Tennis News Today: Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero makes concerning revelation about Spaniard's health at ATP Finals; Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek turn heads at BJK Cup, and more
Carlos Alcaraz's coach opened up about the Spaniard's health scare at the ongoing ATP Finals. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev talked about the nature of court surface in the past compared to today. Ons Jabeur revealed her shock after the ITF decided to cancel tournaments in her home country.
In other news, Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek turned heads with their fashion choice at the Billie Jean King Cup. Also, Rennae Stubbs discussed Carlos Alcaraz's shock loss against Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals 2024.
On that note, here is a list of top tennis news from today:
Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero talks about the Spaniard's fitness level at the ATP Finals
Juan Carlos Ferrero has revealed that Carlos Alcaraz is struggling with breathing problems at the ATP Finals. The Spanish star suffered a shock first-round defeat at the hands of Casper Ruud, where he struggled physically to compete with the Norwegian.
In preparation for his second-round match against Andrey Rublev, Alcaraz was scheduled for a practice session. However, the 21-year-old ended the session in just five minutes, citing breathing problems.
Speaking to the media, Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero revealed that the World No. 3 is facing difficulty in breathing and cannot perform at his best. The Spanish coach further added that it is still uncertain if Alcaraz would compete in his match against Andrey Rublev.
"As soon as he moves a little, he has trouble breathing. His chest is a little tight. A bad time to get sick. We must not anticipate whether he will play or not tomorrow. We have all played in these circumstances. I think he will not get to the point where he will not go on court. It will be difficult for him to be 100% tomorrow," Ferrero said (translated from Spanish).
Read more: "Carlos Alcaraz has trouble breathing" - Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero gives his verdict on Spaniard's fitness at ATP Finals & whether he can still play
Alexander Zverev opens up about the difference in surfaces between now and the time when Roger Federer played
After his win against Andrey Rublev, Alexander Zverev compared the nature of court surfaces now with the time when Roger Federer was active on tour. The German star claimed that the courts have changed over time and become slower than usual.
During his post-match press conference, Zverev claimed that the players could tell the difference between playing on a slow and a fast court in the past but all courts are the same now. The German star further suggested that the sport is losing its essence as all the courts play out in a similar way.
"I think when Roger Federer was still on tour, it was very different. There was big, big differences between a clay court, a hard court and indoor hard court. I'm missing that right now a little bit. Some were very slow like in Indian Wells, but some were very fast, like Canada was always very fast, Shanghai was always very fast." Alexander Zverev said.
Read more: "When Roger Federer was on tour, it was very different" - Alexander Zverev laments lack of differences between surfaces now in ATP Tour
Ons Jabeur calls out the ITF after it cancels the tournament in her hometown, Monastir
Ons Jabeur called out the ITF for canceling tournaments in her hometown of Monastir. The Tunisian took to Twitter to show her shock and demanded answers from the ITF.
Historically, the town of Monastir has held events for both men and women and attracted a lot of interest from the players. The events were set to be held in December 2024 before the ITF canceled them at short notice. Over 60 players signed a letter to reverse this decision and hold the tournaments in Monastir.
Ons Jabeur was shocked at the ITF's decision and posted a picture of that letter on her social media accounts. The former World No. 2 demanded answers from the organization and its president, David Haggerty, for the cancellation of the December tournaments.
"Monastir where I do my preparation is a Tennis heaven with future champions playing ITF events. Shocked to see that events have been cancelled in December! Players are struggling already and working hard to get their ranking up! Care to explain @ITFTennis @HaggertyTennis?" she tweeted.
Read more: "Shocked to see... Care to explain?" - Ons Jabeur calls out ITF for canceling tournaments in her hometown Monastir
Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek dazzle with fancy outfits at the Billie Jean King Cup
Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek were among the WTA stars to shine at the Billie Jean King Cup reception dinner. All the WTA stars wore dazzling outfits as they prepared for the year-end tournament.
Team Poland, led by the former World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, donned a former outfit and opted for a magenta pant suit. Swiatek is competing at the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time and is set to face Spanish Paula Badosa in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Team Britain and Emma Raducanu looked at their best as they paired navy blue blazers with long skirts. Raducanu and Katie Boulter will headline the British team at the Billie Jean King Cup.
Read more: In Pictures: Emma Raducanu, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Danielle Collins, and others shine in dazzling outfits at Billie Jean King Cup gala
Rennae Stubbs talks about Carlos Alcaraz's defeat against Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals
Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs dissected Carlos Alcaraz's performance against Casper Ruud. The Spaniard struggled physically and lost in straight sets against the Norwegian star.
Stubbs took to her social media account to express concern about Alcaraz's ability to win 'free points'. The former Australian player further added that the Spanish star does not lock himself in during matches and tends to wander mentally while competing on the court. Stubbs also hilariously nicknamed Casper Ruud as 'oatmeal station' and offered her congratulations to the Norwegian star.
"Sometimes Carlos just doesn’t lock it down. He still has a tendency to go for a mental wander. Shots selections are questionable. 🤨 Don’t worry though y’all he’s still incredible and will win many many majors but on these faster courts not getting free points on serve also hurts him. Anyway, well done the oatmeal stallion," Stubbs wrote.
Read more: “Carlos Alcaraz just doesn’t lock it down” - Serena Williams’ ex-coach discusses Spaniard's “questionable” play after ATP Finals loss to Casper Ruud