Daniil Medvedev moved into the third round of the Miami Open, but not before a tough fight against youngster Rei Sakamoto.

The Russian dropped the first set to the 22-year-old before rallying to win 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Medvedev, who has recently re-established himself as a Grand Slam contender following strong performances in Dubai and Indian Wells, will face 18th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round.

After his win over Sakamoto on Saturday, Medvedev spoke about how he felt conditions in Miami had changed this year, drawing comparisons to Indian Wells.

Medvedev compares court speeds between the Miami Open and Indian Wells

After the match, Medvedev spoke about the Miami Open court conditions, noting they seemed slower than in previous years.

In recent years, the tournament has been known for its quicker hard courts. Tennis Abstract’s data shows an average 2025 court speed of 1.17. Indian Wells’ court speed, meanwhile, was under 0.8 in 2025 before rising to 1.09 this year.

Medvedev reflected on how he adapted during the match against Sakamoto. The Russian spoke about how the courts played compared to previous years.

“It’s completely different conditions, it’s always been,” Medvedev began. “Usually I feel like it’s kind of quicker in Miami, not too much, but a bit. This year it’s slower because Indian Wells was faster… except the serve, the serve can work.

“But in the points it was much slower, so I was losing the rhythm a bit and making some errors. I was just not ready for the ball to react the way it reacted. I managed throughout the match to play a bit better and better. Probably wear him out a bit. It’s just his second or third ATP match or something.

“Happy with the way I played toward the end of the match and again, never easy to make the transition from Indian Wells to Miami. The most important thing is to win.”

Sakamoto was impressive again on Saturday, following up his opening round win over Aleksandar Vukic with a strong performance against Medvedev. Medvedev has a clear path to the quarter-finals. We’ve already touched on this, but Medvedev’s next opponent will be Francisco Cerundolo.

With Ben Shelton, the eighth seed, falling to Alexander Shevchenko on Saturday, the door is open for both players.

The winner between Medvedev and Cerundolo will go on to face either Shevchenko or Ugo Humbert, who is seeded 31st. Reaching the quarter-finals would likely set up a matchup with third seed Alexander Zverev.

Medvedev holds a strong record against Zverev, having won 14 of their 22 meetings. But it was Zverev who came out on top in their most recent match at the 2025 Paris Masters, edging Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Read more:

Stefanos Tsitsipas put on a show to beat Alex de Minaur in Monte Carlo third round

Stefanos Tsitsipas delivered a performance to remember, beating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-6 in the Monte Carlo Masters third round.

The Greek star was in complete control throughout, putting on a clinic against the world number six.

It hasn’t been an easy road back for Tsitsipas, who struggled with injuries and coaching issues during a difficult 2025 season that saw him drop out of the top 50.

He’s shown clear signs of improvement this year but remains outside the top 50 heading into his fourth-round clash with Arthur Fils – who is now working with Ivanisevic. Tsitsipas spoke about his current ranking situation before that match.

Tsitsipas says he is not paying attention to his current ranking

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport, Tsitsipas said: “Well, right now, honestly, it does not matter.

“Why am I saying this? Because when you’re at a certain ranking, you’re used to something else, and you find yourself in the 50s.

“Whether you’re 50 or 60 at this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’m not even checking the ranking anymore; it’s probably going to matter more when I start getting into top 20 again. Then I might start being more conscious and more caring about my status there.”

The interviewer then responded: “Trust me, I’ve heard other players say about your ranking that they’re quite disappointed that you’re so low because they’re afraid of having to face you early on.”

Tsitsipas replied: “You know, I was thinking that it kind of sucks that I get to be so low ranked in tournaments because I’m not seeded anymore.

“Soon you know I guess I will have to play a few more 250s to try and improve my ranking or do really well in this type of tournament. So I thought about that. How tough it might be for me at the moment.

“But also, it all instantly changed when I thought, ‘oh, the guys that are high-ranked right now they’re gonna have to face me early rounds.’ Which actually sucks for them as well as not as good of a feeling.

“My ranking I don’t feel kind of represents my level right now. But again, I have to build it myself. I’m not waiting for anyone to give it to me or hand it to me. This is something that I’m worthy of or not.”

A look back at Tsitsipas’ rise up the rankings

In his breakout season in 2018 – during which he reached an ATP final – Tsitsipas climbed over one hundred places from world number #91 up into the top twenty by year’s end.

A second run to an Australian Open semi-final followed in January 2021 before rising even higher after finishing runner-up at Roland-Garros later that year.

When is the Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Arthur Fils Match?

Fans in the UK can catch Tsitsipas’ match against Fils at 12:30 am GMT. Meanwhile, those on the US east coast can tune in from 8:30 pm local time. Over in Australia, coverage will get underway at 10:30 am AEDT on Monday.

Early rain disrupted the start of this year’s Australian Open, but conditions have since improved and look stable heading into this matchup.

The forecast calls for clear skies and a temperature of around 23 degrees Celsius during the match, with no rain expected to interrupt play.

Read more:

Naomi Osaka has decided to skip the Charleston Open after her disappointing Miami Open exit, with the former world number one now planning a reduced clay-court schedule instead.

Osaka’s latest defeat continued a difficult start to 2026 and has clearly shaped how she wants to manage the next phase of the season.

That makes Charleston the first clay event she is prepared to leave out as she looks further ahead.

Naomi Osaka Charleston Open decision after Miami loss

A Guardian report revealed the decision as Naomi Osaka confirmed she will not begin her clay season in Charleston after her Miami Open defeat.

“I’m not going to play Charleston from 28th March. I hope I can play Madrid, Rome, and then obviously the French Open,” Osaka confirmed.

That points to a shortened clay swing rather than a full build-up, with Osaka appearing more focused on timing and condition than forcing matches into her schedule.

It also fits the wider uncertainty she expressed after Miami, where her form and long-term direction both came under scrutiny.

Naomi Osaka’s Miami Open performance raises fresh concern

Naomi Osaka’s Miami Open run ended immediately after her first-round bye, with the 16th seed losing 7-5, 6-4 to Australian qualifier Talia Gibson in her opening match of the tournament.

The defeat was notable not just for the scoreline, but for the level of the opponent and the stage of the event, with Gibson arriving as a qualifier and moving on to the round of 32.

Coming after earlier inconsistency this season, the Miami defeat added to the sense that Osaka still has not found a stable rhythm in 2026.

Against that backdrop, skipping Charleston looks less like a sudden reaction and more like a reset before Madrid, Rome, and the French Open.

Read more:

Gauff works through early struggles to reach third round in Miami

Coco Gauff came through a tough test to reach the third round of the Miami Open, overcoming Elisabetta Cocciaretto despite losing the first set.

The American withdrew from her previous match at Indian Wells due to injury, and there were questions about her fitness heading into this tournament.

Earlier this year at the Qatar Open, Gauff was beaten by Cocciaretto, and after dropping the opening set 6-3 in Miami, it looked like history might repeat itself.

But Gauff turned things around with a strong comeback and explained how she managed it after securing the win.

Coco Gauff discusses adjustments to her serve against Elisabetta Cocciaretto

Gauff’s serve has been a recurring issue over the past year, and those problems showed up again early on against Cocciaretto. But as the match went on, particularly in the final set, her serve settled down and became a key part of her comeback.

Speaking to The Tennis Channel, Gauff talked about how she changed things up during the decider. She explained:

“I think just slowing down some of the serves on the first and I think also using the new balls to my advantage when it was time.

“Maybe not going for as small of targets and just letting the new balls fly for me. Just being smart with the serve, mixing it up, taking some pace off and then applying pace.

“I know I can do that with my serve so I think just trying to remember that it doesn’t have to be as big as I want it to be all the time.”

Next up for Gauff is a meeting with Alycia Parks as she continues her bid for a first Miami Open title.

Gauff’s serving performance in Miami win over Cocciaretto

Even with the win, Gauff’s serve issues were still on display. She finished with 11 double faults, a number that continues to be a concern.

The American leads the tour in double faults this year, but she did manage to find better rhythm as the match went on.

She won 63 percent of her service points overall, a stat that played a key role in her comeback against Cocciaretto.

While consistency is still lacking, the ability to make adjustments mid-match is something Gauff will take away as a positive moving forward.

Read more:

American Danielle Collins has not played professional tennis on the WTA Tour in 2026. She is taking time off to recover from a back injury and to undergo fertility-related procedures.

Collins, nicknamed “Danimal,” is well known as a fiery personality on the court. She is not afraid to speak her mind to fans and her opponents in any circumstance. At the 2025 Australian Open, she took the Aussie fans to task after a match win over an Aussie player.

MORE: The official 2026 Roland Garros poster has been released & fans have lots of questions

That love/hate relationship with fans has followed Collins to her temporary job at the Tennis Channel. Collins has proven to be a mixed blessing for the network.

What Danielle Collins said

The latest escapade from the Miami Open is a story about her dog pooping in front of a player’s locker during her championship run at the 2024 Miami Open. Collins said it was a player she does not like. She also said the story had never been told before.

Everyone who has watched a few minutes of tennis in the past three years know that Collins does not like Iga Swiatek.

She has yelled at Swiatek on court during their matches. As a member of tennis media, she has continued to thinly veil her extreme dislike for Swiatek.

I don’t need to see or hear her glee when Swiatek loses. It is unprofessional and unbecoming. The Tennis Channel employs many former players: Jim Courier, Lindsey Davenport, Chanda Rubin, and Martina Navratilova to name a few. None has ever behaved like this.

MORE: Can Indian Wells champion Jannik Sinner reclaim ATP World No. 1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz

What I want to hear more from Collins is in her knowledge of the game which is stellar.

The rest of what she brings I can go to social media to find, if I want the drama.

— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —

MARCH MADNESS: Predicting March Madness upsets in the 2026 NCAA Tournament

NFL DRAFT: New Mel Kiper NFL mock draft shows major impact of free agency

MLB: Dodgers announce Shohei Ohtani’s spring training pitching debut

NHL: Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl out for regular season with lower-body injury

ENTERTAINMENT: Is ‘Bachelorette’ still airing amid Taylor Frankie Paul domestic dispute allegations?

VIRAL: Livvy Dunne shares ‘Baywatch’ training with BTS swimsuit, set photos

Wimbledon will introduce video review technology this year that will allow players to challenge judgement calls made by the chair umpire, the Grand Slam's organizers said on Saturday.

Players will not be able to challenge the decisions of the electronic line calling (ELC) system that was introduced at Wimbledon last year, but video reviews will be available to check other scenarios, like whether a ball has bounced twice or touched a player's racket or body.

"Players will be allowed to review specific judgement calls made by the chair umpire (such as, for example, ‘not-up’, ‘foul shot’, ‘touch’) either on a point-ending call, when a player immediately stops play, or immediately after the completion of a point (in the case of hindrance)," the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) said in a statement.

"Players will not be limited in the number of reviews they can request."

The video reviews will be introduced on six show courts, including the Centre Court and Court One.

"The technology will be available on Centre Court and Court One throughout the championships and on the other show courts until the conclusion of all singles matches on those courts," the AELTC added.

Visual indicators for the ELC will also be introduced, with scoreboards on all courts displaying "out" and "fault" calls.

This year's Wimbledon starts on June 29.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wimbledon challenge system: Grand Slam introducing new reviews for 2026

Grigor Dimitrov’s Miami Open journey ended early this year after a three-set loss to Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon in the opening round.

Dimitrov’s 6-7, 6-4, 6-7 defeat marked his worst result at the ATP Masters 1000 event since way back in 2011.

The Bulgarian has managed just two wins so far this season, with six defeats on his record and multiple early exits across the tour.

He strung together three straight losses in Melbourne, Dallas and Acapulco before finally picking up a win at Indian Wells.

This latest exit means Dimitrov is likely to drop to his lowest ranking position in over ten years.

Grigor Dimitrov to slip outside top 80 following Miami Open exit

Dimitrov will drop 390 ATP points after his first-round exit in Miami, having reached the semi-finals there just last year.

The points loss has pushed him down to 86th in the live rankings, a drop of 42 places from where he stood before the tournament.

The last time Dimitrov was ranked outside the top 80 was back in 2012.

He climbed as high as world number three in 2017, a year when he won both the Cincinnati Open and ATP Finals.

Since then, injuries and inconsistent form have seen him fall out of the top ten, with a pectoral injury at Wimbledon last season speeding up his decline down the rankings.

Raphael Collignon speaks out after Miami win over Grigor Dimitrov

Collignon, reflecting on his first-ever Masters 1000 main-draw victory in his post-match interview, expressed: “It’s only my second time playing in a main draw of a Masters 1,000. I played Indian Wells, and now it’s my second, so I’m very happy because it’s a very famous tournament here.

“I watched this tournament when I was a kid, so it’s good for me to win here, and I’m very proud of it.”

Collignon highlighted the challenges he faced returning against Dimitrov: “It was tough for me in the return because Grigor is an unbelievable server, I couldn’t find much of a solution,” he said.

“But I knew at 5-4 with such a tough match that it’s going to be very difficult for him to close because it’s nervy. So, I tried to stay there, and I got the break.

“A bit lucky. And then I don’t know how I saved this match point.”

He also credited his defensive skills for helping him secure the victory: “I know I’m very good in defence,” he said.

“But when you’re not feeling your best physically or whatever, try just to put the ball in the court and try not to make too many mistakes.”

Read more:

Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Miami Open earlier this week, suffering her worst defeat of the season in her opening match.

Linette came into the match as a heavy underdog. She had lost all four previous meetings against Swiatek, and expectations were low for an upset.

It has been a rough start to 2026 for Swiatek. Injuries have played their part, but even when she has been on court, she hasn’t looked like her old self. The loss to Linette was another setback in what’s becoming a worrying trend.

After the match, Swiatek spoke openly about her struggles, admitting she wasn’t sure how to turn things around. Her comments since then have sounded increasingly downbeat.

Swiatek’s honest comments following Miami defeat

Speaking to the Polish press in her native language, she sounded noticeably emotional as she gave a very blunt assessment of where things stand.

But it was an unfiltered view of what she’s dealing with right now: “I feel like I have expectations of myself that I can’t fulfil. I need to let go of them.”

That led to her most cutting remark: “I’m not good enough to have any expectations.”

She went on: “Everybody knows I have a game to win tournaments. I just haven’t been showing that.

“I’m kind of facing things that I never faced because I never felt things that intensely on court. I mean, I did, but I was much younger, and it felt like a normal process. Now it doesn’t.”

This is someone who’s held the world number one ranking for 125 weeks and owns six Grand Slam titles. It’s hard to watch her sounding so disconnected from what made her successful in the first place.

Swiatek’s coaching situation needs addressing

Whether it means moving on from Wim Fissette or bringing someone else in alongside him, Swiatek clearly needs a fresh voice around her.

What’s obvious is that her current setup isn’t helping her reach the level we know she’s capable of. There’s no mystery about what peak Swiatek looks like.

She used to overwhelm players with heavy topspin and relentless pressure, turning matches into one-way traffic. That version of Iga feels long gone at the moment.

The next step doesn’t need to be drastic. It just needs to point her back in the right direction. A new coaching voice could be the spark that gets her there.

Read more: