Alexander Zverev seemed to be in control of the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings behind Jannik Sinner for the first three months of the 2025 tennis season. However, it has been a back-and-forth battle with Carlos Alcaraz dating back to the start of the ongoing clay-court swing. In the fight for the second seed at Roland Garros, Alcaraz climbed from No. 3 to No. 2 in the world … [Read more...] about Zverev not a lock for French Open No. 2 seed despite Alcaraz withdrawal from Madrid
Madrid Masters
Ricky’s tennis picks for the ATP Mutua Madrid Open
It is shaping up to be a relatively wide open Mutua Madrid Open. Jannik Sinner is still on the sidelines (this is the last tournament he will miss during his three-month suspension) and Carlos Alcaraz may be dealing with a leg injury following last week's effort in Barcelona. Before main-draw competition begins on Wednesday, here are my picks for this Masters 1000 … [Read more...] about Ricky’s tennis picks for the ATP Mutua Madrid Open
Mutua Madrid Open draw: Rune in top half with Zverev
The Mutua Madrid Open draw ceremony was held on Monday morning and Carlos Alcaraz finds himself in a stacked section. Alcaraz, who finished runner-up in Barcelona on Sunday, is joined by Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov, Lorenzo Musetti, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, and Czechs Jiri Lehecka and Tomas Machac. Alcaraz’s projected path to the semis is Zizou Bergs (R2), … [Read more...] about Mutua Madrid Open draw: Rune in top half with Zverev
Ricky’s pick for the Madrid final: Rublev vs. Auger-Aliassime
Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers when they battle for the Mutua Madrid Open title on Sunday afternoon. Rublev leads the head-to-head series 4-1. He is 1-0 against Auger-Aliassime in 2024 (3-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 on the indoor hard courts of Rotterdam) and 1-0 on clay (6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3) six years ago in Umag).To say that … [Read more...] about Ricky’s pick for the Madrid final: Rublev vs. Auger-Aliassime
Nadal says goodbye to Madrid Masters with loss to Lehecka
What is presumably Rafael Nadal's farewell tour continued with his final appearance at the Mutua Madrid Open on Tuesday night. Playing at this Masters 1000 tournament for the last time, Nadal saw his run come to an end in the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Jiri Lehecka.The 37-year-old, who plans to retire at some point in 2024, had advanced earlier in the fortnight with … [Read more...] about Nadal says goodbye to Madrid Masters with loss to Lehecka