Tennis news: Carlos Alcaraz pairs up with Roger Federer as Rafa Nadal eyes new job

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So make sure you're tuned into our new live blog in the morning so we can take you through all the action from Saudi Arabia and much more.

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Carlos Alcaraz insists he will go ‘full power’ in an attempt to beat role model Rafael Nadal tomorrow.

The Spanish duo will meet for what is likely to be the final time before Nadal’s retirement. They face each other in the Six Kings Slam semi-final.

Nadal has said that if he is to lose in Saudi Arabia, he wants to do it in the best possible way - by proving he can still compete with the sport’s young talent.

But Alcaraz insists he will give the 38-year-old a tough time.

“I’m gonna go full. Full power,” said the 21-year-old after beating Holger Rune.

“I’m not surprised that he’s playing at 100 per cent in practice. Hitting the ball super hard and feeling it really well.

“The player he is, the legend he is, it doesn’t matter that he stayed away from tennis 3 or 4 months. He’s gonna be back as strong as ever before. I’ll try to play good tennis if I want to beat him. I’m gonna go full, without fear.”

Carlos Alcaraz will have one final opportunity to face Rafael Nadal after easing past Holger Rune in Saudi Arabia.

The 21-year-old won 6-4 6-2 in a little over an hour to book his place in the Six Kings Slam semi-final.

Nadal was given a bye to the last-four and learned that he would face either Alcaraz or Rune.

The tennis icon will retire after the Davis Cup Finals later this year, meaning this is his penultimate tournament.

Jannik Sinner was impressed by his performance after beating Daniil Medvedev in Saudi Arabia.

The Italian won 6-0 6-3 in his Six Kings Slam quarter-final.

He reflected on court: “It was a very good performance considering I arrived a couple days ago. I had only one practice. I was looking forward to coming here. It’s a special place.

“Us players love it. It’s very very new. We are some of the best six tennis players in the world. Hopefully you enjoy the next match, which for us, is the most important part. Thank you very much for coming.”

Daniil Medvedev fumed as he fell to a 0-6 3-6 defeat against Jannik Sinner in Saudi Arabia.

The world No. 5 smashed his racket five times during the final set as his emotions got the better of him.

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Tennis fans have voiced their frustration over the Six Kings Slam's camera angle.

Viewers tuned into Daniil Medvedev's quarter-final against Novak Djokovic to realise they were watching high above Sinner's head.

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The Six Kings Slam exhibition event is underway in Saudi Arabia.

Some of tennis' biggest names are competing for the lucrative prize.

Rafael Nadal is playing in his penultimate event before he plans to retire after the Davis Cup Finals.

Serena Williams has revealed that she underwent surgery to remove a benign cyst from her neck.

The tennis icon found a lump in May but was informed that she did not need to have it removed if she did not want to.

However, the cyst continued to grow and further tests proved that while the cyst - described as being the "size of a grapefruit" - was not cancerous, she was advised to have it taken out.

"So this is me removing it," the 43-year-old said on Instagram.

"I am feeling so grateful, and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all I'm healthy."

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Rafael Nadal insists it is premature to compare Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner with any of the former Big Three in tennis.

Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were the sport’s triumvirate for the best part of two decades.

Alcaraz and Sinner are emerging as the superstars of the new generation of tennis players.

But Nadal does not think it is far to compare the duo to the legends of the past.

The Spaniard said: “We need to wait, but of course. This year already two grand slams for each of them. Number 1 and number 2 in the world. They’re creating their own story.

“I think it’s not a moment to compare eras. Because Novak is still there. Roger and myself left.. but that’s part of the sports career of everyone. Now it’s a new generation coming. We need to let them create their own rivalries and their own story.

“They don’t need the comparisons with us. Let’s see at the end of their careers, then will be the moment to compete what they did and what we did.”

Former tennis star Arnaud Clement hit back at Nick Kyrgios’ recent comeback pledge.

The Australian revealed that he is aiming to win a Grand Slam upon his return to the court, but Clement is not entirely convinced by his statement and has cast doubt over whether he is truly capable of landing the spoils in a top tournament.

He told Eurosport: “He has already reached a Grand Slam final. The problem is that nowadays he has to compete against Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and many other players. For me, that is just talk.

“The difficulty is that he hasn't played for so long. I don't believe it for a second, and I didn't even before his injury."

Rafael Nadal has insisted that he feels he is friends with Novak Djokovic, even if that feeling is not reciprocated.

Djokovic recently said it was ‘impossible’ to be friends with the Spaniard as they were rivals on the court, though insisted that they were not ‘enemies’ either.

However, Nadal appears to feel differently about their relationship.

Asked how he maintained a friendship with Federer off the court, Nadal told DAZN: “Of course with Roger it has been special but with Novak too, I have a good relationship.”

Iga Swiatek’s former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski has addressed speculation surrounding his split from the world No. 1.

The pair worked together for three years before it was announced that Swiatek would sply from her coach.

Opening up on the situation, Wiktorowski told Przegląd Sportowy: “It was simply a necessity. We have never made sudden and, above all, ill-considered decisions.

“There have been a lot of speculations and insinuations… Definitely too much, considering that the message that was issued very precisely defines our decision. It is enough to read it with understanding, not with the intention of looking for sensation. Our end of cooperation was done with respect for both parties, and no fake news will change that.”

Holger Rune has defended his decision to hire and fire coaches quickly after enjoying stints with some of the best in the business.

The world No. 14 split with Patrick Mouratoglou for the third time over the summer, having worked with Boris Becker and Lars Christensen previously as well.

Speaking on his coaching changes, Rune told QuindiciZero: “I have learned a lot from each coach.

“After working with the same coach for 15 years, I think it was important for me to try something different and get inspiration from other coaches to then figure out what was best for my game and my career.”

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Rafael Nadal has shut down comparisons with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ahead of the Six Kings Slam.

In what will be the Spaniard’s penultimate tournament of his career ahead of his retirement, the 38-year-old is preparing to return to action at the Saudi Arabia exhibition.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Nadal was quizzed on Alcaraz and Sinner taking over from the Big Three over the coming years.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion told DAZN: “We need to wait, but of course. This year already two grand slams for each of them. No. 1 and No. 2 in the world. So they are creating their own story.

“I think it’s not a moment to compare eras. Because Novak is still there. Roger and myself, we left, going to leave soon. But that’s part of the sports career of everyone.

“Now it’s a new generation coming. We need to let them create their own rivalries and their own story. They don’t need the comparisons with us. And let’s see at the end of their careers, then will be the moment to compete what they did and what we did.”

Read more here

The Six Kings Slam gets underway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today in what promises to be an exciting few days of action.

Play will get underway with Jannik Sinner taking on Daniil Medvedev at 5.15pm.

Carlos Alcaraz will then take on Holger Rune at 7.30pm.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will face off against the victors of those matches tomorrow.

Cameron Norrie is set to make his return to the ATP Tour.

The Brit has been ruled out for two month with a forearm injury, which he has admitted was the break he didn’t know that he needed.

The world No. 52’s injury woes started at the Olympics when he pulled out of his opening match before then pulling out of Canada, Cincinnati and the US Open. Norrie also missed the Davis Cup group stage and the entire Asian swing.

Speaking about his time on the sidelined, he told the ATP: “It was just one shot a few days before the Olympics. I had to stop and then I did scans and it wasn’t looking good. I trained a little bit more, trying to get myself ready for the US Open, but it wasn’t to be. It was a tough one.

“It was an interesting period, I think it was a good realisation that it was a good time to rest. After six, seven years on the tour, I didn’t really miss one week through injury. So, I definitely realised that was amazing. To enjoy time with my girlfriend and be a normal person for a little bit was something I haven’t done for a very long time, maybe since college.”

Former tennis star Adriano Panatta believes that Novak Djokovic ‘gave up’ in his Shanghai Masters final defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner.

Sinner recorded his fourth career win over Djokovic with a 7-6(4), 6-3 success, and Panatta felt that the latter allowed his head to drop after losing the nail-biting first set.

He told Corriere dello Sport: “He (Djokovic) played well, but for exactly one hour. After the first set, there was no more match, so I think that Djokovic also resigns himself to giving up.

“I believe that a player like him, who was probably the best of all time in terms of results, is not a player who can allow himself to leave the court, I don’t say humiliated, but with a good beating from Sinner. I’m a little sorry, because I have great admiration for Djokovic.”

Nick Kyrgios says he wants to ‘shut up’ his critics by winning a maiden Grand Slam title.

The Australian has played just one ATP Tour singles match in two years due to his struggles with injury, struggling with knee, wrist and foot problems.

However, Kyrgios has now revealed that his comeback is edging closer, and he has made his intentions clear for when he returns to the court.

He told News Corp's Code Sports podcast: "I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money.

"But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.

“But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day. That'll be my deep motivation."

Tennis legend Boris Becker believes Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will be ‘the Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer of the future’.

The German believes there are major similarities between the two icons and the younger prospects.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of Jannik’s matches lately, he’s really in shape. Since the US Open, he’s clearly been playing his best tennis.

“We can define Sinner and Alcaraz as the Djokovic and Federer of the future, although we need to make due proportions. Roger and Nole have made the history of this sport, as has Rafa [Nadal].

“Alcaraz’s style of play, in terms of beauty, is more similar to the Swiss even if his idol has always been Rafa. From a purely stylistic point of view, you can compare the Spaniard to Federer and the Italian to Djokovic.”

Thanks for following coverage of today's tennis news.

We'll be back with much more tomorrow as play begins at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.

For now, take care!

Tennis fans have been wowed after seeing footage of Carlos Alcaraz's brother.

Jaime, 13, has been filmed practising on the courts in Spain.

Fans noticed the likeness between the teenager and his older brother.

You can view the video below...

Rafael Nadal has spoken for the first time since landing in Saudi Arabia.

The tennis icon, who will retire later this year, is playing the exhibition event at the Six Kings Slam.

You can see what he had to say in the video below.

Carlos Moya has revealed when he learned that Rafael Nadal was going to retire.

Moya has been Nadal’s coach for the past eight years.

I’ve known for days now that he told the team and me that the Davis Cup was going to be the last tournament he was going to play. Knowing him, we suspected that it was going to happen and that it was going to be there," the 48-year-old said about Nadal’s retirement.

"I will now have a period of mourning at work because something breaks up with someone like Rafa who we have known since we were children. The only way to feel something similar would be to coach a son.”

Emma Raducanu admits she felt ‘envious’ while making sacrifices to pursue her tennis career.

The Brit, who won the 2021 US Open but has since struggled for consistency, has opened up on her childhood.

She says there were times when she had to miss parties and other social events while growing. The 21-year-old had to prioritise school and tennis.

"There were certain moments where I felt envy - like when there were parties that I couldn't go to, but at the end of the day, I didn’t know any different,” Raducanu told Women’s Health.

“You don’t miss what you don’t know. I knew I wanted to be the best and I knew what I needed to do to get there, so I didn’t think of it as a sacrifice.”

Rafael Nadal insisted “everything has an end” five years ago in an eerily similar statement to the words he wrote when announcing his retirement last week.

A resurfaced interview shows that Nadal was actually at peace with his future retirement as long ago as 2019. Back then, before winning his final two Grand Slams, the Spaniard said he accepted that his career had to end one day.

Open quote marks "I'm aware that everything has an end," Nadal told 60 Minutes, a sentiment he then repeated in his retirement statement. "And when the end arrives, I'll be ready for it. I'm not worried about it. I'm not worried about retiring at the end of my career.

"I just want to be happy and enjoy playing as much as possible, and when I retire, fortunately, there are many things in my life that will make me happy."

Nadal announced that he will quit after the Davis Cup next month.

“The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially,” Nadal wrote in an emotional statement to fans on social media. “I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations. It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.”

Loosely repeating the phrase he used five years before, he continued: “But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”

Novak Djokovic has revealed the long list of things he wants to do post-retirement.

The Serb is the last of Tennis’ Big Three to remain active following Rafa Nadal’s announcement that he will retire after the Davis Cup in November.

Djokovic is 37 and has admitted he has very little left to achieve in tennis after winning the Olympics.

Speaking about what he wants to do once he hangs up his racket, he told Sportal: “I am interested in many things. I still want to learn to play the saxophone, to really learn. A few years ago I played decently for a while, but then I became bad because I didn't practice enough and regularly.

“I would like to learn to sing, to play some instruments. Saxophone is number one, but I would like to learn to play the others as well. I would like to learn and act in the theatre, I love the theatre. Theatre above all, but I also like movies.

“I prefer live interaction though. I love comedy and try to pick up some tricks from friends who are actors. I would like to start painting and drawing and making things.”

Novak Djokovic has been backed as an 'underdog' at next year's Australian Open.

The Serb failed to win a Grand Slam this year, his first barren season since 2017.

But Todd Woodbridge believes Djokovic could be a dark horse at the Australian Open, a tournament he has won a record 10 times.

“He’s coming into a very different and unusual phase of his career because the way he’s chosen to not play as many tournaments, his focus is on the majors,” the Australian told the The AO Show podcast.

“He actually comes in as a bit of an underdog in all of these players we’re talking about [as title contenders] because of that, and he didn’t win a major this year.

“I think it’s probably going to bring him freedom in the way that he approaches it, and he’ll enjoy that.”

Jannik Sinner has admitted the ongoing appeal against clearing him of doping has left him in a 'not comfortable' position and says it is affecting his tennis.

The Italian, 23, beat Novak Djokovic to win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday.

But he has been distracted by an appeal submitted by the World Anti-Drugs Agency (WADA), who believe the decision to clear him of fault in a case where he allegedly tested positive for a banned substance should result in a suspension.

"People, they think that by winning or having success that you don't have any problems, but it's not true," Sinner said. "Because the situation where I'm in, obviously, it's not comfortable.

"I wish I would not be in this position where I am right now off the court, and playing freely more on the court, and trying even to enjoy it a little bit more."

There's no Emma Raducanu at the Ningbo Open, so Katie Boulter is carrying the torch for British tennis.

The 28-year-old made light work of her match against Sara Errani, beating the Italian in straight sets in China.

In a match disrupted due to heavy rain, Boulter came out with the score level at 2-2 following a prolonged stoppage and dominated to win 6-3 6-2.

She will now face Beatriz Haddad Maia for a place in the quarter-finals.

Holger Rune has confirmed he will reunite with his former coach after splitting with Patrick Mouratoglou.

The world No. 14 has cycled between different mentors over the last couple of years.

He ended his on-and-off partnership with Mouratoglou in July and has now rehired another familiar face in his childhood coach Lars Christensen.

“I am happy to work with Lars again,” the world No. 14 said in a statement. “We have known each other for many years and have developed our very own tennis language together.

“During the past month, I have trained a few times with Lars when I have been in Denmark, and it has, among other things, had a really good effect on my serve.”

Carlos Alcaraz's coach indicated the Spaniard got the chance to practice on the court with Roger Federer after watching Novak Djokovic in Shanghai.

The world No. 2 sat alongside Federer to watch Jannik Sinner beat Djokovic in Sunday's ATP Masters 1000 final.

It now appears both men got on the court during finals day, as Alcaraz’s coach teased a private practice session between his protege and the retired Swiss star.

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Novak Djokovic felt the impact of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal throughout his career as Mats Wilander told the Serbian he can feel 'so proud'.

The 37-year-old will be the last of the 'Big Three' left when Nadal joins Federer in the retirement club. And Wilander, the former world No 1, thinks he should be pleased with how he rivalled the pair.

“I think Novak will feel so proud,” he told Eurosport. “I mean, sad in a way, but he lived through the storm. Yes, he’s younger than both Roger and Rafa, and Andy [Murray] and him, I think, are the same age or pretty close, but he survived it all.

“He is the winningest male tennis player ever. I think he would just be proud. I think he sees it more than anyone, the effect that Federer and Nadal have had on [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner and the guys behind him

“I think Novak has felt the effect of the big two, Rafa and Roger, more than any player. That’s going to make him feel so good because he was part of that. And the effect of Novak is very clear when it comes to the physicality of all the players today.”

Nick Kyrgios has set a retirement date to end his tennis career but insists he is "far from done" after announcing his comeback.

The former world No. 13 has been sidelined by knee and wrist injuries for the last two years. But he won’t be spending too long in the game as he has already set a retirement date.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist previously admitted he came close to retirement after having an operation on his wrist and is planning to wind down his career in the near future.

“I'm far from done, to be honest,” the Aussie said. “I'm in the later stages of my career but I still have one or two years left…”

The Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia could very well change the fabric of tennis with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal set to land huge windfalls by taking part.

The prize money on offer is like nothing seen before, with reports suggesting each player taking part will receive a £1.2million appearance fee, while the tournament winner is set to pocket a £4.8m.

It could prove to be the most lucrative tournament of the year by some distance, with carlos Alcaraz taking home £2.35m from his Wimbledon triumph last summer - less than half the fee for the Six Kings Slam winner.

Questions have been raised about whether players should be playing in a country where human rights issues remain. But the financial lure appears to have taken precedence.

Harriet Dart is through to the second round of the Japan Open in Tokyo.

The Briton came from a set down to beat Laura Siegemund 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 and book her place in the last 16.

Fourth seed Marie Bouzkova had to dig deep to see off the home favourite Moyuka Uchijima in three sets, winning 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3.

But Canadian star Bianca Andreescu has been dumped out after being thrashed 6-3, 6-0 by Greet Minnen.

Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya has compared working with the Spaniard to coaching a son as he prepares for a "period of mourning" following his retirement decision.

The 38-year-old has worked with Moya since 2016 and won 17 titles in that time, including six Grand Slams.

And his mentor has discussed the pain of losing their working relationship when he steps away from tennis.

"I will now have a period of mourning at work because something breaks up with someone like Rafa, who we have known since we were children," Moya told Onda Cero.

"The only way to feel something similar would be to train a son."

Emma Raducanu is ready to 'do some damage' in 2025 after being stifled by injuries for a second consecutive season.

The Brit has been absent for almost two months since suffering a foot ligament issue at the Korea Open.

This week's tournament in Ningbo has also come too soon, while Raducanu plans to sit out the Guangzhou Open before rounding off her campaign with trips to Hong Kong and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Spain.

Now back inside the world's top 60, Raducanu believes next year will be the year she makes a splash in major tournaments.

"I’m prepared to work hard and do some damage next year," she told Women's Health magazine.

"There has been a lot of volatility over the past three years. And I think the most I’ve come into myself has been in the last few weeks."

Rafael Nadal could be set for a major career change after his uncle revealed his desire to become a director at Real Madrid.

The 38-year-old will bow out of tennis after the Davis Cup finals in Malaga next month, with no clue yet as to what he will do when he hangs his racket up.

But his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, believes he will remain involved with sport - but perhaps not in tennis. Instead, the 22-time Major winner could take his dream role at Real Madrid.

“If they offer him the position of director of Madrid, he will surely say yes,” Toni told Marca.

“He likes football, but he doesn't understand why my team, which is Barca, touches it, passes it... He has his life focused, he has an academy and he will get more involved.”

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Nick Krygios has been causing chaos on social media after reigniting his feud with long-time rival Bernard Tomic by mocking him over his latest humiliating defeat.

Tomic, who has been playing on the Challenger Tour in an attempt to make an comeback in the ATP Tour sphere, was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 by American Learner Tien in the ATP Fairfield Challenger final.

Tien needed only 39 minutes to secure his comprehensive victory over the former world No 17 and Kyrgios savoured his rival's defeat.

The 29-year-old reacted on social media with a laughing emoji when news of his compatriot's loss emerged, which is no surprise given their fiery relationship over the years. Tomic also holds the record for the fastest loss in ATP Tour history, when he lost 6-0 6-1 in just 28 minutes at the Miami Open in 2014.

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