Rennae Stubbs has stepped in to defend Rafael Jodar as the debate around his on-court behaviour continues, and she has also offered a clear view on when the Spaniard may lift his first Grand Slam trophy.

Only a year ago, Jodar was splitting his time between the University of Virginia and the possibility of turning professional. Since making that decision to focus fully on tennis, the 19-year-old has made a sharp climb, moving from outside the top 150 to 11th in the rankings and putting himself in position to qualify for the ATP Tour Finals.

The right-hander has already shown why so many believe he is headed for the top. He won his first title in Morocco in April and has produced strong runs in Madrid, Rome, the French Open and Canada. That progress has led plenty of observers to forecast that a major title will eventually arrive.

But his rise has not come without scrutiny. Jodar was wrongly accused of shoving a ball girl at the French Open, with the camera angle making the incident appear misleading. Soon after, he was said to have snubbed a young mascot at Roland Garros. In Cincinnati and Canada, his broken shoelaces became another source of criticism after play was halted.

Denis Shapovalov, in particular, reacted strongly to the shoe issue during the last Masters 1000 event before the US Open, and the episode sparked widespread discussion on social media.

Stubbs, speaking on her latest podcast episode during Jodar’s Cincinnati run, pushed back against some of the criticism while also saying certain habits can leave a poor impression. She said, “One thing I don’t like is players pointing at the towel, like ‘Get me the towel’. Little things like that, I think, annoy people when they watch him [Jodar]; they feel like he is a little bit entitled at times.

“But people saying, ‘He’s taking a MTO (medical timeout) to fix his shoe and his shoelace’. And it’s like, guys, his shoelace is broken, what do you want him to do? Play without a f****** shoe tied up?”

She also drew a comparison with the way a young Novak Djokovic was once viewed, especially when medical timeouts drew attention. Stubbs added, “There are certain things I think people are grabbing to. Like when Novak [Djokovic] would do stuff, people would think it was nefarious.

“Having been around him and off the court and his dad is such a delight, I think he is a lovely kid that has a little snippety personality on the court sometimes. He’s young, give him time. As far as his talent, he is going to win a major in the next three years.”

Jack Draper has been advised to move away from the constant scrutiny and rethink his schedule for the time being as he continues to work through a difficult run of injuries and defeats.

Not long ago, Draper was being discussed as a player capable of joining Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz near the top of the sport. But 23 months after his breakthrough semi-final at the 2024 US Open, the 24-year-old has slid to 139th in the world. Injuries have restricted him to only 14 matches this season, and his record stands at 8-6.

The former world No 4 has dealt with bone bruising in his left arm, while knee tendonitis also caused problems earlier in the year. He has suffered early exits in Canada and Cincinnati, and a wildcard for this year’s US Open looks unlikely.

Tennis content creator Gill Gross believes a return to the Challengers could help Draper rebuild confidence. That is a level where the left-hander enjoyed strong results in 2022.

Draper had been due to compete at the Brownsburg ATP 75 Challenger earlier in August, but he withdrew. Gross still feels that dropping down is the right step, especially as the Brit works through both physical and mental strain.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gross said, “This is a very tricky situation, difficult to watch at times. In terms of solutions, he has looked towards the racket technology, softer strings, and a more forgiving frame. I think that’s a good move, although perhaps it has affected his confidence a bit. Perhaps it is something that Jack resents having to do in the first place.

“The only thing that I can say from this position that he hasn’t done is go to the lower levels to try to work things out. Because right now, tennis is a brutal sport this way. You are so exposed. You are absolutely naked in front of millions and millions of people.

“There is a degree of hiding if you go down to play tournaments that don’t have such a microscope on them, so that you’re not in this fishbowl playing in the largest stadiums in the world against the best players in the world. And maybe that could offer Jack some relief, or at least some time to figure himself out with a little bit less pressure, fewer eyeballs, less media, and worse opponents.

“Just an idea for Jack, something to consider if he feels like he’s having trouble making progress at the highest level of the sport. And if he feels like he’s struggling with the mental components of even attempting to do that, maybe look towards going down to the challenger level.”

Nick Kyrgios is under a provisional suspension from tennis after an anti-doping sample returned a positive result for cocaine, and the possible length of any ban now depends on how the case is handled.

The sample, taken on 22 June 2026, was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. That was the same day Kyrgios lost to Adam Walton in the opening round of the ATP 250 event in Mallorca, the last singles match he played. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist then lost in the first round of the Wimbledon doubles event with Alexander Bublik the following week.

Kyrgios also played three matches at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown exhibition in Rio de Janeiro last month.

In a statement, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said: “Cocaine is a stimulant and substance of abuse on the WADA Prohibited List and is banned in competition under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

“Because of the nature of the substance, a provisional suspension is mandatory and has been in place since 4 August 2026.”

Kyrgios has the right to appeal the provisional suspension, but he has not done so.

The former world No 13 could face a ban of up to four years, which is the maximum penalty for an anti-doping offence. If he can show the substance was taken outside competition, the maximum sanction would be three months.

After the positive test became public, Kyrgios posted on Instagram that he “made a huge mistake” and said: “I’ll do the work and come back better.”

Here is Kyrgios’ full statement:

“I wanted you to hear this from me first,” Kyrgios wrote.

“I recently failed a drug test in Mallorca after testing positive for cocaine. I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it. I’m sorry to my fans, my family, my sponsors and everyone close to me. Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.

“I’m not going to make excuses, but I do want to give some context about where I’ve been. The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined.

“I’ve always said I didn’t choose tennis – tennis chose me. But letting go of something that has been my whole life is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to face. At times I’ve felt helpless and alone. None of that excuses what I did.

“However, the good news is that this has given me a wake up call. For the next 28 days, I’ll be stepping away from social media and public life while I focus on getting myself right.

“I’d ask that people respect my privacy during that time, and most importantly the privacy of my family. I’m sorry. I’ll do the work and come back better.”