ATP Australian Open Player News
Tiley says Novak Djokovic will receive a ‘big’ Australian Open farewell — but not yet
Tournament director Craig Tiley promises a major farewell for Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open..
Tournament director Craig Tiley has promised an extraordinary send-off at the Australian Open when Novak Djokovic chooses to retire, but he does not expect that moment to arrive in 2026. “All I can say is it’s going to be big. I hope it’s for a long time still, though,” he told Claytennis and RG Media . “He’s a great player and I would like to see him play longer. He still does extremely well.
Djokovic remains the last active member of the so-called Big Three after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal stepped away in recent years. Federer staged his farewell at the 2022 Laver Cup and Nadal left after the 2024 season, with his big farewell taking place at Roland Garros this year. Djokovic attended both ceremonies, as did former world No 1 Andy Murray, who retired in 2024 with his hooray at Wimbledon last July.
Speculation about Djokovic’s retirement has grown after the 24-time Grand Slam champion finished a second straight season without lifting a major. He reached the semi-final at all four majors this year but was unable to convert any into a title.
Tiley said the tournament has plans for a memorable farewell but that it would be premature to reveal details now. “When the time comes… we do have some ideas! It would be premature to share them now. I don’t see Novak retiring anytime soon. He’s at the top of his game. “We’re more focused on having a great event in 2026. The US Open did a brilliant job, a really good event, and we’re looking forward to upping the ante even more.”
Djokovic himself downplayed talk of retirement after his Flushing Meadows defeat to Carlos Alcaraz, insisting he still believes he can compete, particularly in shorter matches. “I’m happy with my level of tennis, but, you know, it’s just the physicality of it. You know, I try to. As I said, you know, after the quarter-finals, the press conference, when I spoke to you guys, I said, you know, I’m gonna do my very best to get my body in shape, to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it’s needed, but, you know, it wasn’t enough,” he said.
He added: “So that’s something I, unfortunately, at this point in time, my career can’t control. So, you know, I can do only as much as I can do. And, yeah, it will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of senior Alcaraz in the best of five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance. Best of three, but best of five, it’s tough.
“I’m, you know, not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. Having said that, I’m going to continue fighting and trying to, you know, trying to get to the. To the finals and fight for another trophy at least, but, you know, it’s going to be a very, very difficult task.”
ATP ATP 500 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Rafael Jodar Cracks ATP Top 50 After Barcelona Semifinal Run
Rafael Jodar rises to No. 42 in ATP rankings after Barcelona semifinal; a year ago he was No. 686 ’26
Rafael Jodar has completed a rapid climb up the ATP rankings, leaping from No. 55 to No. 42 to register his first appearance inside the Top 50. The 19-year-old Madrid native reached his first ATP 500 semifinal in Barcelona, a run that delivered the ranking boost.
A year ago Jodar was ranked No. 686. His rise accelerated in recent weeks: three weeks ago he broke into the Top 100 for the first time, moving from No. 109 to No. 89 after reaching the third round in Miami as a qualifier. Two weeks later he captured the first ATP title of his career in Marrakech, which propelled him from No. 89 to No. 57.
The Barcelona run extended his winning streak to eight consecutive matches, and at one point he won 13 sets in a row. Those results are enough to make him the youngest player in the ATP Top 50 and the Top 100, roughly one month younger than fellow 19-year-old Joao Fonseca, who is ranked No. 31.
There are several other notable moves this week. Corentin Moutet moved from No. 31 to No. 30 for his Top 30 debut after reaching the second round in Barcelona. Twenty-year-old Spaniard Martin Landaluce made his Top 100 debut, rising from No. 101 to No. 99. Landaluce had surged from No. 151 to No. 106 after Miami, and despite a first-round loss in Barcelona he crossed into the Top 100 as other players fell.
Winners and runners-up at last week’s ATP 500 events also advanced. Ben Shelton, who won Munich, remains at No. 6 but narrowed the gap to Felix Auger-Aliassime from a 200-point deficit (4,100 to 3,900) to just 30 points (4,100 to 4,070). Munich runner-up Flavio Cobolli rose from No. 16 to a career-high No. 13. Arthur Fils, the Barcelona champion, climbed from No. 30 to No. 25, his highest ranking since last September. Andrey Rublev, the finalist, moved from No. 15 to No. 12, his best position since last August.
On the WTA side, Elena Rybakina remains at No. 2 after winning the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, and Marta Kostyuk moved from No. 28 to No. 23 after taking the WTA 250 title in Rouen.
Analytics & Stats ATP
Djokovic Sets New Standard with 860 Weeks in ATP Top 5
Novak Djokovic begins his record 860th week in the ATP Top 5, overtaking Roger Federer’s mark. Now.
Novak Djokovic has extended his dominance in the ATP rankings by beginning his 860th career week inside the Top 5, a mark that moves him past Roger Federer’s previous record of 859 weeks.
The player currently listed at No. 4 on the rankings reached the milestone this week, adding another long-term statistical achievement to a resume already dense with records. Official ATP rankings began in August of 1973, and Djokovic’s run now stands as the most career weeks in the Top 5 in ATP history.
The scale of his consistency is underlined by where those weeks were spent. Of the 860 Top 5 weeks, Djokovic has occupied the No. 1 position for 428 weeks, the clear lead in ATP rankings history. Federer is next with 310 weeks at No. 1.
Breaking that total down further highlights Djokovic’s sustained excellence: 49.8 percent of his Top 5 weeks (428) were at No. 1. He has spent 599 weeks in the Top 2, representing 69.7 percent of his Top 5 span. His time in the Top 3 totals 764 weeks, or 88.8 percent, and he has held a Top 4 position for 823 weeks, equal to 95.7 percent of his Top 5 weeks.
Those numbers reflect a career defined by long stretches at the very top of the sport rather than brief spikes. Reaching 860 weeks in the Top 5 is a cumulative testament to performance across seasons and surfaces, and it establishes a new benchmark for longevity among the modern era’s leading players.
Roger Federer’s long-standing record of 859 weeks has now been overtaken, and the milestone underscores the extraordinary durability of Djokovic’s presence among the elite. And there’s another record on the horizon, too.
500 ATP BMW Open
Ben Shelton Wins BMW Open and Signals Big Clay Ambitions
Shelton won the 2026 BMW Open, earning €478,935, a BMW iX3, Lederhosen and 500 ATP points. Since 2002
Ben Shelton captured the 2026 BMW Open by Bitpanda, defeating fourth-seeded Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final. Playing before packed stands on Center Court at the MTTC Iphitos, Shelton jumped to a 4-0 lead in the opening set and never surrendered his composure.
Cobolli raised his level as the match progressed, but the world No. 6 stood firm, saving all six break points he faced and converting three of nine chances. The match lasted one hour and 30 minutes.
“I came out at a really high level,” said Shelton, who earned his fifth career title and third at ATP 500 level following Tokyo in 2023 and Dallas earlier this year.
“I have done that before against him, but the toughest thing is maintaining it, as he raises his level. I was able to do that in the second set, hanging in there when he played some great tennis, and I came through to win it in straight sets.
“I am happy with my performance this week. I got better and better as the week went on, and I am pleased with the work my team put in here.”
Shelton received a prize cheque of €478,935, a brand-new BMW iX3 and traditional Bavarian Lederhosen. He also collected 500 ATP Ranking points.
“The car is great. It might be difficult to get it back to Florida, where I live,” Shelton said with a smile.
The Atlanta native now holds the biggest clay-court title by an American man since Andre Agassi captured the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome in 2002, the year Shelton was born. He made clear he sees this victory as part of a broader push on the surface.
“It’s huge. I have big ambitions on clay – a surface I want to keep improving on each year. It has become one of my favourite surfaces to play on.
“It’s a short season and some of the Americans choose not to play every event. But we had two guys in the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. Success on clay is coming back. I am looking forward to being part of this progression of U.S. men’s tennis on clay. On the women’s side, they have a lockdown as they won the French last year. We as the men have some more to do but we are heading into the right direction. This is just one step in a long swing and let’s see what happens.”
-
ATPGrand SlamPlayer News2 months agoAlcaraz and Sinner Headline 2026 Laureus Nominations; Sabalenka, Fonseca and Anisimova Also Recognized
-
1000Dubai Duty Free Tennis ChampionshipsFinals2 months agoSvitolina grinds past Gauff in three-hour classic to reach Dubai final
-
Australian OpenGrand SlamPlayer News2 months agoNaomi Osaka on legacy, motherhood and the aims she still has for her career
