Tennis news today: Mats Wilander backs Novak Djokovic to win Roland Garros, Daniil Medvedev 2 wins away from reclaiming No. 1 ranking | 29 March 2022
Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander thinks 20-time Major champion Novak Djokovic will be the favorite to win the French Open this year.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev has inched closer to regaining the No. 1 ranking, while Naomi Osaka appears to have rediscovered her best form in Miami.
Nick Kyrgios, who won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, has credited playing doubles for his resurgence in singles. Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka, meanwhile, will begin their comeback in Marbella. Here's a round-up of the day's biggest news.
Wilander picks Djokovic as favorite for French Open
Novak Djokovic has been on the sidelines for most of the season, having played in just one tournament so far. However, the former World No. 1 is set to compete at the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Serbia Open next month before his French Open title defense.
Mats Wilander is confident of Djokovic's chances at Roland Garros, now that Rafael Nadal is struggling with injury.
"[Novak Djokovic] is going to be well rested in his mind, in his heart. Physically, he has been able to set up his training schedule perfectly, at least in the way that he would want to," Wilander said in an interview with Eurosport. "Of course, he would have liked to play more matches, but if he gets to three tournaments and maybe [plays] 10 to 15 matches, he goes into Roland Garros as maybe the favorite to win the tournament."
Djokovic is the defending champion at Roland Garros, having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets last year to win the claycourt Major for the second time.
Medvedev close to regaining No. 1 ranking
Daniil Medvedev's reign at the top of the ATP rankings was rather short-lived. His early exit from the Indian Wells Open allowed Novak Djokovic to reclaim the World No. 1 spot without even competing at the tournament.
He is style, he is grace 💅
@DaniilMedwed #MiamiOpen https://t.co/3XUCH2lvob
Medvedev, however, has stepped up his game at the Miami Masters and is just two wins away from getting back to the top. The Russian needs to reach the semifinals in order to reclaim the top spot once again. He defeated Pedro Martinez in straight sets in the third round and will take on Jenson Brooksby in the last 16.
Osaka back to her best in Miami
Naomi Osaka struck over 40 winners in her 6-3, 6-4 win over Alison Riske to reach the quarterfinals at the Miami Open for the second straight year.
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Miami quarters 😊✌🏾 https://t.co/5KODukTBOr
The four-time Grand Slam champion has struggled to make deep runs at the big tournaments for a while, but appears to be getting better with every match in the American city. Osaka will face ninth seed Danielle Collins in the quarterfinals.
Kyrgios credits doubles success for rise in singles
Nick Kyrgios reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, where he put up a fight against Rafael Nadal before losing in three sets. He has now made it to the fourth round of the Miami Open. The Aussie cited his doubles success alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis as a major reason for his resurgence in singles.
"I don't give enough credit to doubles. That's helped me a lot, and Thanasi as well. We're both returning a lot better on the singles court," Kyrgios said. "The way I'm serving, the way I'm returning and working the points and competing, it's quite a sight to see."
The duo won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title and have made it to the quarterfinals in Miami as well.
Thiem and Wawrinka gear up for their comeback
Dominic Thiem and Stan Wawrinka have been out of action for quite a while due to their respective injuries. The duo have signed up for a Challenger event in Marbella and will launch their respective campaigns on Tuesday. Wawrinka will lock horns with Elias Ymer, while Thiem will take on Pedro Cachin.
Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Schedule