Category: Articles

Stefanos Tsitsipas is set for another big rankings drop after his woes continued with an opening round defeat to Francisco Cerundolo at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters.

The Greek, who is a three-time former champion in Monte Carlo, fell to a 7-5, 6-4 loss to world No 19 Cerundolo at the prestigious Masters 1000 tournament.

Tsitsipas led 5-3 in the opening set, but his 27-year-old Argentine opponent won four straight games to turn it around.

In the second set, Tsitsipas battled back to 4-4 having trailed 0-4 — only to lose his serve in the ninth game before Cerundolo sealed the win.

Tsitsipas held an outstanding 22-4 record in Monte Carlo across his seven previous appearances prior to this year’s event, and he had never lost in the first round. He secured the title in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and he had not lost before the quarter-finals since 2019.

Former ATP player Rob Koenig addressed Tsitsipas’ struggles and decline over the past year while commentating on the match for Tennis TV.

“2025, he wins Dubai, but there were definitely some cracks appearing in his game,” said the South African.

ATP Tour News

Stefanos Tsitsipas says Goran Ivanisevic’s scathing comments ‘really hurt’

‘Andy Murray would be a good fit to coach Jannik Sinner’, says the Italian’s ex-coach

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

“Of course, it came to defending those points [from his 2024 Monte Carlo title], the ranking drops and after Monte Carlo last year he dropped out of the top 10.

“And he’s been on a slow decline for the last 12 months now. And even at a tournament where he’s had so much success, he just can’t find anything today.”

How does Tsitsipas’ defeat affect his ranking?

Tsitsipas was ranked 48th at the start of Monte Carlo with 995 points, but his opening round exit means he has dropped 180 points after he was a quarter-finalist at last year’s edition of the event.

As a result, Tsitsipas has suffered a significant 16-place drop to world No 64 in the Live ATP Rankings.

This is the latest rankings blow for Tsitsipas, who was ranked 30th in February before losing points he gained in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami in 2025.

The 27-year-old, who is a two-time Grand Slam finalist, was the world No 8 exactly a year ago when he played the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters.

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings: Alcaraz under pressure from Sinner; Shelton back as American No 1, Jodar +32, Trungelliti +41

The post Stefanos Tsitsipas -16 in ATP Rankings as ‘decline’ continues with Monte Carlo Masters exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has criticised the lack of privacy for players at tournaments as he called for “spaces where we can be alone without being filmed.”

The world No 1 was speaking at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters, where he is the reigning champion having won the prestigious clay-court event for the first time last year.

Coco Gauff raised the topic of player privacy in January after Australian Open cameras showed her breaking a racket in a corridor after her quarter-final loss to Elina Svitolina.

“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did,” said the American star.

“So maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”

In his pre-tournament press conference in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz was asked about the increasing prominence of cameras at tournaments.

“For the fans, it’s great. They love seeing what goes on behind the scenes, what we do, what the facilities inside the tournaments look like,” said the seven-time Grand Slam winner.

Tennis News

Monte Carlo Masters: Carlos Alcaraz makes ‘surprise’ Jannik Sinner admission

Jannik Sinner set to be crowned as world No 1 – here’s why Carlos Alcaraz can’t stop him

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

“But for the players, it’s a bit strange, because we don’t really have anywhere to relax anymore, because we’re constantly thinking there are cameras and that everyone is watching us.

“Having cameras so close, able to see what we’re watching on our phones, I think that’s too much.

“We already don’t have much privacy in tournaments, and I think this is too much. We should have spaces where we can be alone without being filmed.”

The 22-year-old Spaniard also spoke about his mentality for his title defence in Monte Carlo.

“It’s a new year, new sensations, new things to improve, new things I think about in training and matches,” Alcaraz said.

“I’m going to try to prepare as well as possible for the first match and for the coming week. I’m not thinking about defending a title. It’s about how I feel, and right now, I’m just trying to have good feelings.”

On the start of the clay season, Alcaraz added: “It is probably one of the best surfaces, without a doubt. I miss clay every time the season ends. I miss it a lot. It had been a long time since I played on clay; it felt like an eternity.

“The first sessions I did were to get back into rhythm, to tell myself, ‘Alright, it’s time to dirty my socks again.’ Honestly, it’s an incredible feeling to be back on clay.”

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings: Alcaraz under pressure from Sinner; Shelton back as American No 1, Jodar +32, Trungelliti +41

The post Carlos Alcaraz speaks out about player privacy as he issues ‘too much’ criticism appeared first on Tennis365.

The battle for the No 1 spot in the ATP Rankings is set to be decided at the Monte Carlo Masters, but Carlos Alcaraz’s comments about Jannik Sinner suggest he didn’t expect to be a man under pressure this week.

Alcaraz has been at the top of the rankings since last October, but Sinner’s Sunshine Double has helped him to close the gap to the Spaniard and he is now the hot favourite to return to the top after the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

The Italian won both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open, earning 2,000 points in total as he didn’t have any points to defend from the 2025 season

Alcaraz managed to add only 40 points to his total as he defended his 400 points from last year in California and then went one round better in Florida for those 40 points.

As a result, the seven-time Grand Slam winner has seen his massive 3,190-point lead turn into a mere 1,190-point advantage ahead of the clay-court season.

And there is more bad news as Alcaraz is the defending champion in Monte Carlo and he will drop 1,000 points while his rival doesn’t have any points to defend so the lead is effectively just 190 points.

ATP Features

Jannik Sinner set to be crowned as world No 1 – here’s why Carlos Alcaraz can’t stop him

Jannik Sinner looks to conquer the one challenge that has proved to be beyond him

Ahead of the ATP 1000 event in the Principality, Alcaraz admitted that he didn’t expect the world No 2 to play in Monte Carlo following his title runs at the two recent events, perhaps indicating that he didn’t expect a No 1 showdown this week, but he was also full of praise for the Italian.

“Honestly, I was surprised that Jannik, after Indian Wells, Miami, and the whole tour, came to Monte Carlo to play, but obviously that speaks to the great physical condition he’s in right now, what he’s capable of,” he said.

After meeting in six finals during the 2025 season – including three consecutive Grand Slams – Alcaraz and Sinner are yet to face each other so far in 2026.

Alcaraz won titles at the Australian Open and Qatar Open with his rival losing in the semi-finals in Melbourne and the quarter-final in Doha while the Spaniard lost in the semi-final in Indian Wells and the third round in Miami, where Sinner went on to lift the trophies.

They are, of course, on opposite sides of the draw in Monte Carlo so can only meet in the final.

“Hopefully, we can play here in Monte Carlo, who knows, but obviously we haven’t played together yet this year and I hope that happens on this clay court tour,” Alcaraz said.

The post Monte Carlo Masters: Carlos Alcaraz makes ‘surprise’ Jannik Sinner admission appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has been warned that his hopes of a 25th Grand Slam title could be impacted by his decision to pull out of tournaments and play a limited schedule.

The Serbian great has admitted his motivation to perform in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments has waned as his record-breaking career winds towards a conclusion, with his move withdrawal from the Miami Open last month backed up by a move to pull out of this week’s Monte Carlo Masters.

Those decisions have had an impact on Djokovic’s ranking, with Alexander Zverev replacing him as world No 3 in the updated list.

While the push for ranking points is not a priority for Djokovic in this phase of his career, former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has warned his lack of tournament play could have an impact on his hopes of winning another major title.

So long as Djokovic stays in the top four of the rankings, he will avoid potential clashes with world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No 2 Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals of Grand Slam events.

More Tennis News

Novak Djokovic’s latest big decision fuels rumours over his French Open participation

Novak Djokovic schedule: Tournament director reveals tennis great ‘keen’ to play key clay event

Yet Rusedski has suggested Djokovic will need to play more often to ensure he is not sliding down the rankings.

“I think either Madrid or Rome will be his first week and then he will get ready for Roland Garros,” said Rusedski on the latest edition of his podcast

“It’s not about ranking points. It’s about where he’s seeded. He does need points to be in the top four.

“To win a major these days, you gotta usually go through Alcaraz and Sinner. Then imagine if he drops out of the top four, he might have to play [Alexander] Zverev.

“So for him, the important thing is keeping that top four ranking to give himself a shot at Wimbledon.”

Djokovic has not confirmed the reason for his withdrawal from Monte Carlo, but he has not been on court in a competitive environment since a draining defeat against Jack Draper at the Indian Wells Masters last month.

The good news for Djokovic is he has limited ranking points to defend over the next few weeks, so he may be able to get away with missing the Monte Carlo and maybe also the Madrid Masters and still hang on to a top four ranking.

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

He will have plenty of ranking points to defend by the time he gets to the French Open after his semi-final run at Roland Garros last year, so Djokovic has some big decisions to make in what may be his final year challenging for major titles.

The Serbian will celebrate his 39th birthday last month and while he has had some big wins over top players in the last two years, notably against Sinner at the Australian Open in January, his lack of tournament appearances leaves him lacking match sharpness when he does make rare appearances.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic cannot be called the GOAT of tennis, claims former Wimbledon champion

The post Novak Djokovic sent a rankings warning by former British No 1 after latest withdrawal appeared first on Tennis365.

Alex Eala will face local hero Julia Grabher in the first round of the Linz Open in Austria with the pair separated by 43 places in the rankings.

It will be the Filipina No 1 against the Austria No 1 for a place in the second round of the WTA 1000 open in what will be a first-career meeting between the pair.

World No 46 Eala and Grabher have ended up in the top half of the draw and they find themselves in the same section as fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko with the winner going on to meet the 2017 French Open winner.

Eala, of course, has grabbed a lot of headlines the past year as she became the first Filipina to not only reach the top 100 of the WTA Rankings, but later the top 50 and the top 40. However, she has dropped back to No 46 after she lost in the last 16 at the Miami Open.

But let’s find out more about her first-round opponent at the Linz Open.

Who is Julia Grabner?

The 29-year-old Grabner hails from Dornbirn, Austria, and she only made her WTA Tour-level debut at the age of 23 in 2019 when she received a wildcard into the Linz event.

She has been a formidable player at ITF level as she has won 16 titles from August 2015 until April 2025 while she also had success on the WTA Challenger Tour, winning the Bari Open in 2022 and the Florianópolis Open in 2025.

WTA News

Linz Open draw: Mirra Andreeva’s late entry as Alex Eala faces Austrian veteran

Alex Eala among seven top-50 players in impressive WTA 125 tournament field in Spain

Grabner reached her maiden WTA Tour final in May 2023, but finished runner-up against Lucia Bronzetti and she went on to peak at No 53 in the WTA Rankings in June that year.

The 2023 season also delivered her first Grand Slam singles match win as that came at the French Open as she beat Aranxta Rus before losing in the second round.

The Austrian started the year at No 92, but she broke back into the top 80 with a win at the Australian Open, but currently sits at No 87.

Recent Form

The 29-year-old has played on the WTA Challenger Tour recently with her last match at the Megasaray Hotels Open in March, where she lost in the second round. She is 3-8 so far in 2026.

When Will The Match Take Place

The first-round clash has been scheduled for Tuesday, 7 April, but the order of play will only be released by organisers on Monday afternoon.

However, given Eala’s massive fan base and the fact that Grabner is a local, the match will likely be a feature match on Centre Court.

The post Linz Open: Meet Alex Eala’s first-round opponent at WTA 500 event appeared first on Tennis365.

The final frontier in Jannik Sinner’s career could be reached over the next few weeks, with the perception that he is not at his best on clay courts backed up by comments from the reigning Wimbledon champion.

Sinner was a point away from winning the French Open title on two occasions in last year’s epic final against Carlos Alcaraz, with the Roland Garros epic evidence that the Italian can be a master on the red dirt.

The level of play served up by the best two players in the men’s game for over five hours instantly saw the match entered into the pantheon of the all-time greats in the history of tennis, with Sinner’s brilliant performance eventually overshadowed by the genius of Alcaraz.

Being second best in the greatest clay court tennis match ever seen was hardly evidence that Sinner cannot perform at his best on clay courts, even though he has previously suggested the surface presents him with his biggest challenges.

Sinner grew up playing on clay courts in northern Italy and while he may not feel entirely natural on the surface, he has all the tools to thrive over the next few weeks.

More Tennis News

Monte Carlo Masters draw: Alcaraz could face three-time major champion as Sinner lands in Zverev, Medvedev half

Jannik Sinner becomes world No 1, Carlos Alcaraz dethroned – clay court predictions

His movement is immaculate, with the skills her honed when he was a high-level junior skier working to his advantage as he glides and slides around clay courts.

Immaculate ball striking is also a vital ingredient for clay court success, with the changing nature of the surface over the last couple of decades meaning a powerful and well-directed serve is a key facet of a winning armoury.

The variety Sinner is keen to add to his game is also important on the surface, with Alcaraz highlighting how significant the drop shot can be to keep an opponent off balance on clay.

Sinner is adding elements to his game with each passing month and his flawless displays as he completed the ‘Sunshine Double’ by winning the Indian Wells and Miami Masters titles last month highlighted the latest sublime level the Italian has taken his game to.

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

After Alcaraz became the youngest male player to complete the career Grand Slam when he succeeded Sinner as Australian Open champion in January, the big rivalry at the top of men’s tennis is set to be renewed on clay between now and the French Open final in June.

After coming so close to glory at Roland Garros last year, Sinner will already be eyeing up the chance to add the final Grand Slam to his collection when this year’s clay court run reaches a crescendo in Paris.

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

The post Jannik Sinner looks to conquer the one challenge that has proved to be beyond him appeared first on Tennis365.

Mirra Andreeva will be the top seed for Linz Open and she will face either a former US Open winner or a German veteran in her opening match at the Austrian tournament.

World No 10 Andreeva was not initially on the entry list, but she accepted a late wildcard and – as the highest-ranked player in the field – she went onto the first line of the draw sheet and earned a bye in the second round in the process.

The 18-year-old will face either 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who also entered after receiving a wildcard, or the 38-year-old Tatjana Maria in her first encounter.

If she gets past Stephens or Maria, Andreeva is projected to face fifth seed Sorana Cirstea in the quarter-final while fourth seed Jelena Ostapenko is a likely semi-final opponent.

Ostapenko, though, will have to get past either World No 87 Julia Grabher or world No 45 Alex Eala in the second round.

Rising star Eala, who is making her debut at the WTA 100 tournament, is playing in her first clay-court event of the season with her last tournament the Miami Open on the hard-courts in Florida where she reached the round of 16.

WTA News

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

Iva Jovic and Madison Keys’ prize money and ranking points from Charleston Open

The winner of the Ostapenko/Grabher/Eala match will likely face seventh seed Ann Li in the quarter-final. The American takes on Dayana Yastremska first up before a meeting with either Katie Boulter or Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova headlines the bottom section as the second seed and she will face either former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova or a qualifier in the second round.

A quarter-final encounter against eighth seed Sara Bejlek is on the cards, but the Czech faces Panna Udvardy first up and if she gets past the Hungarian, she will take on a qualifier in the second round.

If the seeds hold, then Alexandrova will meet third seed Liudmila Samsonova in the semi-final.

The Russian will meet either rising Austrian star Lili Tagger, who is just 18, or former world No 2 Paula Badosa in the second round, while she is projected to face sixth seed Jaqueline Cristian in the last eight.

Projected Quarter-Finals

Andreeva v Cirstea
Ostapenko v Li
Cristian v Samsonova
Bejlek v Alexandrova

The tournament has been hit hard by withdrawals with Grand Slam winners Barbora Krejcikova, Marketa Vondrousova and Emma Raducanu all pulling out before the draw was made.

Daria Kasatkina, Emma Navarro, Antonia Ruzic and Clara Tauson were the other players to withdraw on the eve of the WTA 500 event.

The post Linz Open draw: Mirra Andreeva’s late entry as Alex Eala faces Austrian veteran appeared first on Tennis365.

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has revealed why he has decided to join the coaching team of French rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

World No 59 Perricard was forced to seek out a new coach after the sudden exit of Francisco Roig, after he walked out on their new coaching partnership to join Iga Swiatek’s team.

Perricard started his adventure with experienced coach Roig after the Spaniard parted company with 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu after the Australian Open in January.

But their working relationship came to an end in a sudden fashion when Roig accepted an offer to become the principal coach to former world No 1 Swiatek after she split with Wim Fissette after the Miami Open last month.

Now he has teamed up with 1997 US Open runner-up Rusedski, who spoke about his move back into coaching in an episode of his latest podcast.

More Tennis News

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard launches attack on Rafael Nadal’s ex-coach for teaming up with Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek confirms new coach as Monte Carlo entry list is revealed – Tennis Roundup

“I got a call whether it’d be interesting to work with Giovanni,” said Rusedski, who previously coached former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka.

“For some reason, they wanted another big server to work with another big server! And I decided I would give it a go.

“So I came out here to Monte Carlo and I’ve been here three or four days on court with the young man. It’s going well. It’s an interesting project, so we’re having a trial at the moment, which goes all the way to the end of Wimbledon.

“If you have a project that interests you, you have got to give it a go and try it.

“I’ve always watched his game. I’ve always looked at him as a very talented player. I feel like there are a lot of areas we can work on and improve.

“And he’s such a nice guy. So, you know, you look at the personality and what you can improve. And for the first three days, it’s gone very, very well. And, you know, you’ve got to have a few weeks together to see if the relationship will build and you can get that momentum.”

Rusedski’s arrival in the Perricard team comes after Roig’s swift departure, with the Frenchman unimpressed by the decision of the Spaniard to join Swiatek’s team.

“With Francisco, the plan was to continue at least until the grass season, but after Miami, he decided to end the relationship,” began the Frenchman to L’Equipe.

“However, up to that point, everything had been going very well. We were going to meet for a training week in Spain.

“It was my agent who informed me. He didn’t tell me directly. I trusted his word, what he could bring to the table. To throw all that away so quickly seems like a shame to me. Then, it’s a tough, ruthless world.

“I had never seen anything like it. It was very surprising and disappointing. But it will serve to develop myself.

“I prefer to draw something positive from these situations rather than something negative. It will make me stronger, even in life.”

“We had just started, there wasn’t a special bond, and it was harder to split from Manu (Planque).

“But it took me half a day to process it. Was it my fault? Not really.

“I had nothing to do with it, especially considering the videos that came out quickly (with Swiatek). But personally, I don’t think this project was put together in 24 hours.”

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

He also spoke warmly about Rusedski joining his team as he added: “We were in touch when I was looking for a coach. He was very interested.

“Additionally, he had a playing style similar to mine: big server, net presence, and offensive. I was convinced he could help me. And I thought, ‘Why not give it a try?’”

READ NEXT: Iga Swiatek sends 18-word thank you message to Rafael Nadal as videos of training with legend emerge

The post Former British No 1 opens up on his new coaching partnership with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard appeared first on Tennis365.

Iva Jovic and Madison Keys both fell at the penultimate hurdle at the Charleston Open and only the latter earned a small boost in the rankings with her run to the semi-final.

The fourth-seeded Jovic beat Alycia Parks, 16th seed Sofia Kenin and eighth seed Anna Kalinskaya to reach the last four, but she came up against a determined Jessica Pegula and the defending champion was not going to be denied a second consecutive final.

The top seed kept her title defence going with a fourth consecutive three-set win as she beat the rising star 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to deny her a third WTA Tour final.

But Pegula had nothing but praise for her fellow American after the match when she was asked what impressed her about the 18-year-old in her post-match press conference, she replied: “I think it’s her mentality and her maturity.

“I mean, she’s already a very good player, but I do think that in this sport, you know, being able to stay very poised and mature, especially for her age and where she’s at and how everything’s so new, she seems to be handling it exceptionally exceptionally hat’s going to take her very far especially at such a young age.”

WTA News

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

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

Fifth seed Keys, meanwhile, went down in straight sets against the unseeded Yuliia Starodubtseva.

After a battling three-set win over third seed Belinda Bencic in the quarter-final, the American lost 6-1, 6-4 against the Ukrainian.

“Maddie is a great opponent,” Starodubtseva said after the match. “I’ve watched a lot of her matches. It’s not easy to take on someone like that.

“Staying solid, staying aggressive is the key. I know I had a shaky moment at (5-3) where I didn’t hold, but I had to get through it and play aggressively.”

WTA Ranking Points Earned In Charleston

Jovic started the WTA 500 event at a career-high No 16 in the rankings, but her run to the semi-final was not good enough to move up.

A semi-final appearance is worth 195 points, but with the WTA using a rolling 52-week cumulative system, the teenager dropped 30 points from Bogota 12 months ago at the start of the tournament.

It means she will add only 165 points to her tally and will remain at No 16, but she is now just 54 points behind Naomi Osaka in 15th place.

Former world No 5 Keys was defending 60 points from her round of 16 appearance at Charleston in 2025 so she effectively earned 135 points and that helped her to move up one place to No 18 and she is 109 points behind Jovic.

Prize Money Earned In Charleston

Jovic – who finished runner-up at the Hobart International and reached the quarter-final of the Australian Open this year – had earned $693,498 so far this year before the Charleston Open with her career tally sitting at $1,819,246.

The 18-year-old will add another $110,370 to her total following her semi-final appearance, as will Keys.

2025 Australian Open champion Keys was on $419,116 prize money for the year while her career total was just over $23m.

The post Iva Jovic and Madison Keys’ prize money and ranking points from Charleston Open appeared first on Tennis365.