Archive of posts tagged French open

How Alex de Minaur Shook Off Mid-Season Fatigue, Burnout

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By Chris Oddo | Monday August 4, 2025

After crashing out of this year’s French Open Alex de Minaur – the seemingly indefatigable Aussie who plays tennis like the energizer bunny – cited burnout as one of the biggest contributing factors to his on court struggles.

“For the last three, four years I’ve had two days off after the Davis Cup and I’ve gone straight into preseason, straight into the new season again,” he said after falling to Alexander Bublik in five sets in the second round in Paris.

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“Once you start, you don’t finish until Nov. 24. So it’s never ending. The way [the season] is structured … I had to deal with that. I’m still dealing with that right now.”

Two months later, the 26-year-old Aussie is looking recharged, even if he is at a lower ranking. That’s became De Minaur skipped out on his ‘s-Hertogenbosch title defense in order to prioritize his mental and physical health over chasing ranking points.

This week in Toronto he rides an eight-match winning streak into the quarterfinals.

“I took some time off, I didn’t play some tournaments. I knew I had to kind of shift my mindset a little bit, because what I was feeling, what I was dealing with every single day, was not sustainable, and was the reason for my burnout,” De Minaur said earlier this week.

“So, I decided not to try and defend the title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, even though I knew it would affect my seeding at Wimbledon. And that for me was the first step, forgetting about my ranking and just worrying about myself a little bit more.”

De Minaur and many other players – from Casper Ruud to Alexander Zverev to Iga Swiatek – have expressed worry about the demands of the current tour schedule, and the smart ones are learning to take matters into their own hands.

“I managed to have a great balance,” De Minaur said. “I’ve had a lot of talks off the court to make sure I am in this right mindset. Now I’m prioritizing myself, and I know that I’m a good enough player, I know I’m a top-10 player, even if I’m not, I wasn’t in that ranking a couple weeks ago.

“If I show up, and I’m mentally ready and physically ready, I know I can provide that tennis. The last couple weeks have been an example of that, so very proud.”

Coco Gauff confesses one mistake she probably made after Montreal run ends in R16

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Canada

Coco Gauff made an honest admission following her Montreal exit as the American tennis star admitted that she probably should have played in Washington and tried to kickstart her summer on hard courts in the United States capital.

After losing in the Wimbledon first round, Gauff went a full month without playing a match. This week, the world No. 2 returned to action by kicking off her North American hard-court swing at the WTA 1000 in Montreal. In Canada, the two-time Grand Slam champion heavily struggled with her serve and rhythm, but still managed to clinch ugly wins over Danielle Collins and Veronika Kudermetova before world No. 87 Victoria Mboko handed her a 6-1 6-4 loss.

Across her three matches played, Gauff served 43 double faults and committed over 100 unforced errors. After the Mboko loss, the reigning French Open winner was asked if she had an idea why it was so hard to find her game and rhythm in Montreal.

Gauff: Deciding to practice over playing in Washington maybe wasn't the right decision…

"I don't know. That's a good question, honestly. I felt like in practice I was playing well the last few weeks just practicing. I decided to take some time off and not play DC to actually focus on that, and maybe that wasn't the right decision. Maybe it was better to get more matches under my belt. But you know, it's the first tournament on the hard court season, so I'm hoping that in Cincy and in New York I can find that rhythm," the world No. 2 explained.

In four days, the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati is starting. While Gauff's Montreal run wasn't an impressive run, the 21-year-old still got some matches under her belt and that's a positive thing.

Cincinnati is a special place for Gauff, who lifted her maiden WTA 1000 crown in front of her home fans two years ago.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals secrets of his incredible Roland Garros win over Jannik Sinner

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Carlos Alcaraz

This June, Carlos Alcaraz claimed his fifth Major title at Roland Garros. The 22-year-old scored a memorable 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 victory over world no. 1 Jannik Sinner after a massive turnaround and three match points saved.

Carlos revisited one of his career-high victories in a clash that will be remembered for its breathtaking twists and turns. The Spaniard dropped the opening two sets and faced three match points in the ninth game of the fourth set.

Facing the exit door, Alcaraz relied on unwavering belief and mental fortitude that brought him tennis glory. The young gun focused on winning one point at a time while steadily climbing back. 

Carlos knew that closing out a Major final can weigh heavily on any player, even someone composed and monolith one as Jannik. For the El Palmar native, it was crucial not to show any cracks despite the obvious struggle.

The 22-year-old raised above the challenge and projected total self-confidence, understanding that even the slightest hint of weakness could end his title dreams against a formidable opponent.

His refusal to panic slowly turned the tide, propelling him to one of the most remarkable comebacks in Major finals. The victory cemented Carlos' status as one of tennis' fiercest competitors.

It also proved his incredible mental strength, the one that matches his physical prowess. 

Carlos Alcaraz, Roland Garros 2025

Carlos Alcaraz, Roland Garros 2025© Stream screenshot

 

"I simply thought about coming back little by little: one point at a time, especially on those three match points. Closing a Major title is never easy, and I knew I would have my chances.

I knew things would not be easy for Jannik. That's how I remained calm and focused. It was also a bit of the image of self-confidence I wanted to share.

I did not doubt that I could come back for a second, and I tried to show that to my rival. As soon as you show weakness, there's no chance of coming back – you are lost," Carlos Alcaraz said. 

Italian paper claims Jannik Sinner fired Marco Panichi because he 'talked too much'

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Carlos Alcaraz

An Italian newspaper is claiming that Jannik Sinner fired Marco Panichi because he was "talking too much" and revealed some details that the world No. 1 didn't want to go public. 

Just days before the start of Wimbledon, the Italian tennis star stunned the entire tennis world when he announced that fitness coach Panichi and physio Ulises Badio were no longer a part of his team. It came as a big surprise – not only because of the move itself, but also because of the timing of it.

Now, Corriere della Sera reports that Sinner wasn't happy with one interview given by Panichi after his painful French Open final loss, when he blew a two-set lead and three championship points against Carlos Alcaraz. In the interview, the fitness coach said that the 23-year-old "cried for 15 minutes afterward in the locker room" and also wasn't happy with the fact that the French Open crowd supported more Alcaraz.

According to the report, Sinner didn't like that all. Also, it was mentioned that Badio – who came with Panichi in the same package – was "a collateral damage."

What Sinner said after splitting with Panichi?

During his pre-tournament presser at Wimbledon, the Italian – who ended up winning it all – insisted that "nothing crazy happened" with Panichi that caused the split. 

“There’s not one specific thing. Nothing crazy happened. That’s for sure not. As I said, we made some great work. Look, in this sport, things can happen and there is nothing incredible, no?” he said at the time.

Since then, Sinner has made a big move and returned Umberto Ferrara to his team – the same fitness coach that he fired after his doping case came to light. 

When it comes to fitness coach, he also didn't wait too long to find a new job as he is now a part of Holger Rune's team.

Elena Rybakina has had three shocking collapses since French Open

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ANNIE FERNANDEZ

Elena Rybakina has had a couple of concerning collapses this year and the latest came this past on Saturday, when the Kazakh blew a big lead and suffered a shock Washington semifinal loss.

After sealing a tight first set versus world No. 36 Leylah Fernandez, the No. 3 seed also went 3-1 up in the second set and had three consecutive break points to open a double-break second-set lead. 

But then, Rybakina's troubles started. First, the Kazakh didn't manage to get a break in the fifth game. Then, the 2022 Wimbledon champion got broken for the very first time in the match when she was serving to seal the win in the 10th game. To make it all worse, she completely disappeared in the second-set tie-break and won only three points there.

The third set was an extremely tight contest as not a single break point was seen. But then, the tie-break quickly turned into a one-sided battle as Fernandez took the opening four points before completing a 6-7 (2) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (3) comeback win.

It is not the first time this has happened to Rybakina this year

Over the last two months, Rybakina – ranked at No. 12 – has had three baffling losses. 

In the French Open round-of-16, the Kazakh was all over Iga Swiatek early on and opened a dominant 6-1 2-0 lead before allowing the Pole to come back and win 1-6 6-3 7-5. In the Berlin quarterfinal, the 2022 Wimbledon champion had four consecutive match points in the third-set tie-break against Aryna Sabalenka before stunningly losing the next six points and seeing the Belarusian win 7-6 (6) 3-6 7-6 (6).

In Washington, Rybakina had yet another collapse and lost herself when the time came for her to get over the finish line. 

Rybakina is now 33-14 on the year. She has been ranked outside the top-10 since April and that won't change on Monday. 

Fritz: Comparing Unbelievable Sinner to Unpredictable Alcaraz

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US Open finalist Taylor Fritz on differences between the world's top two reigning Grand Slam champions.Australian Open

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, July 11, 2025
Photo credits: Jon Buckle/ROLEX

Confronting reigning Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in a major is a devastating degree of difficulty.

US Open finalist Taylor Fritz has faced the the world's top two players in Grand Slams and offered unique insight into the similarities and differences of the two superstars.

Tennis Express

Together, reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Sinner and Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz have combined to capture the last six straight Grand Slam championships.

World No. 1 Sinner will square off against two-time Wimbledon winner Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final on Sunday at 4 p.m.

After bowing to Alcaraz in a fierce four-setter in today's semifinals, Fritz, who fell to Sinner in the US Open final last September, was asked to compare the challenges each man represents.

The fifth-seeded Fritz said Sinner is an "unbelievable" ball striker, while Alcaraz is the most "unpredictable" player in the sport. 

"I'd say I felt pretty comfortable from the ground with Jannik when we played in Turin. I think Jannik typically has a bigger serve, so it's tougher to get in on his return games," Fritz said after losing to Alcaraz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6) in today's first semifinal. "For me, from the ground I think I had more success rallying and playing with Jannik because he plays a bit flatter, and it's a little bit more predictable. He's unbelievable at what he does playing from the baseline.

"I think Carlos is a little more unpredictable with the slicing and the coming to net and the dropshots. Carlos has a lot of different ways to play.

"I also think Carlos, one thing he does, when he whips his forehand cross, there's a lot of movement away, which is difficult. Jannik is more through the court, which for some people… Just depends who you're playing."

Rocking the red clay with fearless drives, Alcaraz fought off three championship points, battled back from a two-set deficit for the first time in his life and out-dueled Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to successfully defend his Roland Garros title in a dazzling and epic final last month.

The longest French Open final in history was a five hour, 29-minute thrill ride that will go down as a match for the ages.

Prior to that final, Hall of Famer Andre Agassi summed up the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry as "the best pure ball striker versus the flying saucer."

Today, Fritz said both champions generate massive "raw power" and suggested he'd probably prefer playing the world No. 1—primarily because Alcaraz's speed and versatility is so unsettling.

"For me personally, I'd rather probably deal with the flat one than the ball that's working away from me," Fritz said. "They both generate a lot of just, like, raw power. But I think for me it's a little more uncomfortable to play Carlos just because of the unpredictability of what he's going to do.

"I think I play a lot off of anticipation. You never know what Carlos might just hit like a short kicker and serve and volley on like a 15-30 or something like that, which I feel like if I'm playing Jannik, that's something that's probably not going to happen."

The greatest similarity between the world's top two?

The 27-year-old Fritz said it's a major educational experience to face either champion in a Grand Slam match.

"Every time I play these guys, I learn a lot about what I need to do to improve and get better," Fritz said. "Moving ahead, I just want to keep working on the things that are going to get me better, that are going to help me compete with these guys because at the end of the day, my ultimate goal is to win a slam. I think I'm going to have to at some point beat these guys to do it. It's obviously a tough ask.

"Like I said, if I keep putting myself in these situations and playing them, I learn more about my game and what I need to do differently and what I need to do better to get to that level."

Sabalenka on RG Reaction: Completely Unprofessional

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"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Aryna Sabalenka said of her controversial comments after losing the Roland Garros final.Aryna Sabalenka

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Photo credit: Julien DeRosa-AFP-Getty

Reality has induced regret in Aryna Sabalenka.

World No. 1 Sabalenka calls her behavior after her Roland Garros final loss to Coco Gauff "completely unprofessional" and shared she wrote a letter to the two-time Grand Slam champion apologizing for her behavior.

Tennis Express

The US Open champion said while we all have bad days at work "the difference with me is…I get a lot more hate for what I did."

"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Sabalenka told Eurosport Germany. "You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. "I think we all have those days when we lose control.

"The difference with me is, the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people."

In the first French Open final between the world’s top two women in 12 years, No. 2 Gauff was simply too tough for No. 1 Sabalenka at crunch time.

A resilient Coco Gauff combated Sabalenka’s fierce power with pure poise pulling off a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 comeback to capture her maiden Roland Garros championship in a thriller.

Afterward, the world’s best player called it her worst final.

“It was really honestly the worst tennis I've played in the last, I don't know, in the last I don't know how many month,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris afterward. “Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me.

"I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Sabalenka, who struggled to cope with whipping winds and an unrelenting Gauff's comprehensive court coverage, took criticism afterward for what some felt were ungracious and classless comments.

The top-seeded Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors. Sabalenka said at times she felt the tennis universe was playing a cosmic joke on her with Gauff’s running retrievals turning her damaging drives into punch lines.

“I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,” Sabalenka said. “Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you kind of, like, on the back foot.

“It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this. And I couldn't today.”

Reflecting on her comments, Sabalenka said she was upset after a physically and emotionally draining defeat and spoke out of frustration.

Since then, Sabalenka said she has apologized to Gauff.

"I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference," Sabalenka added. "It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional.

"So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect - whether I win or lose.

"Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough but very instructive lesson for me."

Alcaraz on Facing Sinner in RG Final: Beautiful Brutality

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"They push you to the limit," Carlos Alcaraz said of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.Adam

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, June 6, 2025
Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty

King of Clay Rafa Nadal famously said suffering is a prerequisite to Grand Slam success.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz says facing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner brings beautiful brutality. 

World No. 2 Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti in four sets to power into his second straight Roland Garros final with his 13th consecutive win in Paris.

Tennis Express

Alcaraz rides a 4-0 record in Grand Slam finals into Sunday's French Open final against either Sinner in a rematch of the 2024 Roland Garros semifinals.

A red-hot Sinner scorched 44 winners and saved three set points in the third set fending off Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) in three hours, 16 minutes to advance to his maiden Roland Garros final.

It's the first time since the 1984 French Open that both men's and women's singles finals feature No. 1 vs. No. 2 with Aryna Sabalenka meeting Coco Gauff in the women's title match tomorrow.

Asked afterward what he loves about facing those two champions, Alcaraz said both bring out his best—and reinforce his belief pain is progress because both rivals "push you to the limit."

"I mean, I enjoy every time that I'm playing against them, because I love that battle," Alcaraz told the media in Paris. "But, you know, most of the time is just about suffering, because they push you to the limit."

Alcaraz said those brutal showdowns are beautiful experiences that make him a better player.

"But my favorite thing is, as I said, it gives you the feedback of how can I be better, a better player," Alcaraz said. "I think that's important, and that's beautiful, even though if I win or not, gives you a lot of stats and gives you the feedback."

Swiatek on RG Loss: "I Think I Lost My Intensity"

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The Pole says she let her tennis dip in the final set, and it cost her. Paris

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday June 6, 2025

Paris – Iga Swiatek’s remarkable 26-match winning streak came to an end on Thursday in Paris, as she fell to World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets.

Tennis Express

It was anybody’s match until Sabalenka ran away with the decider and handed Swiatek a taste of her own medicine – a bagel.

Swiatek says her intensity dropped every so slightly and that gave Sabalenka the window to crash through.

“I think I lost my intensity a bit, and she just played pretty strong, as in the first set, but I didn't react to that well and just couldn't push back,” she told reporters. “It's just me playing maybe, like, really five percent faster or with more spin.”

The Pole was bidding to become the first woman in Open Era history to win four consecutive titles at Roland-Garros, but she couldn’t handle the intensity and power of Sabalenka down the stretch. She drops to 40-3 lifetime on the terre battue of Paris in non-Olympic competitions.

Swiatek says that she didn’t drop her level a great deal, but it was enough to allow Sabalenka to thrive.

“It's not like a huge difference, but at this level when you play against the top players, you're going to feel the difference. She came on pretty strongly in the third set and just went for it, and then the set went pretty quickly.

“I think I didn't have much time to reset that again like I did at the beginning of the second set. I came back from, what, 4-1 or 3-1 or 3-0 in first. Doing that second time for sure would be hard, but she played, like she didn't doubt. She just went for it, and that's what I mean about intensity.

Swiatek flipped the script temporarily after falling behind early in the opening set. She was able to stretch rallies and play more on her terms late in the first and in the second. But credit Sabalenka for imposing herself ruthlessly in the decider. She didn’t make a single unforced error in the set.

She also flattened out her groundstrokes significantly, as she aimed to rush Swiatek at her baseline. TNT reported that her spin rate was down over 25 percent from her average in her first five matches. We’re thinking her analytics team played a role in Sabalenka’s tactics, but credit the Belarusian for having the capacity to make that significant change to her tactic.

“Especially at the beginning of the match, she played as hard as possible, and pretty risky,” Swiatek said. “So it was just hard to get into any rally. And then, I was able to do that, so the game wasn't just like serve and one shot or return and one shot, and I could build a rally a little bit. “But in the third set I feel like we kind of came back to what happened in the first, and she for sure used her chances, and I didn't really keep up what I was doing in the second set.”

Paris | Djokovic and Sinner set up blockbuster S/F

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In many ways its not surprising to find Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the French Open, but at 38 years of age and having recently collected his 100th title, the Serbian seems to have found a renewed confidence as he makes a final push for that 25th grand slam singles title.

The post Paris | Djokovic and Sinner set up blockbuster S/F appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Paris | Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek to reach first French Open final

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The women’s semi-finals at the French Open pitched the 4-times champion Iga Swiatek against the World No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, and what promised to be a blockbuster thriller turned into a third set rout by the top seed, who made it through to her first Roland Garros final, 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0, dethroning the defending champion.

The post Paris | Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek to reach first French Open final appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Boisson By the Numbers: Inside the 22-Year-Old Frenchwomans' Breakout RG Performance

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Lois Boisson, at 22, is in the midst of one of the most remarkable Roland-Garros runs in Open Era history. Coco Gauff

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 5, 2025

Paris – Lois Boisson is all the rage in Paris, after the 22-year-old Frenchwoman has surged into the semifinals on her Grand Slam debut. On Wednesday the grounds were teeming with excitement as grounds pass holders that couldn’t get into Chatrier to watch the match flooded into the Place des Mousquetaires and the courtyard in front of Court Suzanne-Lenglen to view the spectacle.

Tennis Express

Boisson won in dramatic fashion against Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday, coming from 3-1 and 5-3 down in the opening set, then saving a set point in the first-set breaker. She then rallied from 3-0 down in the second set, winning the final six games to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals in Paris since 2011.

Boisson’s ride to the semifinals is one of the most remarkable runs in Open Era Grand Slam history, and it isn’t over yet. She’ll face Coco Gauff for a spot in the final.

Here are some of the stunning statistical details that the Dijon, Frances native has achieved already.


With her win Boisson became the second player in the last 40 years to defeat multiple top-10 opponents at her maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam event, after Monica Seles at Roland-Garros 1989.

Boisson is the first player in the Open Era to reach the Women’s Singles semi-finals at the as a wild card at Roland-Garros, and she could become the first wild card Grand Slam finalist since Justine Henin at the Australian Open 2010.

Excluding unranked players, Lois Boisson is the lowest ranked (#361) to reach a Women’s Singles Grand Slam semi-finals in the last 40 years.

Boisson is the third player since 1980 to reach the semi-finals at their maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam main draw appearance after Monica Seles (Roland Garros 1989) and Jennifer Capriati (Roland Garros 1990).

Having played just two WTA level matches prior to Roland-Garros, Boisson is the player with the fewest WTA level matches played prior to reaching her maiden Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era, equalling Elisabeth Ekblom at the Australian Open 1976.

Bublik on Shock Roland-Garros Win – “Sometimes in Life There’s Only One Chance.”

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Alexander Bublik after surprising the tennis world, spoke with candor on reaching the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time.Coach

By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Photo Source: Roland-Garros Facebook

The mercurial, crowd-pleasing talents of Alexander Bublik has now earned him worldwide attention after his shock four-set upset win over No. 5 seed Jack Draper to reach the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time in his career.

Bublik, 27, celebrated his unexpected 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory with tears in his eyes as he became the first Kazakhstani man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in history.

"Sometimes in life there's only one chance, and I had a feeling that that was mine, and I couldn't let it slip," Bublik said in an on-court interview, after an extended standing ovation from the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd. "Standing here, it's the best moment of my life, period."

The final game of the match proved pivotal in more ways than one. Draper, still down a service break at 5-4, forced Rublev to serve for the match. Draper battled and held two break points, only to lose out on both. Rublev eventually closed out the game, and the match.

But Rublev admitted later on TNT Sports, if he had lost that game, he would likely have lost the motivation to try and win the match from there.

“I said to myself, if I'm losing that break, it's 7-5 6-2 max (in favor of Draper)," Bublik said. "I'm not gonna fight, because if you have this chance to make your first ever quarterfinal and you blow it. It's your fault. That's how I see it.”

Bublik, known for his unorthodox playing style, including underhand serves and trick shots, and rather cavalier personality, both on and off the court was not expected to be in the mix this fortnight in Paris. Though he’s reached a career high World No. 17, he’s currently ranked at No. 62.

Despite winning four ATP Tour titles in his career, 2025 has been a rough season so far. Before Paris, Bublik was 7-13 on the year.

Yet Bublik must have felt something good was coming for him in Paris after he earned a two sets from behind victory over No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur earlier in the second round. Bublik admitted he contemplated quitting tennis earlier this season after falling to the low 80s ranking wise.

While he previously complained about the clay court swing being too long, this year, he realized he needed to make an effort on the dirt to boost his ranking.

“I was eighty in the world. I was talking to my coach I want to quit tennis because I’m eighty in the world. It feels disgraceful for me,” Bublik said. “So I just said to myself, you have a gift, you gotta use your chances. If I have one, I'm gonna use it.

"I'm just gonna fight. I'm gonna try to play on clay and see how it goes and it worked like this, Because I had no room, you know, to cry. Because if you have room to cry, I always would take the cry, you know.”

Bublik added, “But when you have no options then it's that's how it works.”

Many tennis observers have questioned Bublik’s efforts on-court and off court throughout his career.

While Bublik confirmed he works hard off the court, he’s the first to admit that he prefers a “work/life” balance that includes his family. He can only speak for himself when it comes to determining what’s best for his life and career.

“There is no way around hard work. Don't get me wrong,” Bublik said in his post-match press conference. “I work hard, but on my terms, you know. I do what I'm capable of doing with my body, but I will not push through a knee injury in order to have, you know, a certain chance to win a certain match. So for me, there is no way around hard work. I have been working very hard, and I do work very hard."

Bublik, a proud father, added on TNT he tries to put tennis into perspective

“Tennis is fifty percent of my life, you know I have other part of being a dad, being a friend, which is have the same importance for me as being a tennis player," Bublik said. "So in this percent that I have as a professional athlete, I have to do maximum what my body is capable of.

"I'm not going to put my health on the line. I'm not going to be fighting through injuries. You know, if I have pain, I resign. I say thank you very much. I'm not going there.

"Because I prioritize my health a lot. And if you tell me, Sasha, you gonna win a Slam. But you can't walk at forty. I'm not going to take this. So then I have to work with the tools I have.”

Bublik next faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.

Swiatek: Comeback Win Pressure Proving Ground

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“I needed that kind of win to feel these feelings that I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, still turn the match around,” Iga Swiatek said.Chrissie Evert

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, June 1, 2025
Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle-ROLEX

Dropping eight of nine games would leave most feeling terror tremors on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Facing a 1-6, 0-2 deficit to Elena Rybakina today, Iga Swiatek skipped shivers adopting simple mind set: Fight for every ball.

Tennis Express

Reigning Roland Garros champion Swiatek pulled off a spirited comeback edging Rybakina 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the sixth straight year.

Swiatek said this comeback is confirmation she can perform under pressure after a subpar season.

“It’s a great confirmation for me that I can handle the pressure and everything, but honestly, I wasn’t expecting to have an easy score against Elena,” Swiatek said. “I also had an easy score against her, but losing, you know, because she’s a great player. So for sure that wasn’t something that I even considered today.

“Yeah, no matter what the score is, I’m going to just try to play the best tennis possible any minute. It doesn’t really matter, honestly, but for sure, as I said, it’s great to overcome some challenges during the match.”

It is Swiatek’s 25th straight Roland Garros win, equaling Hall of Famer Monica Seles for second-longest Paris Open Era women’s win streak behind Chrissie Evert (29).

Swiatek said spacing out helped her turn the match around.

Backing up further behind the baseline gave Swiatek more time to return Rybakina’s second serve as the match progressed.

Rybakina won just nine of 21 second-serve points and did not hit an ace in the final set.

“[Coach] Wim, it was his plan to kind of convince me sometimes to try it out, but I wasn’t sure if that’s my thing,” Swiatek said. “Because I remember a few years back, when I started being more aggressive, I started winning more.

“I think girls are serving faster now, and everybody is developing.

“There are some limits to what you can react to, you know. I think the coaching actually really helped me today, because I wouldn’t come up with this myself. Even though I practice it a little bit, it’s still like a weird thing for me to do.

“But for sure it helped. Yeah, as I said, it gave me more time to just play back some balls.”

Next up for Swiatek is a quarterfinal clash vs. 30-year-old Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina who saved three match points upsetting 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini.

“It means a lot. I think I needed that kind of win to like feel these feelings that I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, you know, still turn the match around to win it,” Swiatek said. “For sure it’s a great confirmation for me. Yeah, I for sure wanted to have a match like that.

“Obviously, it’s great to also have full control over the match, but against great players, it’s not always going to be possible. I’m happy that I fought, and I also problem-solved on court.”

Tiafoe on Musetti Controversy: I Think It's Comical

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"Obviously he did that and nothing happened," Frances Tiafoe said of Lorenzo Musetti kicking a ball that struck a linesperson..Arthur Ashe Stadium court

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook

The ball didn't bounce Frances Tiafoe's way, but a crucial kicked ball call favored Lorenzo Musetti.

Tiafoe wasn't happy about it.

Tennis Express

In case you missed it: During the second set of Musetti's 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 Roland Garros quarterfinal conquest of Tiafoe today, the frustrated Italian kicked a stray ball. Though there was no malice in the kick and the ball was struck softly it hit a lineswoman in the chest.

Tiafoe looked at the chair umpire for a call. The chair umpire hit Musetti with a code violation warning, but not a default, which was an option.

Asked his view of the controversy afterward, Tiafoe said there's a double standard at play that he called "comical."

"I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened," Tiafoe told the media in Paris. "I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about.

"Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is."

Former US Open semifinalist Tiafoe is well aware of Novak Djokovic being defaulted from the US Open after accidentally striking a lineswoman in the throat with a ball.

At the 2020 US Open, Djokovic hit a ball in frustration at the back wall after dropping serve. The shot inadvertently struck a lineswoman in the throat immediately knocking her to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open and forfeited ranking points and the $250,000 prize money he earned reaching the US Open fourth round and incurred a $10,000 fine as well.

Tiafoe's point is simple: Why did Djokovic's strike warrant a disqualification but Musetti's did not?

Presumably, the chair umpire considered the softness of the shot and lack of malice in Musetti's case.

The Grand Slam rule states that disqualification can be ruled if "intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences." 

In this case, Musetti immediately apologized for the kicked ball and was hit with a code violation. The Monte-Carlo finalist said he believes the chair umpire made the right call as he did not intend to harm anyone.

"Honestly it was really unlucky coincidence," Musetti told the media in Paris. "Yeah, I was a little bit, honestly, scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, Sorry, I apologize to everyone.

"It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game."

TNT analyst and former Grand Slam semifinalist Coco Vandeweghe said Musetti should have been ejected.

"In other sports if you put hands on the ref or hit the ref with the ball, you're ejected," Vandeweghe said on TNT. "The accident is always going to be there until it happens on purpose. You are at risk of hitting a ball girl or ball boy or a fan in the stands."

Interestingly, at Roland Garros we've seen similar incidents met with different decisions throughout the years.

The first disqualification of the 2023 Roland Garros generated tears and controversy.

Aldila Sutjiadi and Miyu Kato were disqualified from Roland Garros doubles two years ago after Kato hit a ball that struck a ball girl.

Twenty years before Kato's doubles disqualification, Guillermo Coria hit a ball kid with his Prince racquet and was not disqualified.

Some veteran tennis fans are calling Roland Garros out for an inconsistent standard pointing to the 2003 men's semifinals when a frustrated Guillermo Coria turned and hurled his Prince racquet at the back wall, accidentally brushing a ball kid in the process.

Coria was horrified seeing his racquet nearly nail the ball kid and immediately apologized and offered the ball kid the shirt off his back in an effort to apologize further.  In that case, officials did not default Coria and allowed him to complete that semifinal loss to Martin Verkerk. Coria went on to reach the 2004 Roland Garros final and held championship points before losing a heartbreaker to compatriot Gaston Gaudio.

Paris | Musetti and Alcaraz set up first semi-final

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The first day of quarter final play produced some exhilarating tennis and as it concluded, it set up an intriguing semi-final as the French Open takes another step towards the title match on Sunday.

The post Paris | Musetti and Alcaraz set up first semi-final appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Paris | Djokovic to face Zverev as Bublik knocks out Draper

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The first day of the second week of the French Open proved to be the last day of the British challenge as both Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie were defeated in their attempts to reach the quarter finals of the major clay court championships.

The post Paris | Djokovic to face Zverev as Bublik knocks out Draper appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

Today at Roland Garros Day 9

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Granby Tennis Club

Today at Roland Garros, the French Open was buzzing with high-stakes matches. In the women’s singles, Loïs Boisson created a stir by defeating the American No. 3 Jessica Pegula in a dramatic match. Ranked 361st, Boisson’s win by 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 was a major upset, making her the lowest-ranked woman to beat a top-five player at the French Open in four decades. She’s now set to face sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals. The day also saw second-seeded Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, advance against Ekaterina Alexandrova. On the men’s side, No. 3 Alexander Zverev advanced due to the retirement of Tallon Griekspoor, who suffered an abdominal strain.

In other matches, tennis legend Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title, having already reached his 100th match win at Roland Garros, joining an elite group with Federer and Nadal. Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. The tournament is heating up as we approach the final stages, with fans eagerly following every serve and volley on the iconic clay courts of Paris.

Granby Tennis Club

Paris | Gauff lines up Keys in Roland Garros quarter-finals

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World No 2 Coco Gauff continued her march into the quarter-finals at the French Open with a 6-0 7-5 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, and will meet fellow American Madison Keys for a spot in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

The post Paris | Gauff lines up Keys in Roland Garros quarter-finals appeared first on Tennis Threads Magazine.

French Open 2025 Day Eight Recap

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The second Sunday of Roland Garros 2025 delivered another batch of high-quality matches, as the men’s singles draw narrowed to its final eight. Lorenzo Musetti continued his strong clay form with a composed win over Holger Rune under the lights, Carlos Alcaraz notched his 100th tour-level clay victory in a thrilling four-set battle against Ben …

French Open 2025 Day Seven Recap

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The business end of the French Open is fast approaching, and Day Seven served up a relatively straightforward batch of matches, with only one encounter going more than three sets. Jannik Sinner delivered the performance of the day with a clinical dismantling of Jiri Lehecka, while Novak Djokovic quietly picked up his 99th win at …

Americans Land Eight in Roland-Garros Round of 16, Most Since 1985

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It's been a banner year for Team USA on the Parisian clay. Boisson

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday May 31, 2025

Paris – American tennis has smashed a record that stood for 40 years at Roland-Garros. Eight Americans – five women, three men – have reached the singles Round of 16 at the French Open for the first time in 40 years.

Tennis Express

The last time the Roland-Garros fourth round featured eight or more American players was 1985, also with five women and three men.

On the women’s side, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova and Hailey Baptiste reached the fourth round. On the men’s side, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe made it through.

The American men have placed three in the second week for the first time since 1995. All three Americans will be in action on Sunday in Paris, with Shelton taking on Alcaraz, Paul facing Alexei Popyrin and Tiafoe facing Daniel Altmaier.

On the women’s side, Anisimova will face Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday.

Keys will face Baptiste in an all-American clash on Monday, Pegula will take on France’s Loic Boisson, while Gauff will face Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.

Aryna Sabalenka: Quit Your Job

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World No. 1 sends clear message to former coaches.Amanda Anisimova

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, May 30, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Tennis is an ongoing educational experience.

Today, Aryna Sabalenka schooled her skeptical teachers.

Tennis Express

World No. 1 Sabalenka tamed tricky lefty Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 powering into the Roland Garros fourth round for the third straight year.

Three-time major champion Sabalenka, who improved to a Tour-best 37-6 in 2025, will face former French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova in a blockbuster fourth-round battle between two massive hitters.

Today, Sabalenka sent major message to coaches who slammed her as too “stupid” to make her mark as a pro: Quit your job.

Recalling junior coaches who questioned her mental strength, Sabalenka told those skeptics: You know nothing.

“I always been quite motivated and they didn’t have to push me,” Sabalenka said of her rise through the ranks. “But I have heard a lot [of coaches] saying I’m not smart enough, that I’m stupid, and I’ll never make it, and I don’t have anything to make it to the top.

“I guess I want to send a quick message to them to quit their job.

“Because honestly, I think they know nothing and they better quit just to save other players.”

Asked how she reacted to critical coaches claiming she was too witless to be a winner on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka said she laughed in their face.

“I was just laughing and saying: We’ll see,” Sabalenka said.

A sharp Sabalenka has surrendered just 10 games in three tournament wins this week.

Following her crushing conquest of Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 6-0 in her Roland Garros opener, Sabalenka shared her parents were never pushy about her career pursuit. However, the Belarusian said she saw demanding Eastern European coaches burn young players out.

“I definitely say that Eastern European school is very tough. I think that’s why whoever survive that school, they’re really tough,” Sabalenka said after round one.

On the one hand, Sabalenka said surviving her junior training made her a tougher competitor, but on the other hand she saw some fellow players broken by “brutal” coaches making punishing demands.

“I have to say that probably because of the environment and in the history of European countries, we are much tougher,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris. “Whoever got through the tough stuff, they, like, mentally and physically, they much stronger than probably, not like the rest of the world, but most of the girls on tour…

“I definitely think that the environment we have in our countries, which is like very tough and coaches are very brutal, you know, there is nothing nice about the way they, like, work with their players, they quite rude. I think that’s why maybe our mentality is much stronger, but also, the same time, they kind of like broke so many players because of that aggressive mindset.

“I think in Europe and the States, the environment is much healthier.”

 
Continuing her quest for a maiden Roland Garros crown, Sabalenka said she’s inspired by Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic still going strong at age 38 and was moved seeing the Big 4 reunite for Roland Garros’ royal celebration send off for King of Clay Rafael Nadal.

“Imagine if he gonna retire tomorrow, then everyone going to be sad, no? Don’t you think so?” Sabalanka said. “Then there is another like 10, 15 years to Jannik and Alcaraz to become one of the greatest. But just, you know, let him be.

“You know, it was so sad to see the ceremony, big four were on the court and you understand that three of them retired. Everyone missing their games.

“So let’s just let Novak to be there to show and fight and show his greatness and to inspire that generation.”

Monfils: Nothing But Love for Surging Draper

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The Frenchman praised Draper's game after Thursday night's thriling encounter.

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday May 30, 2025

Paris – Gael Monfils learned the hard way just how many improvements Jack Draper has made to his game.

The 38-year-old Frenchman threw everything he had at Draper in an epic Paris night session on Thursday, and could only manage to take a set from the 23-year-old menace.

Tennis Express

After the match, Monfils said he has immense respect for Draper’s game.

“I love this player,” Monfils said. “I love the way he plays, because he plays a very fast backhand. When Jack was young, he really had the best backhand.

But he's progressed a lot on his forehand now. Now he really produces pure power with his forehand, and he manages to really roll the ball along the line. He's a left-hander who goes very fast along the line. That's not common, and he moves really well on the court.”

Monfils says that in addition to the forehand, Draper is also returning better.

“Where he's really progressed is that he really returns really well,” he said. “He's far from the baseline, and the ball's always in at the right speed, the right course, and he's made a tremendous amount of progress in that regard.

“So a Jack who is feeling very self-confident like that is very difficult to maneuver.”


In a physical encounter on slow clay in night conditions, Draper stayed the course and handled Monfils and the rowdy Parisian crowd. It was more proof that the fifth-ranked Brit is ready for prime time.

“Every point was hard,” Monfils said. “No easy points. He was really returning the balls very well. He really played his game well. Honestly, I couldn't do a lot. I played my forehand down the line. It went out. And he played well after that.”

Not the end result Monfils wanted, but anyone who watched the match knows that Monfils has nothing to hang his head about. To play like that at age 38? Against a peaking power 15 years his junior? Chapeau, Lamonf.

On TNT Chris Eubanks called the second set one of the best sets of tennis he had ever seen.

“A great night. A great match,” Monfils said. “Above all, I was happy, because of course he's feeling very self-confident, but I did manage to, you know, tease him a little bit.”

John McEnroe: Djokovic Is Firm Third Favorite For RG Title

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John McEnroe ranks only reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner ahead of Novak Djokovic as French Open favorites. 

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, May 25, 2025
Photo credit: Lacoste

Slashing an ace on championship point, Novak Djokovic joined the Century Club in stirring style today.

Two days after celebrating his 38th birthday, Djokovic captured his 100th career championship with a stirring 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) over Hubert Hurkacz in the Geneva Open final. Djokovic joins fellow icons Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) as the third man in Open Era history to collect 100 career Tour-level titles.

Look for Djokovic to keep the party pumping in Paris, says Hall of Famer John McEnroe.

Tennis Express

Continuing his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam crown, Djokovic faces a demanding draw at Roland Garros.

If seeds hold true to form, Djokovic would need to beat 2024 finalist and third seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and No. 2-seeded reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his third Roland Garros title in the last five years.

Former world No. 1 in singles and doubles McEnroe says Djokovic is the third firm favorite to win this 2025 French Open final behind only the top-seeded Sinner and four-time major champion Alcaraz.

In a TNT Zoom call with the media on Friday to promote the network’s Roland Garros coverage, McEnroe cited four factors for Djokovic as third favorite to win Roland Garros:

*The Serbian superstar owns a 96-16 Roland Garros record, including a streak of 15 straight years where he’s reached quarterfinals or better and he has the best draw of any of the top seeds, says McEnroe.

*If Djokovic advances to the quarterfinals he could face Zverev. McEnroe says he favors the reigning Olympic gold-medal champion over the former gold-medal champion if that match comes off.

*Though Alcaraz is 15-1 in clay this season, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in their last clay-court clash in the gold-medal match on Roland Garros’ red clay, the Serbian beat the Spaniard in their last major meeting at the Australian Open and he’s one of only two men to defeat the reigning champion on red clay in the last year.

*This is Djokovic’s 21st consecutive French Open appearance and McEnroe says you cannot discount the Grand Slam king’s ability to conjure one more magical run in Paris.

“You don’t count him out until the day [he] retires,” McEnroe said of Djokovic. “He’s got the best draw of anyone to get to there [quarterfinals].

“And the way Zverev is playing—Zverev is not playing with the same confidence until he reached the finals of Australia this year. That [loss to Sinner in the AO final] really hurt him mentally—at least from what I’ve seen. And he doesn’t seem to be playing with the same confidence.

“So I can see the possibility of [Novak] getting there. And whether or not Zverev was there, I don’t think Novak would go in being much of an underdog.

TNT Sports, the exclusive home of live Roland-Garros coverage in the U.S., said it plans to “provide the most comprehensive coverage in the history of the Parisian Grand Slam.”

McEnroe, Jim Courier and Caroline Wozniacki will be among the network’s top analysts with Andre Agassi and Venus Williams also set to contribute to coverage.

It all starts Sunday, May 25, at 5 a.m. ET on TNT, truTV and Max. TNT Sports will deliver nearly 300 hours of programming across TNT and truTV — all originating live from Paris — along with unprecedented streaming coverage on Max and extensive original content available via Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.

Long-time New York Knickerbockers season ticket holder McEnroe, who was courtside at Madison Square Garden on Friday night to see his beloved Knicks fall into an 0-2 hole against the Indiana Pacers, used a basketball analogy to amplify Djokovic’s chances in Paris.

“And who knows with the other guys? What happens if one of them [Sinner or Alcaraz] gets hurt?” McEnroe said.  “And I hate to see any athlete get hurt, but [Celtics star] Jayson Tatum went down you never want to see that, but that certainly made it easier for the Knicks to pull out game six.

“So Novak, to me, would still be like the third favorite [to win Roland Garros].”

The mercurial McEnroe who formed one half of the fame Fire & Ice rivalry vs. Iceman and fellow Hall of Famer Bjorn Borg, suggests the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry will continue to command the sport so long as both young superstars remain healthy.

“They will continue to dominate if they are able to stay healthy and I hope they do, obviously we all do,” McEnroe said. “I thought Ben Shelton would be able to step up to [fill] a void… He seems to have leveled off, not enough steps forward.

“it would be nice for us here obviously if we were able to get an American male [to win a Grand Slam title], which has not happened in 20 years. I would think [Rome semifinalist] Tommy Paul would probably have the best shot [of American men] on this surface.”