Tennis News

Bopanna rivals McEnroe by reaching Tokyo final at age 45

Already the oldest man to win a major title, the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion and the oldest first-time doubles world No. 1, Rohan Bopanna is now the second-oldest tour-level men’s doubles finalist in the Open Era. After the Indian’s run this week at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, only John McEnroe has reached a doubles final at a later age.

Teaming with Japan’s Takeru Yuzuki, Bopanna advanced to his 64th tour-level final with a dramatic victory on Monday. The pair saved three match points to upset top seeds Christian Harrison and Evan King 4-6, 6-3, 18-16, setting up a Tuesday final showdown against second seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys.

At the age of 45, Bopanna has reached his first tour-level title match since winning the Miami ATP Masters 1000 last March with Matthew Ebden.

McEnroe was 47 when he won the 2006 San Jose title with Jonas Bjorkman. The American returned from retirement for two doubles tournaments that season, winning San Jose in February and reaching the quarter-finals in Stockholm in October, also with Bjorkman. His San Jose title came after 12 years out of the game; in his final tournament before his initial retirement, McEnroe lost to Bjorkman in the Rotterdam doubles semi-finals in February of 1994.

Bopanna won the last two finals he played, making history with titles at the Australian Open and Miami last year at the age of 43. With his Australian Open title, he climbed to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings for the first time.

McEnroe first reached doubles world No. 1 in 1979 at age 20. The American won 77 tour-level doubles titles and earned 544 tour-level doubles wins in his career. Bopanna is seeking his 27th title and 538th win in the Tokyo final.

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Frustrated Alcaraz survives Ruud scare to reach final

Carlos Alcaraz reached his ninth successive ATP-level final after overcoming Norway’s Casper Ruud.

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Landaluce paints path to Jeddah with Orleans Challenger triumph

Spaniard Martin Landaluce boosted his chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF on Sunday when he won the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in Orleans, France.

The 19-year-old, up three places to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, downed top seed Raphael Collignon 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in the Co’met Orleans Open final.

Landaluce lifted his second Challenger trophy, but this one was a work of art — literally. The Orleans Challenger was celebrating its 20th anniversary, and true to tradition, every champion receives a painting commissioned from a local artist. Landaluce’s prize was a vibrant red painting, depicting a pyramid of 20 tennis balls, symbolising the tournament’s 20 editions. It was painted by Natacha Toutain.

A champ and his trophy 🏆 #ATPChallenger | @RFETenis pic.twitter.com/D5WSmhZ1sf

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 28, 2025

“I don’t have much art at home, so I have plenty of space!” Landaluce said with a smile. “I think it’s beautiful, it’s very bright. I think I’m going to put it in the gym, because that’s where I work and where I push, and this trophy is thanks to that.

“I said yesterday that I wanted to bring the trophy back home, and that’s what I did. It’s amazing. This is a very beautiful tournament and it’s an honour to win this tournament.”

A former junior No. 1, Landaluce won the US Open boys’ singles event in 2022. He captured his maiden Challenger title last October in Olbia and is now aiming for his maiden trip to the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. The event will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 17-21 December.

The Madrid native is closing on his Top 100 debut, currently sitting at No. 111 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

“It will happen if I still play this game, keep pushing and working day by day,” Landaluce said of his Top 100 potential. “I’m not thinking about a goal, because if I reach it, I’m going to have more goals. I’m going to be very close to it and it will be more pressure than a good thing, so I’m just thinking to play my best and play my game. My goal is to be my best version.”

Spizzirri closing in on Top 100 after Jingshan title
American Eliot Spizzirri is also approaching his Top 100 debut following his latest triumph. The 23-year-old, a former University of Texas standout who finished back-to-back seasons as the No. 1 player in the ITA singles rankings (2023, 2024), won the Jingshan Open, where he ousted Australian Alex Bolt 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Spizzirri, a two–time Challenger champion, is No. 105 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

^{Eliot Spizzirri in action at the Jingshan Challenger. Credit: Jingshan Open}

Shelbayh secures second title, first in two years
Abdullah Shelbayh returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since September 2023 by winning the Las Vegas Tennis Open. The lefty downed American Alex Rybakov 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match. Two years ago, Shelbayh made history by becoming the first player from Jordan to win an ATP Challenger Tour title.

Gaubas downs home favourite Rocha in Lisbon final
Lithuanian Vilius Gaubas won a hard-fought, three-hour, three-minute final at the Del Monte Lisboa Belém Open to claim his third Challenger crown. The 20-year-old rallied past home hope Henrique Rocha 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Gaubas, World No. 165, is the highest-ranked Lithuanian in the PIF ATP Rankings.

^{Vilius Gaubas celebrates winning the Lisbon Challenger. Credit: Álvaro Isidoro/FPT}

Burruchaga defeats five countrymen en route to Buenos Aires title
Roman Andres Burruchaga capped a memorable week on home soil at the Buenos Aires Challenger, where the 23-year-old did not drop a set all tournament en route to his second trophy at that level. Burruchaga defeated five fellow Argentines, including in the final, which he won 7-6(4) 6-3 against Alex Barrena.

^{Roman Andres Burruchaga triumphs on home soil in Buenos Aires. Credit: Buenos Aires Challenger}

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Medvedev upsets Zverev in Beijing to reach milestone, 'but I always want more'

Could this be the tournament at which Daniil Medvedev returns to form?

The former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings earned a resounding 6-3, 6-3 victory Monday evening against World No. 3 Alexander Zverev to reach the semi-finals of the China Open.

The 29-year-old is into the 60th tour-level semi-final of his career and his first since June in Halle. He will take on #NextGenATP American Learner Tien, who upset him at this year’s Australian Open, for a place in the final.

“It’s great, but I always want more,” Medvedev said of the milestone he reached. “In the beginning of your career, numbers are important. When you achieve a lot, it’s more about just doing your best, and I haven’t been doing my best since some time, so I’m happy to be back in semis playing great, beating great opponents.”

According to Infosys ATP Stats, Medvedev saved all four break points he faced and won 86 per cent of his first-serve points to avoid facing too much pressure against the second-seeded Zverev.

“I played great, I was controlling the game pretty well. I felt like I had all the chances,” Medvedev said. “He had only, I think, one game on my serve where he put a lot of pressure on me and luckily I made a great game to save it. And other than that, I think I put a lot of pressure on him, played great and I’m happy to win.”

Entering the match, Medvedev was just 1-2 against Top-10 opponents this season, with his lone victory coming against Zverev in Halle. He now has won five consecutive matches against Zverev and leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 14-7.

This was Medvedev’s first Top-5 triumph on hard courts since beating Andrey Rublev at the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals. The No. 18 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings had been 0-10 since.

“I definitely played as I wanted to today, not missing much, aggressive when I need to, defensive when I need to, running great,” Medvedev said. “So definitely improving and looking forward to try to improve even more.”

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Tennis season too long and too intense – Swiatek

Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek says she might have to miss mandatory tournaments to protect her health following a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

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2025 Nitto ATP Finals prize money: Record champion's cheque at stake

An undefeated champion at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals will walk away with a record $5,071,000, the richest payout in the event’s history.

The prestigious season finale, held from 9-16 November at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, will feature an event record $15.5 million in total prize money.

Last year, Jannik Sinner set a new benchmark when he stormed to the title without dropping a set, collecting $4,881,100 — then the largest prize awarded at the event. Now a Nitto ATP Finals champion could break $5 million in winnings for the first time.

Each match from the semi-finals onwards will be worth more than $1 million. The semi-final victors will add $1,183,500 to their tally, while the champion of the title match will take home $2,367,000 on top of what they earned earlier in the tournament. See the full distribution below.

An undefeated doubles team will secure $959,300. See below the full doubles prize money breakdown.

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Drogba, Kohli, LeBron, Nadal – why big names are investing in powerboat racing

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is among several sporting greats who have invested in E1 Series, a globe-trotting powerboat racing competition about to land in Africa.

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Raducanu fails to take match points in Pegula defeat

Emma Raducanu again fails to take three match points as she is beaten by Jessica Pegula in a hard-fought last-32 match at the China Open.

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Alcaraz, tested by movement concerns & Ruud, sets Tokyo final vs. Fritz

Carlos Alcaraz faced perhaps the sternest examination of his debut run at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Monday, but he emerged with flying colours to book his spot in the final.

The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings overcame a resilient Casper Ruud and his own fitness concerns to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory at the ATP 500 event. Alcaraz, who displayed limited movement at times during the opening set, eventually rediscovered his sharpness to set up a title showdown with former Tokyo champion Taylor Fritz.

“I had a lot of chances in the first set,” said Alcaraz. “I had four break points if I’m not wrong. It’s just about details, so I just tried to be more positive than the first set. I was a little bit mad with myself, so I just tried to play with joy again, putting a lot of positive thoughts in my mind.”

With his two-hour, eight-minute victory, Alcaraz notched his personal-best 66th win in a season. On Tuesday, the 22-year-old Spaniard will seek revenge against Fritz, who defeated him at the Laver Cup last week.

“I know he’s playing great tennis lately,” Alcaraz said of Fritz, who also defeated Alexander Zverev in San Francisco. “Since the Laver Cup against me, against Zverev, and here in this tournament, he’s feeling great and really comfortable on the court. Everything is different since San Francisco… But it’s another challenge for me and I’m looking forward to it.”

Since tweaking his left ankle in his Tokyo opener against Sebastian Baez, Alcaraz had downplayed concerns and proved it with assertive wins. Yet against Ruud, who tested him relentlessly with heavy topspin and court-stretching angles, the Spaniard’s discomfort was more apparent.

Facing break point in the seventh game, Ruud attacked with a deep approach into Alcaraz’s backhand corner. Though he got the ball back at his opponent’s feet, Alcaraz hesitated when stretching for that ball and chasing the ensuing drop volley — a moment of vulnerability that underscored his struggles in the first set.

Watch Alcaraz struggle to deal with Ruud on break point:

Alcaraz’s aggressive, risk-heavy tactics in the first set yielded 15 unforced errors, but he recalibrated in the second, finding consistency on serve: He dropped just four of 24 points behind his delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to overwhelm Ruud and level the match.

From there, Alcaraz carried that momentum into the deciding set, where he showcased his freedom of movement and fearless shotmaking, silencing any injury doubts. To overcome Fritz in the final, however, the Spaniard will need another commanding serving performance against one of the Tour’s most formidable servers.

Despite defeat, Ruud has risen two spots to 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as the former finalist seeks to return to the Nitto ATP Finals.

Earlier on Monday, Fritz powered his way into the final by serving his way past countryman Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3. Though outplayed at times from the baseline, Fritz compensated for 13 aces to secure his first hard-court final of 2025 and climb to fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

“Honestly, just by botting,” Fritz said when asked how he was able to triumph. “I served insanely well: High percentage first serves and spots too. It felt like any game that I didn’t hit three aces, he was really outplaying me from the baseline. I was able to hang in on my serve, and then capitalise on that scoreboard pressure. My serve got me through it.”

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2025 Shanghai tennis prize money

The Rolex Shanghai Masters in Shanghai, China, which this year runs 1-12 October, has announced a prize money total of US $9,193,540 for the 2025 edition.

The singles champion will earn US $1,124,380, and the winning doubles team will split US $457,150. View the full prize-money breakdown and the PIF ATP Rankings points at stake below.

2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters Singles Prize Money

2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters Doubles Prize Money

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