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☆ Fans speculate about Nadal's retirement before French Open announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 36-year-old Nadal has not competed since January after sustaining a hip injury at the Australian Open and is expected to confirm whether he will skip the French Open, a tournament he has won a record 14 times. On the YouTube page that will stream Nadal's news conference later on Thursday, fans posted tearful emojis and speculated about him announcing his retirement. Nadal's 14 French Open titles are the most by any player at a single major. He boasts a stunning 112-3 record in Paris and is widely regarded as the 'king of clay'. The French Open begins on May 28.

☆ Rafael Nadal withdraws from French Open due to injury, says ‘next year is my last year’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Rafael Nadal will miss the French Open for the first time since he made his debut in 2005 after the 14-time champion announced on Thursday that he has withdrawn from the tournament due to injury, adding that “next year is my last year” in professional tennis. The Spaniard suffered a hip injury during his second-round Australian Open defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in January and initially said he hoped to be fit again within six to eight weeks. Rafael Nadal said next year will likely be his last playing tennis. In 2016, Nadal withdrew ahead of his third-round match against compatriot Marcel Granollers due to a wrist injury. Nadal has not played since the Australian Open and in March dropped out of the world’s top 10 for the first time since 2005.

☆ Rune repeats Djokovic upset to storm into Rome semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

For the first time since 2004, neither Djokovic nor the injured Rafa Nadal will be in the Rome final. Rune outlasted Djokovic in three sets in last year's Paris Masters final and the 20-year-old made the perfect start in search of another upset by breaking the world number one in the opening game of the match. "Obviously, I did it last year in Paris, but every match is a huge challenge when I play Novak. "He's one of the greatest to ever play the game so I knew I had to be at my best. Rune said he hoped to stay humble after another statement win on the ATP Tour.

☆ Holger Rune beats Novak Djokovic in rainy Italian Open quarterfinal clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

1 was beaten by Holger Rune in the Italian Open quarterfinals. It will be the first time since 2004 that neither Djokovic or Rafael Nadal will be in the final of the Italian Open, according to the ATP. Holger Rune celebrates after defeating Novak Djokovic. Huge credit to Novak, I’m a big fan of his. Holger Rune has two consecutive wins over Novak Djokovic.

☆ Alcaraz hopes to 'reset' ahead of French Open after Rome shock
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 20-year-old has been in superb form on clay, winning a title in Buenos Aires earlier in the season before triumphing in Barcelona and Madrid ahead of the Rome tournament. "In the second set I was close, I had my chances but didn't take them. Alcaraz said he was looking forward to some time off ahead of the year's second Grand Slam which starts on May 28. I need some days to reset my mind, to be fresh for Roland Garros," Alcaraz said. It's going to be really helpful to have days at home practising and getting ready."

☆ Kyrgios pulls out of French Open to delay comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the French Open starting later this month, further delaying his return to competitive action following knee surgery at the start of the year, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said. But pain in his knee forced him to withdraw from the Japan Open and he pulled out of his home major, the Australian Open, in January to have surgery. "We're trying everything we can to have Nick ready on court as soon as possible," Horsfall added. Kyrgios was set to play an exhibition match against Holger Rune in Denmark next week but apologised to fans on Instagram. The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, runs from May 28-June 11.

☆ Alcaraz stunned by Hungarian qualifier Marozsan in Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Alcaraz raced to a 4-1 lead but Marozsan hit back in superb style to reel off six points and hand the world number two only his second defeat on clay in 22 matches this season. "It's not easy to say something," Marozsan said immediately after the biggest win of his career. World number three Daniil Medvedev earned a hard-fought 3-6 6-1 6-3 win over Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles to reach the last 16 in Rome for the first time. In the women's draw, Elena Rybakina saw off Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3 to reach her first claycourt WTA 1000 quarter-final, where she will face either top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the twice defending champion, or Croatia's Donna Vekic. Tsitsipas had taken the first set 6-3 against Sonego while Zverev leads 6-4 3-3 against Wolf.

☆ Fancied Alcaraz stunned by Hungarian qualifier Marozsan in Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, May 15 (Reuters) - Carlos Alcaraz crashed to a humbling 6-3 7-6(4) defeat by Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round of the Italian Open on Monday as his quest for a third straight title on clay before the French Open ended in disappointment. The 20-year-old had come into the tournament on the back of triumphs in Barcelona and Madrid and will replace Novak Djokovic as the world number one for top billing at Roland Garros which begins later this month. Alcaraz raced to a 4-1 lead but Marozsan hit back in superb style to reel off six points and hand the world number two only his second defeat on clay in 22 matches this season. "It's not easy to say something," Marozsan said immediately after the biggest win of his career. It was the first defeat for Alcaraz to a player ranked outside the world's top 100 since the 2021 Paris Masters when he fell to Hugo Gaston.

☆ 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.

☆ Alcaraz says focus will not change as French Open top seed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Alcaraz, who turned 20 this month, captured the U.S. Open title in September to become the youngest man to top the world rankings. He will leapfrog Novak Djokovic into the number one spot again after the ongoing Italian Open. He is also assured of top billing at the May 28-June 11 French Open. "It doesn't change too much to be the number one or number two seed - I just focus on the tournament, on my game, on every match, and that's something that I try not to think about. "I grew up a lot in a year," Alcaraz said of his meteoric rise.

☆ Alcaraz powers to victory over Ramos-Vinolas on Rome debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Barcelona and Madrid champion Alcaraz, who is chasing his fifth title of 2023 and fourth on clay ahead of Roland Garros, overcame an early loss of serve amid heavy conditions at the Foro Italico to level up the opening set at 2-2. Alcaraz continued to build momentum and raced ahead 3-0 in the second set against a fading Ramos-Vinolas, wrapping up the match on serve to make it 12 wins in a row. "It wasn't easy," said Alcaraz, who will now leapfrog Novak Djokovic into top spot in the rankings on May 22. "The first round of every tournament is really tough and, of course, Ramos-Vinolas is a specialist on clay. Monte Carlo champion Andrey Rublev earlier overcame Alex Molcan 6-3 6-4 in a twice-interrupted match to book his place in the third round.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Pliskova withdraws from Madrid Open with knee injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 24 (Reuters) - Karolina Pliskova has withdrawn from the Madrid Open due to a knee injury but the former world number one said she hopes to recover in time for next month's event in Rome ahead of the French Open. Pliskova, 15th in the world rankings, said on Twitter she suffered the injury during her quarter-final defeat by Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open last week. loadingThe Italian Open runs from May 9-20 before Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, begins on May 28. Pliskova's best result at the claycourt major came in 2017 when she reached the semi-finals. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Djokovic hoping to hit top gear on clay after Banja Luka exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The loss is Djokovic's second early exit from a tournament in as many weeks, following his third-round defeat to Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters last week. On the other hand, I played much worse than I wanted to," Djokovic told reporters after the defeat in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, begins on May 28. I want to play my best tennis there," said Djokovic, who has also been struggling with an elbow injury. "The conditions are totally different there in comparison with Monte Carlo and Banja Luka.

☆ Rafael Nadal’s French Open participation in doubt as he struggles to recover from injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Rafael Nadal admits he doesn’t know if he will recover from injury in time to defend his title at the French Open. “All medical suggestions have been followed, but the progress has not been what they initially told us. The weeks are passing and I had the dream of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros. This is how things are now.”The greatest clay court player of all time, Nadal has enjoyed unparalleled success at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid, holding the record for most titles won at all three events. The French Open, where Nadal has won the title an unprecedented 14 times, begins on May 28.

☆ Bencic to skip Madrid, Rome events due to hip issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Olympic champion Belinda Bencic will skip upcoming claycourt tournaments in Madrid and Rome due to "discomfort" in her hip but said she hopes to be fully fit for the French Open. Bencic said she was hampered by the issue during the WTA Tour's U.S. swing, which included her run to the Charleston Open final where she lost to Ons Jabeur in straight sets. Bencic won the Adelaide International 2 title in January and Abu Dhabi Open the following month. The French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, will be held from May 28 to June 11, where Iga Swiatek will be the women's singles defending champion. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nadal to miss Madrid Open after recovery setback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MADRID, April 20 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal will miss next week's Madrid Open after a setback in his recovery from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open in January, the 22-times major champion said on Thursday. Nadal skipped tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo as well as the current Barcelona Open after suffering the injury that effectively ended his Melbourne Park title defence as he fell to a second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald. "Initially it had to be a six to eight week recovery period and we are now on fourteen," Nadal said in a video published on his social media accounts. "The weeks are passing and I had the desire of being able to play in tournaments that are the most important in my career such as Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and for the moment I have missed Monte Carlo and Barcelona. "The injury still hasn't healed and I can't work out what I need to compete," Nadal said.

☆ Sabalenka says win over Krejcikova a confidence boost for French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - WTA 500 - Stuttgart Open - Porsche Arena, Stuttgart, Germany - April 19, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka in action during her round of 16 match against Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova REUTERS/Angelika WarmuthApril 20 (Reuters) - World number two Aryna Sabalenka said beating former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the tune-up event in Stuttgart will boost her preparation for the Roland Garros Grand Slam. Sabalenka defeated Krejcikova 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 15 minutes on Wednesday, becoming the first player to book her spot in the quarter-finals. The Belarusian said the victory over the 2021 French Open winner handed her a confidence boost ahead of the May 28-June 11 major on the Parisian clay. "It's tough but an interesting challenge to play the first match against a Grand Slam champion," Australian Open winner Sabalenka, who received a bye in the opening round, told reporters. "It is something unique like you're never going to play the first round against a Grand Slam champion in the bigger tournament.

☆ Zverev beats Bautista Agut to advance into third round in Monte Carlo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Monte Carlo Masters - Monte-Carlo Country Club, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France - April 12, 2023 Germany's Alexander Zverev in action during his round of 32 match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut REUTERS/Eric GaillardApril 12 (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev continued to rebuild his confidence on clay with a 6-4 6-4 victory against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday. Zverev broke for 3-2 in the opening set and held serve to take the lead in the contest, before breaking again in the fifth game of the second set. Bautista Agut, however, stole the German's serve right back to level for 3-3, only for Zverev to take the decisive break in the following game. Last year's French Open Casper Ruud was also in second-round action against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands. Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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