner has been a notable absentee from the ATP Tour in recent weeks as he serves a three-month suspension for a doping violation and former world No 1 Andy Roddick believes what comes next could shape a few agendas in years to come.

Sinner accepted a short ban from tennis amid the threat of a one-year suspension if he had taken his case against the World Anti-Doping Agenda all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

It means world No 1 Sinner has missed recent tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami and he will also miss the start of the clay court season, including ATP Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

While he has been denied the chance to challenge for world ranking points and big money, his time away from the court could work in his favour if he returns refreshed and revived against opponents who have had hectic schedules on court in his absence.

Speaking on the latest edition of his Served podcast, former US Open champion pondered whether Sinner would benefit from the break away from tennis as he targets his first French Open title at Roland Garros.

“I don’t think you are ever a winner when you get suspended for three months… but will he look back in a year in a half and say you know what, that was decent. I had a pretty hectic schedule, played two majors (this summer), was there a benefit to it? Maybe,” said Roddick.

“What’s going to happen is one of two things. He’s not going to play as well in Rome or the French Open and by the way, it’s not his best surface, so we are going to overreact to whatever the result is for Jannik Sinner when he comes back.

“We will say ‘that really hurt him’ if he loses in Rome, or if he loses in the semi-finals of the French Open, but that could have happened [whether he was banned or not].

Roddick went on to suggest Sinner and other players may look at how the Italian reacts to his unwanted time away from tennis and may conclude that taking a break after the ATP 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami is a shrewd move in preparation for the French Open.

The question here is how will other players react if a fresh and hungry Sinner springs back into top gear and performs well in Rome at the French Open, would that encourage other players to take some time off at the start of the clay court season in years to come?

“What will be curious is moving forward, with this three-month gap, with the schedule being too busy, maybe he takes parts of this three months [off],” he added.

“Maybe he says I play Indian Wells and Miami and I doesn’t play Monte Carlo. I get a later start, I buy myself during the clay court season to refresh.

“So I think this experience may be a good learning tool and maybe you take the good parts of it. We’ll see.”

Sinner spoke at length about his decision to accept a doping ban for the first time in an interview with Sky Italy, as he reflected on a tough decision that he felt forced to take.

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“The decision to take the three-month suspension was rather quick. We accepted it quite quickly, even though I didn’t agree completely. There was a bit of back and forth with my lawyer and the people around me,” the Italian said. “After we took this decision, it took me a while to find myself again.

“But I am still here. There is still a bit of time to digest all this, but I can’t wait to be back in Rome. It’s a special tournament for me, even though it will also very tough. I’ll be back in a moment in which there will be already a lot of attention on me, and in Rome it’s not easy.

“I was very fragile after what happened. I would tell a lie if I said I was a person without feelings or emotions. In life you learn, every year I learn more about myself, also about my values. It was not easy, very hard at times, but the people around me gave me the strength to understand what had happened.”

He remains unsure how other players on the tour will react to his return.

“I can’t answer this question as I don’t know what could happen,” he said. “I know how things went, I know I am innocent.

“I am calm because, in the end, I know that what I want to do is to play tennis and be serene. That’s the end of the story. So, I am sure all will go well, even if at the beginning it will take a while to start over. These are questions I don’t know how to answer.”

Sinner has confirmed he will return to action at the Rome Masters next month, where he is set to be the top seed.

READ NEXT: ‘Jannik Sinner has the same competitive arrogance bordering on ruthlessness as Novak Djokovic’

The post Will Jannik Sinner’s doping ban boost his French Open hopes – Andy Roddick’s verdict appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s mission to win a 100th ATP Tour title is one of the key talking points of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters.

And, while the third seed is undoubtedly one of the favourites to lift the title this week, a significant obstacle could be standing in his way.

Monte Carlo has not been Djokovic’s happiest hunting ground in recent years – can he reverse a strange trend?

Two titles

After defeats to Rafael Nadal in the 2009 and 2012 finals, Djokovic finally beat the Spaniard in the 2013 final to lift the title for the first time, ending his rival’s staggering 46-match win streak in Monte Carlo.

Two years later, Djokovic would then win the title for a second time, beating former world No 4 Tomas Berdych in three sets.

Only five men in the Open Era – including Nadal – have won more Monte Carlo titles, and his triumphs are notable considering that fellow rival Roger Federer went 0-4 in his Monte Carlo finals.

However, with *only* two titles to his name, this is technically Djokovic’s weakest Masters 1000 event.

Djokovic has triumphed at every other Masters event on at least three occasions, with the Madrid Open and Cincinnati Open (three titles) his next events in terms of titles won.

Should Djokovic triumph in Monte Carlo this week, he would become the first man to win all nine Masters events on at least three occasions; no other man has even done it once.

Win percentage

Djokovic is making his 18th Monte Carlo appearance this week – a new record, having previously been level with Nadal on 17.

And, his record of 39 match wins at the event is second only to Nadal – though his wins are matched by 15 losses at the tournament.

Djokovic’s 39-15 record gives him a Monte Carlo win percentage of 72.2%, and while that seems impressive on the outset, it is an outlier for the Serbian.

By quite some margin, it is the lowest win percentage he holds at any Masters 1000 tournament.

His next lowest win percentage is at the Madrid Open, where he holds a 76.9% (30-9) record, while he holds an impressive 85% (68-12) record in Rome, the final Masters event of the clay swing.

Djokovic’s highest Masters 1000 win percentage comes in Shanghai, where he holds an 86.7% (39-6) record.

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Recent dip

Djokovic was a semi-finalist in Monte Carlo a year ago, but that run – which was ended with a defeat to Casper Ruud – was his best result at the tournament since his last title back in 2015.

Since beating Berdych in the final a decade ago, Djokovic has reached just three quarter-finals in Monte Carlo.

Djokovic was beaten in the last eight by David Goffin in 2017 and Daniil Medvedev in 2019 and, outside of his 2024 showing, has endured a string of early losses in Monte Carlo over the past decade.

As the defending champion and world No 1 in 2016, he was stunned by Jiri Vesely, while other surprise losses include defeats to Dan Evans in 2021 and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in 2022.

His recent struggles contrast with an impressive string of results that saw him reach seven straight semi-finals in seven appearances from 2008 to 2015; he withdrew from the event in 2011.

Can he return his results around?

A return to the last four in 2024 was undoubtedly a positive for Djokovic, who, with Nadal now retired, is undoubtedly the most successful active clay-courter on the ATP.

After a return to form at the Miami Open, the Serbian also has a rather advantageous draw in Monte Carlo over the coming week.

Round two opponent Alejandro Tabilo beat the world No 5 in Rome last year but has only won three matches in 2025 – including a three-set victory over Stan Wawrinka in his opener here.

Further on, he could face Grigor Dimitrov – who he is 13-1 against – in the third round, before a quarter-final against eighth seed Alex de Minaur.

That is among the safest paths he could have received and could aid him in his quest to turn around his Monte Carlo struggles.

Read Next: The 7 men with the most Monte Carlo Masters match wins: Rafael Nadal 34 ahead of Novak Djokovic

The post How Monte Carlo has become Novak Djokovic’s weakest Masters 1000 event appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu enjoyed her best run of form since her 2021 US Open win as she reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open, but it is unclear when she will be back on court.

Raducanu pulled out of Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup matches in the Netherlands this week as she opted to take some time away from the court.

Sky Sports reported last week that Raducanu has also pulled out of the WTA 250 Open de Rouen that is set to get underway next week, but it has not yet been confirmed by the player.

There are also suggestions that she may not return in time to play on clay courts at the WTA 1000 Madrid Open tournament next month, with uncertainty over when the 22-year-old will next play a competitive tournament.

It is unclear whether Raducanu is nursing a minor injury or just opting to rest her body for a summer that will include a lot of action on her favoured grass courts, but it is clear that she will not play too much tennis in April.

That means she will see the 108 points earned from her run to the quarter-finals at the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open last year dropping off her record next week.

She would also lose the 10 ranking points she collected from a first-round defeat in Madrid last May if she opts against playing the tournament in the Spanish capital this year.

That may well see Raducanu drop out of the top 50 of the WTA Rankings once again, with British No 3 Sonay Kartal likely to get close to overhauling her former junior rival in the rankings ahead of the French Open.

Raducanu has made it clear that she will prioritise her health over ranking points and that is understandable given her lengthy spells away from the court due to injuries.

In addition, she will believe her game is there to compete with the best players on the WTA Tour after a run in Miami that included wins against top 10 player Emma Navarro and recent WTA 1000 title winner Amanda Anisimova.

Despite that return to form, Raducanu has decided this is the moment to take a break from the game and celebrated coach Patrick Mouratoglou has suggested the mental toll may be as significant for Raducanu as the physical issues she has struggled with over the last couple of years.

Speaking to Tennis365, Mouratoglou highlighted Emma Raducanu as an example of a player who goes onto court with more than just the burden of her own expectations to contend with, as criticism and the threat of it can also impact a match.

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“Most players are confident as they have the ability to play good tennis when they reach the top of the sport, but so many of them don’t believe in themselves when they play certain opponents,” he told Tennis365.

“When they lose a few matches, they lose belief to beat others and when you are in the locker room, you can see how some of them are scared before matches and it’s crazy.

“There is so much on the line every time they play a match because first of all, they are evaluating themselves.

“Then they have the press evaluating them and when you are in a big country like Britain and there is a lot of publicity around tennis, a player like Emma Raducanu takes the risk that people will write or say bad things about you every time you go on court. That is not easy to deal with.

“Players are stressed and they need a lot of confidence to deal with that stress or they will not be able to deliver.”

Raducanu has yet to give any clues when she will play her next tournament and she is likely to train at the LTA’s indoor clay courts in London as she considers her next move.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu ‘made the right decision’ after making a big schedule change

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Jannik Sinner has the same “competitive arrogance bordering on ruthlessness” as Novak Djokovic, according to renowned tennis coach Riccardo Piatti — who worked with both players.

As well as Sinner and Djokovic, Piatti has coached a host of tennis stars, including Maria Sharapova, Ivan Ljubicic, Milos Raonic, Richard Gasquet and Borna Coric.

The Italian worked with a teenage Djokovic from late 2005 until June 2006, and later declared he knew the Serb could reach the very top.

“When we worked together I thought he could become No 1 in the world at the level of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer because Novak always worked hard as a kid, with the family, and he was very focused and determined to be world No 1,” Piatti told Reuters during Djokovic’s outstanding 2011 season.

Piatti later played an integral role during Sinner‘s formative years, having worked with his Italian compatriot from the age of 13 until 20. Sinner chose to end the partnership in February 2022.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Piatti was asked if he still speaks to Sinner and gave an insight into the world No 1’s belief.

“Rarely. But on November 8, he sent me birthday wishes. It was the eve of the [2024] ATP Finals. ‘Have fun and make us have fun’, I wrote [to] him. ‘It will go well’, he replied. He already knew. He knew he was going to win,” he divulged.

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Addressing the current state of the ATP Tour in Sinner’s absence, Piatti revealed the Italian reminds him of Djokovic.

“I see a period of transition,” Piatti assessed. “At the top, there’s a much-improved Sinner. Alcaraz is chasing, but don’t crucify him — he already has four Slams, he was born in 2003, he is still building his life and career. Maturity will come.

“A generational shift is underway. Joao Fonseca, at 18, has played only 33 ATP matches. I used to tell Jannik that he needed to play 150 before he could aim for the next level. He was in a hurry — by the 139th, he became world No 9. Let’s give Fonseca time, let’s talk again when he reaches 80 matches.

“Mensik has played 69 and has already won in Miami. I find him interesting, but again, let’s check back in 60 or 70 matches. I don’t know the motivation of these talents, but I knew Jannik’s well — it reminded me a lot of Novak Djokovic.”

Asked to summarise the similarities he sees between Sinner and Djokovic, Piatti added: “A competitive arrogance bordering on ruthlessness.”

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Has ‘more consistent’ Jannik Sinner’s absence fuelled Carlos Alcaraz criticism?

The post ‘Jannik Sinner has the same competitive arrogance bordering on ruthlessness as Novak Djokovic’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Has Jannik Sinner’s current absence from the ATP Tour helped fuel recent criticism of Carlos Alcaraz?

That’s the verdict of former world No 6 Gilles Simon, who believes the lack of a “more consistent” Sinner over the past two months has increased speculation surrounding Alcaraz’s form.

Over the past 15 months, Sinner and Alcaraz have widely been hailed as the leading stars of a new era of tennis, following in the footsteps of the ‘Big Three’ and Andy Murray.

Both men won two Grand Slam titles in 2024, though it was Sinner who finished the year as the world No 1 ahead of world No 3 Alcaraz – winning eight total titles compared to the Spaniard’s four.

With the Italian serving a three-month suspension, which began in February and will not end until early May, many backed Alcaraz to reclaim the No 1 ranking he had previously held for 36 weeks.

However, since his rival’s ban, the Spaniard has not won a title, losing in the Qatar Open quarter-final, Indian Wells semi-final, and in his opening match at the Miami Open.

Alcaraz will look to return to form at the Monte Carlo Masters and, ahead of the tournament, admitted he was frustrated at recent criticism directed his way.

Speaking to Tennis365, Simon claimed Alcaraz was facing heavier criticism as his results were under stronger scrutiny without Sinner – something that rarely emerged during the ‘Big Three’ and Murray era.

“I’m from a generation where the top players were able to win every week – but there were four, which means there were not all four winning at the same time,” said the 14-time ATP titleist.

“Sometimes it was one at the top winning everything, and the other ones were not winning. As we were sometimes seeing them as a group, we felt that they were always there.

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“Today, the two players that could be in this way are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Jannik is more consistent, and this is why he is at this ranking, I don’t think he’s a better tennis player – I just think he’s more consistent.

“The ranking is over one year, and he doesn’t have these up and downs that Carlos can have. We all know if they play at their highest level, both of them, we are not sure that Jannik is going to win.

“Carlos is a bit more up and down. Jannik is not here at the moment, so if Carlos is a bit down, we feel like he disappeared or it’s a big mess or like the tour looks like nothing, and it’s a different winner every week.

“In the end, I think it was just a bad habit that we had with Roger, Rafa, and Novak being there, but also being four of them, when one had an accident like Carlos can have.”

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and  Novak Djokovic defined an era of tennis and dominated the men’s game for the best part of two decades.

However, it was not always the case that there was an established ‘Big Three’, with Federer – the oldest of the trio – the first to break through and dominate the sport.

While Federer was dominant throughout large parts of the mid-2000s, there were times when the Swiss’ results were under significant scrutiny.

And Simon recalled the 20-time Grand Slam champion being beaten by Guillermo Canas in both Indian Wells and Miami in 2007, claiming the Swiss faced a similar level of criticism as Alcaraz currently is.

He added: “The first time I came in Indian Wells and Miami, Roger lost to Canas twice, and it was a big deal because he was the only one at that time. The other ones [Nadal and Djokovic] were not there yet.

“If it happens five years later, same thing, he would lose – but then we still have Rafa and Novak in the final, and everyone forgets.

“This is where I feel like we can see that only two players are currently carrying the tour, or get this huge attention and focus on them.

“He’s [Alcaraz] a top player, he’s won four Slams, he’s 21 years old, he’s achieving crazy things, and sometimes it’s just human that you are not going to win everything.”

Simon was speaking in his role as an ambassador and team captain for the 2025 Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault.

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Novak Djokovic will be looking to build on his Miami Open final run at the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters, and he now knows the identity of his first opponent.

The Serbian, who receives an opening round bye as the No 3 seed, will take on 32nd-ranked Alejandro Tabilo in the second round.

As he bids for a third Monte Carlo crown and a milestone 100th ATP singles title, Djokovic has plenty on the line this week.

The world No 5 may, though, have some added motivation for his opening match.

What is Djokovic’s history with Tabilo?

Tabilo is a rare player with a winning record against Djokovic, having earned a shock 6-2, 6-3 victory in the pair’s only previous encounter – which came in the third round of the 2024 Italian Open.

Djokovic, who was the top seed in Rome last year, was broken four times and did not generate a single break point on Tabilo’s serve in a one-sided contest lasting just over an hour.

The defeat for Djokovic came two days after he was struck on the head by a metal water bottle that fell from a spectator’s bag as he left the court following his first match at the event.

Tabilo, who was seeded 29th, went on to reach the semi-finals in an impressive run at the Masters 1000 event.

What did Djokovic say after losing to Tabilo in Rome?

Q. Could you please explain why you weren’t able to perform at your highest level today?

DJOKOVIC: Congratulations to my opponent. It’s the first time I faced him. Great player. Really quality player. All-around game.

Yeah, I just wasn’t able to find any kind of good feelings on the court, to be honest, with striking the ball. Yeah, I was completely off.

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Q. Was this related at all to the bottle incident? Were you feeling anything from what happened on Friday night?

DJOKOVIC: I don’t know, to be honest. I have to check that. Training was different. I was going for kind of easy training yesterday. I didn’t feel anything, but I also didn’t feel the same.

Today under high stress, it was quite bad – not in terms of pain, but in terms of this balance. Just no coordination. Completely different player from what it was two nights ago. Could be. I don’t know. I have to do medical checkups and see what’s going on.

Tabilo’s form

Tabilo ground out a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 win against 163rd-ranked wildcard Stan Wawrinka in the first round in Monte Carlo.

This was just Tabilo’s third win of 2025: he holds a 3-9 record this season having struggled badly for form.

The 27-year-old Chilean has not won back-to-back matches since the Canadian Open in August last year.

Tabilo is at his best on clay, but it is difficult to see him upsetting Djokovic again if the 24-time major winner is anywhere near his best.

When will the Djokovic-Tabilo match take place?

The second round match between Djokovic and Tabilo in Monte Carlo is expected to be played on Wednesday, with the order of play yet to be announced.

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The clay court season has moved into top gear with the start of the Monte-Carlos Masters, but who will be the kings of clay for 2025?

This compelling phase of the tennis year will conclude with the French Open in Paris at the start of June, but so many stories will be written between now and then.

The ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome will dominate the build-up to the second Grand Slam of 2025, with the seedings for that major in Paris potentially playing a big role in the final outcome.

Here is our prediction for the top eight seeds at the French Open:

1. Jannik Sinner

Currently serving a three-month suspension for a doping violation, Sinner is set to return in front of his Italian fans at the Rome Masters next month.

His lead at the top of the ATP Rankings has not been impacted by his absence from the game, with nearest rivals Alexander Zverev and Carls Alcaraz failing to eat into his rankings lead over the last few weeks.

2. Carlos Alcaraz

The Spanish star admitted he was struggling with his focus as he crashed out of the Miami Open in his opening match against David Goffin, but he has a huge chance to climb back up to No 2 in the ATP Rankings ahead of the French Open.

Alcaraz is defending French Open champion and at home on clay courts, so he will fancy his chances of making progress in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome and he has limited ranking points to defend after injury worries at this time last year.

3. Alexander Zverev

The German big-hitter has 2,550 ranking points to defend in this clay court season from 2024, with most of them coming from his win at the Rome Masters and a run to the French Open final last year.

Zverev has to be worried about his form heading into this clay court season as he struggled on the surface in tournaments in South America and was then below his best at the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments. He needs to find his form quickly to avoid losing the No 2 ranking he currently holds.

4. Novak Djokovic

With Djokovic playing more tournaments in 2025, he has a great chance to get back into the top four of the rankings in time for the French Open and Wimbledon.

That could be crucial to his ambitions of winning a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, as it could ensure he would avoid a meeting with Sinner or Alcaraz until the semi-finals.

5. Jack Draper

Indian Wells champion Draper is up to No 6 in the ATP Rankings this week, which is a new career high.

He has limited points to defend on clay over the next few weeks and while it may be his least favourite surface, Draper is a big presence in the top 10 of the men’s game and he has a chance to get into the top 5 in time for the French Open.

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6. Taylor Fritz

The current world No 4 has a solid 2024 season on clay, reaching the final in an ATP 500 event in Munich and the semi-final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid.

He also reached the last eight in Rome and that means he has to match those efforts on his least favourite surface to stay in the top four. Given his recent form, that looks unlikely.

7. Caper Ruud

Last year’s Barcelona Open champion has plenty of points to defend from the 2024 clay court swing, but he is a class act on this surface.

His ability to get the ball back into court on the red clay makes him a tough opponent to beat and he could be in the top eight by the time we get to Roland Garros.

8. Alex de Minaur

The Australian may not be at home on clay, but Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev will be dropping plenty of ranking points off their records after ATP 1000 wins on clay last year and that should open a door for De Minaur to step into the top eight for the French Open.

He is a stronger player than he was a year ago and should be able to adapt to clay.

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The big guns will only begin their Monte Carlo Masters campaigns in the second round, but do you know how many points they are defending at this week’s ATP Masters event?

World No 1 Jannik Sinner will of course once again be absent as he continues to serve his three-month ban. The Italian will also miss the Madrid Open and Barcelona Open before finally returning at the Italian Open in early May.

Despite not featuring in Monte Carlo this year, the Italian will still drop points from his 2024 results so he will lose out, but not by too much.

He is currently on 10,330 points, but will remain top after the tournament as Alexander Zverev is too far adrift in second place.

Unlike the Sunshine Double, the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open which are 96-player single draws, the Monte Carlo event is a 56-player draw, which means there is a change in the points being awarded as it starts at the round of 64 and not the round of 128.

So it is first round, second round, the round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final.

Monte Carlo Ranking Points Breakdown

Winner: 1000 points
Finalist: 650 points
Semi-finalists: 400 points
Quarter-finalists: 200 points
Round of 16: 100 points
Round of 32: 50 points
First of 64: 10 points

Let’s start with the top five in the ATP Rankings and Jannik Sinner will drop 400 points after reaching the semi-final last year. It means he will be on 9,930 points after the tournament as he will not be able to add to his tally.

Zverev – who is 2,685 points behind the Italian – lost in the third round last year so he will drop only 50 points and a decent performance this time around will help him to edge closer to Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz is in an even better position as he didn’t play last year due to injury so he will not have any points to defend and could overtake Zverev if he wins the title and the German falls in the second round.

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World No 4 Taylor Fritz lost in the first round in 2024, but won’t compete this year while 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic reached the last four last year so will drop 400 points.

Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas were the finalists in 2024 and the former will also drop 650 points while Tsitsipas is defending 1,000 points as he won the title last year.

As a result, Ruud has slipped four places to No 11 in the Live Rankings while Tsitispas is down nine places to No 17. Both, of course, can work their way back up with a couple of victories this week.

Alex de Minaur, Ugo Hubert, Karen Khachanov and Holger Rune fell at the quarter-final stage last year so will drop 200 points.

Live Rankings After Points Dropped

1. Jannik Sinner – 9,330 points
2. Alexander Zverev – 7,595
3. Carlos Alcaraz – 6,730
4. Taylor Fritz – 5,280
5. Novak Djokovic – 4,120
6. Jack Draper – 3,780
7. Andrey Rublev – 3,440
8. Daniil Medvedev – 3,200
9. Tommy Paul – 3,160
10. Alex de Minaur – 3,145
11. Casper Ruud – 3,125
12. Holger Rune – 3,080
13. Ben Shelton – 2,700
14. Arthur Fils – 2,630
15. Lorenzo Musetti – 2,600
16. Frances Tiafoe – 2,525
17. Stefanos Tsitsipas – 2,455
18. Felix Auger-Aliassime – 2,415
19. Grigor Dimitrov – 2,405
20. Tomas Machac – 2,210

The top eight seeds have byes into the second round and their 10 points for a first-round victory have already been added to their tallies above.

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Novak Djokovic has revealed he has added a very familiar face to his coaching team at the Monte Carlo Masters in the absence of Andy Murray.

The 24-time major champion started working with his former rival Murray during the off-season in a move that stunned the tennis world.

The collaboration has largely brought positive results thus far, with the pair having joined forces at the Australian Open and the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Djokovic made an impressive run to the semi-finals in Australia, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals before injury forced him to retire against Alexander Zverev.

The Serbian fell to a shock defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in his opening match in Indian Wells, but he bounced back by reaching the final at the Miami Open.

The world No 5 is competing at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he is set to begin his clay-court campaign.

Djokovic has divulged that his brother, Marko Djokovic, will coach him in Monte Carlo and explained he and Murray had agreed that the Brit would not join him at the tournament.

“I’m here with my brother, my brother is helping me [in] a tennis coach role this week,” he said at his pre-tournament press conference in Monte Carlo.

“It was never part of the program or an agreement in the schedule to work with Andy this week. So I was thinking about who I want, if I want to have anybody besides my fitness coach and physio.

“And then Marko, my brother was happy to join me so, of course, that helps me on a different level, emotionally as well. I mean, to have my brother spend some time with him as well on the road, I don’t get to see him much, so it’s great for me.”

Asked about Murray’s whereabouts, Djokovic said: “I have no idea, to be honest (laughs). I spoke to him about, four or five days ago, and he was back home.

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“I mean, obviously busy with family and I guess he’s working on his golf swing. That’s his priority, I guess, this week.”

The 37-year-old went on to add that he and Murray had a debrief after Miami and revealed they are next due to link up at the Madrid Open.

“We spoke about Miami, obviously a little bit of a bitter feeling in the end to lose the finals,” Djokovic continued.

“But I think it was overall a great tournament with high-quality tennis from my side, haven’t dropped the set until the finals and served great, played well. Yeah, just a bit unlucky in that finals two tiebreaks, but he was better, that’s all.

“But it gives me a lot of a great deal of encouragement and positivity, I think, reflecting on my game and how I played in Miami.

“And we are planning to be together in Madrid. And then we see, I don’t know, I mean, probably Roland Garros, we still have to talk about it after Madrid.”

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Alex Eala has revealed she received a personal message from tennis icon Rafael Nadal during her historic run at the Miami Open.

Nineteen-year-old Eala was arguably the story of this year’s event in Miami, with the Filipina defying her wildcard status to reach the last four.

Eala beat three Grand Slam champions – Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek – on her way to the last four, becoming the first woman from the Philippines to reach a WTA 1000 semi-final.

Having been ranked 140th heading into the tournament, Eala’s run saw her move up to a new high of world No 75 – becoming the first woman from her country to crack the top 100.

Eala has long been recognised as a promising junior, having lifted the US Open girls’ singles title back in 2022.

And her talent has been honed at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, where she trained for several years before graduating in 2023.

Nadal publicly congratulated Eala on social media amid her ranking-defying run at the WTA 1000 event but the teen star has now revealed she also received a direct message from the Spaniard.

“Rafa messaged me,” said Eala, speaking on Power and Play. “It was the first time he ever messaged me personally so I think that was a shock to see.

“Funny story, I only saw it like a couple of days after kasi nga punong puno yung cellphone ko [checking her phone]. It was exciting to see his notification.”

Heading into the Miami Open, Eala had limited experience on the WTA Tour – and the 19-year-old has never played a Grand Slam main draw match.

However, a ranking inside the top 100 will enable her to enter more WTA-level events, and will be enough to automatically enter the main draw of the French Open next month.

Eala’s most eye-catching win in Miami was her 6-2, 7-5 victory over reigning French Open champion Swiatek in the quarter-finals, though her third-round win over Australian Open champion Keys was even more emphatic.

Having then pushed world No 4 and 2024 US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula to three sets in the last four, all eyes are on what impact Eala could now make in the coming months.

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And, in a potential warning to the WTA field, Eala believes she has been continually “improving” – and that the “level is there” to keep challenging the very best.

She added: “I think that I have been improving for a while [on] everything. A little bit my serve, a little bit of my fitness, the quality of my shots, how to build a point.

“And, I think it took me a while to really mesh those things together and really make it come out during the matches. But as you can see, when I’m playing well, the level is really there.

“I feel this week is really gonna help with the trust that I have in myself and the trust that I have in my game, and when I need to go for those big points, then I believe that I have the level to do so.”

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