Will meeting Pope Leo XIV be a blessing to Jannik Sinner?

 

                                             (Credit: Vatican Media) 

Earlier this week, the same day that I was in Rome touring the Vatican with my family, world number one Jannik Sinner met with newly elected Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The Pope apparently is a big tennis fan and given that Sinner is an Italian playing in the Italian Open this week, it made sense for the two of them to meet. 

Sinner is currently still alive in the Italian Open, playing in the semifinals on Friday against No. 12 Tommy Paul. If he wins the Italian Open, one will have to wonder if meeting the Pope gave Sinner a bit of an emotional boost. Of course, Sinner came in as the favorite anyways. Both due to being number one and also being the hometown favorite. In truth, winning the Italian Open may not be much of an indicator of the Holy Father blessing his tennis skills. 

However, winning the Italian Open and French Open back-to-back is no easy task and Sinner is still in search of his first title at both events. The furthest he's gone at the Italian Open is the semifinals (this year) and the furthest he's gone at the French Open is the semifinals (2024). If Sinner were to win both this year for the first time, especially after meeting the Pope, one will have to wonder if something divine is at work. 

Regardless of how the Italian Open and French Open go for Sinner, it's pretty cool he got to meet the Pope. Meeting the Pope just goes to show how big of a deal he is as the only Italian to be ranked number one in the world in tennis. I guess if you have that accomplishment under your belt, it'll be pretty easy to get a VIP trip to the Vatican. Even if your last name is "Sinner." 

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How often does success in Rome lead to success in Paris?

                                               (Credit: internazionalibnlditalia.com) 

This week is the Internazionali BNL D'Italia a.k.a. Italian Open in Rome, Italy. Played on clay, it's the final ATP 1000 & WTA 1000 event before the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France. To check out the tournament website, click here. 

Since I am currently traveling in Italy, I thought it would be fun to take a look at how often success in Rome leads to success in Paris. I.e. How often does winning the Italian Open translate to winning the French Open? To keep things somewhat current/modern, I'll focus on the years 1990 to the present day. 

Starting with the men's side, the following players have won both the Italian Open and French Open in the same season since 1990: Jim Courier (1992), Thomas Muster (1995), Rafael Nadal (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, & 2019). 

As for men who at least reached the French Open final after at least reaching the Italian Open final since 1990, we can add the following to the list already posted: Jim Courier (1993 won Italian; lost French), Gustavo Kuerton (2000 & 2001 lost Italian; won French), Roger Federer (2006 lost Italian; lost French), Novak Djokovic (2012 lost Italian; lost French), Novak Djokovic (2014, 2015, & 2020 won Italian; lost French), Novak Djokovic (2016 & 2021 lost Italian; won French), Andy Murray (2016 won Italian; lost French), and Alexander Zverev (2024 won Italian; lost French). 

Switching gears to the women's side, the following players have won both the Italian Open and French Open in the same season since 1990: Monica Seles (1990), Serena Williams (2002 & 2013), Maria Sharapova (2012), and Iga Swiatek (2022 & 2024). 

As for women who at least reached the French Open final after at least reaching the Italian Open since 1990, we can add the following to the list already posted: Monica Seles (1991& 1992 lost Italian; won French), Kim Clijsters (2003 won Italian; lost French), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009 lost Italian; won French), Serena Williams (2016 won Italian; lost French), Simona Halep (2017 lost Italian; lost French), and Simona Halep (2018 lost Italian; won French). 

One other crazy stat I wanted to point out is Conchita Martinez won the Italian Open from 1993-96. Not once did she reach the French Open final during those years. Her lone trip to the final at Roland Garros wouldn't come until 2000 where she lost to Mary Pierce 6-2, 7-5. Ironically, the only grand slam Martinez won was Wimbledon in 1994. Given Martinez got ranked as high as No. 2 in the world during that four year stretch, you would think she would have won at least French Open, let alone reach a French Open final. 

Looking at all of this big-picture, there's a decent amount of seasons where players have won both the Italian Open and French Open in the same year since 1990: 10 on the men's side and six on the women's side. However, the number of players who have done it is much lower since Nadal did it eight times alone. Only three men have done it and only four women have done it. However, there is a solid amount who have at least reached the final in both. 

I think it's safe to say that while it is far from a guarantee that winning the Italian Open will lead to winning the French Open in the same season, it's still a good thing to have a strong performance in Rome. If you perform well there, you'll come to Paris with a lot of momentum and confidence. It'll certainly be interesting to see how this week goes in Rome and whether or not this year's champions will be able to add their name to the list of players who have won both the Italian Open and French Open in the same season. 

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Carlos Alcaraz looking like the favorite to win Roland Garros in 2025

 

                                              (Credit: Susan Mullane/Imagn Images) 

The next grand slam on the docket is the French Open at Roland Garros. On the men's side, world number three Carlos Alcaraz is looking like an early favorite to defend his title. So far, he is 24-5 on the season and has won two titles, one of which is the ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo, which is played on the clay in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the final 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 really taking control in the final two sets. In his next event after Monte-Carlo, Alcaraz lost in the final to Holger Rune 6-7, 2-6. That was also on the clay at the ATP 500 event Barcelona Open. 

As of late, Alcaraz is looking great on the clay and building a lot of momentum as he looks ahead to the French Open. While we still have a month to go before the tournament starts, Alcaraz definitely is looking strong. He has won one one of the top clay events going into the French Open and also had really strong performance in Barcelona. 

The big thing for Alcaraz right now is to keep this up. The ATP 1000 events in Madrid and Rome area also key clay court events that precede the French Open. If he can win one of those two events, that would be huge as he continues to build momentum. It'll be interesting to see how he does and whether or not he still enters the French Open with the same kind of momentum that he currently seems to have. 

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Jakub Mensik wins first career title at Miami Open

 

                                             (Credit: Geoff Burke) 

At this year's Miami Open, 19 year old Jakub Mensik out of the Czech Republic defeated his idol Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 in the final to win his first career ATP Tour title. As a result, Mensik has now climbed to No. 23 in the world. Going into the tournament, Mensik was ranked No. 54 in the world, making him the lowest ranked player to ever win the Miami Open. 

MATCH STATS: Jakub Mensik vs. Novak Djokovic-March 30th, Miami Open 

When looking at the stats from the match, what really stands out is the fact that Mensik was able to perform slightly better on his serve than Djokovic. Mensik had a serve rating of 302 while Djokovic had serve rating of 300. Both guys won 77% of their first serves though Djokovic (76%) had a higher percentage than Mensik (67%). However, Mensik (54%) won more of his second serves than Djokovic (50%) while also out-acing Djokovic 14-7. In a match that goes to a tiebreaker in each set, whichever guy does better on their serve will have an edge. 

Mensik's best grand slam performances have been at the Australian Open (2025) and the US Open (2023 & 2024) in which he reached the 3rd round. He's obviously starting to find his footing and get more comfortable playing on the biggest stages the sport has to offer. To win his first career title at an ATP 1000 event is big time. It's a kind of amazing he doesn't have an ATP 500 or ATP 250 title under his belt, but if he's going to pick a place to win his first title, the Miami Open isn't a bad place to do it at all. 

What will be interesting to see is whether or not Mensik is able to build on this title and make more noise at the grand slams later this year. He's never played the French Open, so it's hard to know how well he'll play there, though Czech players are often solid on the clay. And then at Wimbledon he has a 1st round exit in 2024. If he is going to break through to reach the 4th round or quarterfinals at a grand slam, the US Open and Australian Open seem like the most likely places for that to happen given they are played on hard court. That said, he seemed to kinda come out of nowhere to win the Miami Open, so who knows what he'll do on the clay or grass later this year. 

Regardless, I think it's safe to say that Jakub Mensik has put himself on the map with his Miami Open title. He's just 19 years old and every year is getting better. It'll be fun to see where his career goes from here and whether or not this is the first of many big titles that he wins. 

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Iga Świątek comes up short at Indian Wells & Miami Open

                                             (Credit: Geoff Burke/Imagn Images) 

World No. 2 Iga Świątek has had a disappointing couple of outings at Indian Wells and the Miami Open these past couple of weeks. At Indian Wells, she fell to world No. 6 Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals 6-7, 6-1, 3-6 and then at the Miami Open this week, she fell to Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinals 2-6, 5-7. Eala is a 19 year old from the Philippines who came into the Miami Open as a wild card ranked 140th in the world. That loss in particular really stung for Swiatek as she came in as the heavy favorite. 

During her match against Eala, Swiatek seemed to not be getting along with her coach Wim Fissette as she was shouting at him. That revealed some cracks in their relationship and indicates that they need to iron out some things at a minimum. The issue from what has been reported as been Fissette talking to her too much during the matches. Perhaps he should pull back and just let Swiatek do her thing. Given that coaches can now talk to their players a lot more freely during matches, finding that right balance is something that every player and coach is going to have to figure out. 

While the results aren't what Swiatek wanted, it's not like she had a horrible two weeks. Losing in the quarterfinals and semifinals at back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments isn't bad. The bigger issue is the way she lost, especially to Eala. If she wants to win her fifth Roland Garros title this year and get back in the winner's circle at a grand slam, she's going to have to get these dynamics with Fissette figured out. It'll be interesting to see how things go and whether or not they get things sorted out. 

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Alexander Zverev blows an opportunity at Indian Wells

 

                                             (Credit: Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun) 

This week, Alexander Zverev had a disappointing outing at Indian Wells, losing to Tallon Griekspoor in the 2nd round by a final score of 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. Zverev came in as the No. 2 player in the world and the No. 1 seed in the tournament due to world No.1 Jannik Sinner serving a suspension for doping. Zverev was my pick to win the tournament and so to see him flame out in the 2nd round is pretty disappointing. Granted, Griekspoor is ranked No. 43 in the world and made a nice run to the quarterfinals, but still. If you are Zverev you need to have a strong showing at Indian Wells and at least make the semifinals. 

In truth, this tournament was Zverev's to lose and he blew a massive opportunity to win his first Indian Wells title and 8th ATP 1000 title overall. Had he won this tournament, that would have really helped him as he looks to close the gap with Sinner in his quest to being No. 1 in the world. And further, Zverev is still in search of his first career grand slam title. A title at Indian Wells would have done a lot for his confidence in that department as well and would have been seen as a legit stepping stone towards that goal. 

Looking at his match against Griekspoor specifically, what really hurt Zverev was going 5/14 on break point opportunities. He had plenty of changes to break Griekspoor's serve and failed to do so. Credit to Griekspoor for fending off those breakpoints, but at the same time Zverev had so many chances to win this match and advance. That has to haunt Zverev more than anything. 

Fortunately for Zverev, the Miami Open starts next week, right after Indian Wells. That will give him a chance to redeem himself at another ATP 1000 event. How the Miami Open goes for Zverev will be really telling and a strong test of his mental resolve. I look forward to seeing how he performs. 

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10 things to look for at 2025 BNP Paribas Open | Indian Wells

 

                                             (Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images) 

The 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California is underway. I would like to provide my list of 10 things to look for at this year's event, which is often dubbed the 5th grand slam. To check out the draws, click here. 

#1. Can Taylor Fritz bounce back from his disappointing Australian Open? Taylor Fritz comes in as the No. 3 seed and No. 4 player in the world on the men's side. He did not have a particularly strong Australian Open as he went down in the 3rd round, meaning he needs to bounce back and not let that result linger. The good news for Fritz is he's won Indian Wells before back in 2022 and being from Southern California, he basically has home court advantage. If there's an event for Fritz to bounce back at, this is the one. How he does could be very telling for how the rest of his 2025 season will go. 

#2. Can Aryna Sabalenka win her first Indian Wells title and reestablish hard court dominance? Aryna Sabalenka comes in ranked No. 1 in the world and the top hard court player in the women's game. In this year's Australian Open, Sabalenka fell to Madison Keys in the final, unable to win her third straight Australian Open title and third straight hard court grand slam. Sabalenka seems fired up to win this event and remind the WTA tour that she's the best on the hard court surface. She also hasn't won this event before, reaching the final in 2023 where she lost to Elena Rybakina. So that's probably a big source of her motivation for winning. It'll be fun to see if she can go the distance. 

#3. Can Novak Djokovic prove he's still got it? I think there are some questions about whether or not Novak Djokovic still has what it takes to win more grand slams. Personally, I think he does, but it would be huge for him to win at Indian Wells just to give himself some momentum after losing in the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year. Djokovic has won Indian Wells five times, so he knows what it takes to win it. But, he hasn't won since 2016. It would be pretty cool if he won a sixth Indian Wells title. That would break the tie he has with Roger Federer, who also won five Indian Wells titles (tied for most all-time). 

#4. Can Madison Keys build on her Australian Open success? Madison Keys won her first grand slam at the Australian Open earlier this year, knocking off Aryna Sabalenka. It'll be interesting to see how Keys does at Indian Wells. She comes in as the No. 5 seed and thus should be in the mix to win the tournament. That said, she has never won this tournament nor has she reached the final. If she were to win this, that would really be sending a message to the rest of the WTA. 

#5. Can Ben Shelton make a run? Ben Shelton is coming into this tournament with some momentum having reached the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year. That was his second grand slam semifinal appearance (2023 US Open). He's the No. 11 seed in the tournament and shown an ability to get hot on the hard courts. If you want to talk a dark horse in this tournament to at least make a semifinal run, Shelton is absolutely a guy who could challenge. I look forward to seeing how this tournament goes for him. 

#6. Can Coco Gauff win her first Indian Wells title? Coco Gauff comes in as the No. 3 seed and thus a favorite to at least reach the semifinals. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open this year, which was a bit disappointing for her since she's trying to win multiple grand slams after winning her first grand slam at the 2023 US Open. She's won a couple of WTA 1000 titles, but an Indian Wells title still eludes her. She did reach the semifinals last year, so she's certainly knocking on the door. Perhaps this will be the year she breaks through. 

#7. Will Alexander Zverev back up his seed? Alexander Zverev is the No. 2 ranked player in the world, but with Jannik Sinner serving a suspension for doping, Zverev is the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The question is will it matter? The furthest Zverev has gone at Indian Wells is the quarterfinals last year. Perhaps this will be the year that finally changes. If he could win this tournament, that would be a huge boost to his confidence heading into Miami where he reached the final back in 2022. 

#8. Can Paula Badosa win her second Indian Wells title? Paula Badosa comes in as the No. 11 seed, fresh off a run to the semifinals of the Australian Open. She also won this event back in 2021, so she knows what it takes to win it all. If you want to pick a dark horse on the women's side, Paula Badosa would be a pretty good pick. Don't be surprised if she threatens to win it all this year. 

#9. Will we get another Alcaraz/Medvedev final? Carlos Alcaraz comes in as the No. 2 seed, ranked No. 3 in the world while Daniil Medvedev comes in as the No. 5 seed, ranked No. 6 in the world. The last two years, they've met in the final with Alcaraz getting the better of Medvedev. A big question coming into this year's tournament is will we see another Alcaraz/Medvedev final? They're both on opposite sides of the draw, so it's totally possible. If we do, will Alcaraz win his third straight Indian Wells title or will Medvedev break through? If not, who will knock these guys off? 

#10. Can Iga Świątek defend her title? Iga Świątek comes in as the No. 2 seed on the women's side, ranked No. 2 in the world. She's the defending champion at this event and has won it twice, so she knows how to get it done. If she does reach the final, odds are good Aryna Sabalenka will be there. All I can say is what a fun match that would be! If Świątek is to defend her title, she's certainly going to have to earn it. This won't be an easy draw. It never is at Indian Wells. 

Prediction: I'm going to say Alexander Zverev breaks through to win his first Indian Wells title on the men's side. If he doesn't win it this year, he probably never will. As for the women's side, I'm gonna roll with Coco Gauff. I expect her to play well and feed off the energy that will come with being the top ranked American. I look forward to seeing how the tournament goes and who ends up winning it all. 

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