Category: Articles

  • Carlos Alcaraz gets clear verdict from Rafael Nadal over partying confession

    Rafael Nadal has named one thing about Carlos Alcaraz that is “just not true” as he shared his thoughts on his fellow Spaniard’s professionalism.

    Alcaraz‘s Netflix documentary series, Carlos Alcaraz: My Way, was released in April, and the 22-year-old’s approach to his life and career was the central focus.

    The world No 2 stressed that he wants to achieve his lofty ambitions in the sport without compromising his happiness — a philosophy that was portrayed as being at odds with that of his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

    “Right now my biggest fear of all is ending up seeing tennis as an obligation,” Alcaraz explained. “Sometimes I feel like I am enslaved to tennis and that causes anxiety, frustration, doubts.”

    The four-time Grand Slam winner revealed he partied hard in Ibiza following his semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2023 French Open, a move that went against the wishes of his agent Albert Molina.

    “I ended up going and they know what I’m going there to do,” the 22-year-old said. “In Ibiza, I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty much all about partying and going out.

    “I basically went there to reventar (burst), I’m not sure if that’s the best way to put it, but I went there to go out. I really made the most of it because I knew I might not get another three days like that.”

    Alcaraz’s trip did not negatively impact his 2023 grass-court season as he won his maiden titles at the Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon.

    Tennis News

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    The Spaniard went to Ibiza again after winning last year’s French Open and, while he did not defend his Queen’s crown, he won a second straight Wimbledon title.

    The 22-year-old has faced some harsh scrutiny over his approach to tennis since the documentary aired, with Spanish ATP player Roberto Bautista Agut declaring: “I don’t think Carlos will win Grand Slams by going to bed at seven in the morning.”

    In an interview with L’Equipe, Nadal jumped to Alcaraz’s defence and argued the documentary did not offer an accurate depiction of his compatriot’s professionalism.

    “I think there’s this debate because the documentary released on Carlos seemed to reflect this,” said the 22-time Grand Slam winner.

    “However, knowing Carlos a little, I think the documentary doesn’t reflect his personality or the way he lives his career.

    “He doesn’t come across as a tennis player who trains, but as someone who likes to party, who needs it, who isn’t very professional. It’s just not true.

    “Carlos is a great professional. He’s a person who works very hard to bring his tennis and his physique to the highest level.

    “I think the documentary was approached in the wrong way, because people’s perception is different from what his real life is.”

    No 2 seed Alcaraz will begin his French Open title defence against Kei Nishikori.

    READ NEXT: Jim Courier reveals what is a ‘good sign’ for Novak Djokovic ahead of French Open

    The post Carlos Alcaraz gets clear verdict from Rafael Nadal over partying confession appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu given verdict on her ‘ceiling’ by former world No 1 ahead of French Open

    Emma Raducanu shocked the tennis world when she won the 2021 US Open, and the Brit is capable of winning another Grand Slam title, according to former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki.

    As an 18-year-old qualifier ranked 150th, Raducanu stormed to the US Open title without dropping a set in one of the most remarkable major runs in tennis history. Raducanu is the only player to win a Grand Slam title as a qualifier.

    Since her stunning breakthrough in New York — which remains her only WTA title — Raducanu has endured a challenging time on tour, with injuries frequently hampering her progress.

    The 22-year-old hired renowned physical trainer Yutaka Nakamura, who previously worked with Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, at the end of the 2024 season.

    After a difficult start to 2025, Raducanu kickstarted her campaign at the Miami Open, where she started working with coach Mark Petchey. She reached the quarter-finals in Miami — her best WTA 1000 result and most impressive performance since her US Open triumph.

    The Brit has since built on her Miami run with some encouraging results on clay, including a last 16 showing at the Italian Open, and she holds a 9-4 record since linking up with Petchey.

    Raducanu is currently the world No 43, which is her highest ranking position since August 2022 — just before she dropped the points from her US Open title.

    Ahead of the 2025 French Open, Tennis365 asked Wozniacki about Raducanu’s prospects at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year — and the ceiling she could reach.

    “I mean, it’s hard to say. Can she stay healthy – is I think the main thing,” the 2018 Australian Open winner said at a TNT Sports event.

    “I think she’s really going in the right direction, I think she’s moving her way up, I think… it’s not easy, who’s she gonna play? What’s the draw gonna be like?

    “She’s proven she can beat great players, but it’s not easy if you get a really tough draw and have to beat seeded after seeded player to reach far. Obviously when you’re a higher seed, usually you get somewhat softer draws to start with and it kind of gets easier.

    Emma Raducanu News

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    “You know, you have to give her time. She’s young, she doesn’t have as much experience as many of the others do, but I think with [Mark] Petchey there in her corner… I think he’s great, he knows the game so well, he has all the ins and outs of all the stats, et cetera, and I think that’s gonna help her a lot.

    “And you know, it’s not easy being British and playing Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon, I’m sure she loves Wimbledon and can’t wait to play, but at the same time, there’s a lot of pressure and I hope that she’s able to enjoy that and enjoy the crowd and having that be behind her.

    “And what her ceiling is, I think time will tell, but she’s proven that she can win the US Open, and if you can do it once, you can do it again. It’s just a matter of putting it together for seven straight matches.

    “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if that’s gonna happen and when that’s gonna happen. But either way, being as young as she is and already having a Grand Slam under her belt is a great feat.”

    Raducanu will face world No 42 Wang Xinyu in her opening match at the French Open and could face reigning champion and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek in the second round.

    Watch every moment of the French Open live and exclusive on discovery+

    READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu’s ‘priorities in right place’ as former world No 1 reveals what she needs to add to her game

    The post Emma Raducanu given verdict on her ‘ceiling’ by former world No 1 ahead of French Open appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu makes worrying injury confession ahead of Roland Garros

    Emma Raducanu has revealed that the injury that troubled her during the Strasbourg International can be “quite intense and can last quite a long time”.

    The world No 43 made a bright start to her second-round match against the experienced Danielle Collins as she won the opening set, but then faded in the second set as the American hit back strongly.

    At 0-5 down, Raducanu called for the trainer and then took an off-court medical timeout, but returned to complete the set and the match with Collins going on to secure a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory.

    The start of the French Open is just days away and the 2021 US Open winner will face Xinyu Wang – who is just one place below her in the current WTA Rankings – in her opener.

    And the 22-year-old has admitted that her back is not 100%.

    “I have had back problems before. At the start of the year, I was out for a few months because of it,” Raducanu admitted.

    “It’s annoying, it’s frustrating. I get these spasms. They are quite intense and can last quite a long time. Yeah, I’ll try to make it better.”

    There was a bit of controversy in the deciding set when the score was 3-3 as Collins had a go at the cameraman for being too close to both players during the changeover.

    “You don’t need to be that close to me, and you don’t need to be on top of Emma,” the former world No 7 stated.

    Raducanu was standing during the changeover and Collins added: “It’s like wildly inappropriate. It’s not that difficult to give space. I’m sorry.”

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    WATCH: Danielle Collins blasts cameraman’s ‘wildly inappropriate’ behaviour during Emma Raducanu match

    The British No 2 shared her thoughts on the incident, saying: “I mean for me, I don’t mind (her disturbances) at all.

    “It’s competition. We are both trying to fight for each point. I expect it as well from her.

    “Off the court, we are both cool. We can talk and have conversations. But on the court, we are both trying to win. I don’t think that gets to my head, which is a good thing. It can maybe affect other players.

    “I was standing up because I didn’t want to sit down in the third set because of my back. I was standing as it was a bit more comfortable.

    “Then, she came to fill a bottle up and was saying how the cameraman was really close and it felt a bit inappropriate. That’s all she was saying.”

    The post Emma Raducanu makes worrying injury confession ahead of Roland Garros appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Jim Courier reveals what is a ‘good sign’ for Novak Djokovic ahead of French Open

    Former world No 1s Jim Courier and Caroline Wozniacki have both warned it would be a mistake to write off Novak Djokovic ahead of the 2025 French Open.

    Djokovic will chase a fourth Roland Garros crown and record-extending 25th Grand Slam title overall at the clay-court major, which will begin on Sunday.

    The legendary Serb has endured a challenging 2025 campaign by his standards, having lost his opening match at four of the eight tournaments he has played.

    There have, though, been high points for Djokovic, who was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and a runner-up at the Miami Masters.

    The 38-year-old is competing at this week’s Geneva Open, where he ended a three-match losing streak with his second round win against Marton Fucsovics.

    The world No 6 ended his coaching partnership with his former rival Andy Murray prior to his appearance in Geneva.

    Speaking ahead of the French Open, TNT Sports pundit Courier was asked about Djokovic’s split with Murray and the tennis icon’s hopes of adding to his Grand Slam tally.

    “First of all, I was surprised that they (Djokovic and Murray) got together in the first place, so I was not gonna be surprised when it ended, it was just gonna be, how long they’re gonna hang on together,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said at an event attended by Tennis365.

    “Novak has been struggling, he’s not winning the matches he’s used to winning, but he has shown really high peaks this year.

    “His gutsy win over Alcaraz in Australia while injured, his quarter-final and semi-final wins in Miami — he looked like the guy we recognise, it’s just been so erratic for him.

    “So it’s a good sign he’s taken a wildcard into Geneva this week and he’s looking to get some matches there to build a little momentum into RG (Roland Garros). You write him off at your own risk.”

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    On Djokovic being seeded sixth, Courier added: “It’s not gonna be easy. It’s tough sledding when you’re seeded in that second foursome (from five to eight).”

    Wozniacki, who won the 2018 Australian Open, echoed Courier’s thoughts on Djokovic.

    “You can’t write off someone who’s won so many Grand Slams, who’s obviously a big champion,” said the Dane.

    “He’s been a bit up and down, but last year he said he wanted Olympic gold, he got his gold medal.

    “He has clear goals in his mind and that’s where he wants to peak and there’s a reason why he’s playing this week in Geneva: it’s because he knows he hasn’t played his best tennis, he wants to find it before going into the next Grand Slam.

    “You can never write him off, he’s beaten Alcaraz, he’s beaten the top players. If you can put it together for seven matches… it’s just not always easy when you get older too. Your body’s not the same as it used to be, you don’t recover as easily.

    “Winning a Slam is never easy, but especially when you get to the age he’s at, but if someone can do it’s Novak. We know he takes care of his body so well. And he will use anything, nutritionally, physio, anything possible to find his peak.”

    Djokovic will face world No 99 Mackenzie McDonald in his opening round match at the French Open.

    Watch every moment of the French Open live and exclusive on discovery+

    READ NEXT: Sinner on French Open collision course with Djokovic or Zverev as Alcaraz gets favourable path

    The post Jim Courier reveals what is a ‘good sign’ for Novak Djokovic ahead of French Open appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Sinner on French Open collision course with Djokovic or Zverev as Alcaraz gets favourable path

    The 2025 French Open men’s singles draw is out, and Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have learned their fates.

    Alcaraz is the reigning French Open champion, having beaten Zverev in the 2024 championship match.

    Sinner and Alcaraz were guaranteed to be separated as the top two seeds, which arguably left the draw positions of Djokovic and Zverev as the biggest talking points.

    Djokovic — the men’s Grand Slam record holder — is a three-time Roland Garros champion, while world No 3 Zverev was a runner-up last year.

    Alcaraz, who is the reigning French Open champion, is the big winner from the draw as Djokovic and Zverev have both landed in the top half with Sinner.

    The Spaniard will face Kei Nishikori in his opening match, before a potential second round meeting with Fabian Marozsan.

    The No 2 seed could then meet Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the third round, while Ben Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas are possible last 16 opponents.

    Alcaraz is projected to meet seventh seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, before a potential last four showdown with No 4 seed Taylor Fritz or No 8 seed Lorenzo Musetti.

    In the final, Alcaraz could meet any one of Sinner, Zverev, Djokovic, or fifth seed Jack Draper.

    Sinner will begin his campaign against Arthur Rinderknech, and he will meet another Frenchman — either Richard Gasquet or Terence Atmane — in the second round.

    The world No 1’s path gets harder from there as he could play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Jiri Lehecka in the third round, and Arthur Fils or Andrey Rublev in the fourth round.

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    The Italian is projected to take on fifth seed Draper in the last eight, before a possible semi-final clash with Zverev or Djokovic.

    Zverev and Djokovic, who are seeded third and sixth respectively, are on a quarter-final collision course

    A concern for Zverev is a potential last 16 meeting with 18th seed Francisco Cerdundolo, who he holds a 0-3 record against — with all three matches on clay.

    Djokovic has a favourable-looking early path, and could be set for an intriguing fourth round showdown with No 11 seed Daniil Medvedev.

    Fourth seed Fritz enters the French Open as something of an outsider, but he has been handed a decent draw with fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda and Alex Michelsen the three seeds in his quarter.

    Fritz would likely face the red-hot Musetti, or 10th seed Holger Rune, if he reached the last eight.

    2025 French Open projected men’s singles quarter-finals

    (1) Jannik Sinner vs. Jack Draper (5)

    (3) Alexander Zverev vs. Novak Djokovic (6)

    (4) Taylor Fritz vs. Lorenzo Musetti (8)

    (2) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Casper Ruud (7)

    READ NEXT: The 5 French Open men’s singles title favourites – ranked!

    The post Sinner on French Open collision course with Djokovic or Zverev as Alcaraz gets favourable path appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Swiatek and Raducanu handed nightmare French Open paths, Gauff and Keys in same quarter

    Defending champion Iga Swiatek will most likely have to beat her nemesis Jelena Ostapenko as well as Jasmine Paolini, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff if she is to successfully defend her French Open crown.

    Following her shock early exit from the Italian Open, Swiatek dropped to No 5 in the WTA Rankings and was always in for a tough draw in Paris.

    The four-time champion, who will face Rebecca Sramkova in the first round, has landed in the top half of the draw along with world No 1 Sabalenka and fourth seed Paolini.

    If the Pole gets past Sramkova, then she will face either Emma Raducanu or Xinyu Wang in the second round while a last-16 encounter against Ostapenko could await.

    Raducanu and Wang – currently at No 43 in the rankings – will meet for a second career meeting with the latter in Linz in 2021.

    Meanwhile, 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko has a 6-0 head-to-head record against Swiatek, including two wins so far in 2025.

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    But the Latvian herself has a difficult path as she will most likely have to beat 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina – who has a nightmare opener against Belinda Bencic – en route to the fourth round.

    Italian Open champion Paolini is the highest-ranked player in the quarter and projected to meet Swiatek in the last eight. The fourth seed starts against Yuan Ye, but could face 13th seed Elina Svitolina in the fourth round.

    Three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka is the top seed and she starts against Kamilla Rakhimova before a potential showdown with Danielle Collins in the third round.

    Sabalenka is also projected to meet 16th seed Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round, eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarters before a possible clash against Swiatek.

    Rising star and main draw debutant Alex Eala faces Emiliana Arango in the first round and could meet Zheng in the second round.

    Bottom Half

    World No 2 Gauff headlines the bottom half and will face Australian Olivia Gadecki first up while she is projected to meet the injury-hit Barbora Krejcikova, who has played only one match so far this campaign, in the fourth round.

    If Gauff reaches the quarter-final, then she could meet Madison Keys as the reigning Australian Open champion leads Section 7. But Keys could be involved in a different all-American match in the round of 16 as she is projected to meet ninth seed Emma Navarro.

    Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva are the other top seeds with the former leading Section 6 and Andreeva in Section 5.

    Third seed Pegula faces Anca Todoni in round one and could face 14th seed Karolina Muchova in the fourth round while sixth seed Andreeva starts against Cristina Bucsa.

    The 10th seed Paula Badosa is also in Andreeva’s section and she has a difficult opener against four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka.

    Projected Quarter-Finals

    Sabalenka v Zheng
    Paolini v Swiatek
    Pegula v Andreeva
    Gauff v Keys

    The post Swiatek and Raducanu handed nightmare French Open paths, Gauff and Keys in same quarter appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Alex Corretja reveals ‘what he heard’ about Jannik Sinner-Carlos Moya partnership

    Carlos Moya may have dismissed reports that he is set to become Jannik Sinner’s coach, but a former world No 2 has a feeling that “it will happen”.

    Sinner is in the market for a new coach to work alongside Simone Vagnozzi as Darren Cahill – who joined the Italian’s team in 2022 – will step away from the ATP Tour after the 2025 season.

    Just weeks after Moya – who coached Rafael Nadal from 2017 until the tennis retired in November 2024 – stated that he is not yet interested in a return to coaching as he was “enjoying this moment. After so much time traveling and competing, a detox period was a good idea”, it was reported he had taken up the role to become Sinner’s coach.

    Russia’s Bolshe! claimed it was a done deal as journalist Sofya Tartakova wrote on X: “Carlos Moya to coach Jannik Sinner! As Bolshe! has learned, the world No 1 will start working with the Spanish coach in 2026.”

    But less than 24 hours later, Moya denied the rrumour telling Radio Nacional de España: “Me as his coach? Fake news as big as a house.”

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    Speaking after Moya’s “fake news” comment, Corretja explained “what he heard” and why he thinks it would be a good move for the Italian.

    “I heard about it and I have to say I have been hearing about this rumour for a few weeks already so it didn’t take me as a surprise,” the Spaniard, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1998, said during a TNT Sports interview.

    “I think that will be awesome, that would be great. I think that would be a very smart move from Jannik. Carlos has been No 1 in the world, he has been such a great coach as well, he knows the tour.

    “I know Carlos won’t go with anyone that is not a big star and have chances of winning a Slam, because it doesn’t make sense for him because it doesn’t make sense for him to go with someone who doesn’t have a chance to win a major.

    “I think he would add to him [Sinner] a mentality of knowing, considering also that Alcaraz is his biggest rival now, ‘how do we think, how do we work with the forehand?’

    “I think Moya’s forehand was one of the greatest we ever had. I think Jannik has improved his forehand, but I think there is some space there where he can still improve, the movement, the place on the return, maybe drop shot on the forehand side that Moya played very well as well.

    “Also the mentality, Moya is such a specialist on knowing the game, he loves the statistics, the analysis.

    “I think for Jannik it would be an intelligent and a smart move. I would see it as a great combination.

    “I think honestly that it will happen. This is my feeling.”

    The post Alex Corretja reveals ‘what he heard’ about Jannik Sinner-Carlos Moya partnership appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu suffers injury scare as she misses rankings chance with Strasbourg exit

    Emma Raducanu suffered a major injury scare just days out from the French Open after taking a medical timeout in her three-set loss to Danielle Collins at the Strasbourg International.

    In a pulsating contest, world No 46 Collins rallied from a set down to beat Raducanu 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 at the WTA 500 event.

    It is just a second quarter-final of 2025 for the American, who has struggled at times across 2025.

    “I knew playing Emma that I would have to play my aggressive game style,” said Collins on court.

    “The more that I did that, I think that I was able to kind of stay in control of the points and really push her. She played really and gave me some challenges – but I just kept going after it.”

    Things started brightly for world No 43 Raducanu, who produced some superb tennis on her way to winning an impressive opening set.

    However, while Collins improved notably after a shaky start, the Brit’s form faded badly and she ultimately called for the trainer.

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    Raducanu took an off-court medical time out for a back injury at 5-0 down in set two, though returned to court and managed to hold before Collins forced a decider.

    The pair traded early breaks across a tense deciding set, though the US star ultimately broke in Raducanu’s final two service games to triumph.

    Raducanu struggled with a back injury at the start of 2025, withdrawing from the Auckland Open ahead of the Australian Open.

    The 22-year-old will hope that the problem is nothing too serious ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year at the French Open, which begins this coming Sunday.

    Raducanu has not played at Roland Garros since 2022, withdrawing due to injury in 2023 and due to scheduling concerns in 2024.

    Defeat for the Brit also means she has missed the chance to potentially return to the top 40 of the WTA Rankings post-event.

    Raducanu is currently ranked 43rd in the world but is up to world No 41 in the WTA Live Rankings, following her opening-round win over Daria Kasatkina.

    Victory against Collins would not have seen the 22-year-old rise any further up the rankings but, had she won, she would have then been just one victory away from a top-40 return.

    However, while there was disappointment for the Brit, Collins now has the chance to avoid a significant drop.

    A challenging season for Collins has seen the 31-year-old fall down to world No 46 in the WTA Rankings, having failed to defending her Miami Open and Charleston Open titles earlier this spring.

    Having started 2025 as the world No 11, Collins was potentially set to fall outside of the top 60 in Strasbourg, with finalist points to defend at the tournament.

    The American is currently projected to fall 13 spots to world No 59 ahead of her quarter-final at the tournament.

    Read NextFrench Open: 5 unseeded stars to watch out for in women’s singles draw

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  • Could Djokovic face Alcaraz or Sinner? How will Swiatek fare? Key French Open draw questions

    The French Open draw takes place this Thursday (22nd May), but what can we expect to unfold at Roland Garros?

    Here, we look at five of the biggest talking points across both the men’s and women’s singles events.

    Which half will Zverev land in?

    With Jannik Sinner as the No 1 seed and Carlos Alcaraz as the No 2 seed, we know that that it will not be possible for them to meet until the final – if they both get that far.

    In terms of the very top seeds in the men’s draw, the biggest talking point is probably what half of the draw No 3 seed Alexander Zverev will land in.

    The German has reached four straight semi-finals at Roland Garros and reached the final twelve months ago, leading Alcaraz by two sets to one before the Spaniard roared back.

    Zverev is one of a handful of players with winning head-to-head records against both men, and could prove a formidable foe for one of the top two seeds in the last four.

    Swiatek’s fate

    Swiatek has been one of the top two seeds at every Grand Slam event since the 2022 French Open – but that all changes in 2025.

    The Pole has not won a title since Roland Garros twelve months ago and, as a result, now finds herself as the world No 5 – and the fifth seed for the second Grand Slam of 2025.

    That means that four-time French Open champion Swiatek will find herself in the same quarter as one of No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No 2 Coco Gauff, No 3 Jessica Pegula, or No 4 Jasmine Paolini.

    Where the three-time champion lands in the draw could have not only significant implications for her, but the leading contenders and entire tournament as a whole.

    Djokovic’s placing

    Similarly to Swiatek, world No 6 Djokovic finds himself outside the top four seeds heading into the men’s singles draw.

    This is not a new situation for the Serbian, who was the seventh seed at the Australian Open back in January, and ultimately defeated third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the last eight.

    However, aside from his Miami Open run, Djokovic’s form since Melbourne has not been encouraging, and a quarter-final against one of Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, or fourth seed Taylor Fritz is a daunting prospect.

    Djokovic has a 10-0 record against Fritz, meaning this may be his best hope, but a match against one of the top three could spell trouble.

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    Sabalenka’s pathway

    For the first time in her career, Sabalenka arguably enters the French Open as the favourite for the title.

    With leading rival Swiatek not at her best in 2025, the Belarusian has proven to be the class of the WTA field and has built a substantial lead as the world No 1.

    Sabalenka has reached at least the quarter-final in Paris for the past two years and has become the most reliable WTA player at Grand Slams, consistently going deep into the draw.

    However, she is yet to reach a Grand Slam singles final on a natural surface, with her five finals split across the Australian and US Open.

    All eyes will be on whether Sabalenka’s early path is conducive enough for her to round into form and claim the title.

    Dangerous unseeded stars

    Most of the sport’s leading stars are among the men’s and women’s singles top seeds, though that is not strictly the case.

    Several huge names are unseeded in the women’s event, and all eyes will be on where the likes of Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, and Belinda Bencic land in the draw.

    Perhaps the biggest unseeded name to watch in the men’s event is Joao Fonseca, with the 18-year-old prodigy having qualified automatically for a Slam for the first time.

    Fellow young gun Learner Tien and clay specialists such as Rio Open Sebastian Baez will be among the other unseeded stars to keep one eye on in the draw.

    Read Next: French Open: 5 unseeded stars to watch out for in women’s singles draw

    The post Could Djokovic face Alcaraz or Sinner? How will Swiatek fare? Key French Open draw questions appeared first on Tennis365.

  • Emma Raducanu makes major change to grass-court schedule

    Emma Raducanu has signed up for the Berlin Open, signalling a major change in her grass-court schedule ahead of Wimbledon.

    The Brit has opted to skip the WTA 125 event in Nottingham, which is taking place the same week as the Berlin tournament – June 16-22.

    Other participants in Berlin include nine of the WTA’s top 10, with only Iga Swiatek choosing to not play in the German capital.

    Raducanu will make her 2025 grass-court debut at the Queen’s event the week prior to her newly added tournament, which will mark the first time in 50 years that a WTA event will take place in London.

    The world No 43 could also choose to play in Eastbourne or Bad Homburg during the week of June 23, but this will likely depend on her success in both Queen’s and Berlin.

    Last year, Raducanu had a successful grass-court swing – making the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open (losing to Katie Boulter), the quarter-finals in Eastbourne (defeated by Daria Kasatkina), and the fourth round at Wimbledon (falling to Lulu Sun).

    Wimbledon has been the Brit’s second most successful Grand Slam, with two fourth-round appearances (in 2021 and 2024).

    The 2021 US Open champion is looking to fill up her schedule, after an injury-riddled 2024 season, taking a late wildcard into the WTA event in Strasbourg after an early loss at the Italian Open.

    In her first match in Strasbourg, Raducanu ended a three-match losing streak against Australian Daria Kastaskina with an impressive 6-1, 6-3 victory.

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    “I’m really proud of my performance,” the Brit said.

    “How I came out and I was really aggressive.

    “I also managed to maintain my focus in the second set when it was getting close and Daria was playing some great points when I was trying to serve the match out so I’m really proud of today’s performance.

    “I think I’ve been building towards this. It’s a great feeling because I think I had three great matches in Rome and the fourth I played an opponent who was better than me on the day.

    “To kind of bring that level here, I’m really proud. But I think as I spend more time on clay, I’m starting to like it more and more. I’m building my relationship with the surface.”

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