NOVAK DJOKOVIC REVEALS HIS KEY ADVANTAGE OVER CARLOS ALCARAZ AND JANNIK SINNER
Djokovic Backs Himself Against Alcaraz, Sinner Beyond The Slams
Novak Djokovic reaffirmed that he has a "better" chance against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 2 Jannik Sinner in Masters 1000 tournaments, after claiming for the last few years that he is mostly focused on the Grand Slams.
At the Shanghai Open, where he has won four times, the 38-year-old, 24-time major winner told reporters, "The Masters events are played over almost two weeks." "I think I have a better chance of winning a trophy or producing a noteworthy outcome there, you know."
Similar remarks were made by Djokovic, who is currently ranked fifth in the world, following his straight-set loss to Alcaraz in the US Open quarterfinals. In 2024, he advanced to the semifinals of all four tournaments, losing to Sinner twice, Alcaraz once, and Alexander Zverev once.
"Yeah, that's what I said after the US Open, because I felt that it's really difficult for me to play best-of-five against these guys in the later stages of the tournament," he added.
"I don't feel like I'm as fresh as they are in the semifinals." It's alright. That's simply a biological truth, I suppose, and I'll have to come to terms with it someday.
"I'm still doing everything I can under the circumstances to challenge the guys or, more importantly, to challenge myself, and I'm really seeing how I can do in all the tournaments that I participate in."
Djokovic also responded to the top players' worries about the tennis schedule. The Masters 1000 program currently spans nearly the whole year, with the majority of the tournaments lasting two weeks.
After winning the Tokyo Open, Alcaraz withdrew from Shanghai and blasted the schedule, declaring, "They are going to kill us in some way."
WTA No. 2 Sinner stated that if players wanted to take a vacation from tennis, they should start missing events, while Iga Swiatek claimed that the season was "too long and too intense."
I was personally opposed to the Masters 1000 tournaments' time being extended. Am I correct? Djokovic stated. "I had the impression that I was opposed to it from the start. In fact, I was against that even while I was a member of the council, since I believe I was the council president at the time. It's not good for the players, in my opinion.
"From one angle, you might say that having the days off between tournaments is beneficial for me at my age right now. However, I believe that in the end, it just removes days from the calendar and timetable for the majority of gamers. I don't personally support that.
"As a player, I never enjoyed that, but I see that there are benefits to tournaments and other events. I thus understand or feel sorry for gamers who oppose it as they are now, I suppose, recognising that it's not so wonderful.
However, keep in mind that you constantly have to make decisions because it's a sport that is specific to each player. Ultimately, you still can make decisions. I see that some gamers may claim that regulations are enforced and so forth.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
