Rafael Nadal has provided a major update on his immediate future, with the 22-time Grand Slam champion heavily suggesting that 2024 is going to be his ‘last year’ on the ATP Tour.

Nadal has spent the majority of the past year on the injury sidelines, having picked up a serious tear to his psoas muscle at the 2023 Australian Open.

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery and falling to his lowest rank since 2002, Nadal returned to action at the Brisbane International last month.

The 37-year-old won his opening two matches at the ATP 250 event, before being beaten by Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals.

It was in this match that Nadal later revealed he had obtained a ‘minor tear’ in a muscle, but reassured fans that it was nowhere near as serious as the one he had picked up a year before.

Nadal consequently withdrew from the Australian Open, but was set to return to the matchcourt next week in Doha, although he has since withdrawn after revealing he is ‘not ready’.

And when speaking to Cope, Nadal has spoken about how his schedule has altered compared to what he was hoping for, “What I want to play and what I am going to play is very different. What I wanted my calendar to be is not going to be. It will be what it can be.”

The former No.1 continued, “My hope is to play the dirt [clay] season in acceptable conditions and today’s decision is aimed at that. I’m talking about being healthy, not being competitive.

“There are many very exciting tournaments on land and I hope to visit Madrid. I will play what I can within my reality and within an objective vision that I cannot lose sight of that I want to play Roland Garros. I will assume the minimum risks to be able to play Roland Garros in an optimal way.”

Nadal has heavily suggested that this year will be his last and reiterated that once again, but says he will make an official announcement before his most dominant Grand Slam.

“This is going to be my last year but I don’t confirm it 100%,” revealed Nadal. “I will go day by day. I’ll say it before Roland Garros. I give myself a few months of caution. You know that things can happen, so I can’t define things months in advance after a year without competing.”

I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly. Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win… pic.twitter.com/U4GUvIITcr

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) February 14, 2024

The now ranked No.646 has won Roland Garros a record 14 times, and while he has admitted it will be ‘very difficult’ to claim a 15th he has not shut down the idea, “Today it is impossible for me to answer you, today it is very difficult to think that I can win Roland Garros, but I am excited to be able to arrive and enjoy playing Roland Garros. If I thought I had zero chance of winning, I would be doing other things.”

Nadal is next expected to compete in an Netflix special exhibition match against compatriot Carlos Alcaraz, before returning to official tour action at Indian Wells.

Inside the baseline…

It must have been a very frustrating last year or so for Rafael Nadal, who has spent so much time away from the matchcourt. Especially as when he did return there was a lot of good signs, even in the match that he lost, as he had three match points against Jordan Thompson. Hopefully Nadal can play as much as possible during the clay court swing, as that is the least he deserves for such a legendary career.

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Rafael Nadal has openly declared that 2024 is likely to be his final season on tour, but who are the Spaniard’s biggest threats to a triumphant ‘last hurrah’ at Roland-Garros?

Nadal is a record 14-time champion at the Paris major, having lost only three of his 115 matches on the French clay over the years.

If you want to be at Roland-Garros this year to see Rafa’s possible last ever appearance and enjoy the full Parisian experience then buy your ticket-inclusive Official Hospitality through our recommended provider Sports Travel & Hospitality Group (STH Group).

The company pride themselves on ‘taking fans to the heart of the action at the iconic Grand Slam tournament in France with luxury ticket-inclusive Official hospitality’, offering world-class cuisine and beverages, top entertainment and unrivalled views, for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Book your 2024 Roland-Garros tickets and hospitality.

However, after spending nearly a year on the injury sidelines, the former world No.1 is likely to be unseeded in May and could play anyone from the first round of the tournament.

So we, at Tennishead, have listed the five players that we believe pose the biggest threat to the ‘king of clay’ this year:

Novak Djokovic

It kind of goes without saying that at any tournament and at any stage of his career, Novak Djokovic has and will always be one of the biggest threats to Rafael Nadal.

Although Nadal has an overwhelming head-to-head over Djokovic on clay, the Serbian is actually the only player to beat the 14-time champion twice at Roland-Garros.

The first of these came in 2015, when Nadal was on a 39-match winning streak at the tournament, however Djokovic put an abrupt halt to that in a straight sets quarter-final victory.

Nadal went on a streak again between 2017 and 2020, winning four titles in a row, before meeting Djokovic in the 2021 semi-finals.

Despite winning the first set, the Mallorcan was pegged back by Djokovic and beaten in a four set classic on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The following year, Nadal did get revenge over Djokovic en route to his 14th title in Paris, but Djokovic won his third title at the tournament in the Spaniard’s absence last year.

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Carlos Alcaraz

From someone who has a lot of history at Roland-Garros in Djokovic, to a player with a relatively new history at the tournament, Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz made only his third main draw appearance at the tournament last year, impressing with a semi-final run that ended in a cramp affected defeat to the aforementioned Djokovic.

The 20-year-old has become a constant threat at every tournament he plays in and is certainly not shy of the big occasion, leaving him as a big threat at Roland Garros in 2024.

Although they have only played on three occasions, Alcaraz has the most recent victory over compatriot Rafael Nadal in an encounter on the clay of Madrid.

And it is the clay in his home capital where Alcaraz has thrived the most, claiming the Masters 1000 crown in back-to-back seasons.

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Casper Ruud

Since being one victory away from becoming world No.1 at the 2022 US Open, Casper Ruud has not managed to reach the same heights.

However, the Norwegian has still been able to showcase his clay court prowess and reached a second consecutive Roland-Garros final last year.

???? Roland-Garros 2022
???? US Open 2022
???? Roland-Garros 2023

Do you think Casper Ruud will manage to win a Grand Slam after 3 finals lost? pic.twitter.com/BsjHHQd5N2

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) June 13, 2023

This resulted in another straight sets final defeat, but Ruud is undoubtedly one of the strongest clay court players in the world, with nine of his 10 ATP titles coming on the dirt.

Being a Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, Ruud unsurprisingly idolises the 22-time Grand Slam champion and does not appear to have overcome that obstacle yet.

In their two previous meetings, that include the 2022 Roland Garros final, Ruud has not managed to win a single set and won only six games in their three set match on Court Philippe Chatrier two years ago.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas 

Like Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas has slightly fallen down the rankings in recent months, but is always a threat on the clay and was one set away from the Roland-Garros title in 2021.

Not only does the Greek have pedigree at the Paris major, but he also has a rare victory on clay over Rafael Nadal, that took place at the Madrid Masters almost five years ago.

Nadal does combat this with three victories over Tsitsipas on the dirt of his own, but with the Spaniard’s lack of fitness it may be difficult to keep up with the 25-year-old over a best-of-five set format.

However, the Greek will be hoping for a better build-up to Roland Garros in 2024, having not reached a Masters 1000 final on clay for the first time since 2020 last year.

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Alexander Zverev

The final biggest threat to Nadal in this list is Alexander Zverev, who has been a match away from the Roland-Garros final in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

This included a gruelling semi-final with Rafael Nadal in 2022, with the first two sets lasting over three hours before the German tore all three ligaments after rolling his right ankle.

As expected, Nadal has an overwhelming lead in their head-to-head on clay, but Zverev is likely to be very hungry to avenge the trauma of that aforementioned semi-final.

However, with Zverev’s pending court case expected to take place during Roland-Garros his year, his mind may be elsewhere.

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Honourable Mention

There are several other names that we could have added to this list, including Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev, but our honourable mention is Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.

Despite Sinner not being known for his clay court game, the Italian has reached the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros and won a title on the dirt of Umag back in 2022.

To make sure you don’t miss Rafael Nadal in his possible last ever appearance at Roland-Garros, where he’ll try to win a truly remarkable 15th title, you can guarantee the best tickets along with premium hospitality from our friends at Sports Travel & Hospitality Group (STH Group).

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READ NEXT: Rafa Nadal’s 5 greatest Roland-Garros moments

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The post Who will be Rafael Nadal’s biggest challengers at Roland-Garros this year? appeared first on Tennishead.

Ryan Harrison has announced that he will be retiring from tennis, with the former Roland Garros champion struggling with ‘health issues over the last few years’.

Harrison, who has a career-high singles ranking of No.40, only played 13 matches last year that were primarily on the Challenger tour.

The American has not played a main draw singles match on the ATP Tour since 2021, with Harrison finishing his career ranked world No.847.

The 31-year-old underwent surgery at the end of 2019 to repair a torn right extensor tendon, but has not been able to rediscover the same form since.

And now Harrison has released a statement detailing his retirement on Instagram, “With the New Year kicking off it starts a new chapter in my life. After a long battle with health issues over the last few years, the time has come for me to put an end to my playing career.”

He continued, “I couldn’t be more grateful for the moments I had on court. Representing the USA in both Davis Cup and the Olympics in singles and doubles will always be some of the proudest moments of my life.

“So many other great memories… Winning the French Open alongside my good friend Michael Venus who I grew up with. Qualifying for the ATP Finals in London at the O2 Arena.”

Harrison won one ATP singles title at the Memphis Open back in 2017, the same year that he also became a Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros alongside the aforementioned Michael Venus.

Victory for @ryanharrison92 & Michael Venus!

Their first Major title together! #RG17 pic.twitter.com/TBgx1ABUpN

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 10, 2017

In 2008, when Harrison was only 15, he made history by becoming the third youngest player since 1990 (only Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet were younger) to win a main draw ATP match at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships against Pablo Cuevas.

In his statement on Instagram, Harrison continued to thank those that have supported him, “Of course all of this could not have been done without the sacrifices and support of so many people along the way. To all the fans who supported me, thank you. The love I felt through many hard fought battles will stay with me forever.

“To all the coaches, trainers, physio’s, agents and doctors who helped me along the way… thank you for you all for your hard work and belief in me. To my friends and loved ones who always had my back, you guys are loved and appreciated. Your support gave me the strength to push on and give my very best even when I didn’t think I had anything left.”

Harrison concluded, “To my parents – I love you guys and can’t thank you enough. The sacrifices you made so that I could pursue this dream are unimaginable. You guys selflessly put all of us first.. You guys made my dream come true. We did it. Thank you.”

Inside the baseline…

Ryan Harrison may not have had a major presence on the tennis circuit in recent years, but he still managed to achieve some great things in his career. It is such a shame that health issues have got in the way of another career flourishing to its full potential, but it just shows how much you have to appreciate your favourite players while they are active, as one major injury or health concern could be just around the corner.

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The post Former Roland Garros champion announces retirement due to ‘health issues’ appeared first on Tennishead.

Rafael Nadal has been labelled as the ‘king of clay’, primarily due to his dominance at Roland Garros, so we at Tennishead have listed five of his greatest moments at the clay major.

If you want to be at the French Open this year to see Rafa’s possible last ever appearance and enjoy the full Parisian experience then buy your tickets through our recommended provider Sports Travel & Hospitality UK (STHUK).

The company pride themselves on ‘taking fans to the heart of the action at the iconic Grand Slam tournament in France with luxury hospitality’, offering world-class cuisine and beverages, top entertainment and unrivalled views, for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Book your 2024 Roland-Garros tickets and hospitality.

1. Rafael Nadal’s first Roland Garros title (2005)

Kicking off this list is Nadal’s first Roland Garros triumph back in 2005, when the Spaniard was only a teenager.

Nadal headed into the Paris major in sensational form, having won 17 consecutive matches to claim the biggest titles of his career at the time in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome.

As a result, Nadal climbed inside the top 5 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career and made his debut at Roland Garros as one of the favourites.

The Mallorcan lived up to his hype, reaching the semi-finals without dropping a set, beating the likes of Lars Burgsmuller, Xavier Malisse, Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean and David Ferrer.

It was a step up in opponent for Nadal in the semi-final, as he faced world No.1 Roger Federer on his 19th birthday.

But, Nadal rose to the challenge and beat Federer in four sets to become one of only four players to beat the Swiss in 2005.

Nadal came up against the unseeded Mariano Puerta in the final, and despite losing the first set he fought back to win his first Roland Garros and Grand Slam title.

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By doing so, Nadal became the second man to win Roland Garros on his first attempt alongside Mats Wilander (1982), with his 24-match winning streak breaking Andre Agassi’s Open Era record for most consecutive wins as a teenager.

2. Surpassing Bjorn Borg’s Open Era record (2012)

Following his maiden Roland Garros triumph in 2005, Rafael Nadal went onto win the tournament for the next three years, with his first defeat at the tournament coming to Robin Soderling in 2009.

However, this only temporarily halted Nadal’s dominance at the Paris major, as he went onto win the tournament in 2010 and 2011 to equal Bjorn Borg’s Open Era record of six Roland Garros titles.

In 2012, Nadal came into Roland Garros in sensational form once again, winning titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, with his only defeat on clay coming at the Madrid Masters to Fernando Verdasco.

At Roland Garros, second seed Nadal cruised to the final without dropping a set, to set up another major final meeting with world No.1 Novak Djokovic.

This was the fourth consecutive Grand Slam final that the pair had met, with Djokovic winning the previous three.

Rain delays played a big part in this final, causing the match to be concluded on the Monday afternoon, but the outcome was much the same as previous Roland Garros tournaments.

Nadal beat Djokovic, 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5, to win a historic seventh Roland Garros title and moved ahead of Bjorn Borg with the men’s Open Era record.

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3. La Decima (2017)

Since winning Roland Garros in 2014, Rafael Nadal faced a Grand Slam drought with the Spaniard unable to surpass a major quarter-final until 2017.

Although he did not manage to win the Australian Open, Nadal made his return to a Grand Slam final where he was beaten by Stan Wawrinka.

This set the Mallorcan up nicely ahead of his favoured clay court swing, with the number 10 being a very prominent theme for Nadal in 2017.

Nadal won his 10th Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open titles to set an Open Era record, and he continued his dominant form by winning the Madrid Masters.

Entering the tournament as the fourth seed, Nadal reclaimed authority at Roland Garros by winning every single match in straight sets and dropped only 35 games in seven matches.

In the final, Nadal enacted revenge over the aforementioned Wawrinka to become the first player to win 10 titles at a single major in the Open Era.

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4. Rafael Nadal becomes most successful player at single Grand Slam tournament (2019)

Unsurprisingly, Nadal also went onto win the Roland Garros title in 2018 and moved level with Margaret Court for most titles at a single major tournament.

In previous years, Nadal had been dominant throughout the clay court swing, but that was not the case in 2019.

At the Monte Carlo Masters, the Spaniard was stunned by eventual champion Fabio Fognini and by Dominic Thiem in Barcelona.

Nadal was also defeated at the semi-final stage of the Madrid Masters by Stefanos Tsitsipas, but recovered to win his first title of the year at the Italian Open after beating Novak Djokovic in the final.

This win in Rome propelled Nadal on heading into his beloved Roland Garros, where he dropped only one set en route to the final (vs David Goffin in the third round).

In a rematch of the 2018 final, Nadal would recover from his Barcelona defeat to beat Thiem, 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1, to win his 12th Roland Garros title.

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This confirmed that he would move ahead of Court’s 11 Australian Open titles, as the player with the most titles at a single Grand Slam tournament.

5. Rafael Nadal wins historic 22nd Grand Slam title (2022)

After obtaining a rib stress fracture at Indian Wells, Nadal had to miss the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open before returning in Madrid.

Nadal won his first two matches back, before losing to teenage compatriot and eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final.

There were some concerning signs for Nadal in Rome, who faced his earliest exit since 2008 after being beaten by Denis Shapovalov in the third round.

The Spaniard appeared to be hampered by a foot injury in this match, forcing him to take injections to enable him to compete at Roland Garros.

These injections appeared to be working, with Nadal winning his first three matches in straight sets before facing his uncle/former coaches new player in Felix Auger-Aliassime.

It was in this match that Auger-Aliassime became only the third player in history to take Nadal to five sets at Roland Garros, but the Canadian met the fate of many others and was defeated on Court Philippe Chatrier.

This set up a quarter-final clash with rival Novak Djokovic, with Nadal emerging victorious in a four set match to reach his 15th Roland Garros semi-final.

It was in this semi-final that Nadal faced Alexander Zverev, with the first two sets lasting three hours before the German suffered a serious ankle injury that forced him to retire from the match,

Nadal would go onto play his academy graduate Casper Ruud in the final, beating the Norwegian in straight sets to win a 14th Roland Garros title and 22nd Grand Slam.

Since winning his first title at Roland Garros in 2005, Nadal has won 112 of his 115 matches at the tournament, with his only defeats coming to Djokovic (2) and Soderling.

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92 ATP titles
22 Grand Slams
14 Roland-Garros
14 finals, 14 wins
113 victories – 3 defeats at RG
Maximum a set lost in RG final

Rafael Nadal pic.twitter.com/GTgCCZVkod

— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) June 6, 2022

To make sure you don’t miss Rafael Nadal in his possible last ever appearance at Roland-Garros, where he’ll try to win a truly remarkable 15th title, you can guarantee the best tickets along with 5* hospitality from our friends at Sports Travel & Hospitality UK (STH).

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The post Rafa Nadal’s 5 greatest Roland-Garros moments appeared first on Tennishead.

Rafael Nadal will ‘have to suffer’ during the Australian Open swing according to Boris Becker, with the German suggesting that the clay court season will be where his hard work comes to fruition. 

Nadal has spent the majority of the 2023 season on the injury sidelines, after obtaining a serious psoas tear in his second round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open.

The Spaniard underwent arthroscopic surgery back in June and has since announced his return, that will take place at the Brisbane International before heading to Melbourne for the first major of 2024.

????? pic.twitter.com/iH7NvsQGMT

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 1, 2023

And Becker has previewed Nadal’s comeback, suggesting that Nadal doesn’t have high hopes for the Australian Open, “I don’t think his expectations for Melbourne are sky-high right now: if he wins a few matches there, good for him.”

Nadal will be unseeded for the first time since 2005, meaning that he could play anyone in the first round of tournaments.

However, Becker believes that Nadal will be ready for his preferred clay court swing, “He will then concentrate on the clay-court tournaments early on. He’ll definitely play Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and maybe even Rome in order to be 100 percent fit again in Paris.

“His goal has to be Roland Garros, and then the Olympics, both of which will be played in Paris on clay. But he has to play first: he will only gain match fitness and match practice by playing in matches. So, he has to suffer a little so that he gets better in March, April, until he can play his best game in May.”

Nadal will officially comeback at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane, that begins on Sunday 31st December, before returning to the Australian Open.

Inside the baseline…

Rafael Nadal has been very open about the fact that 2024 is likely to be the final season of his career and how he wants to go out on his own terms. The Mallorcan is known as the ‘king of clay’ across the world, and like Boris Becker said will have had enough time by the clay court season to get match fit again. This is especially apt with the Olympics tennis tournament also being on the grounds of Roland Garros, where Nadal has been so dominant over the years.

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The post Rafael Nadal ‘has to suffer a little’ upon return claims Boris Becker appeared first on Tennishead.

Rafael Nadal has spoken about how his goals have changed over time, admitting that he never had a specific plan to win Grand Slam titles.

Nadal has won a total of 22 major titles, which was the leading men’s total until Novak Djokovic overtook the Spaniard earlier this year.

The former No.1 has spent the majority of 2023 on the sidelines, having tore his psoas muscle in his second round defeat at the Australian Open.

However, Nadal has revealed that he will officially be returning at the upcoming Brisbane International before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open, for what he has admitted is likely to be his final year on tour.

????? pic.twitter.com/iH7NvsQGMT

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 1, 2023

With the anticipation rising for Nadal’s his long-awaited return, the 37-year-old has spoken about how he has never specifically focussed on winning a Grand Slam title.

“When I was a kid, I never said to myself ‘I want to win a Grand Slam, I want to win Grand Slams, I want to be the best’,” explained Nadal. “I was thinking about the tournament of the next week.”

He continued, “And when I won my first Grand Slam [Roland Garros 2005], I thought it was going to be the only one I’d win. And then, every time, I won a Grand Slam. I was amazed, I thought, now I can really relax. It’ll probably be my last one. Now I’ve achieved something and that’s already huge.”

Nadal will officially return at the Brisbane International, that begins on Sunday 31st December, and also features the likes of Holger Rune, Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray.

Inside the baseline…

Rafael Nadal has been one of the most consistent names on the ATP Tour, having remained in the top 10 from 2005 until earlier this year, despite all of his various injury setbacks. A lot of Nadal’s Grand Slam success is due to his dominance at Roland Garros, but he has also won a share of eight titles at the three other major tournaments.

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The post Rafael Nadal ‘thought first Grand Slam was going to be the only one’ appeared first on Tennishead.

The first women’s Grand Slam tournament was held at Wimbledon back in 1884, and since then there have been a further 455. But, which country has won the most?

Join us, at Tennishead, as we talk you through the top five countries with the most women’s Grand Slam singles titles:

5. France (17)

Sitting in fifth in this list are France, who have won a total of 17 major titles between seven women. However, many of these Grand Slam victories were in the Amateur Era (1884-1968).

The first 25 editions of Roland Garros were won exclusively by French women, but it was not classed as a major tournament until 1925 due to the fact that it was only open to French club members and citizens.

Suzanne Lenglen, who had already won five Wimbledon Championships at this point, won the first Grand Slam edition of Roland Garros and went onto retain the following year.

The eight-time major winner has since been honoured at the Paris major, with Court Suzanne Lenglen (the second biggest stadium at Roland Garros) named in her honour.

Suzanne Lenglen, a 6x #Wimbledon champion, was nicknamed "The Goddess.” She had a certain flair, & attacked the net & played w/aggression.

Suzanne was also an early advocate for fair pay.

The #RolandGarros women’s singles trophy is named for her.

Today is her birthday. pic.twitter.com/sF1JQk7Oib

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) May 24, 2023

French Grand Slam champions have been few and far between in recent times, with Amelie Mauresmo (2), Mary Pierce (2) and most recently Marion Bartoli (1) the only French women to win majors in the Open Era.

4. Germany (30)

Germany have four women winning their 30 majors, but Steffi Graf (22) is the standout with an impressive 73% of her nation’s total.

Graf dominated women’s tennis between 1987 and 1999, winning four Australian Open titles, six Roland Garros crowns, seven Wimbledon Championships and five US Open’s.

The former No.1 was so dominant that she managed to achieve the Calendar Grand Slam (where you win all four majors in a year) in 1988.

Not only did Graf win all four majors in 1988, she also won an Olympic Gold medal in Seoul, becoming the first and only player in history to achieve the Golden Calendar Slam.

Angelique Kerber has carried the torch for German women’s tennis in more recent times, winning three major titles, and only has Roland Garros missing from her trophy cabinet.

The other two German women to win major titles are Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (3) and Cilly Aussem (2).

3. Great Britain (52)

Like France, a lot of Great Britain’s success in majors came in the Amateur Era with the Wimbledon Championships primarily, if not entirely, consisting of British players.

As a consequence, Wimbledon was won exclusively by home players from 1884-1904, with American May Sutton Bundy breaking the streak.

The most successful British player in history, in terms of major titles, was Dorothea Lambert Chambers (7), who had all of her Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon.

British Grand Slam champions have been a lot more sparse since, with only six titles spread across four players coming in the Open Era.

Most recently was Emma Raducanu, who ended a 44-year draught for British women’s tennis with a shock victory at the 2021 US Open.

The then 18-year-old became the first qualifier in history to win a major title, winning ten consecutive matches without dropping a set.

Other British Open Era major winners alongside Raducanu are Virginia Wade (3), Ann Haydon Jones (3) and Sue Barker (1).

2. Australia (65)

Australia are second in the all-time list for most women’s Grand Slam titles, with 18 players winning a total of 65 major titles.

Despite the Australian Open having a large quantity of home winners in the Amateur Era, the share of Australia’s Grand Slam titles is fairly evenly split between the Amateur and Open Era’s.

The woman who has lifted the most Grand Slam titles for Australia is Margaret Court (24), and she has the most amount of major singles titles in history alongside Novak Djokovic.

Court won 11 Australian Open’s, five Roland Garros titles, three Wimbledon Championships and five US Open crowns, and is one of only three women to achieve the Calendar Slam.

The Open Era has seen five other Australian major winners, with Evonne Goolagong Cawley (7), Kerry Melville Reid (1), Chris O’Neil (1), Samantha Stosur(1), and most recently Ash Barty (3) who elected to retire last year at the age of 25.

?? YES YES YES!!! ??

ASH BARTY IS THE 2022 AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION! ?#AusOpen – live on Channel 9 and 9Now. Ad-Free Live & On Demand on Stan Sport pic.twitter.com/4MwmEyKS59

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 29, 2022

1. United States of America (204)

The clear leaders in this race are the USA, who have over triple the total of majors as their nearest rival Australia, with a colossal 204 titles between 45 players.

The American women took the dominance of their home major to another level, winning 82 of the first 101 US Open Tennis Championships.

Helen Wills Moody (19) is the most successful woman from the Amateur Era, despite never managing to get her hands on an Australian Open title.

However, the USA have not relied on their Amateur Era success to keep them going and have won a further 88 Grand Slam titles in the Open Era.

This has been helped by the likes of the Williams sisters, Chris Evert (18), Martina Navratilova (18) and Billie Jean King (12).

Serena Williams (23) is the more successful of the Williams sisters, and has won more major singles titles in the Open Era than any other woman.

Her sister Venus Williams (7), who is still competing at 43 years of age, has also done her fair share to support the USA’s dominance.

The USA had gone 13 majors without winning a title until recently, when 19-year-old Coco Gauff won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.

READ MORE: What are the top five countries with the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles?

Top 5 Countries with the most women’s Grand Slam titles in the Open Era

With the divide between the Amateur and Open Era’s evident in this list, we at Tennishead thought that it was important to showcase a list just from the Open Era.

While there are three countries that remain in the top five, there are also two potentially surprising nations that appear in this new list:

1. USA (88 titles from 14 players) – Serena Williams (23), Chris Evert (18), Martina Navratilova (18), etc. 
2. Germany (25 titles from two players) – Steffi Graf (22) and Angelique Kerber (3)
3. Australia (24 titles from six players) – Margaret Court (11), Evonne Goolagong (7), Ash Barty (3), etc.
4. Belgium (11 titles from two players) – Justine Henin (7) and Kim Clijsters (4)
5. Yugoslavia/Serbia (10 titles from three players) – Monica Seles (8), Ana Ivanovic (1) and Mima Jausovec (1)

3 Roland Garros titles
6 US Open titles
7 Australian Open titles
7 Wimbledon titles
23 Grand Slam Singles titles

An incredible 42 years of @SerenaWilliams pic.twitter.com/IGhKahpx0e

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 26, 2023

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The post Tennis top 5: Countries with the most women’s Grand Slam singles titles appeared first on Tennishead.

Naomi Osaka will be making her long-awaited return next month, and the former No.1 has revealed how some of her goals have shifted since having her daughter.

Osaka last played on the WTA Tour back in September 2022, before announcing earlier this year that she was expecting her first child.

The 26-year-old gave birth to her daughter, Shai, in July and has since confirmed that she will be playing in both the Brisbane International and Australian Open next month.

Well that was a cool little intermission, now back to your regularly scheduled program ??? pic.twitter.com/M6jZXqbRMm

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) July 13, 2023

Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion, having won both the Australian Open and US Open twice, but the Japanese star is eyeing up three other tournaments to add to her trophy cabinet.

“In the first chapter of my tennis I kind of got away with just being myself and playing with my instincts,” said Osaka. “I think I want to be someone that understands the game a lot more.

“I definitely want to win more Grand Slams and I guess put in more time in the French Open and Wimbledon, and play the Paris Olympics.”

Both Roland Garros and Wimbledon have traditionally been Osaka’s weakest majors, and she has only previously played at one Olympic Games.

However, Osaka says that her mindset has shifted since becoming a mother, “I’ve never been a person that’s really good at playing for myself, if that makes sense.

“So I kind of like the feeling of having the responsibility of having to take care of Shai and wanting to show her around the world. I kind of feel more like I’m playing for her.”

Training pic.twitter.com/VCvNotTCdc

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) December 1, 2023

Osaka will return to the matchcourt at the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane, that begins on 1st January 2024, before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open.

Inside the baseline…

There will be three returning former champion mothers at the 2024 Australian Open, and Osaka is probably the one that will have the most eyes on her. No-one has ever doubted Osaka’s hard court credibility, but it will be interesting to see how she performs on the clay and grass after her latest statement. Osaka will especially have to focus on clay if she wants to do well at the Paris Olympics, with the tennis tournament being held on the grounds of Roland Garros. 

READ NEXT: Angelique Kerber reveals Olympic ‘dream’ ahead of return

Naomi Osaka at Grand Slams and the Olympics

Osaka’s performance at the hard court majors differs massively from the natural surfaces, and we at Tennishead have compared the statistics:

Australian Open 

Win-loss Record: 24-5 (83%)

Best Result: Won (2019 & 2021)

Roland Garros

Win-loss Record: 7-5 (58%)

Best Result: Third Round (2016, 2018 & 2019)

Wimbledon

Win-loss Record: 4-3 (57%)

Best Result: Third Round (2017 & 2018)

US Open

Win-loss Record: 22-5 (81%)

Best Result: Won (2018 & 2020)

Olympics 

Win-loss Record: 2-1 (67%)

Best Result: Third Round (Tokyo 2020/21)

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The post Naomi Osaka reveals goal to ‘put in more time in the French Open and Wimbledon’ appeared first on Tennishead.

Novak Djokovic has admitted that he would prefer any final showdown he has with Rafael Nadal did not take place at Roland Garros.

Djokovic and Nadal have played each other more than any other two players in the history of men’s tennis.

They have faced each other across the net a remarkable 59 times, with Djokovic just shading the head-to-head 30-29.

With Nadal battling injury this year and announcing 2024 will be has last on the ATP Tour, matches between the two are becoming rarer, but Djokovic says he would like one more match with the Spaniard.

Asked where he would like his final match with Rafael Nadal to be played, Djokovic told Marca: “I think a lot of people would like it to be at Roland Garros. Why not?

“Although if you give me a choice I would say anywhere else. Roland Garros wouldn’t be bad, but Nadal is the player who has won there the most times in the history of the tournament.

“I think anywhere would be amazing for us and for the tennis world. It would be kind of like a last dance.

“I don’t know how many more times we’ll have the chance to play each other or if we’re going to play each other. I hope we do because that’s what everybody wants and I do too.”

Novak Djokovic has, at this point, broken just about every record in tennis, but he has to accept that Nadal’s tally of Roland Garros titles is beyond him.

The Serbian has three to his name, which is exceptional, but that still leaves him 11 short of Nadal, meaning he’d have to play well into his late 40s to even have a chance.

Djokovic, though, is fine with that, explaining: “I am very satisfied with everything I have achieved. I do not have to look at Rafa’s record in Paris. I have many that I’m proud of and that are part of history.

“If I were to retire right now, I could only be happy and proud of what I’ve done.”

Novak Djokovic: ‘Rafael Nadal a warrior’

Djokovic and Nadal have had a fierce rivalry, but it is also a very respectful one. And, as with almost all great sporing rivalries, as it comes to an end players get more reflective.

It’s the exact same with Djokovic and Nadal, even if they admit there is no real friendship there behind everything.

?? Rafael Nadal continuing to improve, playing practice points ?

? abel.b.horvath IG pic.twitter.com/hl9PInxRdw

— Olly ??? (@Olly_Tennis_) November 27, 2023

“I think it would be nice for the sport to have at least one more match between Nadal and me,” Djokovic said after his ATP Finals win over Hubert Hurkacz.

“That’s the biggest rivalry in terms of the amount of matches played that this sport ever had. Hopefully that can happen. He’s a big warrior.

“He’s somebody that really never gives up. With all the injuries that he had, keeps going. That’s definitely something that you have to respect and admire about him and his spirit.

READ NEXT: Rafael Nadal plummets down the rankings ahead of comeback attempt

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Stan Wawrinka has accused the Grand Slams of hoarding money away from tennis and failing to ‘redistribute’ it to the players.

Wawrinka has won three majors in his career with Wimbledon the one missing from his collection.

However, he believes the Grand Slam tournaments are too self-serving and have not increased prize money proportionately with the increase in their revenues.

“They do not redistribute enough to tennis compared to the income they generate,” Wawrinka told L’Equipe. “And they have way too much power, because they make [so much] money.

“[The Slams are] where the history of tennis is written. These are the richest Federations which do not redistribute much.

READ NEXT: Jump the queue (in style) for Wimbledon 2024 tickets

“Even between them, there is no communication. The income from Grand Slams today is very important and the percentage returned to players is ridiculous. It has hardly increased at all.

“Grand Slam tournaments only concern their interest, for their country and their Federation. Today, we are stuck until the day the players say stop.

“The problem with tennis is that there are too many governances, too many different entities which only look out for their own interests. Today, the real problem in tennis is the Grand Slams.”

Stanislas Wawrinka milite pour que les tournois majeurs redistribuent plus d’argent au monde du tennis tout en souhaitant que les joueurs soient plus intégrés dans les processus de décisions. Avant d’en arriver à une situation de blocage > https://t.co/6byTbi18br pic.twitter.com/4ziqrfNDyn

— L’ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) November 21, 2023

What was prize money for Grand Slams in 2023?

The Grand Slam events are the cornerstones of the tennis season and easily the biggest paydays for the players.

At first glance, the prize money pots are certainly eye-catching and clearly none of the players who take part do so for a pittance.

In fact, even a player who made it to the third qualifying round at Wimbledon in the singles this year but failed to get themselves into the main draw walked away with £36,000. An exit in the first round of qualifying was worth £12,750. Meanwhile, even a modest run to round three proper would see a return of £131,000.

However, Wawrinka makes a reasonable point about the revenues. They are certainly going up a lot faster than the prize money is.

For example, between 2019 and 2022, the Championship’s income soared from £292million to £346.6million. That is an increase of nearly 55million. However, the prize pot has only swelled by £6.7million in that time.

It is important to note that we, and indeed Stan Wawrinka, are not conducting a comprehensive review of any finances here. We know nothing of how costs may have increased as well and any other challenges tournaments face.

However, Wawrinka is certainly right when he says Grand Slam income is increasing far faster than prize money payouts are.

READ NEXT: Wimbledon expansion plans in doubt again as council recommends rejection

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