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The dust around the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) lawsuit against the ATP and WTA has barely settled and another storm has hit tennis.

According to French paper L’Equipe, the top 20 players on the ATP Tour and WTA Tour “have co-signed and sent a letter to the four Grand Slam tournaments, demanding a substantial increase in their prize money”.

This move comes just two weeks after the PTPA – which was co-founded by tennis great Novak Djokovic – launched legal action against the ATP and WTA Tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) as they accused of them implementing “anticompetitive restraints and abusive practices”.

Twelve plaintiffs were named in the legal documents, but Djokovic’s name was absent with Vasek Pospisil, Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka among the high-profile players.

But Djokovic – currently No 5 in the ATP Rankings – is among the top 20 men’s players with Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Jack Draper, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur completing the top 10.

The WTA Rankings are led by Aryna Sabalenka and she is followed by Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva, Zheng Qinwen, Paula Badosa and Elena Rybakina.

L’Equipe reports that the 40 players want more prize money from the organisers of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open, stating: “In essence, this letter calls for a greater distribution of profits generated by the four pillars of the tour to benefit the main stakeholders: the players, without whom the show would not take place.”

The ATP and WTA Players’ Boards have given the letter the green light and while some of the men’s players who has signed letter are yet to comment, some women’s stars have been asked for their opinions.

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World No 4 Pegula told Bounces By Ben Rothenberg: “Yeah, I think that’s something I don’t want to talk about too much. It’s just something that we’re working with our WTA PBR [Player Board Representatives] with, and hopefully we’ll have more information about that soon. But I don’t want to go into that too much just because—I don’t know—I shouldn’t.”

2024 Australian Open runner-up Zheng said: “I think that that’s going to be more benefit for all the players, not only the top players, especially for those players that work hard during all the years and need to get paid from the Slams.

“They have to survive. They also need to pay for a good team to be able to have a good chance to win the match. So I think that’s really positive.”

The post Tennis rocked by fresh row as Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Swiatek demand more money appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu looks set to take a break from tennis after confirming she will not play for Great Britain in their Billie Jean King Cup ties later this month.

Raducanu was selected to travel with the Great Britain squad for matches against Germany and Netherlands in The Hauge, with captain Anne Keothavong confirming the news in a statement released by the LTA.

“I recognise this has been a difficult decision for Emma,” said Keothavong.

“Of course you always miss a player of her quality on the team, we’ve seen what she can do in the past representing her country, but I have the utmost belief in the players who are travelling next week and will confirm a 5th player in due course.”

The Great Britain team will now be led by Katie Boulter, with star Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart and doubles specialist Olivia Nicholls also included.

The question over what comes next for Raducanu will now be asked, as she has entered the Open de Rouen in France, a WTA 250 tournament that gets underway on April 14.

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Her decision to pull out of the Billie Jean King Cup matches a week before that date will cast doubt over whether she will now also withdraw from the Rouen tournament, amid suggestions she is planning to put in a training block over the next few weeks.

Raducanu played just two WTA Tour events on clay courts last year, reaching the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart and then turning in a disappointing performance as she lost in the first round of the Madrid Open.

She then opted against playing in qualifying for the Italian Open and, controversially, also side-stepped the second Grand Slam of 2024 as she decided not to play in qualifying for the French Open.

That decision was justified as she enjoyed success on grass courts, reaching the semi-finals at the Nottingham Open and securing the first top 10 win of her career when she beat Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne.

A run to the last-16 at Wimbledon completed a strong grass court season for Raducanu and hopes of more success were inflated by her impressive run to the Miami Open quarter-finals last week.

With limited points to defend in the clay court season, Raduacanu has a big opportunity to climb the WTA Rankings over the next few weeks.

Yet she could be set to walk away from that opportunity if she opts to put in an extending training block at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in London.

Raducanu has answered her critics in 2025 who were calling for her to enter more tournaments as she was active in the first three months of the year, but results did not go her way until her sparkling return to form in Miami.

Now she appears to be edging towards taking a step back from the weekly grind of the WTA Tour and if she pulls out of the WTA 250 event in Rouen, she could look to return to competitive action in the WTA 1000 event in Madrid later this month.

An appearance in the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome at the start of May could be another option, as she looks to get in some clay court practice ahead of what would be only her second appearance at Ronald Garros.

Former British No 1 Tim Henman believes the secret to Raducanu’s success in Miami was her decision to commit to a busy schedule this year, as he encouraged her to continue on that path.

“It’s been great that she’s competed a lot more this year after Australia,” Henman told Sky Sports Tennis.

“She’s played three or four tournaments but the results haven’t been there. But I think that when you’re putting in that hard work in the gym with a physical trainer, I thought her movement both sort of offensively and defensively looked fantastic.

“She talks about having fun and being authentic, that gives her the opportunity of expressing herself on the court. That being said, she does it differently. She is very comfortable. She’s changed coaches.

“That’s not necessarily what everyone else likes to do, but she’s comfortable changing that up.

“But for me, as Marion touched upon, building physical resilience, I think is the most important thing. That is what has been lacking because she’s almost had her career back to front, qualifying, winning that Grand Slam without really the physical foundation.

“When her body was breaking down when she was in competition. I think the big positive this year is that she’s been able to compete more consistently and hopefully the results are going to come.”

Raducanu has yet to make any comment on her next tournament, but she is expected to play at the French Open this season after missing the Roland Garros event for the past two years.

READ NEXT: Alexandra Eala set to follow in Emma Raducanu’s footsteps by landing mega sponsorship deals

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Novak Djokovic has been warned by former world No 6 Gilles Simon that he is “fighting against something difficult” in his quest to win further Grand Slam and ATP Tour titles.

Former world No 1 Djokovic is considered by many to be the greatest male tennis player of all time, with 24 Grand Slam titles and 99 ATP  titles to his name.

However, the Serbian has faced a difficult 15 months on tour, with several significant setbacks.

2024 proved to be the 37-year-old’s first Slamless season since 2017, and he was ranked as the world N0 6 by the end of the year, having started it as the world No 1.

He retired injured in his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev this January due to a hamstring tear, having pulled out of his 2024 French Open quarter-final due to a meniscus issue.

Djokovic was on a three-match losing streak heading into last fortnight’s Miami Open and, despite an impressive turnaround in form, was beaten by 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in the final.

Former ATP star Simon knows better than most about the challenges of facing an in-form Djokovic, having lost 11 of his 12 meetings against the tennis great.

But the 14-time ATP titleist, who retired in 2022, believes the Serbian’s age is starting to prove a factor in his struggles.

Speaking to Tennis365, Simon warned that Djokovic was struggling to consistently handle the physical challenge of competing into his late 30s.

He said: “If there is one player who knows the way, it’s Novak, but Novak is fighting against something that is difficult and something that you can’t have – and that’s time.

“Time is only going in one direction and he is working a lot, I’m sure, to be as healthy as possible, because the tennis is not a problem – it’s just about the body.

“That’s why when I said once he would not get 30 Grand Slams. I said if he gets to 25, it’s the maximum. Today, we realise yes – time has grip on everyone and he is realising it now.

“I’m sure he realised it before, but he’s feeling it now. We are seeing it even more, but he’s going to have good weeks, and when he has good weeks, he is the player we know he be – and he can win anything.”

Djokovic’s last title came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the 37-year-old stunned gold medal favourite Carlos Alcaraz in the final to claim the one title that had eluded him.

Olympic gold was the Serbian’s main target for 2024 and meant he left the season with a huge positive despite struggles elsewhere, including a shock round-three US Open exit just weeks later.

But, Simon has warned that it will prove an even tougher challenge for the tennis great – who turns 38 in May – to ultimately win a historic 25th major.

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“I think it was a huge achievement to win the Olympics last year,” added Simon.

“We don’t realise it was the main goal of the season and he was ready to have the week he had – it’s crazy. It says a lot about how strong he is mentally.

“Now, for the Slams, there’s only three left this year and next year he’s going to be one year older.

“Let’s see what he’s going to do, but he also needs to be a bit lucky and I think that’s what he maybe starts to understand – because sometimes he is doing maybe the same preparation as before.

“Everything he can control, he is doing it, but when you get older, some weeks you are trying your best and the body is not responding the way it used to respond.

“He’s going to prepare to be ready for the Slams, obviously what he wants to win is a Slam. Let’s see if he’s going to do it, but it’s five sets, it’s two weeks – it’s not like the Olympics where it was three sets, one week.”

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

Read Next: Exclusive: How Roland-Garros eSeries is bringing tennis to a new audience

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Alexandra Eala did not leave the Miami Open with her first WTA 1000 title, but she may have won even more in her breakthrough week.

A run to the semi-final for a 19-year-old from the Philippines catapulted Eala into the top 100 of the WTA Rankings and fired the starting gun on a career that has already been getting plenty of attention in her homeland.

The 2022 Junior US Open champion has been talked about as a star in the making for some time and she backed up her credentials in stunning fashion with her run in Miami.

A win against world No 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals was a stand-out moment, but her wins against Jelena Ostapenko and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys were equally impressive.

She is already the highest-ranked female player to emerge from the Philippines and the question must be what comes next for this superstar in the making.

Seemingly frail in stature, Eala could cope with the power coming at her from some of the biggest names in women’s tennis and that bodes well for her future.

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Eala has been honing her skills at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca in recent years and the presence of Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of 22-time Grand Slam-winning legend Rafa, highlighted the influence their set-up has had on her formative days as a professional.

It is proving to be a prolific academy for rising stars of the game, with Felix Auger-Aliassime a regular visitor to the Nadal Academy and Grand Slam champion Bianca Andreescu also benefitting from her experiences with the coaching team in Mallorca in recent years.

Now Eala could be a poster girl for the success of the Academy, with Nadal’s legacy in the sport continuing with those benefitting from the classy tennis centre that bears is name.

Of course, Eala is a long way from being the finished product as a tennis player, but as was the case with Emma Raducanu when she won the US Open in 2021, the race for sponsors to go on the journey with a player who appears to have it all from a marketing perspective is now on.

She already has a Nike logo on her tennis outfit and that agreement is likely to be upgraded after her impressive run in Miami.

Racket manufacturers Babolat will be eager to ensure they enhance their association with Eala, with the French company that propelled Nadal to the top of the sport now linked to one of the first breakout stars from his increasingly prolific Academy.

Eala is also sponsored by Globe, a telecommunications company in her homeland, with her nationality certain to add to the sponsorship opportunities that may now come her way.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori and China’s Zheng Qinwen have cashed in on some huge endorsement deals in recent years, with sponsors in their homelands eager to be attached to local heroes who attract huge support.

Raducanu’s mother hails from China and her association with that part of the world added to the interest from companies looking to be associated with a player who had a big reach with a huge population that relishes the chance to celebrate and follow athletes that they can associate with.

Now Eala may benefit from in a similar fashion and as Raducanu confirmed after her US Open win, the opportunities to cash in with sponsors can be highly lucrative.

Eala appears to be humble, she handled her media duties impressive as she was thrust into the limelight in Miami and with her Instagram following swelling to 350k after her run in Miami, she is already slipping into the ‘influencer’ category.

She has adored the front covers of glossy magazines Tatler and Vogue in her homeland and can now expect more of that treatment, as she is keen to make an impact for all the right reasons.

“I would love to think that I make a difference,” said Eala. “You know, that’s the only thing I can do to give back to my country is to help inspire, to inspire change and positive change, to inspire people to pick up a racquet, to watch more tennis, watch more women’s tennis.

“I think that tennis in the Philippines has so much potential, because even though it’s not as widespread as other sports, I feel that we have a lot of hidden talent, and if we can have the support to back it up and the exposure to back it up, then I think that Philippine tennis can be a big thing.”

A big fan of five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in her youth, Eala is eager to follow in her footsteps as she aims for the stars.

“My dreams have stayed the same, stayed constant,” she states. “I have always been a big dreamer. Like I said previously, to win Grand Slams has always been one of the end goals. To become No. 1 has always been one of the end goals.

“I think that this result came at the right time. I try — you know, being a successful junior doesn’t mean that you’re going to be a successful professional, so I made it a point to work hard every day and to trust that my time would come, and hopefully this is the time.”

Raducanu continued to attract attention long after the glow of her US Open win faded and the surge in interest around the Brit exploded as she stormed back into contention at a major event with her run to the Miami Open quarter-finals.

Eala went one better than Raducanu and these two stars could not provide a huge boost for the women’s game at a time when it continues to fight a challenging battle for publicity with the star names of the men’s ATP Tour.

READ NEXT: Alex Eala’s next tournament, ranking, and sponsors as prize money nearly doubles

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The first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the 2025 campaign will take place in Monte Carlo, and the entry list is packed with stars.

This year’s Monte Carlo Masters, which will be staged from April 6-13, will be the 118th edition of the historic tournament.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the reigning champion, having defeated Casper Ruud in the 2024 final to secure his third Monte Carlo crown.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner will not feature as he remains sidelined by a doping ban that will expire on May 4.

How many players will feature in the main draw?

The Monte Carlo singles main draw will feature 56 players, a total including 44 direct entrants, eight qualifiers and four wildcards.

Who has received wildcards?

Richard Gasquet has received a wildcard for what will be his final appearance in Monte Carlo, with the former world No 7 set to retire at this year’s French Open. The other three wildcards are yet to be announced.

Have any players withdrawn?

No players on the original main draw entry have withdrawn from the tournament. Besides Sinner, world No 13 Tommy Paul is the most notable absentee, with the American choosing not to compete.

Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik was set to have to navigate the qualifying draw in Monte Carlo as his entry ranking was below the main draw cut-off, but the Czech has withdrawn.

Zhizhen Zhang, Roman Safiullin and Yoshihito Nishioka have also pulled out of qualifying.

Which former champions will play?

Three former champions are set to play: Novak Djokovic (2013 and 2015), Stefanos Tsitsipas (2021, 2022 and 2024) and Andrey Rublev (2023).

Stan Wawrinka (2014) and Fabio Fognini (2019) are the only other active players to win the Monte Carlo title, and they will need a wildcard to play as their current rankings are not high enough.

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Have any players used a protected ranking to enter?

Players who have been unable to compete in any tournaments due to injury for a minimum of six months are eligible to use the ATP protected ranking system.

The protected ranking will be determined by the player’s average ranking position during the first three months of their injury. They can use the protected ranking to enter nine tournaments and for a period of nine months from the first event they play after returning.

However, no players have used a protected ranking to enter Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo Masters 2025 Singles Entry List and Projected Seeds based on current ATP Rankings (numbers in brackets are Entry Rankings)

1. Alexander Zverev (2)
2. Carlos Alcaraz (3)
3. Taylor Fritz (4)
4. Novak Djokovic (7)
5. Casper Ruud (5)
6. Jack Draper (14)
7. Stefanos Tsitsipas (9)
8. Andrey Rublev (8)
9. Alex de Minaur (10)
10. Daniil Medvedev (6)
11. Holger Rune (13)
12. Ben Shelton (12)
13. Arthur Fils (21)
14. Lorenzo Musetti (16)
15. Frances Tiafoe (17)
16. Grigor Dimitrov (15)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (18)
Ugo Humbert (19)
Tomas Machac (20)
Hubert Hurkacz (22)
Francisco Cerundolo (26)
Sebastian Korda (25)
Karen Khachanov (23)
Matteo Berrettini (29)
Alexei Popyrin (27)
Jiri Lehecka (24)
Denis Shapovalov (28)
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (30)
Alejandro Tabilo (31)
Brandon Nakashima (33)
Jordan Thompson (38)
Sebastian Baez (34)
Tallon Griekspoor (43)
Lorenzo Sonego (37)
Matteo Arnaldi (35)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (39)
Alexandre Muller (44)
Gael Monfils (42)
Nuno Borges (36)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry (45)
Flavio Cobolli (40)
Marcos Giron (48)
Pedro Martinez (41)
Jan-Lennard Struff (46)
Nicolas Jarry (47)
(WC) Richard Gasquet (148)

READ NEXT: Exclusive: Jannik Sinner’s rivals warned Italian is ‘going to play well’ on return from suspension

The post Monte Carlo Masters 2025 Entry List: Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev headline appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has been backed by former world No 6 Gilles Simon for a quick return to winning ways once his doping suspension has ended.

World No 1 Sinner is currently serving a three-month ban after twice testing positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March 2024.

The Italian, the reigning Australian and US Open champion, was initially found to be of “no fault or negligence” by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in August 2024.

Sinner argued that he had accidentally been contaminated by a team member and, while he was docked his 2024 Indian Wells prize money and ranking points, was handed no suspension by the ITIA.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed an appeal regarding the severity of Sinner’s punishment back in September 2024.

WADA’s appeal was set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April 2025, before the respective parties agreed on a settlement in February 2025.

That settlement saw Sinner accept a three-month ban for his doping violations and the Italian has so far missed two Masters 1000 events, in Indian Wells and Miami.

The three-time major champion is also set to miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open before the end of his suspension on May 4th, 2025.

Sinner is currently set to return to action on home soil at the Italian Open in Rome, which begins on May 7th, and will also play the Hamburg Open before the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros.

The 23-year-old defeated Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open final back in January – dropping just two sets on his way to the title – and held a staggering 73-6 record across the 2024 season.

Sinner has proven the dominant force on the ATP Tour since the start of 2024, and Simon, the winner of 14 ATP Tour titles, sees no reason for that to change on his return.

Speaking to Tennis365, the Frenchman predicted the world No 1 would quickly be back to his best.

“He’s going to play great,” said Simon.

“It’s a three-month suspension where he’s practicing, so basically it’s a three-month preparation. He’s going to play a bit to find the rhythm again, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to find it quickly.

“In one moment, he’s going to win, he’s going to be back on track, and he’s going to play well – because it’s not an injury, it’s a suspension.

“He’s healthy, he had time to also maybe heal the parts of the body that maybe needed some work on it. Any work he had to do, he had time to do it.

“And three months is not six months, or nine months, or one year, when you come back to competition. I’m really not worried about his level.”

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Sinner’s time away from the game has been defined by his closest rivals being unable to take advantage of his suspension.

The 23-year-old looks set to return to tour with his world No 1 ranking intact – and is likely to still have a significant points cushion.

Despite dropping 1,000 ranking points after being barred from defending his Miami Open title, Sinner still holds 10,330 points.

That places him 2,685 points ahead of world No 2 Zverev, and 3,610 points ahead of world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner will see Monte Carlo semi-final and Madrid Open quarter-final points fall off his ranking this coming month but, having withdrawn from the Italian Open in 2024, will have no points to defend in his comeback event.

The Italian has the chance to earn 500 points at the Hamburg Open the week before Roland Garros, where he has semi-final points to defend.

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

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Emma Raducanu burst back into form in impressive fashion as she reached the quarter-finals of the Miami Open and that run has given her a double rankings boost.

The 2021 US Open champion has struggled to find her form in the opening weeks of 2025, but she looked back to her brilliant best as she beat four opponents in Miami.

A three-set defeat against eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula was also encouraging, as she matched the world No 4 in a close match that could have gone either way.

Her run in Miami also included a win against top 10 rival Emma Navarro and recent WTA 1000 champion Amanda Anisimova, with those results boosting her WTA Ranking up to No 48 in the updated list.

Raducanu’s rankings boost in the UTR Rankings is even more impressive, as she is up to No 29 in a list that may be more reflective of her true position in the women’s game after her displays in Miami.

Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight at the top of the game.

This more immediate ranking is also highlighted in the men’s list, with Britain’s Jack Draper moving up to a career-high of No 4 in the updated UTR rankings after he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells last month.

The double boost of British tennis will fuel optimism that Raducanu and Draper can challenge when they get on the grass courts at Wimbledon this in July and former British No 1 Tim Henman is backing the duo to perform in front of their home fans.

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“She played some brilliant tennis in this tournament,” said Henman of her Miami Open displays. “She has been looking to build that momentum on the match court and it’s great that she has competed a lot more this year after Australia.

“The results haven’t been there, but when you are putting in that hard work [on court] and in the gym with her physical trainer, I thought her movement both offensively and defensively looked fantastic.

“The turning point was the Emma Navarro match, which she won 7-6 in the third. To beat a top 10 player in that fashion would have given her a lot of confidence.

“The four wins she had will give her a lot of belief moving forward.

“The same goes for Jack. He showed what he could do in Indian Wells and beat some top players there.

“I think what is taking place now is the pieces of his puzzle coming together and those pieces have always been there, but if anything, it’s just perhaps been a few of the little injuries that have kept him from building that momentum in tournament play.

“That’s what I think is exciting – he’s seven in the world, he’s just won his first Masters 1000 and to me, he still hasn’t really played a consistent 12-18 months on Tour.

“I think when you take a deeper dive into his game, there are very few weaknesses and still areas to improve on.

“The quality of his serving has been huge, hitting his spots very well, the power on the forehand was brilliant to watch in Indian Wells.

“I would like him to finish more points at the net. When you’re that aggressive you can bring that extra string to your bow, but for a big guy, he’s a great athlete who moves well.

“I think that’s what I find exciting for the next decade, hopefully.”

READ NEXT: Jack Draper hailed as ‘a contender to win Wimbledon’ as Tim Henman gives his verdict

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Novak Djokovic missed out on his 100th career title when he lost against Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final, but Andy Roddick believes the 24-time Grand Slam champion sent out a big message to his rivals ahead of the upcoming Grand Slams.

Djokovic found his form in impressive fashion as he moved into the final in Miami without dropping a set, but he came up short against big-serving Mensik in two tight tie-breakers.

The Serbian legend should dust himself down and take confidence from his run in Miami, with Roddick suggesting he has proved he can still win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, even though he is set to celebrate his 38th birthday next month.

“He can still win a major, especially when the surface is giving him some love, like it was in Miami. Where the ball is getting through the court, where he doesn’t have to protect the sidelines as much and doesn’t have to play as much defence,” Roddick said on his latest Served podcast.

“Extraordinary. There’s just not a world that anyone is saying Djokovic was disappointing because he didn’t win that final. What? He’s almost 38 years, didn’t drop a set until the final and lost two breakers. If they played the match again tomorrow, I would bet on Novak on that surface.

“What Novak is doing is just crazy. I didn’t think we would see this much of him this year. He stayed in the States for a month to play Indian Wells and Miami.”

Roddick went on to suggest the arrival of former rival Andy Murray in his camp as a coach has given him a fresh incentive to shine, as he backed the most successful player of all time to challenge for the title at the French Open.

“Is the product he is putting out there good enough to win a major? Yes, it is. Will it happen? I don’t know,” continued Roddick,

“You talked about Roland Garros, three out of five [sets]. This guy did win the Olympics there a few months ago.

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“He seems happy playing right now. He seems motivated to play right now. He has someone different to report to. Maybe that’s the benefit of the Murray situation.

“So long as he is in tennis, it’s better to watch. Even a version of him, and I say this gently, where he is ‘only’ the third favourite in every Slam now.

“He’s going to be 38, but are you going to put him outside of the top three to win Wimbledon? No, he’s your third favourite. Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic.

“It’s just amazing that he’s still going. Connors made the semi-final of the US Open and it was like he rode a hot air balloon to the moon,” he added.

“Now guys are kinda doing this. These three have reset the expectations on everything.”

Djokovic has entered the Monte Carlo Masters that gets underway next week, as he looks to make a swift transition from hard courts to clay as he counts down to teh French Open next month.

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Former world No 6 Gilles Simon has dismissed “unfair” criticism of Carlos Alcaraz’s recent form as he urged people to look at the “big picture” regarding the Spaniard’s results.

World No 3 Alcaraz suffered surprise losses in both Indian Wells and Miami, results that have attracted a significant amount of attention.

The Spaniard was beaten 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 by Jack Draper in the Indian Wells semi-final, ending his 16-match win streak at the event – and dashing his hopes of a third straight title.

That was then followed by a stunning 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 loss to David Goffin in his opening match at the Miami Open.

Alcaraz won his 17th ATP title at the Rotterdam Open in February but has not made another final across four other tournaments in 2025, falling in the last eight of the Australian Open and Qatar Open.

The 21-year-old’s form has been the subject of huge speculation, but he has found a huge ally in Simon.

Speaking to Tennis365, the Frenchman defended Alcaraz’s “unbelievable” achievements and questioned the level of criticism lobbied at the four-time major champion.

“The problem with this type of player is that they have a lot of attention, so in the end, every time we have big expectations for them,” said Simon.

“He won four Slams, and it’s crazy at his age. People are tough. It’s unbelievable what he has achieved already, and he will achieve much more than he did.

“Every time someone like him is losing, we make it a big deal, as he’s supposed to win everything. I don’t believe he’s this kind of person. He is a player where we know what he has in the racket, we know what he is able to do.

“Everybody in the end likes him and when he’s not winning, we are disappointed and we put it on him – and I think it’s unfair.”

Alcaraz will next be on court when he kicks off his clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters next week.

The Spaniard has withdrawn from the event the past two years, and also withdrew from both the Barcelona Open and Italian Open in 2024 due to injury struggles across the clay swing.

However, those concerns did not prevent him from winning his maiden French Open title in June, before completing the ‘Channel Slam’ with a successful Wimbledon title defence last summer.

And, he has had huge success across the clay swing before, winning both the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open in 2022 and 2023.

Ahead of a busy summer, 14-time ATP Tour titleist Simon has backed Alcaraz to roar back into trophy-winning ways.

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He said: “Sometimes, it’s a bit harder, but what I’m sure about is that he’s going to find a way again, and this is where it’s crazy. When he’s going to win, everyone is going to say: ‘He’s back on track’.

“He’s going to win again. Is it going to be at the French Open, is it going to be at the tournament before?

“Maybe he’s going to play a bit more because he lost, so he has maybe that need to be on court and win matches to build that confidence that will help him again to win the big title in the end.

“The problem is with the media, we are always panicking when someone is winning, they’re going to win everything for the next five years. No, it always changed, and suddenly it changed like this, and no one sees it coming – because they are not looking at the big picture.

“And the big picture is Carlos Alcaraz is a very special player, he has already achieved amazing things, and he will achieve amazing things again.

“When? He’s going to find a way. I don’t see anything as dramatic as it is. You can maybe lose two tournaments and maybe win again the French Open and Wimbledon.

“Then I want to ask all the people who talked badly about what he was doing right now: ‘Ok, was it that important to lose in the first match in Miami?’”

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

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With the Sunshine Double done and dusted, all eyes now turn to the clay-court swing – and ultimately the build-up to the French Open in May.

However, while ATP Tour events are underway in Houston, Marrakech, and Bucharest this week, many of the sport’s biggest names will kickstart their clay season next week.

The Monte Carlo Masters is one of the most prestigious titles to win outside of the Grand Slams, and defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to win an impressive fourth title in 2025.

Here, we look at the top seeds entering the draw this year – and what else to look out for.

Monte Carlo Masters seeds

1) Alexander Zverev
2) Carlos Alcaraz
3) Taylor Fritz
4) Novak Djokovic
5) Casper Ruud
6) Jack Draper
7) Stefanos Tsitsipas
8) Andrey Rublev
9) Alex de Minaur
10) Daniil Medvedev
11) Holger Rune
12) Ben Shelton
13) Arthur Fils
14) Lorenzo Musetti
15) Frances Tiafoe
16) Grigor Dimitrov

Key takeaways

One obvious absentee from the Monte Carlo draw this year is Jannik Sinner.

The world No 1 is still serving his three-month suspension and therefore will not return to the first Masters 1000 event of the clay swing, where he was a semi-finalist twelve months ago.

Sinner’s absence means that, much like in Indian Wells and Miami, world No 2 Zverev is set to be the top seed, with world No 3 Alcaraz the second seed.

Zverev is twice a semi-finalist in Monte Carlo but has been beaten in round three the past two years, while Alcaraz has only played the event once, having been forced to withdraw in both 2023 and 2024.

World No 4 Fritz is seeded third and world No 5 Djokovic is seeded fourth, with one set to be drawn in the same half of Zverev and the other in the same half as Alcaraz.

Djokovic is a two-time former champion in Monte Carlo, having lifted the title in 2013 and 2015, though he suffered a surprise loss to Ruud in the semi-final in 2024.

Norwegian star and 2024 finalist Ruud is the fifth seed in the draw, while recent Indian Wells champion Draper is the sixth seed as he looks to improve his clay-court fortunes.

Tsitsipas, who has won all three of his Masters 1000 titles at this tournament, is seeded seventh, while 2023 champion Rublev rounds out the top eight seeds.

Further down, 10th seed Medvedev – ranked 11th in the world – will be in action for the first time since losing his top-10 ranking following an early exit at the Miami Open.

11th seed and world No 12 Rune was a quarter-finalist in 2024 and a finalist in 2023, and will look to continue his impressive Monte Carlo form.

World No 13 Tommy Paul has not entered the tournament, meaning that his compatriot and world No 14 Shelton is the 12th seed.

Fils will lead French hopes as the 13th seed, while world No 18 Dimitrov is the 16th and final seed.

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When is the draw?

The draw for the Monte Carlo Masters is set to take place on Friday 4th April 2025.

Top seed Zverev will automatically be placed in the top half of the draw, while second seed Alcaraz will automatically headline the bottom half of the draw.

The draw will determine whether Zverev is projected to face Fritz or Djokovic in the last four, and which projected semi-finalist will also be expected to face Alcaraz.

The draw will also place the projected quarter-finalists, and all remaining players.

Tournament dates

Main draw action is set to take place from 6-13 April, 2025.

Qualifying action will take place across 5-6 April, with some final-round qualifying matches taking place on the same day as some opening round matches.

Quarter-final matches are set to take place on April 11, with semi-finals on April 12, and the final on April 13.

The top eight seeds will all receive an opening-round bye.

Ranking points and prize money

Like with all Masters 1000 events, 1,000 ranking points are available for whoever lifts the title at the end of the tournament.

The runner-up will earn 650 ranking points, the semi-finalists 400 points, and the quarter-finalists 200 points.

A total prize money package of €6,128,940 is set for the 2025 tournament, across singles and doubles.

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