Category: Tennis

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday she was ready to boycott the Grand Slam tournaments in order to have a greater share of the prize money.

“I feel like the show is on us. Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” the four-time Grand Slam winner told a press conference at the Italian Open.

“I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.

“I think at some point we will boycott. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.

“We girls can easily get together and go for this because some of the things I feel like it’s really unfair to the players. I think at some point it’s going to get to this.”

Last year almost all the leading players signed two letters to the four Grand Slam bosses demanding an increase in prize money, payments into a player welfare fund to improve retirement and maternity benefits, as well as involvement in decisions that affected them.

The letters set a target of a 22-percent share in tournament revenue, which would bring the majors in line with the nine combined 1000-level events run by the ATP men’s tour and the women’s WTA tour.

However Poland’s Iga Swiatek, a four-time French Open singles champion, believes boycotting tournaments “is a bit extreme”.

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“I think the most important thing honestly is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate,” said Swiatek, who has also won Wimbledon and the US Open.

“Hopefully before Roland Garros there’s going to be an opportunity to have these type of meetings and we’ll see how they go.”

On Monday, players said in a statement that an announcement by the French Open last month of a 9.5-percent prize money rise was not good enough.

It said that last year Roland Garros generated 395 million euros ($463 mn), a 14-percent increase.

However the total purse went up by just 5.4 percent, reducing player share of revenue to 14.3 percent.

It estimated that this year’s revenues would pass 400 mn euros, leaving the player cut still below 15 percent.

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World number one Jannik Sinner dispatched Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday to win the Madrid Open for the first time.

The Italian claimed a record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title and stretched his winning streak to 23 matches with a superb display in the Spanish capital.

Only tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic had managed to win four titles at this level in a row.

Sinner has been in impeccable form and broke world number three Zverev’s first service game before consolidating for a 3-0 lead.

The Italian, who also won the eight prior meetings against Zverev, secured another break and eased into a 5-0 advantage on his serve.

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In the sixth game Zverev produced his first hold, but there was nothing the 29-year-old could do about Sinner’s powerful serving.

The four-time Grand Slam winner has ben working on increasing his variety and a drop shot left Zverev scrambling before Sinner clinched the first set with an ace.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury has left Sinner with no realistic rival in the weeks ahead, leading to Roland Garros.

Sinner broke in the third game of the second set to tighten his grip on the title.

Zverev, a two-time Madrid winner who thrives at altitude, showed more fight than in the first stanza but could not stop his opponent.

Sinner hammered down a forehand winner for another break to take a 5-2 lead and serve for the championship.

The Italian sealed his triumph serving to love to wrap up a a sublime fortnight in Madrid where nobody has come close to stopping him.

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World number one Jannik Sinner downed Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 on Friday to reach the Madrid Open final, where he will face Alexander Zverev.

The second seed dispatched promising Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5 later on.

Sinner won his 22nd straight match to book a place in Sunday’s final, where he will aim to win a record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title.

With his chief rival Carlos Alcaraz out injured, Sinner is the firm favourite to triumph at the Caja Magica and add to recent titles at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.

“I played at a very high level, but I focus on always raising my level a little,” Sinner told Movistar. “Especially when the tournament gets serious… You have to raise your level if you want to keep going.”

The Italian admitted he was feeling a little tired after playing so many matches of late.

“Obviously, there’s a bit of fatigue,” said Sinner.

“Mentally, I feel good, but there is some physical tiredness. My body isn’t completely fresh, but that’s normal, and I think it’s a very positive thing for me because it means I’m playing a lot of matches.

“Of course, on Sunday we’ll try to do even better, but whatever happens, I’ve reached another final in a very important tournament.”

Beating Sinner right now seems a near-impossible feat, and the four-time Grand Slam winner started superbly against Barcelona Open winner Fils, who has impressed since returning from injury in February.

The Italian broke in the third game when Fils went long to lead 2-1.

Sinner broke again in the fifth game with Fils, ranked 25th in the world, unable to cope with his sheer power.

The Frenchman has not yet reached a Masters 1000 final, and with Sinner in sumptuous form, it quickly became clear he would have to wait a little longer.

Sinner wrapped up the first set on his serve after Fils found some fighting spirit to prevent a third break.

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The second set was far closer, with Fils rising in confidence and belief.

The 21-year-old saved two break points for a 3-2 lead, and put pressure on Sinner’s next serve, although the Italian produced two aces to hold.

Sinner broke with a down-the-line backhand winner to end an excellent rally for a 5-4 lead and served it out to triumph.

World number three Zverev, in strong form, claimed the first set against Blockx comfortably but struggled to break the Belgian in the second, before eventually finding a way through.

“I’m very happy, of course, to be in a final,” said Zverev, who lifted the trophy in Madrid in 2018 and 2021.

“There were a lot of tough matches, a lot of tough battles… and I’m looking forward to playing Jannik again. Tennis is very, very easy for him right now, the way he is playing. Maybe on Sunday, I will make it a bit more difficult for him.

“He’s the best player in the world for sure, and I’m just trying to give him a tough battle.”

The 29-year-old broke in the first and fifth games to surge into a 5-1 lead against his unseeded opponent.

Underdog Blockx, ranked 69th in the world, resisted strong pressure on his next service game, saving three set points to hold.

However, the dominant Zverev made no mistake with his fourth chance to wrap up the fourth stanza, laying down an ace.

Blockx survived two break points in the first game of the second set, and another in the third as Zverev worked him hard.

The Belgian, who defeated Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, put up a brave display as he saved two more break points in each of the seventh and ninth games.

Eventually, Zverev took his eighth break point of the second set to nose 6-5 ahead, with a fortuitous net cord that broke Blockx’s resistance.

The German, who has suffered a string of semi-final defeats this season, made it to his first final with a powerful overhead winner.

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Jannik Sinner ended the inspired run of teen home favourite Rafael Jodar with a 6-2, 7-6 (7/0) victory at the Madrid Open on Wednesday to complete his set of semi-finals reached at all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

The 19-year-old Jodar has taken the tour by storm this clay season, winning a maiden ATP title in Marrakesh, and making the semi-finals in Barcelona and the quarter-finals in Madrid before he was stopped by the world number one at the Caja Magica.

This time last year, Jodar was playing college tennis for the University of Virginia and was ranked 687 in the world. He will crack the top 35 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Sinner was seriously tested before he extended his current winning streak to 21 consecutive matches.

The world number one will next face recent Barcelona champion Arthur Fils in Friday’s semi-final after the Frenchman skipped past Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4 to improve to 9-0 on clay this season.

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The first-set scoreline may have read 6-2, but it was far from a routine affair for Sinner, who found himself facing a young opponent who could match his firepower, particularly on the forehand wing.

The Italian was tested in multiple service games, including a marathon one at 2-2, and had to save a pair of break points before he took a one-set lead in 44 minutes.

Leaning on the rowdy home support that included several Real Madrid stars, past and present, Jodar skirted danger at the start of the second set and put pressure on the Sinner serve.

But despite his best efforts, Rafael Jodar couldn’t convert any of the five break points he created as Jannik Sinner forced a tiebreak, and won the last 11 points of the match to advance to his first Madrid semi-final.

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Hailey Baptiste defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday to halt the world number one’s 15-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) victory in the Madrid Open quarter-final to deliver the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

The American saved five match points at 4-5 in the decider and a sixth in the tiebreak before she handed Sabalenka just her second defeat of the year, and her first since the Australian Open final three months ago.

Sabalenka is a three-time champion in Madrid and reached the final in the Spanish capital in each of the last three editions of the event, but was unable to shake off the 30th-seeded Baptiste, who peppered her with huge serves and ultra-aggressive groundstrokes to reach a maiden WTA 1000 semi-final.

Baptiste came up with huge serves in several crucial moments, finishing the duel with a total of 12 aces and 10 double faults, and even saved a match point with a bold serve-and-volley approach on her way to a memorable two-hour 30-minute triumph.

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Next up for the 24-year-old Baptiste is ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, who gave herself an early birthday gift by defeating Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-6(7/1), 6-3 to reach her first Madrid semi-final.

The Russian teenager, who turns 19 on Wednesday, was a recent champion in Linz and improved her clay-court record to 11-1 this season.

Earlier in the day, Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.

In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals.

He explained that he was scheduled first at Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon, giving the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca, which ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.

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Jannik Sinner suggested the Madrid Open organisers should reconsider their tournament scheduling to avoid late-night finishes like the one Rafael Jodar experienced in the third round on Sunday.

In a rare 11:00 am start on Tuesday, Sinner moved past British 19th seed Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals.

He explained he was put on first on Manolo Santana Stadium so that Jodar, his potential next opponent, would be scheduled in the afternoon to give the Spaniard time to recover from his three-set win over Joao Fonseca that ended at 1:00 am on Monday morning.

“It’s quite unusual for me,” Sinner told Tennis TV about his early kick-off.

“I don’t know the last time I played at 11. But for me it doesn’t matter what time. I try to do my best. For me, there was a question if it would be me or Jodar to play at 4. But I think it’s right he plays at 4, because he finished very, very late.

“But at the same time, I feel like we need to make some adjustments to the scheduling of the day. Two matches (starting) from 8pm is very late.

“Even though you have one day in between. But still it’s very, very late. You finish at 1:30am, and you need to eat, you need to have treatment, so it’s very late. But we try to adapt ourselves, our bodies, our minds, so from my side it was a good performance today.”

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In his first-ever meeting with Norrie, Sinner won 81 per cent of his first-serve points, and 63 per cent of the points behind his second delivery on his way to notching a 25th consecutive victory at the Masters 1000 level.

“We know each other quite well. We practised a lot in the last tournaments, also. So, we both knew what to expect. I was serving well today in the important moments,” said Sinner, who awaits Jodar of Vit Kopriva in the last-eight stage.

The Italian world number one is just the second man in series history to win his first 20 Masters 1000 matches of the season, joining Novak Djokovic, who achieved that feat twice, in 2011 and 2015.

Sinner is competing in Madrid for just the fourth time in his career and is bidding to reach the semi-finals for the first time in the Spanish capital.

“This surface is very, very different than all the other surfaces, so it’s very tough to get the right feedback,” Sinner said after his win over Norrie.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re not playing your best but from the outside it seems that you are, and sometimes it’s also the opposite. But I’m very happy to be in the quarters again. It’s a tournament I haven’t played a lot, so it means a lot to me and I’m happy to be through in two sets.”

Meanwhile, last week’s Barcelona champion Arthur Fils advanced to the quarter-finals at the Caja Magica with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine 25th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Fils, seeded 21 in Madrid, has made the quarter-finals in six of the seven tournaments he has contested so far in 2026.

The Frenchman will take on Lorenzo Musetti or Jiri Lehecka for a place in the final four.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame Naomi Osaka 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 6-2 in a gripping battle on Monday to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals.

Sabalenka, who has claimed titles at Miami, Indian Wells and Brisbane this year, was tested by her Japanese opponent but came back from a set and a break down to triumph.

“I’m really happy that I didn’t give up and I was pushing until the very last point,” said Sabalenka on court.

She later told reporters: “When (she) put me under pressure, I was able to pull out really incredible shots and incredible tennis. So I’m happy.”

The first set between the two four-time Grand Slam winners was tight, with only one break point forced by Sabalenka, which Osaka saved to hold for 2-1.

Osaka dominated in the tie-break, ripping into a 5-0 lead and then triumphing when Sabalenka lashed a return wide.

Reigning champion Sabalenka stepped up a gear in the second frame, although world number 15 Osaka dug deep to survive three break points and then managed to engineer a break for herself to take a 2-1 lead.

However, the Belarusian immediately broke to love and then again in the eighth game, serving out to take the second set.

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Only Elena Rybakina has beaten Sabalenka this year, in the Australian Open final, and the 27-year-old dominated in the third set, securing breaks in the fifth and seventh games while Osaka could not put pressure on her opponent’s serve.

Sabalenka sealed her victory by serving to love with an ace to reach the last eight, where she will face American Hailey Baptiste, who beat Belinda Bencic in three sets, including losing a tie-break 16-14 in the second.

Osaka said she was happy with pushing Sabalenka to the wire after going down in straight sets when they met at Indian Wells.

“I feel like every game was super close. I think… I could potentially match her in power,” said Osaka.

“I feel like in Indian Wells I was a little overwhelmed. Here I did a little bit better.

“Obviously she’s the number one player in the world, so it was a really cool match for me to know that I’m kind of there.”

World number three Gauff, who had been dealing with a stomach bug this week, fell to a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/5) defeat by Noskova.

The Czech earned a decisive break in the fifth game of the first set, but American Gauff secured two of her own to claim the second.

Gauff moved two breaks up in the third but let the match slip away from her as Noskova pulled back to level 4-4.

The American led 3-0 in the tie-break before again she could not hold on.

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Jannik Sinner continued his quest to become the first man in history to win five Masters 1000 tournaments in a row with a smooth 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danish qualifier Elmer Moller at the Madrid Open on Sunday.

The world number one extended his winning streak to 19 matches, a run that began early March in Indian Wells, and he has also captured 24 consecutive victories at the Masters 1000 level, dating back to the Paris Masters last October.

Searching for a maiden title at this level on clay, Sinner advanced to the round of 16 at the Caja Magica with a 77-minute performance against the 169th-ranked Moller.

The Italian broke Moller four times and dropped serve just once late in the opening set to book a last-16 meeting with Cameron Norrie or Thiago Agustin Tirante.

“I tried to stay calm, trying to serve well in the important moments,” Sinner told Tennis TV on court after the win.

“I think today that was the key. And not a lot of rhythm, so I tried to stay quite compact and let’s see what’s coming in the next round.”

Another Italian enjoyed a successful Sunday in the form of Lorenzo Musetti, who overcame Dutch 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5.

The sixth-seeded Musetti will face Czech 11th seed Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Earlier in the day, Coco Gauff became the latest victim of the stomach virus that has been sweeping through the draw in Madrid but the ailing American still found a way to beat Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and reach the round of 16.

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Several players have been struggling with illness in the Spanish capital this week, including Iga Swiatek, who was forced to retire from her match against Ann Li on Saturday, and Marin Cilic, who had to withdraw ahead of his second-round meeting with Joao Fonseca on Friday.

Liudmila Samsonova also pulled out of the tournament on Sunday citing illness ahead of her third-round match with Linda Noskova.

Gauff vomited in a bin on the court during her clash with Cirstea, and asked for a medical timeout during the latter stages of the match before she completed the win in two hours and 21 minutes.

“Yeah, I don’t know, honestly (how I got through that),” said Gauff, who will face Noskova in the last 16.

“I was just trying to finish the match and one point turned into another. I think I got what everybody else is having here in Madrid, unfortunately. So, I’m just going to try to push through for tomorrow.”

A runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka in the Spanish capital 12 months ago, Gauff has 3,300 points to defend on clay from Madrid through to her Roland Garros title defence in early June.

“I pulled out in Indian Wells. I’m not someone who likes to pull out, so I didn’t want to pull out again today. So, I’m glad that I was able to get through it,” added the two-time Grand Slam champion.

“I did start to feel better, not feeling like I had to throw up. They gave me some pills, so that definitely helped.

“But I was really tired.”

Fellow American Jessica Pegula was unable to join Gauff in the next round as the fifth seed suffered a 6-1, 6-4 upset at the hands of Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Both players entered the contest riding six-match winning streaks, with Kostyuk clinching a title on red clay in Rouen last week and Pegula successfully defending her Charleston title on green clay earlier this month.

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Jannik Sinner took a first step towards a potential record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-4 victory over Benjamin Bonzi in the Madrid Open second round on Friday.

The Italian world number one is looking to beat the record of four consecutive triumphs held by all-time greats Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal this week in the Spanish capital.

Sinner dropped only one set on the way to trophies in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, but Bonzi battled brilliantly to claim the first at the Manolo Santana stadium.

The Frenchman survived five break points to reach a tie-break, where he also saved a set point before edging ahead.

However, Sinner stepped up a gear in the second set, securing breaks in the fourth and sixth games, and another in the third on his way to the third round.

“It was a tough match, I had some chances early on, and I couldn’t use them, but this is tennis,” said four-time Grand Slam winner Sinner.

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“It’s not bad to start the tournament like this, two and a half hours on court, it gives me good feedback on where we need to improve for the next round. Of course, we need to improve, but I’m also happy when you’re not playing your best tennis and win, it’s still a good result.”

With Sinner’s biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, injured and unable to compete either this week or in the upcoming French Open, the Italian is the overwhelming favourite for every competition he enters in the weeks ahead.

Earlier, Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic sent world number six Ben Shelton crashing out with a 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5) victory.

Promising 20-year-old Prizmic, ranked 87th, secured his first-ever win over a top-10 player in a three-hour battle in the Spanish capital.

American Shelton triumphed at the Munich Open on Sunday on clay but was unable to force a single break point on Prizmic’s serve.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti, ranked ninth, defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

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Reigning two-time French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz said on Friday he will not play at this year’s tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury.

The Spaniard said the call to shut down his clay season was made after he received the results of tests on his right wrist, also ruling him out of the Italian Open.

“We have decided that the most prudent thing to do is to be cautious and not participate in Rome or Roland Garros,” Alcaraz said on social media.

“This is a difficult time for me, but I’m sure we will come out of it stronger,” Alcaraz added, saying that he and his team would monitor his recovery before deciding when and where he would return.

Alcaraz sustained the injury during the first round of the Barcelona Open last week, where he beat Otto Virtanen but subsequently pulled out of the tournament.

The 22-year-old announced his withdrawal from the Madrid Masters on April 17, increasing concerns over whether he would be able to appear at the French Open.

Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in January with his triumph at the Australian Open. He holds a 22-3 record this season and also won a title in Doha.

Ranked second in the world, Alcaraz lost top spot following his defeat by Jannik Sinner in the Monte Carlo Masters final on April 12.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner triumphed at Roland Garros in 2024 and 2025. He saved three championship points against Sinner last year in the longest French Open final in history.

The Italian, who has never won the French Open, may be able to capitalise on Alcaraz’s absence. This year’s tournament runs from May 24 to June 7.

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“It’s sad news for all of us, me being a competitor you want to play against the best players in the world and he’s definitely the best player on this surface,” said Sinner, after winning a second round match at the Madrid Open on Friday.

“Being that young like he is and like I am, we need to look at our bodies first before worse things (happen).”

Sinner said he hoped Carlos Alcaraz would be back playing by the time the year’s third Grand Slam, at Wimbledon, arrives.

“It is very sad news, I was not expecting it but he and his team know very well (what they are doing),” continued the 24-year-old.

“Hopefully he can be back for Wimbledon and we all hope for great battles in the future.”

Alcaraz admitted earlier this week that if it was better for his long-term career not to play in Paris then he would take that decision.

“I’d rather come back maybe a bit later, but in great shape, than come back quickly and risk making this injury worse,” he explained on Monday.

“I have a long career ahead of me, so I’m not afraid to miss what I have to miss in order to recover as well as possible.

“I hope it’s nothing serious, but I need to fully recover if I don’t want this to cause me problems in the future.”

It will be just the second Grand Slam that Alcaraz has missed since making his main draw debut at the 2021 Australian Open. The Spaniard withdrew from the 2023 edition in Melbourne with a hamstring injury.

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