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The 2025 edition of the lucrative Six Kings Slam is about to get underway, but all six players competing in Riyadh have had some form of injury in recent weeks while a few have struggled with form as well.

Jannik Sinner will return to defend his title and he will be joined by world No 1 and six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, tennis great and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, world No 3 Alexander Zverev, No 4 Taylor Fritz and No 24 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

There will be a lot of money on the line at the exhibition event in Saudi Arabia as all six participants are guaranteed to an appearance fee of $1.5 million while the winner will earn an additional of $4.5m for a total $6m, which is the biggest payday in tennis.

All six players have had a niggle, injury or health issues in recent weeks but, unsurprisingly, they were determined to compete by hook or by crook as the money that cheque is just too big to turn down.

So let’s look at the participants’ recent injury issues.

Carlos Alcaraz

The 22-year-old, who will be the top seed at the Six Kings Slam, twisted his ankle during his opening match at the Japan Open at the start of October, but managed to finish the clash and went on to win another four matches to win the ATP 500 tournament.

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Alcaraz was then set to take part in the Shanghai Masters, but withdrew from the ATP 1000 event with coach later confirming he suffered a grade two ankle strain.

“We were able to control it, taking anti-inflammatory drugs, and he was able to hold out through the tournament with a grade two sprain, and had a lot of treatment every day,” Samuel Lopez said.

After taking time out, the Spaniard has been declared fit for the exhibition event although he was seen practicing with a heavily strapped ankle.

Novak Djokovic

Second seed Djokovic had all sorts of problems in Shanghai as he struggled with injury and physically in the hot and humid conditions.

Playing in his first tournament since the US Open, the 38-year-old vomitted during his matches against Yannick Hanfmann Jaume Munar, struggled with a leg problem when he faced Zizou Bergs in the quarter-final and also required medical treatment on his left glute and stifness during his semi-final defeat to Valentin Vacherot.

Let’s not forget he also played with a strapped shoulder most of the tournament.

Jannik Sinner

The heat in Shanghai did a number on several players and Sinner’s title defence came to an end very early on as he retired from his round of 32 match against Tallon Griekspoor midway through the deciding set.

Sinner received treatment on his right thigh early in the third set, although he decided to continue he struggled physically and at times he could barely run.

He threw in the towel after five games with cramps given as the official reason for his retirement.

In an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, Sinner stated: “I think they were due to a mental factor. I talked with my team — from that point of view I wasn’t perfect, but now everything’s fine.

“The mistake was mine: the heat and humidity got me down. You learn from these things — cramps can happen, and I was one of many to suffer from them.”

Alexander Zverev

The 2025 Australian Open runner-up has struggled with back issues for most of the year and his form has been shocking in recent months.

Zverev, whose only title this year was back in April, lost in the third round of the US Open, the quarter-final of the China Open and the round of 32 at the Shanghai Masters.

After being dumped out by Arthur Rinderknech in Shanghai, he said: “The year has been physically difficult. The last time I played without pain was at the Australian Open… My year has been terrible. I have no confidence in myself, I don’t believe in my shots. I’m playing horrible tennis.”

Taylor Fritz

World No 4 Fritz perhaps has the cleanest bill of health, although he is not without issues, as he did have a thigh problem during his run to the final of the Japan Open, while he also had some ankle discomfort recently.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek replaced the injured Jack Draper in the line-up, but he is in the same boat as Zverev as he has also struggled with his back and his form has also been poor.

Tsitsipas has not played since losing in the second round of the US Open and Greek media reported that he underwent a small procedure on his back, but the man himself put out a press release to say that had not been the case and he is “doing well”.

However, he still missed the China Open and Shanghai Masters and will now make his return to semi-competitive tennis at the Six Kings Slam.

The post Six Kings Slam injury list as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic struggle appeared first on Tennis365.

Taylor Fritz has insisted there is no reason for Novak Djokovic to consider walking away from tennis, after suggesting the doubters who suggest his winning days are over are wide of the mark.

Fritz got a first hand glimpse of the levels Djokovic can still produce at the age of 38 when the Serbian legend ended his run at the US Open in a compelling quarter-final last month.

Djokovic went on to lose against Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals and admitted he didn’t know whether he could still compete in best-of-five-set matches against Alcaraz and his rival Jannik Sinner.

Yet Fritz has told Tennis365 that 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has no reason to consider calling time on his career, after he reached the last four at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open this year.

“He hasn’t really shown too many signs of slowing down,” stated Fritz when we asked him about Djokovic. “He obviously has had a great year, semis at every Grand Slam.

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“It’s tough to even think about him retiring or being done soon when he is producing the level he is producing.”

Fritz also hit back at critics of the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where he will line-up alongside Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in an exhibition event that offers the biggest prize money cheque in tennis for the winner.

Every player competing is guaranteed a $1.5m appearance fee, with the winner of the quick-fire event handed another $4.5m.

EXCLUSIVE – World No 4 Taylor Fritz talks to Tennis365 ahead of the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia #Fritz #6KingsSlam pic.twitter.com/c3WKcOz74q

— Tennis365 (@tennis365com) October 14, 2025

“I think this is a great event,” said Fritz. “Like the Laver Cup, when you have the best players in the world playing against each other, it’s great.

“The unfortunate thing is the schedule is already extremely packed as it is. So you have to choose between these things that are very enjoyable to do and load it on to how packed the tour already is. That’s the tough part.

“It’s going to be live on Netflix, so you are going to get the tennis fans and hopefully a bit of a different audience as well.

“It’s been amazing since I’ve been here. Just coming out of the airport last night was crazy. We are getting treated very, very nicely.”

HOW TO WATCH THE SIX KINGS SLAM

Netflix will broadcast live the Six Kings Slam, the highly anticipated tennis event from Riyadh Season that brings together six of the best players on the ATP circuit.

All matches will begin at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET / 5:30pm BST / 6:30pm CET.

Quarterfinals – Wednesday, October 15

Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)

Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Taylor Fritz (USA)

Semifinals – Thursday, October 16

Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) vs Zverev (GER) or Fritz (USA)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs Sinner (ITA) or Tsitsipas (GRE)

Final / Third-Place match – Saturday, October 18

Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2

Loser of Semifinal 1 vs Loser of Semifinal 2

READ NEXT: Every injury Novak Djokovic has suffered since start of 2024 revealed after Shanghai struggles

The post WATCH – Taylor Fritz talks to Tennis365 as he gives his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s future appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has commented on his rivalries with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and spoken candidly about his relationship with his fellow tennis legends.

The Serbian’s rivalries with Nadal and Federer are the two most prolific matchups in the Open Era of men’s tennis by way of number of matches contested.

Djokovic finished with a 31-29 lead against Nadal from the duo’s 60 record matches between 2006 and 2024, while he compiled a 27-23 record from his 50 meetings with Federer, which were spread between 2006 and 2020.

From Federer’s first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon in 2003 to Djokovic’s most recent at the 2023 US Open, the ‘Big Three’ secured a staggering 66 of the 81 major tournaments held. Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slams, while Nadal and Federer retired on 22 on 20 respectively.

Nadal called time on his career at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, while Federer partnered Nadal in doubles for his final match at the 2022 Laver Cup. Djokovic, 38, is still competing at the highest level.

Djokovic has explained that his rivalry with Nadal made it impossible for the pair to be friends.

“Nadal is only a year older than me, we’re both Geminis,” the 38-year-old was quoted as saying by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

“At first, we even had dinner together twice, but even with him, friendship is impossible.

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“I’ve always respected and admired him greatly. Thanks to him and to Federer, I grew and became who I am. This will unite us forever, and for that I’m very grateful.

“Nadal is part of my life; in the last 15 years, I’ve seen him more than my mother. We’ve never been friends. Between rivals, it’s impossible, but we’ve never been enemies.”

On Federer, Djokovic added: “I’ve always respected Federer; he was one of the greatest of all time.

“He had an extraordinary impact, but I’ve never been close to him.”

During the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic expressed his wish to spend time with Federer and Nadal to reflect on everything they experienced together once he retires.

“I don’t pause to reflect,” the former world No 1 admitted.

“I don’t have time. Being on the highest level on professional tennis requires a lot of dedication.

“I don’t play as much as I did before, but the weeks I don’t play, I play at home with my kids. I don’t reflect fully on everything I have been through.

“I would like to but I think that will come when I set the racquet aside and then sip Margaritas on the beach with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything.”

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The post What Novak Djokovic said about how ‘close’ he is to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer appeared first on Tennis365.

Jasmine Paolini has been punching above her weight in the top ten of the WTA Rankings for the last couple of years and as she sat down for an extended chat with Tennis365 at last week’s Wuhan Open, she was in reflective mood on her stunning rise to the top.

Standing at just 5’4”, Paolini faces bigger and stronger opponents most times she steps onto the court, but her results confirm she can match the best.

A French Open and Wimbledon finalist last year, Paolini has pieced together another impressive season that included her win in the WTA 1000 event in Rome, with her victory celebrated in front of an adoring Italian public.

Here is our revealing with Paolini, with the 29-year-old living up to her reputation as one of the most engaging players in tennis as she spoke at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre in Wuhan.

After a breakthrough year in 2024, how tough was it to back that up this year?

I think the key is always to trust the process, trust the work you are doing. You have to put the work in to improve every time you go on court because if you keep the same level, you are going down. You always have to improve. That’s the key to staying at this level. I like being here, so I want to stay. This year has been a bit less consistent than last year, but it has still been a good year.

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Is there a key shot you have been working on?

The serve is always the key in tennis. I need to be more precise and I need to hit it harder. That is something we are really working on.

You are often smaller than your opponents. Is that intimidating?

When I am playing against these players, I can see that they are bigger than me. When I stand at the net before the match, you can really see it. But I am not thinking about it. It is only when I see pictures of the handshake after the match and then you realise how much bigger they are than you. The key in tennis is always to use your weapons the best way possible and that’s what I try to do.

You had an amazing win against Iga Swiatek in Wuhan. How satisfying was that success?

It was one of those days that I was enjoying every moment. I was really focused and I was really enjoying my tennis. So it was really a great, great day.

Italian tennis is on such a high. What do you put that down to?

We had a lot of tournaments put on in our country a few years ago and now they are improving many of these tournaments. In the men’s draws for these events, you can see many, many Italians in there. The federation was behind that and they are always helping us with the physios at the big tournaments. They have done an amazing job. There are so many of us and that means who push each other on.

Do you speak to Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti about improving your game?

At the Davis Cup finals last year, my ex-coach Renzo (Furlan) was speaking with Jannik and I was surprised because he said I wasn’t doing something on the court. I can’t say what it is because my opponents will know then! Then my coach came to me and said: ‘See, Jannik has said you have to do this’. So I thought, if Jannik has said this, then we have to do it (laughing). 

How important has Sinner’s success been for Italian tennis? 

He is doing unbelievable things on the court and I think people like how he is behaving on and off the court because he is a really nice guy. He is a good role model. That is very good for our sport in Italy and it is good for our sport. Tennis is growing in Italy because of him.

When was the first time you realised you were famous?

I think after the gold medal in the Olympics last year. Then the Wimbledon final as well. After those two, something changed. I get more recognised. It’s nice, but it is strange as well. After the gold medal, it was something different. People were watching this on the TV and everyone was recognising me after that. In the Grand Slams, people who are not always watching tennis are looking at these events and then the Olympics, well that is something else.

Was your win in the WTA 1000 events in Rome your best moment?

I don’t know. It was close to being there with the Olympics and the Wimbledon final. I didn’t expect to win Rome at all. Maybe I haven’t event realised yet what I did. I used to go there to watch that event and for an Italian to win Rome was very special. 

Is playing doubles useful to help your development on court?

I think it is very good for me. It’s not a coincidence that I started playing better at singles when I did well at doubles. Now that we have long tournaments, playing doubles keeps you in the competitions if you lose early in the singles. 

READ NEXT: Jasmine Paolini reveals Jannik Sinner advice – and why she felt obliged to follow it

The post Jasmine Paolini interview – Jannik Sinner’s advice, defeating the giants and her best moment appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev’s search for a new coach continues as the legendary Toni Nadal has reportedly turned him down while tennis great Boris Becker admits he is “a little worried about what’s going to happen next”.

After finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at this year’s Australian Open, many thought Zverev would be a threat to the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz in terms of the Grand Slams and the No 1 ranking for the rest of the season.

However, he has fallen away badly as he failed to win any of the remaining Grand Slams and has also failed to ATP Masters 1000 tournament so far this year with his only trophy coming at the ATP 500 Bavarian Championships in April.

The German turned to Nadal – the former coach and uncle of the great Rafael Nadal – in an attempt to turn his form around as he worked with the Spaniard at the Rafa Nadal Academy midway through the season.

Although ‘Uncle Toni’ made it clear that he would not be able to commit to working with Zverev in the short term, the world No 3 was hoping to convince him to join his set-up when time allows.

However, when asked about working with Zverev, Nadal told RTL/ntv and sport.de: “He wanted that. He asked me if I would like to work with him, but I said, ‘I’m no longer a coach, I’m not a tennis coach anymore. I have a different job.’”

So What Is Wrong With Zverev?

After his run to the Australian Open final, Zverev also made it to the quarter-final at Roland Garros, but then slumped to a first-round exit at Wimbledon and lost in the third round at the US Open.

Nadal was asked about Zverev’s struggles and replied: “Today, in my opinion, he’s a little bit passive sometimes.”

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And Nadal is not the only one who has thoughts on the German’s woes, as former world No 1 Becker admitted he expected more from the 28-year-old this year.

“I thought in the summer, after his break after Wimbledon, that his performance would improve,” the six-time Grand Slam winner said on the “Becker Pektovic” podcast: “I thought he was knocking on the door of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz; he’s the third force in world tennis. But that’s Novak Djokovic now, at 38. And Sascha is really chasing his form.”

Zverev’s father, Alexander Zverev Sr remains part of his coaching set-up while his brother Mischa is part of his management team, but the 28-year-old has made it clear that he is looking for a new mentor to take him to the next level.

“Nothing new is happening in his box either. There’s his father, there’s his brother, there are the same faces as for years and years,” Becker said.

The three-time Wimbledon champion added: “If things were going well, I’d be the first to congratulate him and say: ‘We now have a superstar!’ But I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen next.”

The post Alexander Zverev ‘rejected’ by Toni Nadal as Boris Becker is left ‘a little worried’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s difficult 2025 Asian Swing continued as she suffered a surprise loss to Zhu Lin in the first round of the Ningbo Open after struggling with physical issues.

The 22-year-old fell 6-3, 4-6, 1-6 to Zhu, a 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard, in just under two and a half hours at the WTA 500 tournament.

Raducanu battled hard to win an opening set that featured five breaks of serve, converting her fifth set point in a 17-point final game.

Renowned commentator Nick Lester, who was covering the match for Sky Sports, assessed in the sixth game of the second set that Zhu was “letting Raducanu off the hook” as she was looking the “stronger player physically.”

Zhu did made the breakthrough in that game, though, as Raducanu double faulted to lose serve. However, Zhu surrendered her break lead in the next game as she double faulted twice either side of an excellent Raducanu return.

Raducanu then called for the physio and had her blood pressure checked during a lengthy medical timeout. She netted a forehand on set point to lose serve for the third time in the second set.

The Brit’s physical struggles were clear in the early stages of the third set, and she double faulted to lose serve in the second game.

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The former US Open champion received treatment on her lower back after breaking back in the third game, but it did not improve her fortunes as Zhu won the next four games to seal the upset.

After Raducanu floated a tame forehand into the net on match point, Lester summarised: “A rather timid finish to Emma Raducanu’s campaign in Ningbo.”

When will Raducanu play next?

Raducanu has signed up to play the Pan Pacific Open and the Hong Kong Tennis Open in the next two weeks, but the prospect of her playing again in 2025 is uncertain after her latest health setbacks.

As Raducanu left the court, Lester said: “Not the Asian Swing that Raducanu had in mind right now. It remains to be seen whether she will cut the season short and get ready for 2026.”

The former world No 10’s preparations for Ningbo were significantly impacted after she was forced to retire due to physical issues in her opening round match at the Wuhan Open last week.

She revealed four days after that match that she was at the doctor’s in Wuhan, which cast doubt over her participation in Ningbo.

What does the loss mean for Raducanu’s ranking?

Raducanu’s defeat means she has missed the opportunity to continue her climb up the WTA Rankings, having jumped from 30th to 29th this week.

The 22-year-old had briefly moved up one place to 28th in the Live WTA Rankings, but she is back down to 29th after Dayana Yastremska defeated Victoria Mboko in her opening match in Ningbo.

Raducanu could drop to 31st, depending on the results of Veronika Kudermetova and McCartney Kessler — who are still in action in Ningbo.

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Leading athlete welfare and injury prevention expert Stephen Smith has discussed Novak Djokovic’s remarkable longevity, and also the legendary Serb’s ongoing battle with his body.

Smith, who is the founder and CEO of Kitman Labs — the world’s leading sports science and data company — also offered his take on the possible impact of Djokovic’s approach to scheduling.

For the first 20 years of Djokovic‘s staggering career (2003-2023), he was able to remain healthy consistently and largely avoided major injuries. An elbow injury that emerged in 2016 and required surgery in 2018 was the most serious physical issue Djokovic sustained in this period.

However, Djokovic — who turned 38 in May — has been affected by injuries far more frequently over the last 18 months, particularly in the latter stages of Grand Slams.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the 2024 French Open. He made an incredibly quick recovery from knee surgery to reach the final at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships and win the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he has faced a host of problems since.

The former world No 1 retired from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev in January due to a hamstring tear and was visibly hampered in his Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner in July.

Djokovic then looked physically spent after just two sets of his US Open semi-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz last month, having looked short of fitness throughout the event.

He also faced physical difficulties throughout his Shanghai Masters campaign and was clearly suffering in his semi-final loss to Valentin Vacherot.

While Djokovic refused to shed light on what he was dealing with against Vacherot, he gave a clear insight into his struggles with his his body after his quarter-final win in Shanghai.

“There’s always something happening with the body pretty much every match that I play right now,” the world No 5 said after beating Zizou Bergs at the Masters 1000 event.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Smith shared his thoughts on Djokovic’s ability to remain at the elite level into his late thirties, and also the injury issues he is being derailed by.

“It’s testament to both probably his genetics and I think his professionalism, as well and the investment he’s made in his body and his career,” Smith said.

“But when you look at him and compare him to other athletes in the same sport of the same kind of age profile, et cetera, and that exposure to the same level of game and demands, I think he’s a unicorn, for sure.

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“I think, obviously at his age, and I think with the amount that he competes, wear and tear… he’s had a hamstring issue that forced him out of the Australian Open semi-final earlier this year, he had a groin injury at Wimbledon and a meniscus issue last year at the French Open.

“I think all of these bits and pieces are indicative of wear and tear. But also, if you think of the impact, it’s kind of looked like, his career, he was extremely healthy, and now he’s sort of had four of five injuries that have popped up in a row.

“I think sometimes that time off that you get when you’re nursing an injury means that your training load drops and then you come back in and you’re expected to compete at the same level, and that can cause a cascading sequence of injuries.”

In the latter years of his career, Djokovic has played far more sparingly than he did in his physical prime, with the intention of peaking for the four Grand Slams. He played only 11 events in 2024, while Shanghai was just his 12th event of 2025.

There is an argument that Djokovic’s limited schedule could be a factor in the problems he has encountered when he has gone deep at majors in 2024 and 2025

Asked whether playing more outside the Grand Slams could help Djokovic, Smith said: “Absolutely, I think we often see this where player management kicks in and we try to rest our players more and give them more time off.

“And then it turns out that that actually backfires because the physicality of our games, the intensity of our games, regardless of sport today, have only got bigger, faster and stronger.

“And then we end up, we try to rely on, ‘He’s got a lot of miles in the bank, can we just rely on that and pop back in and do less?’

“But you’re still expected to play at the same physicality and the same intensity, you’re still expected to back it up, day after day, in the middle of those big competitions as well. And that takes an enormous toll on your body.

“And if we don’t have that kind of resilience built in, we’re not constantly training to that level, then that can be a huge issue.

“So yes, I do think at times that too much rest and too much recovery can also have a negative impact. We’re always trying to find that perfect balance between what’s the right amount of stimulus to keep people healthy without overloading them and breaking them, or without underloading them and leaving them susceptible to injury as well.”

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Coco Gauff revealed she is “very stubborn” as she explained why she was motivated to prove her coach Jean-Christophe Faurel wrong after her victory at the 2025 Wuhan Open.

The world No 3 overcame Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 in the final in Wuhan to secure her maiden title at the tournament and her second title of 2025 after the French Open.

Gauff did not drop a set during her impressive run at the WTA 1000 event as she also saw off Jasmine Paolini, Laura Siegemund, Zhang Shuai and Moyuka Uchijima.

Prior to Wuhan, Gauff reached the semi-finals at the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, where she fell to a heavy 1-6, 2-6 defeat to eventual champion Amanda Anisimova.

The two-time major champion arrived in Asia after a 3-6, 2-6 loss to Naomi Osaka in the fourth round of the US Open. With the help of biomechanical expert Gavin MacMillan, who Gauff hired to replace her former coach Matt Daly, she changed her service motion in the week before the US Open.

Gauff has been coached by Jean-Christophe Faurel, a former French player, since 2019.

During the trophy ceremony in Wuhan, Gauff revealed Faurel did not want her to play in Asia after her difficult US Open campaign.

“It was a great Asian swing,” said the American.

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“I’m going to call JC (Jean-Christophe Faurel) out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open, but I had to prove him wrong.

“I’m a very stubborn person, so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”

The 21-year-old also spoke warmly about world No 6 Pegula — her former doubles partner.

“You’re the three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favour in the third set,” Gauff said to Pegula.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms and that really goes a long way and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you.

“It’s great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more. It’s an honour to share the court with you.”

READ NEXT: WTA Rankings: Aryna Sabalenka set for year-end No 1, Coco Gauff wins Amanda Anisimova battle

The post Why ‘very stubborn’ Coco Gauff wanted to prove her coach wrong with Wuhan Open title appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner will reportedly not play at the Paris Masters or the Davis Cup after his bid to retain the world No 1 spot was mathematically ended.

After Carlos Alcaraz took the top spot following their clash in the US Open final, Sinner’s retirement in Shanghai meant the Spaniard would remain at No 1 until the end of the year.

With that in mind, Europsport Italy’s journalist Simone Eterno reports that Sinner will sit out the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup but will feature in Vienna and at the ATP Finals.

The Vienna Open will begin later this month while the ATP Finals kick off in Turin on November 9.

Sinner’s decision to sit out Paris means he will have gone the whole year without winning an ATP 1000 event, with his last success coming in Miami last year.

As for the Davis Cup, Sinner has largely carried Italy to success in recent times and was their star player last season when he beat Tallon Griekspoor to secure a 2-0 win against the Netherlands. In total, Sinner has played 18 Davis Cup matches, winning all but three of them.

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Sinner’s Shanghai injury had brought concerns about his immediate playing future, but he will, however, feature in the exhibition matches at the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia which could earn him up to £6m.

A victory at the ATP Finals event could end what has been an up-and-down season for the Italian. He started the year by winning his second Australian Open but then was given a three-month ban for doping.

He returned to action to lose a dramatic French Open final to Alcaraz but got his revenge with victory at Wimbledon.

It was to be the Spaniard who had the last laugh with his US Open victory confirming his return to the No 1 spot.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley suggested those two could be the “greatest” rivalry tennis has ever seen.

“We’re witnessing the birth of what could be the greatest rivalry tennis has ever seen,” Tiley said.

“Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are pushing each other to extraordinary levels. They force each other to new heights every time they compete; their contrasting styles make for electric matches and they both fight to the final point.

“This is a rivalry that could define the sport for years to come.”

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The post Jannik Sinner reportedly set to miss major 2025 events after missing out on No 1 spot appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has declared that players “need to push harder physically” at this stage of the season following her concerning retirement at the 2025 Wuhan Open.

The 2021 US Open winner’s campaign at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan came to an early and unfortunate conclusion as she retired when trailing Ann Li 1-6, 1-4 in her opening match.

Raducanu appeared to struggle physically throughout the match, which was played in brutal heat and humidity, and she had her blood pressure checked by the doctor in the second set before deciding to pull the plug.

Four days after the match, Raducanu gave an update on her condition as she took to Threads to post a photo of herself sitting on a hospital bed.

The 22-year-old captioned the post with: “Last day at the doctor’s in Wuhan… feeling better now, shame I couldn’t continue there but thank you for the messages.”

Raducanu’s participation at this week’s WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo had been in doubt, but she has recovered in time to compete. On Sunday, Raducanu shared an image from inside a gym on Threads.

The Brit will face 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin in her opening match in Ningbo on Tuesday.

Emma Raducanu News

Who is Emma Raducanu’s first opponent at the Ningbo Open? 230th-ranked Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin

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Raducanu spoke about playing in China ahead of her debut in Ningbo.

“I think it’s a special feeling. I feel very comfortable,” she said.

“I feel like I get amazing support here, which is so nice. I love how invested the Chinese fans are and how much support they give.”

The world No 29 also addressed the physical challenge that comes with competing in the latter part of the season.

“I think where it’s different is just, it’s at the end of the season, so you need to push harder physically, you’re feeling it a bit more, and mentally as well, to just focus. That’s probably the biggest difference,” Raducanu added.

Raducanu spoke to Tennis365 in Wuhan and revealed that being seeded at the 2026 Australian Open is a big motivation for her.

“Being seeded for Australia is a big target for me over the next few weeks,” said the former world No 10. “I think the higher you can go, the better it is, but it is still down to the luck of the draw.

“I’ve just been happy with the improvements in the last few weeks I’ve made in my game, and I just want to keep going with that.”

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