[BBC]
In the latest edition of Second Serve, our new weekly summary of the tennis tours, BBC reporter Jonathan Jurejko discusses the main highlights following the Miami Open.
Even though Jannik Sinner is currently serving a three-month suspension and is not participating in any competitive matches, he continues to solidify his position as the top male tennis player in the world.
Due to a doping violation, Sinner has missed significant tournaments like the ‘Sunshine Double’ in Indian Wells and Miami. Despite this, he observed as his closest competitors, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz, failed to close the gap in the ATP rankings.
As it stands, Sinner boasts a substantial lead of 2,685 ranking points over Zverev and 3,610 points ahead of Alcaraz, and there’s a strong possibility he will reclaim his spot on the court in Rome in early May.
While Zverev aimed to capitalize on this opportunity, he admitted to “playing terrible” and has had a disappointing run since losing in the Australian Open final, winning only six of his last eleven matches across five tournaments.
Since losing in the Australian Open final, Zverev has only managed to win six out of eleven matches across five tournaments. [Getty Images]
After his defeat at the Miami Open, Zverev stressed, “I’ve been losing many matches that I felt were out of my control lately. I need to introspect.” Likewise, Alcaraz has some reflection to do as discussed in last week’s Second Serve.
Aryna Sabalenka has also made her mark, claiming a spot as the world’s top female player after winning the Miami Open and finishing as the runner-up in Indian Wells. She currently leads Iga Swiatek in the WTA rankings by over 3,000 points and is poised to maintain her dominance until the French Open.
