S. ABINGTON TWP. — One player made a stunningly impressive debut, and another achieved a long-awaited goal.

Abington Heights freshman Prayush Mallaiah and Wyoming Seminary senior Billy Hall completed dominant runs through their respective tournaments to claim gold medals and punch tickets to the PIAA Championships in Hershey.

In a matchup of teammates, Mallaiah defeated Abington Heights junior William Arp, 6-1, 6-0, to remain undefeated and win the District 2 Class 3A title Friday afternoon at Birchwood Racquet Club.

“I feel like I got out there and was really consistent,” Mallaiah said. “I was really aggressive with my shots with the forehand. I was really happy about that. For me, outside of the court we are teammates, but on the court we have to be opponents, and that’s how you have to play it.”

A runner-up last season and a semifinalist in 2024 and 2023, Hall powered his way through the Class 2A field to win the District 2 title, beating Holy Cross’ Alex Harrison, 6-0, 6-1.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Hall said. “Obviously, I have been trying to win this for a couple of years, and I think all the support that I have had from the coaches and everyone has been a huge boost to help me to be able to break through.”

Both players led their respective teams to District 2 titles just last week.

In his first varsity season, Mallaiah came in with a high level of respect for his advanced game. Ranked No. 6 for his freshman class in Pennsylvania and No. 46 in the Middle Atlantic poll by tennisrecruiting.net, he stormed through the Lackawanna League, displaying his repertoire of skill, strategy and surprising power from his diminutive stature.

He outmatched his first two opponents Friday, then defeated West Scranton’s Matthew D’Augostine, 6-0, 6-0, in the semifinals, before ending Arp’s undefeated season in the final.

“It was my first time, but I have played in a lot of tournaments, so I was getting used to playing with the nervousness,” Mallaiah said.

After his triumph, Mallaiah celebrated with his brother, Praneel Mallaiah, the winner of three District 2 Class 3A Singles Championships and last year’s winner.

“It is nice to see him develop as a player since Day 1,” Praneel said after watching from the observation deck. “Every day when we practiced together, I knew that he was one of the most competitive people I have ever seen.

“I am just happy to see him continue the legacy that we have as a family. He brings everything to the table, and he had no holes in his game today.”

Arp, the runner-up last year and a semifinalist as a freshman, started his afternoon with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Wyoming Valley West’s Gadgidas Reisinger, 6-1, 6-0. He lost only two games in his three victories in the tournament.

“I was really happy, but it is always tough having to play your teammate,” Arp said. “He is somebody who you are rooting for all season long. He played amazingly today. Obviously, his skill set was amazing, but his focus was incredible.

“I think that I played great in this match, but Prayush is just amazing. In the semifinal, I played well in that match, too.”

Like Mallaiah, Hall played with poise and confidence. His snapping forehand and explosive service game were too much for his opponents throughout the tournament.

He had two wins in straight sets Thursday, dropping only two games. Hall defeated Holy Cross’ No. 2 singles player Ray Zhang, 6-3, 6-2, before earning the gold with his victory over Harrison.

It was a rematch of the No. 1 singles clash during the District 2 team tournament. Hall led that match, 6-0, 4-1, before being halted once the team title was secured.

“I was serving pretty well, and also, how I was able to come into the net more and shorten the points was able to work,” Hall said. “I always prefer playing someone the second time as opposed to the first. I can see a plan.”

Harrison, whose only loss this season before the tournament came against Mallaiah, earned his shot at Hall by beating Wyoming Seminary’s No. 2 player, Dhruv Sudhaker, 6-4, 6-4. It was part of Harrison’s three straight-set wins in the two days.

“Overall, I played well for the most part,” Harrison said. “I am proud of myself for being able to reach the finals this season.”

District 2 Singles ChampionshipsClass 3A

Semifinals

1-Prayush Mallaiah (Abington Heights) over 5-Matthew D’Augostine (West Scranton), 6-0, 6-0. 2-William Arp (Abington Heights) over 3-Gadgidas Reisinger (Wyoming Valley West), 6-1, 6-0.

Final

1-Mallaiah (Abington Heights) over 2-Arp, 6-1, 6-0.

Class 2A

Semifinals

1-Billy Hall (Wyoming Seminary) over 4-Ray Zhang (Holy Cross), 6-3, 6-2. 2-Alex Harrison (Holy Cross) over 6-Dhruv Sudhaker (Wyoming Seminary), 6-4, 6-4.

Final

1-Hall (Wyoming Seminary) over 2-Harrison (Holy Cross), 6-0, 6-1.

PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh defended its home court with a sweep over Lake Placid in tennis Thursday.

The lone point for the Bombers came in the girls’ No. 2 match as Raquel Arreaza won, 6-3, 6-4.

But the rest of the day belonged to the Hornets.

On the boys’ side, Ruhan Bamber won the No. 1 singles match, 6-1, 6-1, as the No. 2 was a forfeit, giving two points to PHS.

The doubles matches all fell to Plattsburgh with Teddy Raut and Soumar Bachawaty at No. 1, Owen Doorey and Aiden Drolette at No. 2, and Kane Ready and Eli Wisonl at No. 3; all won in straight sets.

On the girls’ side, Emma Slattery helped the Hornets split the singles’ points with a 6-2, 6-1 win.

For doubles, the tandems of Mazie Sellars and Charlie Boule, Dana Lavalley and Resse Boire, and Elizabeth Chase and Delaney Faucher won the No. 1, No 2 and No.3 matches, respectively.

—

Boys

Plattsburgh 5, Lake Placid 0

Singles

No. 1 Bamber (PHS) def. Gotham (LP) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1- Raut/Bachawaty (PHS) def. Contreras/Munson (LP) 6-3, 6-2

No. 2- Doorey/Drollete (PHS) def. Beaudoin/Rumble (LP) 6-0, 6-1

No. 3- Ready/Wilson (PHS) Rondriguez/Carlson (LP) 6-1, 6-1

Girls

Plattsburgh 4, Lake Placid 1

Singles

No. 1- Slattery (PHS) def. Sullivan (LP) 6-2, 6-1

No. 2- Arreaza (LP) def. Meyer (PHS) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

No. 1- Sellars/Boule (PHS) def. Perez/Tomascewski (LP) 6-3, 7-5

No. 2- Lavalley/Boire (PHS) def. Guerrero/Kramer (LP) 6-2, 6-1

No. 3- Chase/Daucher (PHS) def. Contreras/Joyce 6-0, 6-2

Eagles win again

ELLENBURG — Beekmantown continued its strong season with a sweep over NAC, but the Bobcats didn’t make it easy.

On the boys’ side, the Eagles’ Dylan Brown and Evan Danville won the No. 1 and No. 2 matches, respectively.

The doubles’ matches were more of the same as Beekmantown won all three, with the No. 1 match winners of Sonny DeBella and Jackson Goodwin needing three sets to win. The No. 2 grouping of Max Danville and Ryan Dubay and No. 3 of Tyler Sand and Jack Miller won in straight sets.

The Eagle girls’ continued an unbeaten streak, winning 3-2, but were tested by NAC.

The singles matches were won by Olivia Hagadorn at No. 1 and Carly Hagadorn in the No. 2 match.

Beekmantown sealed the win with Lucy and Julia Conroy winning in straight sets in the No. 1 doubles match.

The Bobcats got points from the No. 2 and No. 3 matches with the pairings of Bella LaBombard and Abby Brooks, as well as Kinsley Trombley and Emalynn Myers, respectively .

“Tonight was a great match as Beekmantown is a great program, and our girls competed hard against the Eagles,” NAC coach Jess Barnhart. “I was very proud of how we played tonight.”

—

Boys

Beekmantown 5, NAC 0

Singles

No. 1- Brown (BCS) def. Hatch (NAC) 6-0, 6-0

No. 2- Danville (BCS) def. Damour (NAC) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1- Debella/Goodwin (BCS) def. Gilmore/Chinchilla (NAC) 6-1, 1-6, 6-0

No. 2- Danville/DuBay (BCS) def. LaBombard/Manor (NAC) 6-2, 6-2

No. 3- Sand/Miller (BCS) def. Tucker/Smith (NAC) 6-3, 6-2

Girls

Beekmantown 3, NAC 2

Singles

No. 1- O. Hagadorn (BCS) def. Nelson (NAC) 6-0, 6-4

No. 2- C. Hagadorn (BCS) def. Davies (NAC) 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

No. 1- L. Conroy/J. Conroy (BCS) def. Labarre/Decosse (NAC) 6-4, 6-0

No. 2- LaBombard/Brooke (NAC) def. Fox/A. Conroy (BCS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

No. 3- Trombley/Myers (NAC) Dickson/Miller (BCS) 6-1, 6-0

Jannik Sinner is on the verge of a remarkable achievement as he returns to Rome, aiming to become the first man ever to win six consecutive Masters 1000 titles.

There’s added motivation too, after finishing runner-up in last year’s final. Playing in front of his home fans, Sinner will be eager to deliver.

Carlos Alcaraz, who beat him in that match, won’t be around this time. The Spaniard has been sidelined with an injury.

Even so, Sinner has continued to speak highly of Alcaraz and his impact on the sport, saying it benefits from having him around.

Jannik Sinner admits Carlos Alcaraz will be missed at this year’s Italian Open

He’s repeated that belief ahead of his opening match at the Italian Open, saying it’s a shame he won’t have the chance to take on one of the game’s biggest challenges on his way to a potential title.

“You could see for a long time that he has the ability to reach unbelievably high levels, where it almost becomes impossible to keep up with him,” Sinner said. “But I believe I’m a very consistent player.”

“I try to stay mentally focused on every single point and give my maximum all the time. Whether you’re world No.1 or No.2 doesn’t change much, because every match starts from zero and everything is decided on the court.”

While Alcaraz recovers, there are others who could benefit. Novak Djokovic, in particular, may gain an edge after their hard-fought battle in Melbourne earlier this year.

Carlos Alcaraz’s return from injury: what we know so far

Wrist injuries require careful management, and Alcaraz’s camp will be taking no chances with his recovery.

This type of problem has ended or altered more than a few careers, with Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem serving as reminders of what can go wrong if things aren’t handled properly.

Alcaraz is still young and already carving out an impressive legacy. Losing him to a long-term injury would be a huge blow, not just for him but for the sport as a whole.

There’s little reason for the 23-year-old to rush back when he still has so much ahead of him.

A recent update suggested he might return as early as Queen’s, though Wimbledon is looking like the more realistic target for now.

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Ruud eager to find form again after early exit in Madrid

Casper Ruud heads into the Italian Open hoping to put a disappointing title defence in Madrid behind him.

The Norwegian, known for his prowess on clay, fell short of expectations when he was knocked out of the quarterfinals by Alexander Blockx. The 21-year-old Belgian sealed the win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Ruud’s 2026 clay-court season had already started on shaky ground. An early exit at Monte-Carlo came after a calf injury forced him out during his round-of-16 match against Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Despite the setback, Ruud managed three wins in Madrid. One of those came in dramatic fashion against Stefanos Tsitsipas, where he saved two match points before completing the turnaround.

Now preparing for Rome’s ATP Masters 1000 event—his third and final stop on clay this year—Ruud believes that conditions at the Italian Open will play to his strengths.

Casper Ruud shares his thoughts ahead of the 2026 Italian Open in Rome

Speaking to Tennis TV about how he plans to approach the conditions in Rome, Ruud said: “I think just getting my kind of heavier forehand going. Seeing that the courts are a bit slower, it’s maybe easier to come around a few extra shots.

“From Madrid to here are probably the biggest differences that you will have in the clay court [season], going from a fast altitude, fast playing court to a slower one here in Rome.

“And the clay is kind of rougher here, thicker and makes the ball really slow down. So it takes a few days to adjust, which I’m still doing, and I have a few more days, luckily, to prepare and get ready for my first match.

“So I just find these conditions somewhat suiting my game well, and hopefully they can continue to do so these coming weeks.”

Ruud looks to reset in Rome after Blockx loss and early exit in Madrid

Speaking about his 2026 season on clay so far, Ruud said: “I mean, [I’ve had] a couple of good wins and a bit unfortunate in Monte Carlo with a little bit of calf problem.

“And then, you know, in Madrid I just played someone who played better than me in the quarterfinal (Blockx). And that’s as simple as that.

“I think he, you know, executed a better match than myself and it didn’t go as I hoped in the quarterfinal there in Madrid, but that’s okay.

“I mean, you know, I had a quite dramatic match before (against Tsitsipas) and in a way should have maybe lost that match earlier or might have been on my way home earlier.

“So at least I got through that match and was able to pull a tough match like that in. And that gives me confidence for this week in Rome.

“Conditions are obviously quite different here, and then this next month will be a lot to play for. So I’m just hoping I can come through, you know, healthy and fit and not have any injury issues. That’s the biggest hope, and see where that takes me.”

Certainly one of the most interesting players on the ATP circuit right now.

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Lorenzo Musetti and Jannik Sinner will both be hoping to make a strong impression in front of the home fans at this year’s Italian Open.

Each of them will begin their campaigns in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 event, which is already underway in Rome.

And they will be looking to avoid an early exit like Matteo Berrettini, who was beaten by Alexei Popyrin.

But as top-10 players on the ATP Tour, Sinner and Musetti should be quietly confident of lengthy runs in Rome, particularly the former.

Musetti feels his own career is being overshadowed by that success. Speaking to reporters before his opening match against Michael Mmoh, he admitted that there have been times when it’s affected his confidence.

Lorenzo Musetti opens up about Jannik Sinner’s influence on his career

Musetti has spoken in the past about what it’s like playing in the shadow of another Italian, and he was recently asked to explain those comments further by Eurosport Italy.

“Jannik has definitely opened a new path, if we want to call it that, especially in Italian tennis,” explained Musetti.

“What he’s doing and what he’s already done is something no one in Italy has ever done. Just look at the tournaments and rankings, given that he’s the world number one.

“Let’s just say that the standards of judgment of the public, fans, and insiders have risen significantly. And obviously, that’s something I feel.

“Despite being number five in the world, having reached the quarterfinals of every Slam and reached two Slam semifinals, the first thing I hear is that ‘Lorenzo Musetti hasn’t won a title in four years’.

“That’s definitely something that’s swirling around in my head a bit. Then again, there have been so many finals over the years, so it’s not that easy to be second. But we’re moving forward.”

Lorenzo Musetti believes players’ French Open pay dispute will work out

Sinner hasn’t just been Italy’s top player lately – he’s been the standout in men’s tennis overall, fresh off winning his fifth straight ATP Masters 1000 title.

Even so, Musetti has put together a solid career himself. He has two titles, seven runner-up finishes, a peak ranking of No. 5, and several deep runs at Grand Slams.

Meanwhile, the majors are facing increasing pressure from players over revenue distribution. It’s an issue that’s starting to get more attention from those at the top of the game.

“I supported the letter from the top ten,” he confirmed. “It’s a topic we’ve been discussing together for some time: the leaders of the two rankings are trying to put some pressure on us to move towards fairness.

“I believe the more united the group is, the more we’ll make our voices heard and perhaps more results will come.

“It takes patience; we know it’s a long process. We have time on our side, given that we’re a fairly young group with fairly clear ideas.”

The French Open is next up on this year’s calendar. Musetti should feel optimistic about his chances there after reaching last year’s semifinals before falling short against Carlos Alcaraz in Paris. Alcaraz went on to defeat Sinner in that final and lift another major trophy.

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Jannik Sinner is now in a strong position to claim his first Roland Garros title and complete the Career Grand Slam after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament.

Alcaraz had to skip both the French Open and Italian Open because of a wrist injury that cropped up during the clay court season.

The Spaniard was aiming for a third straight title in Paris, having gone back-to-back last year with an incredible win over Sinner in what many called one of the best Grand Slam finals ever.

Sinner now steps into this year’s tournament as the clear favourite, looking to add a fifth major title to his resume.

He started his Grand Slam season with a semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

The match stretched just past four hours, and Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou later commented that Sinner may have issues handling those kinds of high-pressure matches.

Patrick Mouratoglou: Sinner needs to improve his mentality

He posted on Instagram: “I’m sure you’ve seen that crazy statistic about Alcaraz and Sinner, about the matches that last 3 hours and 50 or more.

“Sinner has lost 9 out of 9, while Alcaraz has won 15 out of 16. I don’t think it’s a physical problem. The only other explanation possible is that it’s mental.

“Sinner, with his type of game, with his focus, finds a way to win the matches quite easily all year long. Jannik Sinner has won 88% of his matches in 2025 and 2026 so far without dropping a single set.

“While Alcaraz, in the same period of time, has won only 70% of the matches without dropping a set. Alcaraz has to fight and find solutions to win. Sinner doesn’t have to do it.

“He’s winning in straight sets in the immense majority of his matches. When it comes to very long matches, he has to find solutions to win, which is something that he doesn’t have to deal with most of the season, compared to Alcaraz, who has to deal with it.

“Some doubts can come in. Then it can affect your belief in your ability to find a solution.”

Jannik Sinner’s French Open results throughout his career

The only major title missing from Sinner’s collection is Roland Garros, and he came extremely close to completing the set last year.

Sinner had three match points in the final against Alcaraz but couldn’t convert, as the Spaniard rallied from two sets to one down to defend his title.

In 2025, Sinner reached the semi-finals, again facing Alcaraz. He led by a set before losing in five, with Alcaraz going on to beat Zverev in the final.

Sinner’s debut at Roland Garros in 2020 was also impressive. He made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Rafael Nadal, who was chasing a fourth straight title at the time.

Nadal would go on to win that tournament as well, taking his total Roland Garros titles to 13. The following year, Sinner fell in the third round.

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Sabalenka hints at potential Grand Slam boycotts over prize money concerns

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one in women’s tennis, has hinted that players may consider boycotting Grand Slams if prize money doesn’t increase.

Sabalenka and men’s top-ranked player Jannik Sinner were among several stars who released a statement on Monday criticising the prize money on offer at the upcoming French Open.

Last month, it was announced that Roland Garros would raise its total prize fund by 10% to £53.5 million, which is an increase of £4.6 million from 2025.

The players argue that this increase doesn’t reflect their true share of tournament revenue, which they claim has dropped from 15.5% to a projected 14.9% for the 2026 event.

Coco Gauff said she could see players joining a boycott, while four-time champion Iga Swiatek described it as “a bit extreme”.

Novak Djokovic praises Aryna Sabalenka after call for boycott

Sabalenka’s comments were put to Djokovic ahead of the Italian Open, and he was quick to throw his support behind her stance.

He said: “I think you’ve been around the tour long enough to I think remember the times when I was a president of the council, when I was also forming PTPA, which is now six years ago.

“So you guys know my position on that. I’ve said it many times. I don’t need to talk about that too long.
Players know that they’ll always have my support, and that’s all.

“The new generations are coming up. I’m glad that there is willingness from the leaders of our sport, like Sabalenka, to really step up and really understand the dynamics of how the tennis politics works and understand the nuances and really what needs to be done not only for her benefit and well-being, but for everyone.

“That’s a true leadership for me and I think she needs to maintain that. I salute that. That’s all I have to say about that.

“We’re all part of the same sport. We all try to elevate the game, whether it’s players, tournaments, governing bodies.

“Unfortunately oftentimes there is a conflict of interest that some people don’t want to address. I think that’s where the players really have the power. I’m always supportive of the stronger player position in the ecosystem.”

On Thursday raised concerns over compensation across tennis’ top events as she prepared for Rome this week.

Djokovic outlines funding problems in tennis

Speaking to the media before the Italian Open, Djokovic was asked for his thoughts on Sabalenka’s remarks.

He replied: “Now is the time to talk about it. I do like the fact that there is more conversations happening on this. It needs to be because players’ position is not where it needs to be with slams, with tours. Just overall it’s not there.

“Hence the reason why I co-founded the players association, PTPA. That was my kind of search for more profound, meaningful solution a little bit outside of a system because the system is set up in such way that it just doesn’t benefit players across all fields.

“You know, also in the past what I notice is many times people would twist particularly my words and say I’m requesting myself for more money, even when I was winning slams. You guys like to put headlines of the Grand Slam winner gets so-and-so, never more in history.

“But we are not talking about the lower-ranked players, the tier one, the ground base level of the tennis players that are struggling. They’re leaving tennis because of no funding.

“We are, I think, the only global sport, if you see all the global sports, I think we’re the only ones that are in this particular situation where we don’t have a certain financial, say, gains or guarantees for the lower-ranked players. I don’t know if it changed since whatever, a few years.

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Ben Shelton is still viewed as America’s best hope for success on clay this season, already picking up a title in Munich.

But after that win, he stumbled in the first round in Madrid, leaving plenty of questions about his form heading into the Italian Open.

This tournament offers him one last chance to build experience on clay and to show the rest of the ATP Tour what he can do.

Shelton has spoken about his game on clay, even after what many saw as a surprising early loss in Madrid.

Ben Shelton assesses his Form ahead of Rome Masters

Speaking to Tennis TV, the world number six spoke about how the title in Munich has given him a confidence boost, even if things didn’t go his way in Madrid.

“I don’t know about afterglow, but definitely momentum. I feel good about my clay-court game,” he began, before rationalising that defeat to Dino Prizmic.

Shelton added: “Like you said, an early exit in Madrid, but not even a bad match that I played, so for me, something to continue to keep improving on, get better at and yeah, see where we end up here.”

He went on to discuss what made the difference for him during his run in Munich. “I think I just had great ball control; I was hitting the ball really well off both sides. Especially my backhand corner – it was actually probably my better side from the baseline. I was just so solid off that wing.

Shelton recently spoke about who he enjoys facing most on tour and also shared a long-term goal he’s set for himself for 2028.

Ben Shelton gets set to represent Team World at the 2026 Laver Cup

Ben Shelton may be focused on the Italian Open right now, but there’s already some news out about his plans for later in the year.

It’s been confirmed that he’ll play for Team World at the 2026 Laver Cup, which takes place in September.

Shelton will join Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur on a strong Team World squad. For now, only Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have been confirmed for Team Europe.

Team captain Andre Agassi said: “Pat and I couldn’t be happier that Ben is joining the team.

“He is a dynamic talent that will help us in singles, doubles, as well as with his infectious energy in the locker room and from the bench.”

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Coco Gauff entered the Italian Open searching for momentum after suffering a Round of 16 defeat at the Madrid Open and a quarterfinal exit in Stuttgart.

The American star is preparing to defend her Roland Garros title later this month, which increased attention surrounding her performances during the European clay court swing.

After defeating Tereza Valentova in straight sets on Thursday, Gauff honestly discussed her current form and explained why Rafael Nadal’s mentality continues inspiring her approach.

Coco Gauff references Rafael Nadal while discussing Roland Garros hopes

Gauff admitted she would love to produce a deep run in Rome before travelling to Paris for the defence of her French Open crown later this month.

However, the American also stressed that results from previous tournaments do not necessarily determine what will happen at the next event during the clay court season.

“Obviously it would be great to have a deep run here, to have momentum before Roland Garros,” Gauff said following her 6-3, 6-4 victory in Rome.

She added: “But you know, every tournament is new and you know the Rafa quote: ‘What happened in Madrid happened in Madrid.’ We are in Rome. Then we’ll be in Paris.

“I live by that quote, because you can have an alright season, all it takes is one good week and your season can go from bad to good. So Rafa’s mentality is the right mentality,” the defending Roland Garros champion concluded.

Rafael Nadal famously used the quote before Roland Garros triumph

The Nadal quote mentioned by Gauff originally came during the 2017 clay court season after the Spaniard endured three consecutive semifinal defeats on clay.

“What happened in Monte Carlo happened, and what happened in Madrid happened, and what happened in Barcelona happened. And here we are. We are in Rome,” Nadal said at the time.

Despite those earlier setbacks, Nadal eventually recovered perfectly and went on to capture another Roland Garros title later that same season.

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Alexander Zverev didn’t hold back after his Madrid Open final loss to Jannik Sinner, sparking plenty of debate with his post-match comments.

“I think there’s a big gap between [Jannik] Sinner and everybody else right now. It’s quite simple. I think there’s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else. And I think there’s a big gap between [Carlos] Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak [Djokovic], and everybody else. I think there are two gaps right now,” Zverev said.

Not everyone agreed, though. Andy Roddick was among those who pushed back, suggesting that Sinner and Alcaraz aren’t as far apart as Zverev implied.

But when asked about it ahead of the Italian Open, Zverev stuck to his view.

Alexander Zverev doubles down on Jannik Sinner gap to Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic

Speaking to the tournament’s official YouTube channel, Zverev was asked about his 2026 Masters 1000 campaign so far.

“I’ve been losing to one man, but everybody has been losing to him,” he said.

“I mean, he’s been a level or maybe two levels above everyone else at the moment, and playing fantastically, so credit to him.

“Even though I was a bit disappointed with how I played in the Madrid final, and I wish I could have played a bit better and given him a bigger challenge, but yeah, he’s been flawless.”

Zverev managed just three games in the Madrid Open final, putting in one of his poorest displays in recent memory.

His comments suggesting he belonged on the same level as Alcaraz and Djokovic also drew criticism from some quarters.

Looking to move on from his defeat in Spain, Zverev is aiming for a strong showing in Rome, where he has won twice before. “I mean, I love this place. I love Italy in general,” he said.

“I love the old city of Rome. I just enjoy my time here and that always helps when you are on the tennis court.”

Alexander Zverev’s first opponent in Rome is confirmed

Zverev, who received a bye into the second round, was set to face the winner of Daniel Altmaier and Zhang Zhizhen.

Altmaier came from a set down to beat Zhizhen 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. Zverev leads their head-to-head record 3-1.

It remains to be seen if Zverev can improve that record further when they meet again in Rome.

The match is scheduled for Friday, May 8th, with a spot in the third round on the line.

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Novak Djokovic appears ready to make his first clay-court appearance of the season after sitting out every event over the past month.

While there have been several valid reasons for his absence, it’s clear he’s prioritising his physical condition ahead of Roland Garros.

With Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by injury, Djokovic’s path to a record 25th Grand Slam title could be more open than ever.

However, skipping competitive matches on clay may still have an impact, despite how comfortable he is on the surface. That notion was reinforced by what happened during a recent practice session against Arthur Fils.

Novak Djokovic takes pre-Italian Open hit

While the Frenchman is a tough matchup on any surface, he has stood out in particular this season for his performances on clay.

He started the year with a win in Barcelona and made it to the semi-finals in Madrid. There’s no reason to think he can’t put together another strong run in Rome.

Djokovic, wanting to measure himself against a rising talent, organised a practice set with the 21-year-old.

The result wasn’t encouraging for Djokovic, with Fils winning 6-2.

After his recent loss to Jannik Sinner, Fils was told what areas he needed to work on. Getting court time against someone like Djokovic will only help him address those gaps.

What Djokovic’s missed clay-court time could mean for him

There are two ways that Djokovic’s lack of tennis on clay can go.

On the one hand, the rest might be just what he needed, and whilst Rome might not result in a trophy, he could head to Paris completely refreshed and ready to attack for the title.

After all, having played at the top level of the sport for over two decades, Djokovic knows how to play on clay. There’s little new he would have learned this year.

Alas, the nuances of this surface are obvious, and the transition remains tricky no matter how experienced a player is.

If his physical condition has been recharged during his break from competition, it may still take some time before he adapts to clay again. And if that happens in Rome, it would leave him short on match practice ahead of Roland Garros.

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Iga Swiatek is calling for a sit-down between players and tournament organisers at Roland Garros over ongoing prize money disagreements.

Both Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have said they would skip Grand Slams in protest, demanding a fairer revenue split. But Swiatek isn’t quite ready to take that step.

“Boycotting the tournament, it’s a bit of an extreme situation. Hopefully, before Roland Garros, there’s going to be an opportunity to have these types of meetings, and we’ll see how they go,” she said.

Kim Clijsters explains how she would approach the Grand Slam prize money dispute

Speaking on the latest episode of ‘Love All’, Clijsters shared her perspective.

“It is not a new topic. I feel like years ago, when I was a youngster growing up with Venus [Williams] and Serena [Williams] as role models, when it came to equal pay for women. I know Venus was in the meeting rooms at Grand Slams and talking to tournament directors, proving a point of why we deserve to be paid equally. She succeeded,” said Clijsters.

“The word boycott was being thrown out at times as well.

“I think where Iga [Swiatek] stands with her comments was that ‘okay, maybe boycotting right now seems a little extreme, but let’s keep negotiating and then if nothing happens let’s see’.

“I think the approach I would take is, let’s have these top players sit in the meeting rooms and see what the challenges are.

Clijsters went on to mention which players she believes need to step up if meaningful change is going to happen.

Clijsters also touched on how current prize money levels affect those outside the spotlight.

This year, just 446 women have earned more than $10,000 on the WTA Tour. Those numbers pale in comparison to other major sports and underline why so many players are speaking out now.

Elena Rybakina discusses the Grand Slam boycott debate

Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff weren’t the only ones addressing boycott questions during media day at the Italian Open.

World number two Elena Rybakina was also asked about the possibility of players boycotting a Grand Slam to push for change.

When asked if she could see herself or other players joining a boycott, Rybakina replied:

“It’s a tough question because we had so many things in the past where players could come together and boycott, but it never happened,” she said.

“If the majority says we are boycotting, we are not playing, then of course I’m up for it. It’s not an issue.”

Rybakina also brought up another issue that gets overlooked when it comes to tennis prize money: taxes.

“A lot of people are not aware that there are taxes which are big. You even make more prize money, but you give it all to the taxes. It’s a different topic.”

No matter how you look at it, this story isn’t going away anytime soon.

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Alex Eala advanced to the second round of the Italian Open with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Magdalena Frech.

“I was just very happy that I was able to come back after being down a break and find the confidence in my game and play aggressive again,” said Eala.

“The people around me are so supportive. They really make it a point to focus on who I am as a person and not just as an athlete.”

Alex Eala says she wasn’t ‘tired’ enough during her first-round win in Rome

In a conversation with the ‘Tennis Channel,’ Eala was asked about how she managed to come through the match.

“I think I told myself that I was not tired enough,” she said.

“I told my team that I was not finishing the points tired enough, so maybe the intensity went down a little bit.

“I tried my best to give that little extra push every single point, and it paid off.”

Eala moved ahead after a strong start, but her intensity dropped in the second set as Frech pulled level. The Filipina found her rhythm again in the third set and closed out an important win.

After taking control early on, Eala let up a bit and lost momentum, dropping the second set. But she found her footing again when it mattered most, pushing through for a hard-earned win to reach the next round.

She understands just how tough it is to compete at this level and knows she needs to maintain high standards if she wants to keep advancing.

Who will Alex Eala face in the next round of the Italian Open?

Her next challenge is against 31st seed Xinyu Wang, a familiar face from earlier this season.

Their only previous meeting came in the semi-finals of the ASB Classic, where Eala took an early lead but couldn’t close it out, eventually falling 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

Wang turned that match around and went on to win in three sets. Now, Eala has a chance to level their head-to-head and potentially set up a high-profile third-round clash.

The winner could meet Elena Rybakina, who’s already added an Australian Open title and a clay-court win in Stuttgart this year to her impressive résumé.

Eala and Rybakina have yet to meet on the WTA Tour. If both players get through their second-round matches—Eala against Wang and Rybakina facing either Lilli Tagger or Maria Sakkari—it could set up their first encounter in Rome.

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Emma Raducanu has been forced to withdraw from the Italian Open in the latest setback of a disrupted season.

Raducanu had been due to begin her campaign against either Solana Sierra or a qualifier later this week before a possible meeting with Coco Gauff in Rome, but has pulled out of the event citing post-viral illness.

The British No 1 has not played since Indian Wells in March due to the illness, while an injury to her hand was also a contributing factor in her decision to withdraw from the Mutua Madrid Open last week.

The 23-year-old is therefore yet to play a clay-court match this season, with the start of the French Open on 24 May ever nearer.

Raducanu reached the fourth round in Rome 12 months ago before suffering defeat to Gauff. Her absence is a blow given the strength of the field at the Italian Open, the last WTA 1000 event before Roland-Garros.

All of the WTA’s top 20 are due to compete as home favourite Jasmine Paolini defends her title. The American will face either Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva or Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in her opening match in Rome, with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka potentially facing a tricky opener against Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open winner who is returning from injury.

In the men’s draw, British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who reached the Barcelona Open quarter-finals on clay, has a bye to the second round. Jack Draper is out for the remainder of the clay season as he continues to battle a series of injuries.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a record run of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles and looking to make that six at his home Masters, while Novak Djokovic will be relieved he can only face the Italian in the final.

Sinner is aiming to replicate Djokovic’s achievement as the only man to complete the career Golden Masters - winning all nine titles at this level - with Rome the only one the 24-year-old has yet to claim.

Sinner is seeded to meet Jakub Mensik - one of the few players to beat him this year, in the Qatar Open quarter-finals - in the third round and rapidly rising Frenchman Arthur Fils, whom he defeated in the Madrid semi-finals, in the fourth.

British tennis player Emma Raducanu withdrew from the Italian Open shortly after doing her pre-tournament press conference.

Raducanu has been dealing with the aftereffects of a viral illness that sidelined her since Indian Wells. She posted a vague health update last week, but fans were encouraged when they saw her in Rome, spending time practicing and laughing with her peers.

With no clay court match preparation, will Raducanu play the French Open?

MORE: Aryna Sabalenka thinks players might have to boycott a future Grand Slam because of prize money

Raducanu has not been specific about her health issues

She does not owe the fans any explanation for what’s been plaguing her, but it is as perplexing as Emma Navarro‘s situation.

In both cases, we know the players are dealing with prolonged health issues that limit their ability to train and prepare correctly for competitive tennis.

MORE: Tennis players’ issues are much deeper than 2026 French Open purse

Raducanu is a WTA one slam champ

I have previously detailed the group of players who came from relative obscurity to win their one and only Grand Slam. In addition to Raducanu, Bianca Andreescu, and Marketa Vondrousova fall into this category.

All three have dealt with severe physical and mental health issues, and turbulence behind the scenes since their landmark wins.

Hopefully, we see a healthy Raducanu on the court soon, if not at the French Open, during the grass season and particularly at her home tournament, Wimbledon.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has threatened a potential boycott of Grand Slam tournaments if players continue to feel they aren’t being paid what they deserve.

Sabalenka’s comments come a day after a group of top ATP and WTA players sent a letter over the weekend expressing “deep disappointment” in the French Open’s prize money pool, saying their pay didn’t reflect the increase in projected tournament revenue.

“Without us there wouldn’t be a tournament and there wouldn’t be that entertainment,” Sabalenka said Tuesday at an Italian Open press conference. “I think at some point we will boycott it. I feel like that’s going to be the only way to fight for our rights.”

“I feel like nowadays, we girls can easily get together and go for this because of some of the things I feel like it’s really unfair to the players. I think at some point it’s going to get to this,” Sabalenka continued.

Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, the defending French and Australian Open champions, respectively, were both in support of a possible boycott as well. 

Gauff said at the Italian Open Tuesday that she could “100% see” a boycott happening if players “collectively agree on it.” She also said she thinks “few players” also agree with Sabalenka’s sentiment. 

“It’s not about me. It’s about the future of our sport and the current players who aren’t getting as much benefits as even some of the top players are getting,” Gauff said, referring to players who don’t necessarily earn millions in sponsorship money. “When you look at the 50 to 100, 50 to 200 [top ranked players], how much money each Slam makes, it’s kind of unfortunate where the 200 best tennis players are living paycheck to paycheck, whereas other sports it’s not even a discussion.”

The French Open’s prize pool for 2026 increased by $6.5 million to $72.3 million compared with 2025 which represents nearly 15% of the revenue the tournament is projected to earn. This is down from the 15.5% players said they earned in 2024. It’s also a far cry from the 22% share the players want by 2030, which is what they receive from joint ATP and WTA 1000 events like Indian Wells or the Italian Open.

Notably, prize money at the French Open increased by around 11% from 2025 to 2026 for players making the third three rounds, but just 9.8% for champions—a move the French Tennis Federation said was meant to prioritize players who exit the tournament early.

By comparison, players in major American sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB get nearly 50% of league revenue, while the WNBA’s player revenue share increased from roughly 9.3% to 20% after the league’s 2026 CBA agreement. 

Unmet Demands

In their letter, the players noted that they’re “receiving a declining share of the value they help create,” and “while other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change.”

Twenty players signed onto the letter, including Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Coco Gauff. The group previously sent letters to all four Grand Slams in March and then July 2025, demanding greater share of revenue, greater representation in the form of a Grand Slam Player Council, and increased investment in benefits like pensions and health insurance.

Sabalenka’s rival on the WTA tour, world No. 3 Iga Świątek, was more hesitant. Świątek said at the Italian Open that she was unaware of a possible boycott, and that doing so would be “a bit extreme kind of situation.” 

“The most important thing is to have proper communication and discussions with the governing bodies so we have some space to talk and maybe negotiate,” Świątek said.

ATP world No. 6 Ben Shelton also said he didn’t know about a boycott, but advocated for greater player representation and “a seat at the table” to discuss Grand Slam issues.

The demands made by ATP and WTA players echo those from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a group co-founded by Novak Djokovic which filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tours and the four Grand Slams. That lawsuit, which was settled between the PTPA and Tennis Australia in December 2025, asked for an increased share of revenue alongside several other player benefits. 

Representatives for all four Grand Slam tournaments have not responded to requests for comment. 

The post Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff Suggest Grand Slam Boycott Over Prize Money Share appeared first on Front Office Sports.

Many players believe the prize money at Grand Slams isn’t enough, and there’s even talk of a possible boycott in response.

Sam Querrey, who once reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, says players would be better off boycotting Grand Slams instead of just complaining about how much they get paid.

But where does Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one, stand on all this?

Aryna Sabalenka says Grand Slam boycotts are likely

Sabalenka was asked about the ongoing dispute over Grand Slam prize money during her press conference at the Italian Open.

“I feel like the show is on us. I feel like without us, there wouldn’t be a tournament, and there wouldn’t be that entertainment. I feel like definitely we deserve to be paid more percentage.”

When pressed on whether she thinks players might eventually boycott Grand Slams, Sabalenka didn’t hesitate.

“I think at some point we will boycott it, yeah,” she replied.

“I feel like that’s going to be the only way to kind of fight for our rights.”

The issue isn’t just about prize money but also about how much of the total revenue players are getting.

The top players from both men’s and women’s tennis responded by releasing a joint statement after learning that French Open prize money would rise by only 9.5% from 2025 to 2026.

What exactly did players say about the Grand Slam prize money?

“Roland Garros generated €395m in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by only 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said.

“With estimated revenues of more than €400m for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the grand slams into line with the ATP and WTA tours.

“As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create.

“More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year.

“There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within Grand-Slam decision making.

“The Grand Slams remain resistant to change.

“The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”

If boycotts happen, would it even impact Grand Slams?

If Aryna Sabalenka was joined by Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff or others when threatening to skip Roland Garros, then tournament organisers may be forced into action.

The negative publicity is also something it can’t afford either. But there must be widespread support across both tours from top stars if this was ever considered an option.

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Watch free streams from the Italian Open 2026 as Jannik Sinner seeks a first home men's win for 50 years – tennis TV channels, broadcasters and streams.

Emma Raducanu faces a potential rematch with Coco Gauff in the third round of the Rome Open, with the American responsible for her fourth-round exit at the tournament last year.

The British No 1 has not played since Indian Wells in March after struggling to shake off a viral illness, and has yet to play a clay-court match this season.

Her stop-start beginning to 2026 was complicated by an injury to her right hand, which she cited as her reason for pulling out of last week’s Madrid Open.

But she is slated to take part in Rome. She will begin her campaign in the second round - after receiving a first-round bye - against either world No 72 Solana Sierra or a qualifier.

All of the WTA top 20 are taking part in the final WTA 1000 event before the French Open, where Gauff is the reigning champion. The American will face either Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva or Czech teenager Tereza Valentova in her opening match in Rome.

Should Raducanu replicate her strong run in Rome last year, her likeliest opponent in the quarter-finals would be world No 8 Mirra Andreeva, who has enjoyed a brilliant clay season so far, winning the Linz Open and finishing runner-up in Madrid.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka - who has been drawn in Raducanu’s half - willl play either 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is returning from injury, or Elsa Jacquemot. Defending champion Jasmine Paolini has been drawn in the same quarter as Gauff, Raducanu and Andreeva.

Four-time Roland-Garros champion Iga Swiatek has yet to reach her usual heights this season and faces a tough draw in Rome, with Emma Navarro potentially awaiting in the third round and Naomi Osaka in the fourth.

British No 3 Katie Boulter will open against Eva Lys; should she win that encounter, she will play Osaka in the second round.

In the men’s draw, British No 1 Cameron Norrie, who reached the Barcelona Open quarter-finals on clay, has a bye to the second round. Jack Draper is out for the remainder of the clay season as he continues to battle a series of injuries.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a record run of five consecutive Masters 1000 titles and looking to make that six at his home Masters, while Novak Djokovic will be relieved he can only face the Italian in the final.

Sinner is aiming to replicate Djokovic’s achievement as the only man to complete the career Golden Masters - winning all nine titles at this level - with Rome the only one the 24-year-old has yet to claim.

Sinner is seeded to meet Jakub Mensik - one of the few players to beat him this year, in the Qatar Open quarter-finals - in the third round and rapidly rising Frenchman Arthur Fils, whom he defeated in the Madrid semi-finals, in the fourth.

Djokovic, who has been out of action since Indian Wells as he recovers from injury, will open against Marton Fucsovics or a qualifier.