Tennis News

Fognini still enjoying the spotlight, from dancing shoes to Tenerife Challenger visit

Fabio Fognini made a special appearance at the Tenerife Challenger 2 this past weekend, sharing smiles and laughs in front of a full crowd while playing in an exhibition match.

The former No. 9 player in PIF ATP Rankings attended Sunday’s final in Tenerife — won by Lloyd Harris — and took time to reflect on his life since retiring from pro tennis in July.

“After Wimbledon, I took two months completely off on holiday,” Fognini told the Tenerife Challenger media team. “Then I started on ‘Dancing With The Stars’, so now I’m ready to dance also outside the court,” he added with a laugh.

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A nine-time ATP Tour titlist, Fognini used the ATP Challenger circuit as a launchpad in the early days of his career, winning his first title at that level as a 21-year-old in 2008. The Italian also competed in select Challenger tournaments throughout his final three years on Tour.

Fognini spoke highly of the competition at ATP Challenger level, noting the clash between hungry young talent and Tour veterans.

“They are really tough,” Fognini said of ATP Challenger tournaments. “There are some young guys who are dreaming to go up the rankings and guys like me — trying to move up. I dropped a bit, had so many injuries, so fighting with the young guys is difficult. The level is really, really high.”

Fognini, a fans’ favourite who loved to entertain with his shotmaking ability and off-court flair, announced his retirement at Wimbledon last year following a five-set first-round loss to Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian ended his career holding a 426-396 match record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

How is Fognini doing since retiring?

“When you do this sport for 20 — and maybe more — years, the first step is missing the competition, I miss [playing],” he said. “I didn’t regret anything, so I’m happy to be here.”

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Musetti withdraws from Acapulco

Lorenzo Musetti has withdrawn from the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.

The Italian is still recovering from the psoas muscle injury that forced him to retire from his Australian Open quarter-final against Novak Djokovic last month. The No. 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Musetti led Djokovic by two sets in Melbourne when he was forced to retire.

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“Hello everyone. I have to communicate that unfortunately I cannot compete in Acapulco,” said Musetti in an Instragram video in Spanish. “My body has to recover more and the recuperation is going to take longer. I was really looking forward to returning to Mexico and playing there. I send a hug to all the fans in Mexico and the tournament, and I hope you have a great time.”

Musetti is currently 7-2 for the 2026 season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 23-year-old, who ended last year by making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, began this year by reaching the final in Hong Kong before his run to the last eight in Melbourne.

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Is Tabilo a player to watch in Rio de Janeiro? Chilean makes confident start

Could Alejandro Tabilo be poised for a big week on clay in Brazil?

The Chilean lefty made a good start to his Rio Open presented by Claro on Monday when he ousted American Emilio Nava 6-3, 6-3 in only 63 minutes.

Tabilo is fresh off a run to the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, where he beat Joao Fonseca. Now the former No. 19 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, a three-time ATP Tour champion, will pursue his first ATP 500 title.

The victor claimed 86 per cent of his service points according to Infosys ATP Stats and did not face a break point against the American. Tabilo will next play qualifier Dino Prizmic or lucky loser Francesco Passaro.

German Yannick Hanfmann also came out of the gates well with a 7-6(3), 6-4 triumph against Brazilian wild card Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva.

“Very satisfied, of course. Getting through a tough first match playing a Brazilian on the centre court is not the easiest task,” Hanfmann said. “I knew that, especially a night session. I served quite well, tried to stay composed throughout the whole match. I knew it was going to be tricky.”

Serbian Dusan Lajovic, an ATP Masters 1000 finalist on clay at Monte-Carlo in 2019, earned his first Lexus ATP Head2Head series win against Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 7-6(7). Altmaier still leads their series 2-1.

Other players who advanced on the first day of the main draw were Thiago Agustin Tirante, a 7-5, 6-3 winner against Cristian Garin, and Ignacio Buse, who rallied past qualifier Igor Marcondes 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Vit Kopriva also reached the second round with a 6-2, 7-6(5) victory against wild card Gustavo Heide.

In the only doubles match of the day, Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca partnered countryman Marcelo Melo past alternates Roman Andres Burruchaga and Andrea Pellegrino 6-4, 6-4. It was the first tour-level doubles win of Fonseca’s career.

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Michelsen denies Vacherot at 'home tournament' Delray Beach

Alex Michelsen marked his return to the Delray Beach Open with a composed performance Monday, navigating gusty winds and a testing opponent to advance at the ATP 250 hard-court event.

The 21-year-old American defeated sixth seed Valentin Vacherot 7-6(4), 6-4 to earn his second win over a Top 30 opponent this season and reach the second round in Delray Beach for the third straight year. Michelsen, who reached the semi-finals last year, did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats, throughout the one-hour, 28-minute match.

Majestic Michelsen 🤸🪄

Last year’s semi-finalist takes out [6] Vacherot 7-6(4), 6-4#DBOpen | 🇺🇸 Delray Beach pic.twitter.com/UN60yGG1Hh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 16, 2026

“I live here now. I have an apartment 20 minutes from here, so it’s like my home tournament,” Michelsen said. “It’s great. I’m from California but I emigrated here. I absolutely love it here. Everyone’s so nice.”

After triumphing in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Vacherot, Michelsen can look ahead to a second-round meeting with Sebastian Korda or Mackenzie McDonald.

In other action on Day 1 in Delray Beach, Terence Atmane earned his first ATP Tour victory since October with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Patrick Kypson, while qualifier Coleman Wong upset Nuno Borges 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 to advance.

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People shouldn't be dying in streets just for existing – Gauff on US issues

Coco Gauff says it is “tough to wake up” and see what is happening back home in the United States amid the president’s immigration crackdown.

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Sinner returns with comfortable win in Qatar

Jannik Sinner enjoys a comfortable victory in his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals.

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Sinner springs back to form with assertive Doha debut

Jannik Sinner began to turn the sting of recent heartbreak into renewed purpose on Monday in Doha, where he thrilled the crowd with a striking debut performance at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Two weeks after his five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, Sinner returned to winning ways with a rock-solid 6-1, 6-4 win over Tomas Machac at the hard-court ATP 500 event in Doha. With his 70-minute victory, the second seed extended his winning streak at this level to 11 matches, having won titles in Beijing and Vienna last October.

Dazzling Doha debut 🌟@QatarTennis | #qatarexxonmobilopen | @janniksin pic.twitter.com/PKZTLAjtKf

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 16, 2026

“Today was a little bit worse than yesterday,” Sinner said of the windy Doha conditions. “But you have to adapt to every situation and condition on the court. We also played a couple of matches before, so I knew a little [about] what to expect. I felt good on court today. Physically I feel good. Every match is going to get tougher, so hopefully I will be ready for the next one.”

During his ruthlessly efficient first-round performance, Sinner dropped just six points on serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and expertly handled an explosive start to the second set from Machac. After letting slip three match points on return — in the ninth game of the second set, which featured scintillating winners from both men — Sinner sealed the victory with a statement finish behind his own delivery.

With top seed and fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz also in the Doha field, Sinner will look to maintain the pair’s stranglehold whenever they share a draw. Since Andrey Rublev’s triumph in Madrid in May 2024, no player other than Sinner or Alcaraz has captured a tour-level title at an event featuring both of them.

The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Sinner will next take on Alexei Popyrin, who eased past Qatari wild card Mubarak Shannan Zayid 6-0, 6-2.

Daniil Medvedev bounced back from his first-round defeat in Rotterdam by earning a clinical 6-4, 6-2 win over Shang Juncheng in Doha. The 30-year-old, who triumphed in 2023, is one of three former champions in the draw alongside Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov.

Jakub Mensik and Arthur Fils also booked their spots in the second round on Monday in Doha, where they rallied to three-set wins. Sixth seed Mensik overcame qualifier Jan Choinski 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-4 and Fils defeated Kamil Majchrzak 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.

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Raducanu beaten by lucky loser in Dubai first round

British number one Emma Raducanu is knocked out of the Dubai Tennis Championships in the first round by lucky loser Antonia Ruzic.

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Will Alcaraz catch Sinner for weeks as World No. 1?

The battle for No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings has become a two-man chess match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in recent years, and right now every move could have major implications.

Now having spent 59 total weeks at No. 1, Alcaraz broke his tie with Jim Courier for 13th on the all-time list and is edging closer to Sinner with 66. What was last year Sinner’s era at the summit has quickly evolved into a back-and-forth tussle that feels emblematic of the sport’s present and future.

Total Weeks at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings

Just a year ago, Sinner was in the midst of an imperious debut stint at No. 1, becoming the fifth player to spend more than a year at the top in their maiden reign. But Alcaraz has responded in emphatic fashion.

The 22-year-old Spaniard reclaimed top spot with his US Open triumph over Sinner in September and cemented it with his Australian Open title in January, becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. Alcaraz now holds a 2,850-point lead over Sinner atop the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner headline the ATP 500 field this week at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, where Sinner is aiming to make ground in the battle for No. 1 on his Doha debut. The 24-year-old Italian has no points to defend until the clay-court swing in Rome and it’s a stretch that gives him the freedom to attack without immediate pressure.

Importantly, the immediate period does not present an overwhelming points burden for the Alcaraz. He defends a quarter-final in Doha, a semi-final at Indian Wells and a second-round result in Miami before the calendar shifts to clay, where his bigger hauls begin with the Monte-Carlo title and a runner-up finish in Barcelona.

Beyond the numbers, the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has come to define the ATP Tour’s narrative, with the Spaniard leading their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 10-6. The two could reignite their rivalry for the first time since the Nitto ATP Finals in November if they both reach the championship match in Doha this week.

For now, the gap in the battle for No. 1 is Alcaraz’s to protect and Sinner’s to chase. Twelve months ago the picture looked very different. Today, with no one standing between them on the all-time list and both competing deep into the season’s biggest events, the race for No. 1 feels less like a changing of the guard and more like a rivalry destined to define an era.

If Alcaraz maintains his grip atop the PIF ATP Rankings, he could overtake Sinner for weeks at No. 1 as the Tour enters the clay season at the beginning of April, following the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami.

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Fonseca physically ‘100 per cent’ ahead of hometown title tilt in Rio

Following a stop-start opening to 2026, can Joao Fonseca turbocharge his season in his hometown at the Rio Open presented by Claro?

The No. 38 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will this week line up as the third seed at the clay ATP 500. It will be just the third tournament of the season for the 19-year-old, who did not compete until the Australian Open due to injury but now believes he is primed and ready to make more headlines as one of the leading lights of Brazilian tennis.

“I’m feeling good. Already 100 per cent physically,” Fonseca told ATP Media in Rio ahead of his first-round match against his countryman Thiago Monteiro. “I’ve been struggling in the beginning of the year with my lower back, but now I’m 100 per cent and feeling great back on court. Physically I’m good.”

After opening his 2026 season with a first-round loss to Eliot Spizzirri at the Australian Open, Fonseca immediately headed to South America to prepare for the ‘Golden Swing’. Although he also fell to an opening defeat when defending his title at last week’s IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where he was edged in three sets by former Top 20 star Alejandro Tabilo, Fonseca feels it was another important step on his tennis journey.

“It was a pretty tight match in Buenos Aires, against a very good player,” said the 19-year-old. “I think the opportunity to play a week where you are the defending champion was great. I’m thinking about positive things right 1771301862. It was my first time, and of course a little bit more pressure, but I think I handled it pretty well. I think my opponent played pretty good. Things to work on of course, but I’m feeling confident for this week.”

Fonseca enters Rio this year with a 13-11 tour-level record on clay, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, having competed in tournaments across both Europe and South America. He was quick to identify a couple of aspects of the ‘Golden Swing’ events that set them apart from their European equivalents.

“I think the most different thing is the weather [in Europe],” explained Fonseca. “It’s hotter and more humid [here], and I think the fans are such a big thing. They pull out a lot of the culture of Argentina and Brazil, perhaps because of football, it’s huge.

“They cheer a lot. Sometimes it’s too much! But I think it’s a great environment and that’s the biggest thing [about South America]. The courts are pretty similar. Buenos Aires is more similar to [the European] ones, and here the ball goes a little bit slower, but it’s also good.”

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