Novak Djokovic has dropped to world No. 12 after the US Open, ending a top-10 run that lasted eight years.

The Serbian endured a disappointing Grand Slam, falling in the first round to Mariano Navone in a five-set match. That result came after another early exit on the North American hardcourt swing, with Thiago Agustin Tirante beating him in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.

Those results have pushed Djokovic further down the ATP Tour rankings, leaving him outside the top 10 for the first time in eight years. The last time he was absent from that group was on July 2, 2018, when injury forced him out of the game’s elite. He was then ranked world No. 21, while Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Alexander Zverev occupied the top three spots.

Djokovic responded quickly on that occasion, winning Wimbledon a few weeks later and climbing back into the top 10. Until this latest drop to No. 12, he had stayed inside the top 10 continuously, a remarkable run that underlined his consistency across the tour.

The development also carries historical weight for the ‘big three’. This is the first time since the 2002 season, when Federer first entered the top 10, that none of Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic are ranked there.

Even so, Djokovic has a clear chance to recover ground before the season ends. He is defending only 600 ranking points from now until the close of the year, and his upcoming China Open appearance offers an opportunity for points, as he did not play there last year.

The only tournament he won in this period last year was the Hellenic Championships in Athens, which returns in November. He also reached the semi finals of the 2025 Shanghai Masters before losing to eventual champion Valentin Vacherot.

Djokovic’s latest ranking setback may prove temporary, with a swift return to the top 10 still well within reach.

Emma Raducanu’s comeback from a stress fracture in her lower leg is still unfolding, but a return this month now appears to have been pushed back.

The British player picked up the injury during her run to the final of the WTA 500 event at the Queen’s Club in June, and her recovery has been handled carefully ever since. When the Beijing entry list was released earlier this month, Raducanu remained on it, which raised the possibility that she could be ready to compete at the WTA 1000 event in China.

That prospect has since faded. Her name is no longer on the Beijing list, a clear sign that she is not yet prepared to return to match play. Last week, she shared footage of a practice session at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre, showing her serving into an empty court, which suggested she was still at an early stage of her comeback work.

Given the nature of the injury, the cautious approach is no surprise. A stress fracture in the leg is not something that can be rushed, and Raducanu will need time before she can safely build back toward competition.

Former world No 1 Andy Roddick was among those who voiced concern about the length of her absence. “We might not even see her for the rest of this year,” said Roddick on his podcast.

“It just stinks because she is so good and it’s just the stop and start of things. You can’t get around a stress fracture, that’s not a pain tolerance thing at all.

“It has to heal or you are going to cause extreme long-term damage. It just stinks. She could be such a bright spot for the Tours and it just seems like there are speed bumps all the time, which is just unfortunate.

“It sucks. I hope she gets better. She was playing great at Queen’s too, like she was going to blow the roof off of Wimbledon. She is so good and so injured all the time.

“It’s got to be kind of depressing for her too. I keep thinking we are going to get six months where we are going to be able to go and play and do all the things and we are just not able to get it, which is unfortunate.”

Since her US Open breakthrough five years ago, Raducanu’s career has repeatedly been interrupted, and her ranking has slipped after this latest spell out. She is currently No 89, and if she does not play again in 2026, more ranking points will fall away and the slide will continue.

World No. 3 Jessica Pegula will be the leading name at the 2026 Singapore Open, with Mirra Andreeva and Alexandra Eala also set to appear at the WTA 500 event.

Once the 2026 Grand Slam season closed with the US Open, attention shifted back to the WTA Tour, with most of the leading players due to return next week. Singapore is one of the first stops in that reset.

This will be only the second staging of the tournament, which began in 2025, but it arrives in a different form this time. The event has moved on the calendar and has also been upgraded from WTA 250 to WTA 500 status. It is scheduled for 21 to 27 September at the Kallang Tennis Hub.

Elise Mertens, who won the inaugural edition by beating Ann Li in the final, is due back in Singapore to defend her title.

The draw will feature 28 players in singles, with 20 direct places coming through WTA Rankings. Four wildcards are still to be confirmed, while the remaining four spots will be filled through qualifying. The top eight ranked players in the main draw will be seeded, and Pegula leads the field as the No. 1 seed. Andreeva, ranked No. 5, will anchor the bottom half as the second seed.

They are joined by Amanda Anisimova, Eala, Mertens, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Maja Chwalinska and Sara Bejlek. Because the event has moved up to WTA 500 level, the top four seeds will receive byes.

The draw is expected on Friday, 18 September, three days before first-round play begins.

There have already been withdrawals from the entry list, with Diana Shnaider, Sorana Cirstea, Anastasia Potapova and Clara Tauson all pulling out.