Tennis News

Bublik breaks through: From No. 80 to Top 10 in less than a year

Alexander Bublik only needed the opening week of the 2026 season to achieve one of tennis’ most greatest honours: breaking into the top Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings.

The 28-year-old sealed his fate with a title run at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open, where he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final. Bublik’s rise has been equal parts explosive and entertaining, underlining why he has become one of the ATP Tour’s most compelling figures.

In April of last year, he was ranked No. 80, but thanks to a dramatic shift in momentum and belief, he captured four ATP Tour titles across the season and finished 2025 at a career-high No. 11 and as the first alternate at the Nitto ATP Finals.

“The only goal for this season was to achieve the Top 10 and in the first week I have won the title and I am into the Top 10,” said Bublik, who is the first Kazakhstani to crack the Top 10. “If you had told me that last April I would never have believed you.”

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BUBLIK’S RISE:
1) Early promise, delayed lift-off

Bublik announced his potential by winning his first ATP Tour title in 2022 and followed it with at least one trophy in each of the next two seasons. Yet the start of 2025 proved sobering, as by February he had fallen outside the world’s Top 50 for the first time in two years. That dip became fuel rather than a setback.

2) Roland Garros turning point

Arriving at the 2025 clay-court major as the World No. 62, Bublik produced some of the most complete tennis of his career to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. His five-set escape against Alex de Minaur and authoritative win over Jack Draper reshaped perceptions of his durability. Even a one-sided loss to Jannik Sinner provided a clear benchmark of what was required to go further.

3) Halle shockwave

Two weeks after winning just six games against Sinner at Roland Garros, Bublik delivered a stunning upset on the Halle grass. The Kazakhstani struck 36 winners en route to his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win over a World No. 1, and he simultaneously snapped Sinner’s 66-match winning streak against players outside the Top 20 before going onto win his second trophy at the ATP 500 in Halle.

4) Clay-court credentials confirmed

Back-to-back titles in Gstaad and Kitzbuehel marked Bublik’s first trophies on clay. The success reinforced that his unpredictable game had evolved beyond serve-dominated conditions. With improved patience and point construction, Bublik proved he could thrive in extended rallies as well as short ones, backing up his statement run at Roland Garros earlier in the year.

5) How far can he go now?

The question surrounding Bublik is now about how high he can really surge. With a Top 10 breakthrough secured and a more complete skill set on display, the 28-year-old has positioned himself to remain a regular presence at the biggest events.

Source link

Why Ruud has been 'studying' the likes of Sinner & Fonseca

Casper Ruud knows all too well that past success counts for little in a men’s game being rewritten in real time by fearless shotmakers.

The Norwegian has climbed as high as No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings and reached three major finals, but in the past two years, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have combined to win all eight Grand Slam titles. Meanwhile, a new wave — spearheaded by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca and 20-year-old Jakub Mensik — has continued to surge. Watching the evolution closely has given Ruud time to reflect on his own path.

“Seeing how the game has changed has made me realise that maybe I need to change my game a little,” Ruud said in a pre-tournament press conference in Auckland on Monday. “Trying to look for improvements, I have been studying a lot of the younger guys over the last weeks and months how my game needs to develop to handle their type of tennis.”

Ruud has built his career on heavy topspin, physical consistency and point construction, particularly from the forehand wing on clay. Yet against the game’s new elite, time is often taken away before those patterns can fully develop.

That challenge has been reflected in his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Alcaraz and Sinner. The 27-year-old owns just one win from six meetings with Alcaraz — at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals — and he is still searching for his first victory against Sinner after four defeats. The margins, Ruud believes, are defined by firepower on both sides of the ball, not just one.

“The generation consists of Sinner as the oldest one, then you can go down to Fonseca, who is the youngest one. In that age group, between five and six years, they really rip the ball and play a different style of tennis,” explained 14-time ATP Tour champion Ruud. “That’s something I’ve needed to get used to.

“They don’t just have one big shot, they typically have two: both the forehand and backhand are great. If you look at Mensik, I lost against him last week at the United Cup. He has a great serve and hits the backhand hard from both sides. You see it more and more.”

Ruud earned his first win of the 2026 season against home favourite Alex de Minaur at the United Cup in Sydney before falling to Mensik in a tight two-set match. The Norwegian now arrives at the ASB Classic in Auckland as the second seed, intent on applying those lessons immediately.

In a draw in which he could face Mensik again in the semi-finals, Ruud’s study sessions may soon turn into reality, and it could reveal just how his evolving game can match up in a new ATP Tour era.

Source link

Rain delays Raducanu in Hobart first round

Britain’s Emma Raducanu will have to return to the court after rain delays her first-round match against Camila Osorio in Hobart.

Source link

Vukic stuns revitalised Tsitsipas with 'awesome' Adelaide win

Aleksandar Vukic halted Stefanos Tsitsipas’ promising start to 2026 in style on Tuesday night at the Adelaide International, where he produced a poised and timely performance to prevail 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

Tsitsipas went 3-0 at the United Cup last week and appeared revitalised following a turbulent 2025 season during which he fell out of the Top 20 for the first time since 2018. Yet Vukic, who came through qualifying at his home ATP 250, met the challenge head-on, feeding off a lively atmosphere to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

Victory for Vukic 🇦🇺

Aleksandar Vukic defeats Tsitsipas 7-6, 7-6 to advance in Adelaide!@AdelaideTennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/nnnFlPQxjd

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 13, 2026

“I was talking to my team today [about how] I am just in awe of this stadium and the cricket ground that’s just here,” Vukic said of the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. “This centre court is very special, and it’s pretty packed. I appreciate the support, everyone helping me out tonight. It was an awesome win for me.”

The Australian saved all four break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and was clinical when it mattered most. In the second-set tie-break, Vukic reeled off six of the final eight points from 1/3 down to seal the one-hour, 53-minute triumph — his 21st over a Top 50 opponent.

Vukic, the No. 87 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, will next face doubles star Andrea Vavassori, who also came through qualifying to upset Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 7-6(4). Last year, Vavassori won the Adelaide doubles title with partner Simone Bolelli and is a two-time Nitto ATP Finals competitor.

Earlier, Tomas Machac downed Australian wild card James Duckworth 6-3, 6-3 for his first tour-level win since Shanghai in October. The eighth seed next meets qualifier Quentin Halys, who beat lucky loser Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4.

In an all-Australian wild-card clash, Rinky Hijikata defeated Tristan Schoolkate 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round encounter with top seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Source link

What is the Million Dollar One Point Slam?

BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team explains what the Million Dollar One Point Slam is and who will be competing at the event in Melbourne.

Source link

'My daughters are fans of Venus, so it was tough'

Tatjana Maria beats Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round at the Hobart Internationa.

Source link

Opelka & his 'tennis geniuses': former Isner coach Boynton joins team

For more than three years, Craig Boynton coached John Isner, the former No. 8 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now, the American is working with the player most commonly compared to Isner: 6’11” Reilly Opelka.

Opelka has long learned from former World No. 7 Jay Berger, who remains a key part of his team. But he will now travel with Boynton, who most recently developed Hubert Hurkacz into a Top-10 player.

“He’s one of the best coaches in the world and I think between him and Jay Berger, I’m incredibly lucky,” Opelka told ATPTour.com. “These are just great guys, great people, smart, tennis geniuses, tennis experts.”

It is important to note that despite both Isner and Opelka ranking among the very best servers in history, they are not clones. Perhaps their greatest similarity is that they jokingly refer to themselves as “servebots”.

“They’re two different people. Ultimately, every tennis player here has the same goal and everybody has different skill sets,” Boynton said. “Obviously, people are going to look at the similarities between Reilly and John, but they are different players.

“Yes, they have some similarities, but they’re different in just about every way. They’re just different people, they’re different players, ultimately trying to do the same thing, but doing it in different ways.”

Last week in his first tournament of the season, Opelka obliterated 44 aces, the most he has ever hit in a three-set match on the ATP Tour. The problem was that the 28-year-old lost a final-set tie-break to Kamil Majchrzak.

That made his victory Monday against Alexei Popyrin at the Adelaide International even sweeter. The four-time ATP Tour titlist, who missed nearly two years after hip and wrist surgeries, is excited to kickstart his year.

“Especially after last week I had a really, really rough loss that could linger,” Opelka said. “[That is] something you don’t get over quickly. Maybe 10 years it takes to get over one of those. So, happy that I got a win.”

Source link

Djokovic headlines reaction to Raonic's retirement

Milos Raonic announced on Sunday via social media his retirement from professional tennis.

Off the back of the news, Novak Djokovic shared a heartfelt message on his Instagram story, congratulating Raonic on his memorable career.

“Congrats on an amazing career, @mraonic 🙌🇨🇦,” wrote Djokovic.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, who partnered with Raonic in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also shared a message on Instagram. He wrote: “Greatest Canadian ever to do it 🇨🇦🙌🏽 Thank you for everything you brought to Canadian tennis and on a personal level thank you for being an amazing example and mentor all these years 🙏🏽.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Milos Raonic (@mraonic)

Bianca Andreescu, Steve Nash, Jose Bautista, Vera Wang, John Isner and Zizou Bergs were among the stars who also shared their messages in the comments on Raonic’s retirement post on Instagram.

“Canadian legend 🙏🏻🇨🇦,” commented Andreescu.

“Great career @mraonic done with class and professionalism all the way through,” wrote Isner.

Raonic’s career stats:
-No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings
-383 tour-level wins
-8 ATP titles
-Wimbledon final & 4 ATP Masters 1000 finals
-No. 9 on record in aces (8,445)

Source link

Blockx breaks 'Top 100 babyyyy' after Challenger triumph

Alexander Blockx has begun the 2026 season in memorable fashion. The Belgian, who was a finalist at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in December, built upon that momentum to win the Workday Canberra International, an ATP Challenger 125 event, on Sunday.

By triumphing in Canberra, Blockx made his Top 100 debut in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings. The 20-year-old defeated fellow 2025 Jeddah competitor Rafael Jodar 6-4, 6-4 in the final, an exciting clash between two emerging talents. Trailing 1-4 in the second set, Blockx tallied five consecutive games to lift his fourth career Challenger trophy.

☝️st title of 2026 for Alex Blockx ‼️#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/kZZSeiNwYo

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) January 10, 2026

“Top 100 babyyyy⚡️,” Blockx wrote in excitement in an Instagram post. “Happy to start the year with another title.”

Jodar, 19, won three Challenger titles in 2025 and announced his decision to turn pro on New Year’s Eve, foregoing his remaining eligibility at the University of Virginia. The teenager is at a career-high No. 150 following his deep run from qualifying in Canberra.

Gea wins first Challenger crown
Frenchman Arthur Gea claimed his maiden Challenger title at the BNC TENNIS OPEN in New Caledonia, where the 21-year-old downed Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the final. Having won four titles on the ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour in 2025, Gea’s latest milestone achievement has helped him climb to a career-high No. 197.

<img alt=”Arthur Gea at the Noumea Challenger.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/12/18/15/gea-noumeach-2026.jpg” />
^{Arthur Gea at the Noumea Challenger. Credit: BNC Tennis Open}

Martinez returns to winner’s circle
Former World No. 36 Pedro Martinez dropped just one set all week to win the Dafa News Bengaluru Open in India. The top-seeded Spaniard defeated Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov 7-6(5), 6-3 in the championship match. Martinez is an eight-time Challenger champion.

Noguchi defends Thailand title
Japan’s Rio Noguchi successfully defended his title at the Bangkok Open, where he beat Czech Marek Gengel 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Noguchi’s two Challenger trophies have both come in Thailand. As the top seed at this week’s second leg of a two-week Thailand stay, Noguchi will aim to add to that title haul.

<img alt=”Rio Noguchi wins the Bangkok Open.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2026/01/12/18/19/noguchi-nonthaburich-2026.jpg” />
^{Rio Noguchi wins the Bangkok Open. Credit: The Lawn Tennis Association Of Thailand}

Chidekh survives deciding-set tie-break to win Nottingham
Clement Chidekh earned his third Challenger trophy in as many years with a triumph at the Lexus Nottingham Challenger in Great Britain. Seeded second, the 24-year-old Chidekh rallied from a set down in the final to escape top seed Johannus Monday 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5) after two hours and 46 minutes. Both Chidekh and Monday played collegiate tennis. Chidekh played at the University of Washington and Monday, 23, competed for the University of Tennessee.

Source link

Kokkinakis battles pain, rallies past Korda for emotional Adelaide win

Thanasi Kokkinakis made a stunning comeback after a difficult 12 months with an emotional first-round victory on Monday at the Adelaide International.

Playing his first singles match since the 2025 Australian Open, after which he underwent a radical surgery on his pectoral muscle, Kokkinakis rallied to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) triumph at his hometown ATP 250. Kokkinakis appeared to be feeling pain in his shoulder and received treatment from the physio during the second set against Korda, but the 29-year-old pushed through to a thrilling two-hour, 26-minute win.

“Oh man. It’s been a rough 12 months, but this makes it all worth it,” said Kokkinakis in his on-court interview. “I had my eye on this in Adelaide, and I knew I’d come to a packed crowd and everyone cheering. Thank you so much, I love it here.”

The Adelaide crowd was vociferous throughout in its support for Kokkinakis, who lifted his only ATP Tour title at Memorial Drive in 2022. There was concern for the home hero in the second set, when he wobbled after opening a 5-1 lead, and he later acknowledged that his singles comeback was not without cost.

“It’s something that I feel like I’ve been dealing with my whole career it feels like,” said Kokkinakis of the injury. “I’ve worked so hard to even give myself a chance to get back on this court. Second set I hit a serve and it didn’t feel great. I was talking to my team every two minutes about whether I should stop. I felt like, ‘Even if I win, at what cost?’ I don’t know. I always try and win, especially here in Adelaide. I don’t know if I can go any further, but I love it here so I’m trying my best.”

And the crowd goes wild! 🗣️@TKokkinakis comes from a set down to defeat Korda and claim his first win since undergoing surgery in February 2025.@AdelaideTennis | #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/GmxEIagRmT

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 12, 2026

Monday’s victory was Kokkinakis’ first in four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with the No. 51 in the PIF ATP Rankings Korda. Awaiting the Australian in the second round will be fifth seed Valentin Vacherot. The Monegasque star, who stunned the tennis world last October by winning the Rolex Shanghai Masters as a qualifier, overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(5), 6-4.

Like Vacherot, Ugo Humbert bounced back from a first-round exit in Brisbane by claiming a straight-sets win in his Adelaide opener. The former World No. 13 prevailed 6-3, 7-6(3) in an all-French, all-lefty battle with Terence Atmane to advance to face fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Reilly Opelka and Jaume Munar were also straight-sets winners on Monday. Opelka downed home favourite Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 7-6(6) with the help of 22 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and he will face his good friend and second seed Tommy Paul for a quarter-final spot. Meanwhile Munar lost the first three games against Daniel Altmaier but won the following 12 to prevail 6-3, 6-0 and set a meeting with third seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Source link