Category: Articles

  • Alex Eala suffering from a problem Emma Raducanu has failed to resolve

    Alex Eala’s rise up the tennis ladder has been one of the big stories of the last 12 months, but the Filipina star is developing a habit she will be keen to kick heading into the clay court swing of the WTA Tour.

    Eala’s breakthrough tournament a year ago saw her embark on a thrilling run to the semi-finals of the Miami Open, with her win against serial Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in that event in Florida alerting the world to her potential.

    The young star has shown an impressive level of consistency since that run and while her record in Grand Slam tournaments is not matching her displays on the WTA Tour, that has not diluted the enthusiam for a player who already has one of the largest pool of supporters in women’s tennis.

    Eala’s ranking took a knock after she failed to match her run to the semi-finals at this year’s Miami Open, but she is heading into the clay court season with high hopes of making progress.

    However, she will be keen to halt a worrying trend, with her 6-2, 6-0 thumping at the hands of Karolina Muchova in Miami the latest heavy defeat handed out to the 20-year-old.

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    Muchova has the class to dismiss any opponent when she is at her best, but the manner of the defeat will be a concern for Eala.

    It backed up a 6-2, 6-0 defeat against Linda Noskova in the WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells earlier in April and a crushing 6-0, 6-2 defeat against Coco Gauff in Dubai in February.

    In a story that has replicated some recent defeats suffered by Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the recent losses for Eala have been a little too one-sided.

    Raducanu was heavily beaten by Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros last year and was then dismissed by Elena Rybakina in double-quick time at the US Open.

    That story has continued for Raducanu heading into 2026, with too many of her defeats coming in a brutally conclusive fashion, with the scar tissue left by those kind of defeats leaving a lasting mark.

    Eala will be hoping she can get back on track with some big performances on clay and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski is convinced she can press on and build momentum in the coming months.

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    “She’s a good leftie, moves exceptionally well and she competes incredibly well,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

    “The movement is there, the firepower is getting better and it’s a gradual build-up in her career.

    “I like the way she thinks tactically. She’s very astute out there, and for all the pressure and expectation that are on her shoulders, she’s finding a way to push through. Eala is great for the women’s tour.

    “With Eala, I see so much room for potential. She’s a player I’d love to work with on her serve. I just feel like she can get more benefit out of it, more accuracy, more power.

    “I think she’s gonna possibly crack the top 10 this year. That’s how good she is mentally tactically. There’s a lot of upside with her. Lots to improve.”

    Eala’s huge fan base will now be cheering her on as she gets clay under her feet over the next few weeks and she has a chance to leap up the rankings as she only has limited points to defend over from this period last year.

    READ NEXT: Alex Eala told where she needs to improve by former British No 1 as a worrying trend emerges

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  • Carlos Alcaraz set to beat Jannik Sinner’s world No 1 record – but his joy may be brief

    Carlos Alcaraz is set to eclipse Jannik Sinner’s record for weeks holding the world No 1 ranking as he heads into April, but his stay at the top of the ATP list may soon be coming to an end.

    Alcaraz is set to spend a 65th week as world No 1 next week, which will see him draw level with Sinner, who has also been top of the rankings for that period of time.

    Alcaraz will then move ahead of his rival prior to the clay court season getting underway in earnest at the Monte Carlo Masters and that is when the battle for top spot in the rankings could get interesting.

    The Spaniard opened up a huge rankings lead over his big rival when he won the Australian Open for the first time in January, with his US Open win last September adding to a huge points haul that saw him move to 13,650 ranking points.

    That gave him a lead of 3,350 points over Sinner, but the Italian has eaten into that lead dramatically over the last few weeks.

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    Sinner was serving a doping suspension at this stage of last season, so he has no ranking points to defend until the Rome Masters in May and that has allowed him to carve holes in Alcaraz’s rankings lead.

    Alcaraz lost early at the Miami Open, with his defeat against Sebastian Korda denying him a chance to create a points buffer in his battle with Sinner for the world No 1 ranking.

    Sinner will move to within 1,240 points of Alcaraz if he wins the Miami Open and will then have a big chance to reclaim the world No 1 ranking if he can have a deep run at the Monte Carlo Masters or the Madrid Open.

    He didn’t play in ether of those tournaments last year due to his doping suspension, so he will again be chasing fresh ranking points.

    By contrast, Alcaraz will be defending 1,000 ranking points from his Monte Carlo win last April and by the time the ‘Big 2’ get to the revamped Madrid Masters at the end of next month, which will be played at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium for the first time, the world No 1 ranking could change hands.

    “I know the situation where I am in regarding the points I am defending. I have zero,” said Sinner earlier this month. “Whatever comes in, it’s positive. Even if you lose next round, nothing happens. So that’s good for me.

    “I try to go day by day. As I said before, the process for me is very important, being a good tennis player. I know the things I need to work on. Watching back also the last tournament, there are things that I can improve. We will do that hopefully, then we will see what we can achieve.

    “I am aware of where I am point-wise and No. 1 and No. 2. That’s then a consequence of how I’m going to play. In any case, now until Rome, whatever comes is positive, so let’s see.”

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    Some observers have suggested Sinner and Alcaraz have taken tennis to a new level over the last couple of years, but they have a long way to go to match the legends of the game in the rankings race.

    Roger Federer completed a remarkable 237 consecutive weeks as world No 1 between February 2004 and August 2008, while Novak Djokovic has an incredible total of 428 weeks at the top of the rankings on his record.

    READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s biggest rival named by Pat Cash – and it’s not Djokovic or Zverev

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  • Alcaraz and Sinner set for winner takes all match to be No 1 in Monte-Carlo

    Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could be set for a winner-takes-all championship match in Monte Carlo with both players mathematically able to walk away from the tournament as world No 1.

    With the Sunshine Double both won by Sinner, the Italian has closed the gap between himself and Alcaraz at the top of the rankings.

    Heading into Monaco, there are 1,190 ranking points between them but Sinner could make that up in just one tournament.

    After he was banned for doping last year, Sinner missed out on any of the 1,000 points on offer from the ATP event, meaning any progression in this year’s tournament will add to his tally.

    Alcaraz’s tally meanwhile can only stay the same or go down after he won the tournament, and the full 1,000 ranking points, last year.

    This means that should Sinner reach the semi-final of the tournament, he gives himself a chance of reaching the no 1 spot. If Sinner reaches the final, the only way Alcaraz can prevent the Italian from moving to no 1 is by winning the whole tournament, meaning we could be in store for a winner takes all final between the pair.

    Next week sees Alcaraz begin his 66th week as No 1, matching the total weeks spent by Sinner in the top spot.

    The fact Sinner is even in contention shows how quickly the tide has swung in his favour with Alcaraz having started the year with the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.

    Despite the possibility of Alcaraz being dethroned, his coach Samuel Lopez has insisted it is not their main thought.

    “Let’s see, in principle we’re going with the idea of playing everything, of playing the whole swing, you know,” revealed Lopez during an interview with Eurosport ES.

    “Monte Carlo – if things had gone well, if things had gone better in Miami – we would probably have skipped it.

    “But in this case, well, Monte Carlo is going to be more of a preparation tournament.

    “The thing is, you already know that sometimes those preparation tournaments… you get up to speed very quickly. But for us, Monte Carlo is more like last year.

    “What happens is that last year things worked out and in the end it was won, but in the end going to the first clay tournament and winning it, well, for almost everyone it’s the first clay tournament, so almost everyone is in the same conditions.

    “The idea is to try to manage it and arrive as well as possible at Roland Garros, at 100%. We’ll see what happens along the way.”

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  • The ‘rare’ Carlos Alcaraz trait has him ‘sky rocketing’ towards matching Novak Djokvoic

    Carlos Alcaraz’s ability to adapt to whatever surface he is playing on is a “rare” trait that has him “sky rocketing” to Novak Djokovic’s slam total according to Rick Macci.

    The Spaniard already has seven Grand Slam titles to his name but is still someway off the 24 record set by Djokovic. However, Alcaraz is only 22 and in theory has the majority of his tennis career ahead of him, leading many to predict that he would go on to not only break Djokovic’s record but clear it by some distance.

    One of those believes appears to be legendary coach Rick Macci who took to X to explain why he believes Alcaraz is “sky rocketing” towards the tally.

    “Another major league reason the Spanish Magician is sky rocketing towards RARE AIR is his adaptability to play on every surface,” Macci said. “His best surface is the one he is playing on. This is RARE.

    “This is why Carlos barring injury will someday be a double digit slam stroker and be right there with the Joker.”

    Macci also had positive words for Jannik Sinner, the one man many believe can disrupt Alcaraz, and said his consistent ability will also allow him to reach the double digits in slams.

    “The wildcard for the Italian Flamethrower is his mental make up to fire FLAMES off both wings on a repetitive basis, dictating points and hitting lower over the net is like the sport has not seen.

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    “With that style comes mistakes and free lunches. But with Sinner his ability to remember to forget and mind control is why the Red Rocket will have double figure slams in the back pocket.”

    Another player Macci had plenty for praise for is Coco Gauff who the coach said was “cut from a cloth we have not seen.”

    “Coco is so quick and genetically cut from a cloth we have not seen.

    “If she would strategically sprinkle in her speed offensively on certain situations to cut the court and bisect angles the entire landscape with time changes.

    “If this was incorporated the Delray Dart would flash a smile and go the extra mile.”

    Read next: Andy Murray in competition with Roger Federer after latest investment

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  • Andy Murray in competition with Roger Federer after latest investment

    Andy Murray has added another item to his growing investment portfolio after he backed Hylo, a sustainability-focused running shoe brand.

    Even while he was playing, the Scotman started to put together an impressive business portfolio, ensuring that he and his family would be financially secure long after he put down the racket, and now he has announced his latest venture, this time into the world of running.

    The three-time Grand Slam winner has made a ‘significant investment’ into the vegan running brand having tried out the shoes himself.

    It follows a partner in tennis after Roger Federer made more from an investment than he did in his entire tennis career following his $50m investment for three-percent of running brand On which later went public and helped the Swiss become the first billionaire tennis player.

    As for Murray, he has a wide-ranging portfolio which features more than 40 start-ups. He made an early investment in Castore, a sportswear brand now valued at over £1bn and Game4Padel, a £30m valued company for the popular racket sport.

    He is also an investor in Revolut and Oppo which The Times predicts to be amongst his biggest earners.

    In 2014, he bought The Cromlix hotel near Dunblane in Scotland and has invested in more Scottish companies such as Albert Bartlett and Walker’s Shortbread.

    “Investing was something I did a bit when I was playing,” Murray told The Athletic.

    “But I take a little bit more of an interest in it now since I finished because I have a bit more time and am able to get a bit more involved.

    “You can have a great idea, but if the people who are running the business are not good people then it’s likely to fail.”

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    Murray also suggested he has grown into the role of being a leader having struggled to be that early on in his tennis career.

    “It’s something I actually really struggled with in my career — particularly early on,” Murray said.

    “The dynamic of a young person supposed to be leading a team … It’s just bizarre in tennis and you’re not really equipped with the skills to do that at a young age. You learn a little bit as your career goes on but it is difficult.”

    In May 2025, The Times predicted that Murray had a net worth of £110m having earned $64m for his tennis career.

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  • ‘He’s given me some great tips’ – rising star reveals Novak Djokovic coaching input

    Novak Djokovic has been providing tips to a rising star of the WTA Tour as 18-year-old Iva Jovic revealed she is in frequent discussion with the 24-time Slam winner.

    Given he is the most successful male player of all-time and still competing, not to mention a father of two, it is fair to assume that Djokovic may not have time to watch tennis matches aside from his future opponent’s but that has been revealed to not be the case by rising American player Jovic who has been getting some tips from the Serbian.

    Speaking at the WTA 500 event in Charleston, Jovic revealed the “surreal” feeling of having had Djokovic watch some of her matches.

    “He’s given me some great tips. I can tell that he has watched my matches, which is surreal,” Jovic told the Tennis Channel. “I’m like, ‘How do you even have time for that? How am I on your priority list?’ But it’s incredible.

    “He gives me some very specific takes about some tactics I can play, some different versatility I can add into my game, so I’ve been trying to do it. Me and my coach have a joke, where he says, ‘If you don’t want to listen to me, listen to Novak at least!’, because they’re saying the same thing but it’s a little different when it comes from Novak.”

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    As for why Djokovic may have taken an interest in Jovic, they have a shared nationality for although the latter represents America, she has a Serbian father.

    She is not the only one to have received some Djokovic tips though and suggested the 38-year-old “really makes time for young players.”

    “I don’t know how he does it,” said Jovic. “He’s a husband, he’s a father, he’s the greatest tennis player of all time. He knows, what, seven languages? I don’t know. Everyone needs a time-management plan from Novak, because I don’t know how he does it. But he really makes time for young players and wants to help them, which is great.

    “I have a direct line [to him]. I try not to bother him too much, but I text him throughout tournaments especially, when we are at the same place,” said Jovic. “Every time I see him, we have a good chat, so I’m hoping he stays around the Tour longer!”

    Read next: Iga Swiatek’s 11-word message as she announces ‘new chapter’ with new coach

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  • Why Francisco Roig has big shoes to fill as Iga Swiatek’s new coach

    Iga Swiatek has changed her coach for just the fourth time in her career but a decision like that has proved to be very effective in the past.

    The 24-year-old confirmed on Thursday that Francos Roig would be joining her coaching team, bringing with him the experience of coaching Rafa Nadal, but there is pressure on the latter given just how well her previous coaches have done.

    Since turning pro in 2016, Swiatek has had just three permanent coaches and all of them have helped changed or develop her game.

    The first was Piotr Sierzputowski who oversaw Swiatek’s transition into a pro player. Swiatek clinched her first slam, the 2020 French Open under Sierzputowski as she defeated Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1 in the Paris final.

    After a five years together, Swiatek announced in December 2021 she was parting ways with her long-time coach.

    Tomasz Wiktorowski was appointed, who has been Swiatek’s most successful coach to date. Under the Pole, Swiatek won the French Open on three occasions as well as the 2022 US Open.

    In October 2024, they then parted ways before Belgian coach Wim Fiesste was appointed late that month. That marked another turning point in Swiatek’s career as she clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time in 2025.

    That relationship came to an end after Swiatek suffered a second round defeat in Miami which opened the vacancy for Roig to come in.

    While Roig is no stranger to Grand Slams, the history of Swiatek and her coaches represents a very high bar in terms of what is to be expected. That shock defeat in Miami has also seen Swiatek drop to her lowest ranking since June 2025.

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    as for why she made the change Swiatek said she does not usually like to make coaching alterations after a tournament exit but expressed a desire to feel good on the court again, an element she found had gone missing of late.

    “I wouldn’t make such a decision hastily. Sometimes you can see me as an emotional person, but I really don’t make decisions impulsively. I’m quite rational. I like to give myself time to make a decision.

    “Besides, I don’t make many changes to the team. I think it’s a very good approach. I like to give the team the opportunity to ‘reset’ ourselves and start working a little differently.

    “However, in this case, I felt that it was simply time for a change. Yes, it was not a decision made in Miami – it was a longer process in which I thought everything through carefully.

    “During the tournament in Doha, I realized that I don’t feel as good on the court as before,” she continued.

    “Of course, at different tournaments there may be different reasons for a worse disposition – sometimes I just know that I was not focused that day, sometimes the forehand failed me, sometimes something else.”

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  • ‘Wait and see’ verdict given on Jannik Sinner Monaco appearance by new doubles partner’s father

    The father of Jannik Sinner’s new doubles partner Zizou Bergs has given a “wait and see” verdict on whether the Italian will also feature in the singles’ draw.

    Having become just the 13th player to win the Sunshine Double in the same year, the ATP 1000 tournament in Monaco is next on Sinner’s calendar but there are suggestions he may skip the tournament having competed in the Miami final on March 29.

    The current No 2 suggested he would think over his entry, which is also a switch to clay, but he will at least be in Monte Carlo having been on the entry list for the doubles tournament with Zizou Bergs.

    Bergs’ father Koen suggested Sinner’s place in the doubles tournament was not a confirmation he would also play singles.

    “We know that Jannik will decide whether to actually play doubles or not,” he told Ubitennis. “He’s just won the Sunshine Double, so it’s possible he wants to rest a bit.

    “On the other hand, he could gain a lot of points since he didn’t take part last year. We’ll wait and see—there’s still time to understand what he’ll decide.”

    Sinner himself said the most important factor was recovery, although the 1000 points on offer could tempt him.

    “For me, now the most important is to recover, enjoy this moment, and I don’t have a lot of time to adjust, playing on clay, if I want to play Monaco,” he said after the Miami final.

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    “So let’s see. You know, for me, I just try to enjoy also these moments and not thinking too much. You know, I have always been someone who thinks in a very present moment. I don’t look in front, but I also don’t look backwards.

    “Whatever comes, comes. I’m very happy about these couple of tournaments, and now a new chapter starts with the clay again. Let’s see how it goes.”

    As for how the matchup came about, Bergs revealed it was Sinner who reached out to his son and states that “Zizou would never have dared to ask

    “Zizou and Jannik first played each other at the Paris Masters 1000 last year. This year they trained together in Indian Wells and afterwards Jannik asked him to play doubles together in Monte Carlo.

    “Zizou would never have dared to ask Sinner, so he was quite surprised. I think Jannik likes Zizou’s attitude and personality.”

    Sinner won the aforementioned match in Paris, beating Bergs 6-4, 6-2 in what is their only meeting so far.

    Read next: Iga Swiatek: Wimbledon champion set to work with Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu’s former coach

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  • Who is Francisco Roig? Everything you need to know about Iga Swiatek’s new coach

    Iga Swiatek has a new coach as former Rafael Nadal mentor Francisco Roig joins her team with the Spaniard coming with plenty of experience.

    The current world No 4 has hired the man behind much of Nadal’s incredible success and took to Instagram to welcome the 58-year-old to her team.

    Here’s everything you need to know about Swiatek’s new coach.

    What was Roig’s playing career like?

    As is often the case with top-level coaches, Roig enjoyed a playing career of his own before taking to the sidelines.

    Born in 1968, he turned pro in 1987 and reached a career-high of world No 60 on the ATP Singles Tour in 1992. In the Slams, his best effort was the third round of the French Open he reached in 1989.

    Roig though had more success on the doubles circuit, winning nine career titles and reaching the quarter finals of the 1997 French Open.

    In 2001, he retired from the game and quickly turned his hand to coaching.

    What was Roig’s coaching career like?

    In 2005, Roig joined Rafael Nadal’s entourage just as the future great was beginning to make a mark on the sport.

    That was also the year in which Nadal won the first of his 14 French Open titles and Roig was present for all 22 Slams won by Nadal.

    He began as Toni Nadal’s assistant coach, and later worked alongside both Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez after ‘Uncle Toni’ stepped back in 2017.

    The pair even played doubles together at points, partnering up at the 2009 Canadian Open and the 2014 Qatar Open.

    Roig officially parted ways with Nadal at the end of 2022, following a season that saw the Spaniard claim his last two major titles at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

    After leaving Nadal’s team, Roig initially started working with former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, though their partnership was ultimately short-lived.

    He then spent just under a year working with former top-10 star and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, starting in December 2023.

    Despite the Italian’s injury issues, the partnership proved to be a successful one, with Berrettini winning titles in Marrakech, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel under Roig’s guidance.

    However, the two parted ways in October 2024, with Roig not taking up any further coaching roles until this new partnership with Emma Raducanu in August 2025. Although that partnership came to an abrupt end in January 2026 after the Briton exited the Australian Open in the second round.

    What can he bring to Swiatek?

    Being part of the coaching team for one of the best players of all time is quite the thing to have on your CV but specifically, Roig has been perceived to be one of the best observers in the sport.

    Speaking to Christopher Clarey for his book The Warrior, Feliciano Lopez – a confidante of both Roig and Nadal – credited Roig’s key insights for revitalising Nadal’s game.

    “Technically, I think he’s the best coach in the world,” Lopez said. “He doesn’t use that much video analysis, but he sees things that the rest of the coaches don’t see.

    “He’s able to see things in Rafa’s forehand or movement that no other guys would notice, and it allowed them to be very specific and precise.”

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  • Iga Swiatek’s 11-word message as she announces ‘new chapter’ with new coach

    Reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek has announced that Francisco Roig has joined her coaching team ahead of the clay-court season.

    The former world No 1 parted ways with Wim Fissette – with whom she started working in October 2024 – after a disappointing Sunshine Double as she lost in the quarter-final of the Indian Wells Open and the second round of the Miami Open.

    Swiatek started the hard-court swing at No 2 in the WTA Rankings behind Aryna Sabalenka, but she has slipped to No 4 with Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff moving ahead and she decided it was time for a change after the Florida event.

    Roig – who worked with 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal for more than two decades and recently coached Emma Raducanu – was top of the list of potential coaches named by Polish media and the rumour mill went into overdrive when it was announced that Swiatek would train at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca ahead of the clay-court swing.

    Earlier this week, the six-time major champion gave a lengthy interview to Sport.pl and confirmed that she asked Nadal for advice about her next coach, but refused to give anything away.

    Iga Swiatek News

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    “He’s someone I can turn to if I need help or have a problem to solve,” she said of tennis great Nadal. “Help from someone so experienced – in fact, the best, the GOAT – is obviously a wonderful opportunity and I’ll take advantage of it whenever I can. Rafa is very open. He’s a great guy.

    “The very fact that I have his number and can get in touch with him is a great honour for me. But to be honest, whether he helped me [in choosing a coach – rl] or not, I’d like to keep that between us, because he’s part of this story. I wouldn’t want to put him in an awkward position.”

    However, the announcement was made on Thursday morning with the 24-year-old sharing an image of Roig on her Instagram Story, accompanied with the caption: “Welcome to the team, Francisco! Very excited for this new chapter.”

    Roig will be the Pole’s fourth full-time coach since she turned professional in 2016 as Piotr Sierzputowski coached her from 2016 until 2021. He was replaced by Tomasz Wiktorowsk who left in 2024 before Fissette took over.

    Swiatek and Roig will now have a week to adapt before their first tournament at the Stuttgart Open from 13-19 April.

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