Mark Philippoussis has spoken warmly about Carlos Alcaraz, saying the sport is better with the Spaniard in it as the world No 3 continues to manage a complicated injury setback.

Spanish newspaper La Verdad reported last week that Alcaraz is aiming to return at the Cincinnati Open, which starts on 13 August. The report said his camp is concentrating on getting him to the tournament in the best possible shape and added: “The wrist is healthy, completely healed and they are gradually increasing the training load.”

Alcaraz has not played since picking up a right wrist injury in his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open more than three months ago. Since then, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has missed the clay-court Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, along with the French Open and Wimbledon. He will also sit out the next Masters event on the schedule, the Canadian Open in Montreal, which begins on 1 August.

Speaking in an exclusive interview at Wimbledon, Philippoussis said he is hopeful the recovery is handled carefully and that Alcaraz can return without rushing the process.

“Look, I hope he comes back healthy. The tennis world needs him,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist, who won 11 ATP Tour titles.

“I love watching him, he’s incredible for the game. A Grand Slam champion, he’s been No 1 in the world.

“And I just hope he can get healthy. Of course, he’s going to be someone that’s not going to rush the process.

“But also, when it’s to do with the wrist, it’s complicated. So, I’m sure he’s doing everything he can, and hopefully he can be back soon.”

Richard Krajicek also recently offered support for Alcaraz’s return, saying the former world No 4 should regain his full level once the injury settles.

Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina turned May’s clay swing into a study in contrasting elation and quiet resolve. Kostyuk celebrated her first WTA 1000 in Madrid with an audacious backflip. Two weeks later Svitolina won her third Italian Open, closing out Coco Gauff in the final, flinging her racquet, raising her arms and smiling in disbelief eight years after her last Rome title.

Those scenes of release came with reminders of a harder reality. Both players are from Ukraine and have spoken openly about supporting their country. Even as they climbed new career highs, civilians in Ukraine were being hit by renewed missile strikes. A few minutes after her trophy twirl Svitolina finished her speech this way:

I want to thank all the people back in Ukraine that have been supporting me, watching at night, being in the bomb shelters.

“It’s been really heavy for the past couple of weeks for Ukraine, and I want to thank you for all the support, and I feel all the love.”

Before Kostyuk’s backflip came her decision to bypass the handshake with Mirra Andreeva, mirroring the wider practice among Ukrainian players toward most Russian and Belarusian opponents. In her victory comments she thanked “all of my opponents” rather than singling out Andreeva. Asked about the long-running conflict, Kostyuk reinforced her stance: “For me, that doesn’t change,” Kostyuk said.

The pair are part of a deep Ukrainian contingent now counting seven players in the Top 100: Svitolina (No. 7), Kostyuk (15), Dayana Yastremska (45), Yulia Starodubtseva (54), Oleksandra Oliynykova (66), Anhelina Kalinina (89) and Daria Snigur (95). Oliynykova drew headlines earlier this year after accusing several tour-mates of “participating in Russian propaganda,” and she has since climbed from No. 96 to a career-high ranking.

On court the women have also improved. Kostyuk’s season form has been strong, and she has addressed mental hurdles that once undermined consistency. “I was living for many years in that state of everyone expecting big results from me,” Kostyuk said in Madrid. “I’ve tried to change that narrative in my head. And that worked, because, you just, you’re more consistent, you just go out there, you do your job, you don’t have like emotional attachment to it. Whether you win or lose, you just keep working and keep becoming a better person and a player, and that’s it.”

Svitolina changed her physical approach and surged through a tough Rome draw, and reflected on it succinctly: “This one is I think one of the toughest draws that I had in a tournament,” Svitolina said. “I’m very proud of the way that I’ve been handling myself and handling the nerves and being consistent.”

Zeynep Sonmez has moved to a new career-high and become the highest-ranked Turkish player in WTA history after a rise to No. 59 this week. The 24-year-old climbed from No. 65 following a second-round showing at the WTA 1000 event in Rome, eclipsing Cagla Buyukakcay’s previous national high of No. 60 from 2016.

Buyukakcay and Sonmez remain the only two Turkish players to crack the Top 100 in WTA rankings. They are also the only two Turkish players to have won WTA titles: Buyukakcay captured the clay-court trophy in Istanbul in 2016, and Sonmez won the hard-court event in Merida, Mexico in 2024.

Sonmez has a direct personal link to that earlier milestone. She was a ballgirl during Buyukakcay’s run to the Istanbul title a decade ago, and told the WTA it was an inspiration. “It was very emotional for me,” she said. “Everyone in Turkish tennis was there. Of course, it was a good inspiration for me and for all Turkish players.”

Her rise to No. 59 follows a breakthrough season on the biggest stages. Last summer at Wimbledon she became the first Turkish player in the Open Era, woman or man, to reach the third round of a Grand Slam. She repeated that third-round appearance at the Australian Open this year.

Sonmez has also established consistent form on tour, advancing at least one round in her last six events, all at WTA 500 level or higher. Highlights of that run include a WTA 500 quarterfinal in Merida and a third-round showing at the WTA 1000 in Madrid. She also recorded the first Top 10 victory of her career against Jasmine Paolini in Stuttgart.

© 2026 Robert Prange