American tennis ace Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Madrid Open, saying that she needs more time to prepare for clay-court season.
World number one Serena Williams has started her clay-court season in dominant style, beating Anna-Lena Friedsam in straight sets in the second round of the Italian Open in Rome on Tuesday.
Top seed Dominic Thiem was knocked out the Rio Open in the first round on Tuesday, going down 6-3, 6-3 to Laslo Djere.
Iga Swiatek heads into Melbourne Park with the Australian Open title the only gap on her Grand Slam resume, but the world number two is keen to avoid setting herself targets for the new season and says her main goal is to improve her game.
Carlos Alcaraz overcame a slow start to beat Lorenzo Musetti 3-6 6-1 6-0 in the Monte Carlo Masters final on Sunday, clinching his first title at the prestigious clay-court event and gaining momentum ahead of next month's French Open.
India's N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela's French Open journey came to an end with the second round defeat against fourth seed Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, in Paris on Saturday.
'It's a different surface and I've not had much time to get used to this tournament so my expectations aren't that high.'
Yuki Bhambri and his American partner Robert Galloway lost to fourth seeded combine of Francisco Cabral from Portugal and Lucas Miedler from Austria in the final.
Norway's Casper Ruud won his first Masters 1000 title on Sunday, as he stormed to a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Jack Draper in the Madrid Open final with a gutsy performance that showcased his clay-court mettle.
France's Boisson wins first WTA title in Hamburg
With Bopanna's defeat, India's challenge has ended in the elite clay-court tournament.
Iga Swiatek arrives at Roland Garros this month under a cloud of uncertainty, with the Pole enduring one of the toughest stretches of her career just before the defence of her French Open title.
Jannik Sinner set his sights on mastering clay and grass courts to make himself a complete player
Fernando Verdasco's confidence on clay is sky high as long as he does not have to play Rafael Nadal, the Barcelona Open champion said on Sunday.
While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.
The French Open said it would also honour its 2000 women's champion Mary Pierce as well as fellow local favourite Richard Gasquet, who will retire after the tournament this year.
Madison Keys fought off a late challenge from fellow American Hailey Baptiste to book her spot in the French Open quarter-finals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory at Roland Garros on Monday.
Norway's Casper Ruud, the French Open runner-up in 2022 and 2023, crashed out of the tournament in the second round on Wednesday after losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.
Paris St Germain forward Ousmane Dembele got a roaring welcome usually reserved for tennis champions when he carried the freshly-won Champions League trophy onto centre court on Monday.
Tommy Paul becomes first American man to reach French Open quarters in 22 years!
Together, the two young stars have now claimed seven out of the last eight Grand Slam titles.
Draper has yet to taste victory at Roland Garros, having been forced to retire injured on his debut and suffering a five-set defeat in 2024 while adjusting to changes in his game.
Coco Gauff was dumbstruck after beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final on Saturday
As the spotlight shines on Carlos Alcaraz's title defence and Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam, a determined group of challengers is quietly preparing to shake up the draw.
Carlos Alcaraz continued his French Open title defence with a display of breathtaking brutality for a 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 victory over American 12th seed Tommy Paul.
Fifth seed Iga Swiatek stages revival to stay in hunt for 4th French crown.
Having started out on the grass courts of Newport Casino (Rhode Island) in 1881, the Grand Slam is now played on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows (New York). However, it was also played on the clay courts in Forest Hills between 1975-77, making it the lone major to be played on three surfaces.
'Novak is playing here, so it's easier. But Andy and Roger coming meant a lot to me because they represent a very important part of my tennis career.'
India's Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivett clinched the men's doubles title at the Swiss Open ATP Tour tennis tournament with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert and Fabrice Martin in the final in Gstaad
Nadal was much more than a claycourt bully, though. He spent more than 900 successive weeks from 2005 in the ATP's top 10, 209 of them at number one and at the age of 24 became the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
Lois Boisson is daring to dream of an improbable triumph after she stormed into the French Open semi-finals
Novak Djokovic will have old rival Andy Murray back in his coaching corner as he attempts to win the Indian Wells title for the first time in almost a decade.
'Once bitten, twice shy, I didn't take up the challenge this time...' 'I realised I had failed to follow my karma because I feared failure.'
It was then plain sailing for the Tuscan, who read his opponent's serve perfectly to break repeatedly and used his elegant single-handed backhand to perfection to set up a clash with wildcard Valentin Royer or lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan.
Pain free Vondrousova getting old magic back on grass
Romania's Italian Open winner Simona Halep, Spain's Garbine Muguruza and US Open semi-final foe Victoria Azarenka of Belarus present a major challenge for Serena Williams at the upcoming French Open.
Novak Djokovic made no excuses for the poor performance that sent the five-time Indian Wells champion packing from the California desert on Saturday after falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
On Monday, the Polish eighth seed found her grasscourt wings to fly into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a soaring 6-4, 6-1 victory over Danish 23rd seed Clara Tauson.
Defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz powered into the second round of the French Open on Monday.
Novak Djokovic said he has recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him out of the Australian Open semi-finals
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