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☆ Djokovic battles past Dimitrov in Rome, Swiatek cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The former world number three did however reel off four straight games from 2-4 to take the second set and force a decider. But the world number one hit back to claim the next 12 for a 6-2 6-0 victory that extended her Rome win streak to 13 matches. Sixth seed Coco Gauff later crashed out against Marie Bouzkova, who sealed a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win. Daniil Medvedev broke his Rome duck on his fourth attempt with a clinical second-round win over Emil Ruusuvuori. "It's a little bit (of a relief)," Medvedev said after his 6-4 6-2 win.

☆ Nadal turns down claycourt event wildcard as French Open looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal has turned down a wildcard offer for next week's Challenger tournament in Bordeaux as the Spaniard's participation in the French Open hangs in the balance, the claycourt event director said on Sunday. Nadal has been struggling with a hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January, and fears the Spaniard may miss the Paris Grand Slam grew after he pulled out of this week's Italian Open. He very kindly told me that Nadal was continuing his preparation at home in Manacor, that he was not ready and was in a race against time to be ready for the French Open," Jean-Baptiste Perlant told French sports daily L'Equipe. Nadal skipped last week's Madrid Open and missed tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. The French Open, which Nadal has won a record 14 times including last year, starts on May 28.

☆ Medvedev to focus on more spin, improved sliding on clay
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - World number three Daniil Medvedev said he wants to focus on playing more spin and sharpen his slide to develop his game on clay as he gears up for Italian Open this week. Asked about what he has to do in order to play good tennis on clay, Medvedev told reporters on Tuesday: "Play definitely some more spin. Especially the sliding, I think the sliding was always a problem. Despite not being the biggest fan of clay, Medvedev reached the Monte Carlo semi-finals and Barcelona final in 2019. The Italian Open runs until May 21, with the French Open Grand Slam beginning in Paris a week later.

☆ Wawrinka makes short work of Ivashka in Rome opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was a good first match and I'm really happy to get through again," Wawrinka said. This year I'm playing much better, but I need to win more matches. Former world number one Andy Murray will take on Italian wild card Fabio Fognini later in the evening as he continues his preparations for the French Open starting later this month. STEPHENS CRUISESIn the women's tournament, former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens beat Nadia Podoroska 6-4 6-1 to open her Rome campaign in style following her triumph in Saint Malo last week. Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kenin moves into Rome second round with battling win, Fernandez out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

I didn't feel a 100% but it doesn't matter, a win is a win and I'm going to take it," said Kenin, who converted seven of her 21 breakpoints. I felt tired and... after three hours I'd imagine that she was too, so I just had to battle it out." Former U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez was beaten 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3 by Aliaksandra Sasnovich, while 2019 French Open runner-up Marketa Vondrousova overcame Kaia Kanepi 6-0 4-6 6-2 in other first round matches. The 37-year-old Czech will take on world number eight Maria Sakkari in the second round. The men's tournament headlined by six-times champion Novak Djokovic and Rome debutant Carlos Alcaraz begins on Wednesday.

☆ Nadal missing French Open would be 'brutal' for the sport - Federer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Roger Federer said he hopes Rafa Nadal will recover in time for the French Open and that it would be a "brutal" blow for tennis if the 14-time Roland Garros champion is absent this year. Nadal has been dealing with a hip injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January, and fears that the Spaniard may miss the Paris Grand Slam grew after he pulled out of this week's Italian Open. Nadal skipped last week's Madrid Open and also missed tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. "It would be brutal, it would be tough for tennis if Rafa isn't going to be there," 20-times Grand Slam winner Federer told Sky Sports on Sunday at Formula One's Miami Grand Prix. Nadal has competed at the French Open every year since winning the first of his men's record 22 major titles in Paris in 2005.

☆ Andy Murray wins first title since 2019 with victory over Tommy Paul in Aix-en-Provence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Andy Murray is back in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2019 after the Scot beat world No. 17 Tommy Paul 2-6 6-1 6-2 in the final of the ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence. “We keep going from here.”As well as winning his first title since Antwerp in 2019, it was also Murray’s first clay court title since the Rome Masters 1000 title in 2016 and lifts him to No. 1 first returned to the court in June 2018 after undergoing a first hip surgery in January of the same year, before undergoing a second hip operation in 2019. However, without any points to defend at the Rome Masters or French Open, another deep run will propel Murray up the rankings further still.

☆ Murray earns first title since 2019 with Aix-en-Provence Challenger win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 7 (Reuters) - Briton Andy Murray bounced back to beat number 17 American Tommy Paul 2-6 6-1 6-2 on Sunday in the Aix-en-Provence Challenger Tour final, earning his first title at any level since 2019. It was Murray's third victory over a top-20 player this year and the twice Olympic gold medallist is expected to climb from 52nd to 42nd in the rankings after Sunday's win. But (my team) have been there supporting me and working with me to try and get better," Murray said in remarks provided by the ATP. The Challenger Tour said Murray's win marked the longest gap ever between titles on the secondary circuit, with Murray having last won more than 17 years ago in Binghampton. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare FallonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sabalenka hoping to extend 'amazing' rivalry with Swiatek after Madrid win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sabalenka had a 2-5 win-loss record against the Pole prior to Saturday's win, with four of those losses coming in 2022. Hopefully we can play many more finals this season," Sabalenka told reporters. I improved a lot, and I really want to win against her, because she's such a great player. Asked if their rivalry could be beneficial for the sport, Sabalenka said, "I think women's tennis needs this kind of consistency, to see world number one and world number two in the finals. That's something amazing, and hopefully we can keep doing what we are doing this season."

☆ Alcaraz set to reclaim number one spot in Rome after Madrid triumph
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MADRID, May 7 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz is raring to get to Italy next week to compete in the Rome Masters for the first time in his career and reclaim the world number one spot from Novak Djokovic. To maintain the points won at an event a player must at least match the tally from the previous year. Alcaraz skipped the Rome Masters last year due to an ankle injury so has no points to defend while Djokovic won in Rome last year and thus cannot improve his overall points total. "I am an ambitious guy and I'm going full for the win in Rome," Alcaraz told a news conference on Sunday. I just have won my 10th title, my fourth Masters 1000, back-to-back titles here in Madrid and very close to reclaiming the number one world spot.

☆ Struff soaking in 'incredible journey' to Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 6 (Reuters) - Jan-Lennard Struff is relishing his bid for a first ATP title following his "incredible journey" at the Madrid Open which has seen the German become the first lucky loser to reach the final of a Masters 1000 event. Struff claimed a 4-6 6-3 6-4 semi-final victory over Russia's Aslan Karatsev on Friday, days after losing to the same opponent in the final round of qualifying. Asked if he had expected to be in the final in Madrid, Struff told reporters: "No, of course not. I couldn't have imagined this ..."It's an incredible journey and story, here in Madrid, and very, very happy. He's a great athlete ... Really, really happy to be in the finals, and really looking forward to this match."

☆ Miami champion Kvitova withdraws from Italian Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 6 (Reuters) - Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open with an injury to her right foot, she said on social media on Saturday. The Czech world number 10, who won the Miami Open last month, added that she hopes to recover in time for the second Grand Slam of the year at the French Open. "I will miss the beautiful site, the Italian fans and wish the tournament a great week," the two-time Wimbledon champion wrote on Twitter. loadingThe Italian Open in Rome starts on Tuesday and ends on May 20, while Roland Garros begins on May 28. Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sabalenka beats world number one Swiatek to win Madrid title
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, May 6 (Reuters) - Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Iga Swiatek 6-3 3-6 6-3 to win the Madrid Open on Saturday, avenging her defeat by the Polish world number one in last month's Stuttgart final. Sabalenka produced a great performance to beat Swiatek for the first time on clay, proving that she will be a serious title contender when the French Open begins later this month. Swiatek fought back in the second as she raced into a 3-0 lead before levelling the contest at one set all. However, Australian Open champion Sabalenka dug in to show that she was no pushover as she opened up a 3-0 lead in the decider. Sabalenka then went on to break Swiatek's serve with a brilliant crosscourt forehand before wrapping up the win on her fourth match point.

☆ Sabalenka seeking revenge in Madrid showdown with Swiatek
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka said she was relishing the challenge of playing Iga Swiatek in Saturday's Madrid Open final, with revenge on her mind having lost to the world number one in the Stuttgart title clash last month. Swiatek cruised past Belarusian Sabalenka 6-3 6-4 to win the Stuttgart crown in a repeat of last year's final to confirm her status as favourite for the French Open later this month. World number two Sabalenka said she was prepared for another tough battle in the pair's latest clash, as she bids to improve her 2-5 win-loss record against Swiatek. I would just go one more time, try better and fight for this title," Sabalenka said after beating Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 in the semi-final. "Before, like our first matches last season when I didn't feel my best, it was really tough because I didn't have so many weapons.

☆ Recovering Nadal skips Italian Open to cast doubts over Roland Garros
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will miss next week's Italian Open as he has yet to regain full fitness from the hip injury he sustained at January's Australian Open, casting further doubt over his participation in the French Open. Nadal, a 14-times Roland Garros champion, skipped the ongoing Madrid Open and has also missed tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Nadal, who has dominated the claycourt season for years, has competed at Roland Garros every year since winning the first of his men's record 22 major titles in Paris in 2005. But a setback in his recovery ahead of the Madrid tournament and his subsequent withdrawal from Rome means that if he is fit in time, Nadal would be heading to Roland Garros without having played any competitive matches. In March, Nadal slipped out of the top 10 of the ATP ranking for the first time since 2005 and is currently ranked 14.

☆ Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 5, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his semi final match against Croatia's Borna Coric REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday by storming into the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Friday to stay on track for his fourth title of the season. "It means a lot to me, playing a final again here in Madrid. I have great memories since I came here to play Under-12s," Alcaraz said. After wrapping up the first set on serve, Alcaraz grabbed an early break and raced to a 4-2 lead in the next, dictating terms against a fading Coric. Russia's Karatsev later plays German Struff 10 days after easing past him in the final round of qualifying.

☆ Dream big, think big - Alcaraz wants to become one of the greats
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have dominated men's tennis for nearly 20 years, collectively winning 64 Grand Slams. While only Djokovic and Nadal of the three are still active, Alcaraz said reaching their level will be a daunting task. "Well, my dream in tennis right now is to become one of the best players in history," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. "In this world, you have to dream big and you have to think big, as well," Alcaraz said. "I want to be part of the best tennis players in history and I'll work for it."

☆ Emma Raducanu to miss both French Open and Wimbledon because of surgery on both wrists and ankle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The 20-year-old explained that as a result, she will miss this summer’s tennis events, including the French Open and Wimbledon. She suffered an ankle injury before the Australian Open earlier this year, while tonsillitis forced her to withdraw from the Austin Open in February. Meanwhile, a recurring wrist injury, which hampered Raducanu last season, came back during the Miami Open, where she exited in the first round. Last month, Raducanu lost in the first round of the Stuttgart Open in less than an hour. Raducanu in action during her round of 32 match against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko at the Stuttgart Open.

☆ Alcaraz says Nadal still the man to beat at Roland Garros
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nadal skipped the ongoing Madrid Open after a setback in his recovery from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open in January. Alcaraz has emerged as favourite for Roland Garros after victories on clay at Buenos Aires and Barcelona but the world number two said Nadal cannot be written off and hopes his fellow Spaniard will return next week in Rome. "Hopefully he will be in Rome and then at Roland Garros, where he will be a rival to beat," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-2 on Tuesday to reach the Madrid quarter-finals. Alcaraz, who turns 20 on Friday, said reports of Nadal's return were encouraging as he hoped to continue learning from the 36-year-old. "I say this as a player and as a tennis lover," Alcaraz said.

☆ Surgery rules Raducanu out of French Open, Wimbledon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 18, 2023 Britain's Emma Raducanu in action during her round of 32 match against Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko REUTERS/Angelika WarmuthMay 3 (Reuters) - Britain's Emma Raducanu will miss the French Open and Wimbledon while she recovers from surgery on her wrists and ankle, the former U.S. Open champion said on Wednesday. "I'm having a minor procedure done on both hands to resolve the issues. I'm disappointed to share that I will be out for the next few months and while I am at it will have another minor procedure that is due on my ankle." Raducanu, who has struggled with form and fitness since her fairytale run to the U.S. Open title as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, withdrew from the Madrid Open last month citing an injury to her right hand. She also lost in the first round in Miami and Stuttgart and was beaten in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the second round of the Australian Open.

☆ Alcaraz relishing Zverev rematch in Madrid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 30, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his round of 32 match against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov REUTERS/Isabel InfantesMay 1 (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz said he is looking forward to facing Alexander Zverev at the Madrid Open again, nearly a year after defeating the German in the final of last year's edition. Alcaraz eased past Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 7-5 on Sunday to set up a last-16 showdown with Zverev, who demolished Frenchman Hugo Grenier 6-1 6-0. The pair met twice during last year's clay swing, with Alcaraz beating Zverev in Madrid to win his second ATP Masters 1000 title before Zverev got his revenge in the French Open quarter-finals a few weeks later. "I know that Zverev is a really good player, a really aggressive one with good serves. Alcaraz meets world number 16 Zverev on Tuesday.

☆ Daria Kasatkina: Russian says it 'makes a lot of sense' for Ukrainian tennis players to receive support
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Daria Kasatkina, Russia’s top-ranked female tennis player, has praised the decision of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Wimbledon to support Ukrainian tennis players during the grass-court tennis season. A number of Ukrainian players have refused to shake the hands of Russian opponents on the tours since the war began and Kasatkina says she understands their decision. “So of course, players from Ukraine have got a lot of reasons to not shake our hands. Lesia Tsurenko didn't shake Daria Kasatkina's hand aftter their match. Tennis – Wimbledon last year aside – didn’t follow suit, instead allowing players from Russia and Belarus compete as neutral athletes and Kasatkina said she feels fortunate to still be able to play tennis.

☆ Electronic Line Calling to be used across ATP Tour from 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - On-court line judges will be a thing of the past with the ATP set to adopt an Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system across all its events from 2025, the men's tennis governing body said on Friday. The Tour has operated with a combination of ELC Live, ELC Review and on-court line judges at its events but ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said removing line judges altogether would give more accuracy in officiating. "Tradition is core to tennis and line judges have played an important part in the game over the years. ELC Live had its first trial at the NextGen Finals in 2017 but has become more popular since the COVID-19 pandemic. French Open organisers were also not in favour of replacing line judges with traces left by the ball on clay helping referees check line judges' decisions.

☆ Halep questions long delay in doping hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Simona Halep of Romania hits to Daria Snigur of Ukraine on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. In an interview with Tennis Majors, her first since learning of her failed drugs test, Halep said she has so far been denied her right to be heard by an independent court. Halep says she has undertaken 10 tests since her positive result, with all of them coming back negative. She now hopes to have a hearing in May but fears that may also be cancelled. I really want to play again because I love this sport and I want to play for the big titles again."

☆ Alcaraz embracing the expectations at Madrid Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Tennis - ATP 500 - Barcelona Open - Real Club de Tenis, Barcelona, Spain - April 23, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after winning the Barcelona Open in the final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Nacho DoceApril 26 (Reuters) - Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz rode home support to the Barcelona title on Sunday and knows fans will accept nothing less than victory at this week's Madrid Open but the world number two says he is happy to shoulder the expectations of his compatriots. Alcaraz will aim to become only the second player after Rafa Nadal to successfully defend the title in Madrid, but failure to do so will not bring him down. "Every tournament we go to, we think we can win it and we're going to try and win it. But if we don't, it's not a failure for me," Alcaraz said. Alcaraz, who has a 23-2 record this year, will face Emil Ruusuvuori or Ugo Humbert in his opening match.

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