Matt Cronin – TennisReporters.net

Tennisreporters.net, top 10 of 2025: women, 5-1

December 22, 2025 by Matthew Cronin

Aryna Sabalenka — Aryna Sabaalenka, Mal Taam/MALTphoto

No. 5. Elena Rybakina

She is just so fast, and she can move forehand and smash the ball. Her forehand and her backhand can go infinite on the lines. However, she can mess it up for month after month. Clearly, she can be upset. Before the fall, she played a lot, and she lost to some key matches. In the fall, she started to be much more consistent. The 23-year-old won ‘22 Wimbledon with some awesome matches. At the end this year of the WTA Finals, she snapped it, beating all five including Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, So when she charges, and thinks regularly, she can have another major.

No. 4. Amanda Anisimova

The American really came alive in 2025, when she learned much more, point after point. She can be exceptionally aggressive, and she can flatten it out. However, when she gets on court, she can be brilliant. In the final of Wimbledon, she was so nervous that she couldn’t do anything, losing 6-0, 6-0 to Swiatek. The wild thing was that in the semis, she stunned Sabalenka, and two more days later, she collapsed. That does happen at the Slams, and the 24-year-old reset at the US Open, when once again, she reached the final on the hardcourt. Believe it or not, she beat Swiatek in the quarters. In the final, her forehand and her backhand were monstrous, yet Sabalenka tacked her 6-3, 7-6. Decent, though. Will she continue to her improve her serve and succeed at the net? When she is locked in, she can win a major Slam.

No. 3. Coco Gauff

Many people think that the American can win many Grand Slams, and she might, but she has taken it twice, winning the ‘23 US Open, and ‘25 Roland Garros. What that means is she can be really feisty, or sit back and rally. She likes the hardcourts, and her backhand can be huge. However, her forehand has been up and down, and while at the net, she can bend down and put it away. At the US Open, she thought that she could win it again, yet Naomi Osaka outhit her. She is only 21-years-old, so she will be mature, and she does think about what she should do. She tried hard during the fall, and she won Wuhan, when she looked very good. Yet again, she backed off at the WTA Finals, and that was it. She does fight, a lot, so in 2026, she really has to much more with her forehand, and her returns. If she improves in those areas, she will win another Slam.

No. 2. Iga Swiatek

Over the past four years, she rose up so high, sprinting, and crushed her backhand and her forehand. She would go crosscourt, in the middle, deep, and then she would flatten it out down the line for a winner. Yes, she is very emotional when she on, but there are times when she gets ticked off and loses focus. She has been No. 1 a long time. This year, she was very good, but not spectacular. Of course she has won six Slams, winning Roland Garros four times (clay), the US Open (hardcourts), and in June, she won Wimbledon, crushing Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. She was on top of the ball, each point. However, Sabalenka was more consistent, because over the past couple years, her serve improved a lot. The Polish Swiatek can hit a fine first serve, but her second serve was OK, but not wonderful. If she is healthy, she will another Slam, but how many more? She is only 24-years-old. So in a few years, she could be 10 Slams, or higher. That would be jolting.

No. 1. Aryna Sabalenka

She once said that the three years ago, she was pretty good, but not at the top. However, even though her serve was poor at times, her forehand and her backhand were wildly aggressive, and her return, too. She was very loud when she was hitting the ball at the WTA, as she was learning to play, and the teenager eventually could slap the ball. She did, and as she said, “I like to think of each Grand Slam as a brand new opportunity instead of thinking about it as something that I have to defend.” She has won four Slams, including the ’25 US Open, pushing past Anisimova in two tough sets. She could a little bit better, at the net, and her serve, but she always try to improve her game. She will win many more Slams.

Tennisreporters.net, top 10 of 2025: men, 10-6

December 21, 2025 by Matthew Cronin

No. 10. Jack Draper

The Britain works hard when he practices and in the matches. He is super consistent, and he can change it up, too. But the 23-year-old can back off, deep in the third or fifth sets. He looked terrific after he won at Indian Wells, but in the fall, he couldn’t play well because he got hurt during the summer. Now he looks pretty good, but he must be patient. If he can stay healthy, most of the time, he can stay in the top 10, or even better.

No. 9. Ben Shelton

The American had a very good year, not perfect, during the year. But his consistent much more real. His forehand and his backhand were more stable, as when he flattened them out, rather than with too much spin. His serve is gigantic, and he loves to cheer after he grabs a winner. But this young player still has much to improve at the net and with his return. If he does, he can go into the top 5 or even better.

No. 8. Lorenzo Musetti

The 23-year-old Italian, played stellar on the clay, beating so many good players, going deep in Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros. He didn’t win it, but at least he was smart. He couldn’t beat Carlos Alcaraz a few times. On the hardcourts, he played week after week, and he had some fine events, but he also lost too early. Yes, his forehand and his backhand are very good, but he has to be more combative if he wants to beat the top players. How about on the green grass?

No. 7. Alex De Minaur

The Aussie had a solid season and as he used his consistent groundstrokes. Yes, he might not be highly powerful, but he can run side to side. Jannik Sinner beat him three times in 2025, as the Italian hits the heck of the ball. De Minaur likes to get set before he goes for it. He doesn’t have the power to keep the big hitters from overpowering him early. He will try to add another new shots, and if he does, he will stay there in the top 10. But to win a Grand Slam for the first time? I am not sure.

No. 6. Taylor Fritz

Over the past few years, the San Diego-based American played tremendously. Yes, he can smash the ball, with this huge forehand and his backhand, and also, he can rally for a long time. Of course, it was a real opportunity at the 2025 US Open, but Sinner was too much for him. Fritz can be happy, after he won, but when he loses, and then he becomes displeased. He is pretty good at the net, and when he returns, he looks decent, but he is not consistent enough. The good thing is that he can be very confident on the court, and he will think that if he playing very well, he can grab it. But not yet. However, if he can improve his volley and at the net, he will have a shot at the Aussie Open and the US Open. We think.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin

Tennisreporters.net’s top 10 of 2025: women, 10-6

December 21, 2025 by Matthew Cronin

No. 10. Ekaterina Alexandrova

How did the Czech reach into the top 10, and stayed there? Well, she keeps trucking, even when she can mess it up. However, she can charge and forget about the losses. She reached at the US Open, upsetting Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina before she had to retire with an injury. In Berlin, she won it during the summer, knocking down Aryna Sabalenka. In the fall, she was hurt, so she couldn’t play. She can be a blast, just like when she won ’23 Wimbledon. That was a shocker, but her powerful backhand was phenomenal. Look, she can be mediocre, but she will persevere with some tremendous shots. If she is healthy in 2026, she can get into the top 5 and try to win a Slam once again. But maybe not.

No. 9. Mirra Andreeva

The 18-year-old player was tremendous during the first three months, winning Dubai and Indian Wells – which can be on some hot days – knocking off Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka, blasting her shots. But she began to skid, not all the time, yet here and there. She is young, so she has to learn to use more strokes. Still, the shots she has now are very heavy and superfast. When players are very young, the game can be complicated, but she can hang in there just like her coach, Conchita Martinez, who won Wimbledon. Andrea has a terrific backhand, and her forehand is darn good, but in the summer and the fall, she missed a lot. In 2026, if her serve is faster and is better on low volleys, then she will stay in the top 10.

No. 8. Jasmine Paolini

She was so consistent, extremely fast and improved a lot last year. Yes, she has been around a while, but the 29-year-old finally decided to be patient. When she had an opportunity, she can go into the lines. She went deep at times in tournaments in the first half, but in the fall she was so-so. She won in Rome, beating Coco Gauff. She advanced into the Cincinnati final but Swiatek outhit her. In the WTA Finals, she was there, but she did not win a set, perhaps she was drained. That was tough. In 2026, she can re-tool.

No. 7. Madison Keys

The veteran had not won a Grand Slam for 12 years, but at the 2025 Australian Open, she finally nailed it and won. She was always a huge hitter, with her strong forehand and backhand, but she isn’t that fast. Plus, she was mediocre at the net. A very nice person, she finally realized that if she was playing really well, then she can defeat anyone. She did on some hot days, bumping off Rybakina, Swiatek and Sabalenka. That was phenomenal. However, after that, she was OK, but not splashy. The 30-year -old gets hurt a lot, and it will continue year after year. If she is playing well, then she will have another shot to win her second Slam. At the 2026 Aussie Open? Maybe.

No. 6. Jessica Pegula

Years ago, the older American was very steady, but that was it. She couldn’t beat the top players. But she decided to clip her forehand, and use her strong backhand, going down the line and crosscourt. Her serve will never be able to generate a bunch of aces. Her net game has improved. She plays often and she grinds for a long time. This year, she reached the final in Miami, won Charleston and Germany, beating Swiatek. At the US Open, she reached the semis again, but Sabalenka outhit her 6-4 in the third. Pegula gave it all, but it wasn’t good enough. The terrific thing is that in the fall, she went to the WTA Finals, beating her good friend, Gauff, her doubles partner. But Sabalenka beat Pegula again, as did Rybakina, who won the event. It is possible that the 30-year-old Pegula can win a Slam someday, but that goal is getting more challenging by the year.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin

In the Queen’s final, Tommy Paul finally likes on the grass

June 22, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Well, well, in London, Tommy Paul makes the semis on grass, unusual, and he defeated another American, Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6(2). He has to face the Italian, Lorenzo Musetti, who took down Jordan Thompson 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

That should be fascinating, as neither of them have been dominating on the slick grass. Maybe they became to hit the ball, at the right way. The current No. 13 Paul won a small tournament, in Dallas, on the hard courts, but the consistent player can really mix it up, and he also reached into the semis on Rome, a huge event. He does drive, from his forehand and a his backhand, and he can stay a very long time. However, on the grass, the points will be shorter, and to bend down at the net, and put it away.

The 22-year-old Musetti has had a mediocre year, and he has lost seven first rounds, so maybe he is hitting harder, and deeper.

He play a lot, all the time, but he will be very excited when he walks into the court and to win it in England.

“It would be super nice to win here in Queen’s with so much history,” he said. “I love this sport. I’m really passionate about tennis since I was a kid. I dreamed to be a tennis player and become number one in the world.”

The other terrific Italian, the No. 1 Jannik Sinner, has reached the final in Halle, and he will have a difficult match with Hubert Hurkacz, who has had a fine year. He upset Alexander Zvereve in the semis. Hurkacz might upset Sinner, and he can smash the ball with his huge forehand. Yet Sinner can attack him, early, and also, to be more patient, if he has to.

It is not even the middle summer, and there has been a lot of injuries, including this week with Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ons Jabeur. Maybe next year, they should not play too many tournaments.

That was a fine match when Anna Kalinskaya beat Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-1. If Kalinskaya wins a title, that will be the first time, but it will be tough, against either Jessica Pegula or Coco Gauff.

Pegula was up 7-5, 6-6 with Gauff, but the rain, came, and it had to stop. Talk about a very tight match, and now they will have to do it again in Berlin…

Where did the 31-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic come from, reaching the final, as she is always up and down. But not this time, as she beat teenager Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-2. Tomljanovic has not reach the final since five years, which means that the Aussie can be pretty good, but not fantastic. However, at least she is there, in Birmingham , and she will face Tomlajnovic versus Yulia Putintseva.

“Whenever I’ve done well, I’ve never looked ahead, and I’m not going to do it now either. I’m going to do my best to prepare, give it my all tomorrow, and when it’s over, I’ll reflect on the week, ” Tomlajnovic said.”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: coco gauff, Jannik Sinner, Jessica Pegula, Lorenzo Musetti, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Tommy Paul

Andy Murray injured again, can he play Wimbledon?

June 20, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Andy Murray became hurt again, and he had to pull out in Cincy Championships, in London, Great Britain, but hopefully when Wimbledon begins, he will look respectable, on the court. The Scot has won it twice, yet to win it again would be stunning, as he hasn’t gone very deep at the Slams for the past four years. It is lucky that he will retire at the end of the summer, and wave goodbye.

The other day, he practiced with Carlos Alcaraz, as the Spaniard just won Roland Garros. Murray just practiced with Alcaraz, and the 37-years-old was pleased.

“I was really excited to practice with him, well, because I love watching him play. [Carlos] for sure one of my favorite players to watch,” he said. “He’s obviously one of the best players in the world, so I was really pumped to go and practice with him. It’s interesting for me, having played against Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], Novak [Djokovic], getting the chance, like, I practiced with [Jannik] Sinner before the Australian Open, practiced with Carlos and stuff. It’s cool for me to get a chance to play for this newer generation and see what do they do better or worse or differently to, the guys that I competed against my whole career. I really enjoyed it.”

Unfortunately, Murray pulled out of the cinch Championships, in London, as he won the first match, but he had to retire after five games due to his super sore right leg. In the past three years, it was difficult, as his injury mounted. However, he did beat a number of good players, but not over the spectacular competitors.

“Although the last few years might have seemed okay, it’s been hard, it’s been really hard on the body. Physically it’s been tough,” he said. “A lot of days where it’s not been that much fun to train and practice and everything. But, yeah, obviously I have tried to work through it and find ways to get on the court and compete at this level. But tennis is a really, really hard sport.”

That is for sure, because usually, after 35, your body is starting to break down. It is possible to have a terrific couple weeks, but then, the pain will come again. Eventually, you have to retire, pretty soon.

Regardless, he has now 1000 matches, which is amazing. The former No. 1 has played some tremendous matches winning the 2012 US Open, and the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon. He would yell a lot, on the court, but he was so darn consistent, both sides. Mentally, if his body was hurt, he didn’t really care, and to stay in there. That is why he has won 46 titles.

“There’s the kind of mental side of things on the court, the way that you’re dealing with, stressful situations, in the matches and everything. There’s sort of like a performance state you want to get into, and then also how you deal with the highs and lows of the wins and losses, and also the day-in, day-out kind of training and traveling and being away from friends and family and things that, you obviously need to take care of as well,” Murray said.

He will have to, and last year at Wimbledon, in the second round, he lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas in five dramatic setters. Maybe he can do it, or maybe not.

He did speak with Alcaraz, off the court, and the 21-year-old really listened to what he said. He knew that, and now he has won three Slams, too. A great comment.

“Every time that I talk to him, we had a conversation, I was really focused,” Alcaraz said. “Every word I’m hearing from him, it is amazing for me,” he said. “He watched a lot of my matches. Yesterday when I practiced with him, he congratulated me about the French Open, that it was an amazing stuff. He’s a legend.”

Alcaraz is playing in cinch Championships, but lost in straight sets to Jack Draper in the round of 16.

“I love watching him play. I mean, his style, it’s really amazing to watch. He’s really aggressive. I love these kind of players.”

Four Slam champions were given wild cards into Wimbledon: Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Emma Raducanu and Caroline Wozniacki.

There was a fine match on Thursday with Jessica Pegula taking out Donna Vekic 6-4, 7-5.

Both Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda won, so maybe if they can really understand on the difficult grass, they will even further, just like Pete Sampras did.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin

Sebastian Korda is rising, almost the top 20

June 16, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Sebastian Korda has reached into the final at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and the American has played very well this week. However, the 23-year-old is still up and down, but that is why that he will reached into the top 20 for the first time. He might reach into the top 10, at some point, as long as he can stay the course, and understand whether if he has to hit harder, or be more patient. He plays a lot, not only in the United States, but also in Europe. He has been doing it for a very long time, as he lives in Florida, and his father, Petr Korda, also played, and he won the 1998 Australian Open.

He talks with his son, but Petr also has to watch his daughters, Jessica and Nelly, who are pro golfers on LPGA Tour. At the top. Wow.

However, Sebastian Korda not only his dad, but another coach is Radek Stepanek. The Czech reached No. 8, and he won five titles, but he never was able to go to super deep at the Slams. Maybe Sebastian Korda will try to do so, but he does want to go much better.

“Radek, we’ve been around each other for basically my whole life. My dad coached him for 15 or so years, so he’s family,” Sebastian Korda said. “He knows me better than anyone else out there. We’ve put in a lot of great, hard work. It’s been unfortunate that I had a wrist injury for so long [in 2023], so you can’t really do too much. Now hopefully that’s passed us, and we can put in some good work. We’re definitely trending the right way. We’re playing some better tennis now and putting a lot more work on the tennis court, which is great. Hopefully we can have some better results in the near future.”

Last year, he did get an injury, and he stopped for three months. He was barely so-so, so gradually, he got a little better. This week on the grass, he beat Tommy Paul in the quarters, which was huge, but he has yet to beat a top 10 in 2024. Very good luck in the final, because he has to face against the No. 9 Alex de Minaur. Korda will have to play excellent, as he hasn’t beaten anyone in the top 10 since a year ago. Plus de Minaur beat him in Rotterdam. Is Korda really rising?

Speaking of which, Coco Gauff is No. 2, and that is terrific, but in the semis at Roland Garros, she could not play consistently, and she lost against Iga Swiatek. She wasn’t hitting the ball, cleanly, and she went to make way too errors, a lot. She is still young, but she has been around for four years. Yes, she has improved her forehand, and with her serve, too, and it is still good, but not great, yet. She has won one Grand Slam, and eventually, she will grab it again, but exactly when? Maybe at Wimbledon, coming up? Perhaps, as Gauff will rush the net a lot, on the grass, and to attack. Swiatek has now won four Slam in Paris. She is just so darn good, with her forehand, her backhand, and returning. The No. 1 Swiatek hasn’t won Wimbledon either, so that will be a huge challenge. The same goes with Gauff, who hasn’t won it either, so there has to be eight players to go very deep in the second week. But which one?

“If you’re playing against anybody in I would say the top 10, I feel like the margins are smaller. Even against Ons [Jabeur] I felt like my margins were smaller,” she said. “And that’s just when you play higher-ranked players, you know that some mistakes that you make aren’t going to — when you’re playing somebody who maybe isn’t as experienced or just not as talented maybe, you know that eventually you’re going to get back some of the mistakes. When you’re playing anybody, honestly, in the top 10 at this point, you know that you can’t give anybody free points. I feel like against her and against any top player you do feel like your margins are smaller because you know they’re probably not going to give that back to you. If they do, it’s not maybe at a scale of somebody who’s less experienced.”

That is correct, when you are playing, you almost have to play well and win it. If someone is sick, and slow, or kick it out, then you could win, almost easily. However, if she is playing terrific, then you have to play almost perfect.

Gauff said that while she lost against Swiatek, she wasn’t horrible. However, she has to be calm, and accurate.

“I think it was the execution that I didn’t do well on. I had a couple of break points early in the first set to break back,” who will play in Berlin, next week. “I made errors, a lot of short ball errors. I feel like I wasn’t always, hit off the court today. Now if I want to transcend to the next level, there’s a different way to play. Not that I can’t play defense, not passive, but making them work for the point, but I also know if I want to win more and stay at the top, then I have to be aggressive in certain moments and especially against [Iga].”

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: coco gauff, Iga Swiatek, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Sebastian Korda

Carlos Alcaraz: three-time Slam winner

June 11, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

In the Roland Garros final fifth set, Carlos Alcaraz was locked in. He knew that if he could crack the ball, everywhere, then he could win another Grand Slam. He certainly did, when he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

That was stunning. However, in the last two sets, he became to hit it very hard, and he attacked, whenever he had to. He had played for hours, but he believed that he could still smash the ball, and throw in some incredible shots.

“I know that when I’m playing a fifth set, you have to give everything and you have to give your heart,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, in those moments, it’s where the top players give their best tennis.”

He has now won three Grand Slams, winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. He is only 21-years-old, and if the No. 2 continues to be healthy, he can certainly win many more Slams. He is content and he is getting better each month.

“Different tournaments, different aura, but I’m going to say: same feeling. I mean, winning a Grand Slam is always special,” he said.

No. 4 Zverev had a fine event, but in his last two sets, he collapsed, and he looked tired. Maybe in the final of a Slam, he could be be more forceful, or try to rush the net more.

But not with Alcaraz, who is so much smarter. In the semis, the Spaniard edged Jannik Sinner in five, tough sets. Once again, he hammered his forehand and his backhand.

“Last year I clearly failed that exam, but this time we’d done our homework,” said the Spaniard. “This year I managed to do much better. I think I passed the exam, but not with flying colors. It’s something I have to keep improving and as the years go by, I’ll feel even better.”

The Italian Sinner became No. 1, for the first time, and while he couldn’t win at Roland Garros, at least he won the Australian Open, the ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami, and he reached the semis at Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and RG. He was disappointed in Paris, but now he is thrilled. That was a gigantic achievement.

“It represents a great result of work ethic. It was one of my goals for myself and my team this year,” he said. “The most important goal is always to improve as a player and as a person, surrounding myself with great people. In the last period I’ve played some really good tennis. I’m very happy to be in this position.”

Here comes the grass
Will Alcatraz, Sinner or Zverev grab the Wimbledon title? Maybe, but it is totally different on the lawn. Perhaps a few of the American men will go deep there, such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe.

Fritz is not playing this week, but the rest are, in Netherlands and Germany. Even the current No. 12 Fritz lost super early at last year’s Wimbledon, so is it possible that maybe one American can reach into the second week? That would be good, as the US guys won it at Wimbledon, such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Sampras won it seven times, and Agassi did it once in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Will the young players push it and learn from it?

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, wimbledon

A toss-up: Alcaraz versus Sinner in the RG semis

June 6, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

The former No. 1, Rafa Nadal, has won Roland Garros 14 times. On clay, he is the best player, ever. However, the other Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, also really likes on the clay, and in the past 12 days, he has played very aggressively. He out hit Stefanos Tsitsipas in three tough sets, and while he did a few odd errors, he was composed, at the end.

Now in the semis he has to go against Jannik Sinner, who will soon be No. 1 on Monday. He will be thrilled, but if he loses in the semis or the finals, then he would be upset. Or maybe not. The first thing is he has to be super patient, and really go for it, when the time is right. Sinner has improved this year, and his forehand and his backhand can mix up, and smash it very hard. Alcaraz has an amazing ground strokes, and the two-time champion has improved his first serve. The young player is very fast, when he is running, and he also is very solid at the net. They are close when they have played each other, as they have had eight matches, 4-4. Is that close enough? Yes. They have only played on the clay once, and Umag, and the Italian Sinner won it. At the Slams, Sinner beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, but at the 2022, the Spaniard defeated him, and he won the US.Open. They have played only once in 2024, at Indian Wells, and Alcaraz beat him in three demanding sets.

In a sense, they know each other, pretty well. Both of them think that if he is totally on, then he can really go for it, with his first serve, close to the lines.

“Everything [Sinner] does, he does it perfectly,” Alcaraz said. “The way that he hits the ball is unbelievable. The way he moves, it’s really, really [good]. He pushes you to the limit in every ball, in every point. I think it is the hardest thing to face Jannik. At the same time, I love that. I love these kind of matches. I love this kind of challenge, to have a really difficult battle against him.”

Sinner will try to slap with his forehand, somewhat deep, yet Alcaraz will attempt to go down the line with his quick spin. It will likely be a marathon, and in the end, in the fifth set, Alcaraz will win it 6-4, in four hours.

Can Alexander Zverev will finally win a Grand Slam?

Well, over the past week, he was struggle, but he made it. From the backcourt, he was so consistent, crosscourt, and down the line. He rarely gets tired now, and his goal is to win a Slam for the first time.

“I’m in another semifinal here, which I’m very pleased about. Of course I want to win one,” said Zverev. “I want to be in the finals. That’s my main focus.”

He has to face the 25-year-old Casper Ruud, who really loves on the clay, having reach into the final at the 2023 Roland Garros. He lost against Novak Djokovic, but in the semis, he beat Zverev. Yes, this year, he came big again, but in the semis, Ruud was on fire, while Zverev collapsed. Maybe the German will do some knew shots, that fool him. Or, Ruud can trick him, again.

“Okay, I won’t play perfect, but I’m going to be a tough player to beat in best-of-five sets on clay,” said Ruud. “That’s the kind of mentality that has been working for me. I know if the opponents want to beat me, they’re going to have to play really good tennis for at least three full sets, and I’m going to try to make it tough for them. Physically I’m going to try to be in good shape and make them suffer if I can.”

Ruud knows that Zverev can be very intense for hours, but he does know that on the clay, he can exhaust him. He will, and Ruud will win it 6-7, 7-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, french open, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros

Tough matches, but Djokovic keeps winning

June 2, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Given that Novak Djokovic played for four and a half hour, and when he finished, it was 3:00 a.m. at Roland Garros. It had rained a lot in Paris, but he stayed there, and he beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. He finally looked very good, but Musetti collapsed. The No. 1 Djokovic has been struggling this year, but each match, he could play very well, and more confident. His backhand is amazing, and he can return deep, close to the lines. Now he has to face against Francisco Cerundolo, who has had a so-so year, but the Argentine can rise up. He will have to, as Djokovic will push him into the fence. The Serbian will win it in four, tight, sets

Alexander Zverev is still playing darn good, while he almost lost in a marathon, but he managed to survive, but now he has to face versus Holger Rune, who really likes on the clay. Zverev can crush the ball, on the hardcourts, but the German can become impatient,with his forehand and his backhand, and he will rush it. Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam yet, but he has come close, at the U.S. Open, yet in France, he has been up and down. “I kind of had this conversation with myself and I realized that you know I don’t do any good to myself and especially to people and kids watching so, I’m glad it’s working out,” he said. “I mean, I worked on myself quite a lot uh in that department.”

However, in the past month, Zverev was very smart, on the court, winning Rome. His confidence is there, but Rune is trying to reach the semis at the Slams for the first time. He can be steady, and he did have a fine year in 2023, and at Rome, he reached the final, beating Casper Ruud before he lost against Daniil Medvedev. Pretty good. Ruud knows that to beat Zverev, he must be super patient, and really mix it up. Unfortunately, Zverev will gringe him, in five, fun sets.

Taylor Fritz is the only American men are left, so to beat Ruud, he is going to play lights out. Ruud reached the final at Roland Garros, and recently, he won Barcelona and Switzerland. He is so confident when he can chuck it on to the lines, and he can be very creative. Toe to toe, he can also change his tactics. That should be a wild five setter, and Fritz will really be very aggressive, but Ruud will grab it 6-4.

On Saturday, the American Emma Navarro will face versus the No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Gradually, Navarro is trying to add some new shots, and also, to be thoughtful.

“It allows for some unique tennis, which is what I like,” Navarro told WTA Insider. “I like problem-solving, I like figuring things out. I like that I can be creative. I like to play with some style. That’s what I enjoy about tennis and the clay allows for that, a little bit more than hardcourts.”

At Indian Wells in March, Navarro upset Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. That was one of the best day, ever. She did lose in the next round, but she seems to be better with her forehand, and her second serve. However, Sabalenka is much more close to the lines, hitting as hard as she can. Yes, Navarro will try to rallied her, but Sabalenka will take it, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Emma Navarro, french open, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, Taylor Fritz

Roland Garros: Tommy Paul looks very comfortable

May 31, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Are the American men climbing, or are they sitting there, knowing that eventually, they will lose at Roland Garros? At least a few good men put together some terrific matches.

Tommy Paul crushed Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-0, 6-2, as the veteran player looked very old, as his forehand and his backhand was short, in the middle. Paul improved a lot last year, and he pushed himself, going for it, closer to the lines. Over the years, he did not go deep on the clay, but now he knows how to do it, winner or lose. At least he won’t go back, next to the fence.

“For me, it’s kind of just having more experience on the clay,” said Paul. “I’ve had a lot of seasons over here. I’m feeling more comfortable than I probably ever have. I actually grew up playing on clay. That was all I played on, even before going to play hard court tournaments. “I mean, I’m comfortable on it. I’m really enjoying my time on it right now.”

Taylor Fritz looks more than solid, as he beat Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. His patience is there, and he can chuck it around, side to side. He is just fine to hit it during the rallies, and he can also mix it up. He can become frustrated, but he knows that if he wants to stay there, he has to forget it with the errors.

Ben Shelton is rolling along, beating the former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori, who retired. Years ago, Nishikori beat almost anyone, who was so steady and powerful, but he became hurt, all the time, so even to play again, maybe he should just retire. But he will not.

Shelton is still very young, and he can play wonderful, but then he can throw in some wild, mediocre shots. He is growing, so he will be more intelligent.

Sebastian Korda looked very good in the first two sets — sort of — but then in the third set, he was disappointed, and then he was gone. Carlos Alcaraz beat him 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3. At 5-5, he was right there, and his forehand went down into the net, and then the Spaniard nailed it into the corners. The two time champion Alcaraz will keep trucking, while Korda can crash. He has to be smarter, on the court.

NOTES
So many good Italians are rising, such as Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who beat Liudmila Samsonova
7-6(4), 6-2. She has been around for a while, but her forehand has certainly been improved, month after month. Clara Tauson beat the American Sofia Kenin, and she was likely upset, but at least this week, she looked OK. Now Kenin has to be more consistent, on the grass, coming up. … Here was a dramatic match when Holger Rune edged Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 7-6(7). Another young player Cobolli was up 5-0 in the final tiebreaker, but then Rune rose up immediately with a lot of winners, and the Italian Cobolli became nervous. Goodbye, but he will learn about it. Here is another five setter, when Casper Ruud beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. It is all about the survival.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Ben Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul