Emma Raducanu is working with a new coach as she heads towards the 2023 season, reports said on Friday.

The 2021 US Open winner, who turned 20 in November, has had a growing list of coaches and is seeking the right formula to make an alliance successful.

She has turned for now to German Sebastian Sachs, a 30-year-old who previously worked with Victoria Azarenka, as a member of the Belarusian's team, before becoming the main coach of Julia Goerges and latterly Belinda Bencic.

Olympic champion Bencic recently appointed Dmitry Tursunov, who had been working with Raducanu, and Sachs has headed in the opposite direction by joining up with the British youngster.

As well as Russian former ATP top-20 player Tursunov, Raducanu has had coaching spells under the tutelage of Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz and the Lawn Tennis Association's Iain Bates in the past two years.

Raducanu and her team have yet to formally announce Sachs' role, but reports have indicated he has been with her this week in Abu Dhabi. Her management have yet to confirm whether this is a trial or a full-time appointment.

The one-time grand slam winner had a match on Friday against Ons Jabeur at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event, losing 5-7 6-3 10-8 to the 2022 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up.

After parting company with Raducanu, Tursunov said getting the best out of the Briton would be "minimum a one-year project but... probably a two-and-a-half-year project to be on the safe side", and reasoned that her game remained "very raw".

"It's going to take some time, but as I said to her and to pretty much everyone on her team: I think you just need to have one voice and just try that for a bit," Tursunov said.

Raducanu has not reached a final since her dazzling Flushing Meadows victory, and she finished the 2022 season at 76th in the WTA rankings.

Boris Becker is set to tell his story to German television on Tuesday after the tennis legend was released from prison.

The 55-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at the end of April for breaking insolvency laws.

It was news that 21-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic, who was previously coached by Becker, said left him "heartbroken" for his close friend.

Becker, who won six singles grand slams, served just eight months of his jail sentence. It was confirmed on Thursday by his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, he has returned to his native Germany, where he is not subject to any restrictions.

Now Becker is poised to speak about his experiences, shining a light on a shocking fall from grace.

The former world number one was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

He will appear on the Sat.1 channel in a prime-time slot, with editor-in-chief Juliane Essling telling dwdl.de: "Boris Becker is perhaps the greatest hero of German sport. We all know the unbelievable highs and downfalls in his life. Boris Becker is familiar to us.

"Sat.1 will not talk about him – but with him. I am pleased that Boris Becker has given us his trust for the first and only interview worldwide after what may have been the most difficult time in his life."

Becker lived in London before being sent to prison but could be prevented from returning to live in the UK.

He does not have UK citizenship and the Home Office has confirmed any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

He covered tennis in a broadcasting career before he was sentenced, being a regular presence on the BBC during Wimbledon, the tournament he won three times, including s spectacular triumph as the age of 17 in 1985.

Rafael Nadal on Friday revealed long-time coach Francis Roig is no longer on his team.

Former player Roig has been working with the legendary Spaniard since 2005, helping him win a record 22 grand slam titles.

Roig's long spell on the Nadal team has now come to an end, with the world number two announcing that his compatriot has taken on a "new project."

He wrote on social media: "I wanted to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving the team. Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship.

"When we started working together I was a child and together with my uncle Toni, we started on the circuit.

"Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project."

Toni Nadal left his nephew's coaching team at the end of the 2017 season and is now working with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Carlos Moya was appointed as Nadal's coach following Toni Nadal's departure.

Serena Williams may return to the court "one more time," former world number two Tommy Haas believes.

The 23-time grand slam singles champion Williams declared her intention to "evolve" away from tennis prior to the US Open in September, with many thinking her third-round defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic signalled the end of her illustrious career.

Although, the 41-year-old hinted she may return in a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon, suggesting she may follow the example of another American sporting great.

"Tom Brady started an amazing trend," she said when asked if her competitive career may resume. "That's what I want to say."

Speaking to Eurosport Germany's tennis podcast Das Gelbe vom Ball, Haas said: "Serena had an incredible, long and strong career. 

"But I have the feeling that she is going to come back and say, 'I'm going to play one more time.' 

"She came so close to playing really well again and going far, so I think deep down it really annoys her.

"She might really be thinking about whether she wants to try again. I may be wrong because I'm not that close [to her].

"It will mostly depend on how it looks mentally, how she feels physically and whether she has the desire to torture herself like that again after achieving so much."

Andy Murray has been named the winner of the ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award for the second time after he donated his prize money for 2022 to Ukraine.

The Briton announced in March that his winnings earned throughout the rest of the year would be donated to UNICEF, for whom he is an ambassador.

Ukraine was invaded by neighbour Russia in February, escalating an ongoing conflict that saw players from the latter nation barred at Wimbledon this year amid sanctions.

After previously being presented with the honour in 2014, Murray revealed earnings of approximately £510,000 would be donated from his season.

"There are 7.5 million children in Ukraine and after more than nine months of increased conflict, 5.2 million of them are in need of assistance," he said. 

"When you see images of children on the news who were impacted by things like this, that makes it even more difficult to stomach.

"I have four young children who are really fortunate that everything is fine with them. But being a parent, it affects you differently.

"You try to put yourself in their shoes. If something like that happened with your own family, how difficult would that be? It is hard to fathom."

Carlos Alcaraz was meanwhile named the Most Improved Player of the Year, after the Spaniard claimed a maiden grand slam at the US Open and reached number one in the ATP Rankings.

"Everything has come so fast," the teenager added. "I didn't think at the beginning of the year that I'm going to have the year that I'm having right now.

"I always believe in my team and in my work, so this is something that came with the hard work that I put in every day. Everything pays off."

Boris Becker could be deported from the United Kingdom after the tennis legend was released from prison on Thursday.

The 55-year-old was sentenced to two-and-a-half-years in jail at the end of April for breaking insolvency laws.

Six-time grand slam champion Becker served just eight months of his sentence and it was confirmed by his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, that he has returned to his native Germany - where he is subject to any restrictions.

The former world number one was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

Becker reportedly started his sentence in London's Wandsworth Prison, before being moved to Huntercombe Prison in May.

He lived in London before being sent to prison but could be prevented from returning to live in the UK.

Becker does not have UK citizenship and the Home Office have confirmed any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

He covered tennis in a broadcasting career before he was sentenced.

Carla Suarez Navarro has announced she is pregnant, with the Spanish former tennis star who overcame cancer expressing her "tremendous joy" and "great pride."

Now 34, Suarez Navarro was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in September 2020, just months after announcing her intention to retire.

She delayed that retirement and, after being given the all-clear in April 2021, began a farewell tour at that year's French Open that included appearances at Wimbledon, the US Open, the Olympic Games and the Billie Jean King Cup.

Having left competitive tennis behind at the end of the 2021 season, Suarez said she and her partner Olga Garcia were thrilled to announce the pregnancy, with their baby due in June.

Garcia, 30, is a footballer who has played for the Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Spain women's teams.

They said in a shared statement on Instagram: "A new stage that we really wanted to experience. Let's grow the family! Excited and happy to face this big moment. Very soon we will be one more."

Both were showered with messages of congratulations and love, from the likes of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and tennis names including Caroline Wozniacki, Garbine Muguruza, Paula Badosa and Sara Errani.

Suarez Navarro explained, in a statement reported by Spanish media: "We wanted to announce that I am three months pregnant. It's already 12 weeks of tremendous joy to bring a new life into the world.

"Both Olga Garcia, my partner, and I feel an enormous responsibility, a great pride for having taken this step, and we were excited to share it with all of you.

"This Tuesday, we went to perform the first trimester ultrasound, to verify that the pregnancy is progressing on the right track. Fortunately, the medical team has confirmed that the gestation process is developing completely normally.

"It is fantastic news for us and fills us with hope for the near future."

The former WTA player, who reached a career-high world ranking of sixth, added: "After my retirement from sports, with both of us still young, we thought it was the ideal time to face a process that fills us with joy and enthusiasm.

"We are very excited with what we are going through and with all the experiences that we hope to live soon."

Nick Kyrgios hit out at a lack of respect for his achievements in Australian tennis, after Ash Barty claimed the Newcombe Medal.

Three-time grand slam winner Barty made the surprise decision to retire in March, aged just 25, after securing the Australian Open title only two months earlier.

The former world number one was subsequently recognised with the highest individual honour in Australian tennis as she won her fifth consecutive Newcombe Medal on Monday.

Kyrgios, who won the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis, became the first male Australian finalist at Wimbledon since Mark Philippoussis (2003) in July, but fell to defeat against Novak Djokovic.

The 27-year-old, then 40th in the world, was also the lowest-ranked grand slam male finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (54) at the Australian Open in 2006.

After the announcement of Barty's individual recognition, Kyrgios took to Instagram to question the decision.

"LOL. No respect at all. Don't give a f***," he wrote before including a comparison of his 2022 victories to Barty's year.

It is not the first time Kyrgios has spoken out against Australian tennis, previously suggesting it was an "easy decision" to snub the Davis Cup to play at the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition event in Riyadh.

Kyrgios may take some consolation, though, after being named with Kokkinakis as the Fans' Favourite doubles team in the 2022 ATP Awards.

He responded to the announcement on Instagram, adding: "Obviously lol."

Ash Barty is adamant she "absolutely fulfilled every ounce" of her tennis aspirations following her shock retirement earlier this year.

The three-time grand slam winner was at the peak of her powers when, in March, she made the surprise decision to call time on her tennis career at the age of 26.

The former world number one and reigning Australian Open champion later revealed to friend and former player Casey Dellacqua that she was 'spent' and no longer had the 'physical drive' or 'emotional want'.

Following her triumph at Melbourne Park, making her the first home women's singles champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978, Barty became the first player to win the Newcombe Medal on five occasions.

She maintained her record of having won the award, the highest individual honour in Australian tennis, every year since it was first presented in 2017.

"This has obviously been a very big year in my career and in my life," said Barty, who beat Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, US Open mixed doubles champion Storm Hunter, Ajla Tomljanovic and Alex De Minaur to the accolade.

"We've had exceptional change, we've had an amazing year of celebrating a journey of not only myself, but my team, and there is so much to be proud of.

"I stand here very proudly knowing that I absolutely fulfilled every ounce that I could to this beautiful sport that brought me so much more than I could have ever dreamt."

Nick Kyrgios will play the French Open for the first time since 2017 next year because his partner wants to visit Paris, though he would prefer to stay at home.

Kyrgios has never been beyond the third round at Roland Garros, last appearing at the event in 2017 – when he suffered a second-round defeat against Kevin Anderson.

Last year, the Australian labelled the French Open "the worst grand slam" and called for the competition to be "taken off the calendar altogether".

However, Kyrgios now says he will end his absence from the Paris event, though his reasons for doing so are not tennis related.

"My girlfriend wants to know Paris, so I'm going to play at Roland Garros 2023," Kyrgios told reporters in Saudi Arabia.

"It will be good for me to earn some more money, although I would have preferred to stay at home.

"I know I can do great results on clay. I beat Roger [Federer], [Stan] Wawrinka, I played a final in Estoril. My girl wants to get to know the city so I will have to go this year."

Kyrgios achieved two of his four best grand slam runs in 2022, losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic before exiting the US Open at the quarter-final stage against Karen Khachanov.  

 

Carlos Alcaraz pinpointed Iga Swiatek as a hot shot example to follow as the world number one looks to successfully defend top spot in the ATP rankings.

Spaniard Alcaraz enjoyed a hugely impressive 2022 season, winning five titles including a first grand slam at the US Open.

The 19-year-old subsequently became the youngest number one in ATP history, as well as the youngest player to top the year-end rankings.

It has also been a dominant year for Swiatek, who landed eight titles including the French Open and US Open, while also embarking on a 37-match winning streak – the longest this century on the WTA Tour – and registering 22 'bagel' sets.

Alcaraz, who knows there will be greater expectations on him delivering the goods, hopes to follow in the footsteps of the runaway WTA leader.

 

"I see her year has been incredible," Alcaraz told Arab News. "She broke a record for the longest winning streak [this century]. It's amazing,

"I wish to be like her, to not lose the number one [ranking]. But I think it's almost impossible. I'm going to lose it, but the point is to recover it and stay there at number one as much as I can."

He added: "Obviously yes, all the people want to beat the number one in the world. I could feel that after the US Open, everyone had a target on me and everyone wanted to face me on court. That's what I have to be prepared for."

Despite an incredible year, Alcaraz admitted his achievements are yet to truly hit home.

"It sounds like a dream for me," he said. "Honestly, there are so many times I think about this year, about my position right now, and I still can't believe it. I'm thinking: 'Is this real? I’m number one in the world?' I'm dreaming. It's something I have to realise someday."

Roger Federer swept to Wimbledon men's singles glory a record eight times, but the Swiss was almost turned away on an impromptu trip to the All England Club last month.

Having retired from professional tennis in September, Federer has more time on his hands than usual and during a visit to London he decided to pay the famous venue a visit.

Singles champions at Wimbledon become honorary members of the club, but it turns out the membership card they are given is rather important, particularly when security insist on seeing it.

Federer posted a picture of the Wimbledon trophy on social media on November 25, with the caption: "Nice to see you again."

It turns out it was quite an effort to get into the grounds before he took that snap, with Federer telling Daily Show host Trevor Noah this week how much of an ordeal it proved to be.

The 41-year-old said: "I have not really been at Wimbledon when the tournament is not on, so I drive up to the gate, where usually guests come in, where you would arrive and then you go up. I get out and tell my coach who was with me at the time, Severin, I tell him I'll quickly go out and speak to the security lady, I got this. I did not.

"So then I get out and I'm like, 'Yes, hello, I was just wondering how I can get in to Wimbledon? Where is the door? Where is the gate?'. She [says], 'Do you have a membership card?'. I'm like, 'Uh, we have one?'."

Doors usually open for Federer, a 20-time grand slam champion, but this one looked like being closed to him, despite his many past successes on the famous grass courts.

He won at Wimbledon each year from 2003 to 2007, before adding titles in 2009, 2012 and 2017. Still, it helps to have a membership card to enter a members' club, as the security official made clear.

Federer said: "I tell her normally when I'm here I'm playing and there's loads of people and I come in in a different way and it's the first time I'm here while the tournament's not on and I don't know where to get in so, 'I'm just asking you again, where can I get in?'.

"She's like, 'Well at the side, but you have to be a member'. So I look at her one last time and I'm in a panic now."

This was where Federer reluctantly played the 'don't you know who I am?' card.

"I'm so sorry, I still can't believe I said that, I still feel bad about it, and I look at her and I was like, 'I have won this tournament eight times. Please believe me, I am a member and where do I get in?'," he said.

He moved along to seek a different way in, and this was where his luck turned.

"I get out of the car and a random person walks in the walkway and said, 'Oh Mr Federer, I can't believe you're here at Wimbledon! Can we take a selfie?'," Federer said.

"I'm like, 'Yes! Let's take a picture!'. And the security guards that are there are like, 'Oh my God, Mr Federer, what are you doing here? Do you have your membership card?'."

Federer did not. This time, however, his luck was in.

"I'm like, 'No I don't, but is it possible to get in?'," he said. "[And they said] 'Of course we'll open the door, let me organise it'."

Although he was unable to play due to injury, Federer made a fleeting appearance at Wimbledon in 2022 at a line-up of champions to mark 100 years of Centre Court.

Nick Kyrgios admits the pressure he is facing is "a lot to handle", as he prepares for next month's Australian Open.

Having started 2022 with a doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis at his home grand slam, Kyrgios then advanced to the final of Wimbledon and suffered defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic.

That form, which also saw him reach the quarter-finals at the US Open, has put the 27-year-old in the conversation as a title contender for the 2023 grand slams, the first of which begins in Melbourne on January 16.

Kyrgios is aware there are great expectations for him in the year ahead and conceded it is not easy being in the spotlight, particularly ahead of his home grand slam.

"I always believe that pressure is a privilege. In real life, there's not much pressure to being a professional tennis player," he told Eurosport.

"We earn great money, we travel around the world with our favourite people. We get to see different people, different cultures.

"In the scheme of things, that's not pressure but I completely understand going on the match court with all this expectation that 'Nick Kyrgios is legitimate chance to win a grand slam now'.

"There's a lot of pressure there, especially having the Australian Open and everyone in Australia expecting big things from me. It's a lot to handle sometimes. Being in the spotlight is not easy."

The last Australian man to win a singles grand slam title was Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 at Wimbledon, while the wait for men's success at home goes back further to 1976 – when Mark Edmondson was victorious in Melbourne.

While there is a desire for Kyrgios to end those lengthy waits, he has made it clear he wants the success for his own goals, not for anyone else.

"I've learnt that the people will never have enough. For me, I've achieved some great things in this sport and where I came from," he said.

"I know I'm content with myself. I want to achieve more for myself, but for all of my team, not for anyone else."

Nick Kyrgios made an "easy" decision to snub participation in the Davis Cup with Australia but take up the chance to earn a seven-figure sum in Saudi Arabia.

The 27-year-old is competing at the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition event in Riyadh, with the three-day, 12-man event coming with a prize of $1million for the winner.

Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt and Australia number one Alex de Minaur have both revealed they tried to persuade Kyrgios to compete in Malaga last month, with their attempts ultimately being in vain.

The Wimbledon finalist referenced the negativity he has endured in his career from his homeland as a reason for his snub, saying participation in the Davis Cup "doesn't really make sense".

Australia ended up finishing as runners-up to Canada.

"Maybe if Australia embraced me a little bit more, I would play it and bring home the trophy. But who knows? At this point of my career, I'll always do what's best for me," Kyrgios told AAP News.

"I can travel around the world playing exhibitions around this time of year for six figures - you know I feel I put myself in that position - so it's an easy one for me.

"I'll easily take time with my family and my girlfriend and enjoy experiences around the world and earn that type of money rather than play a week away in something where I wouldn't be able to be with my girlfriend and I'm not getting paid that well.

"[That] doesn't really make sense to me and my progression as an athlete."

Asked whether he could envisage himself playing in the Davis Cup again, he added: "Maybe, who knows?

"Adding another week in Europe in Malaga wasn't really what was on my wish list. If it was in Australia, maybe it would have been a different story. But who knows?

"It's not always easy for me to erase everything in Australia that's said negatively about me or my family, you don't need that - so it's interesting that they really want me to play, but are always criticising.

"Look, I've always been one of the best players in the world - I’ve always held up my fair share of the bargain towards Australia. 

"I feel like this is the first year I've earned respect when it should have been given when I first came on tour.

"I've represented them, put them on the map, and having produced one of the most successful male years in the last decade for Australia, and am only just getting embraced [now] - I don't think that's my fault."

The Lawn Tennis Association has been hit with an £820,000 fine by the ATP for banning Russian and Belarusian male players from its 2022 grass-court events, including Wimbledon.

The ban was imposed upon players from those nations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supported by Belarus, but has been deemed to have breached ATP rules.

In a statement, the LTA expressed its disappointment with the decision and accused the ATP of not recognising "exceptional circumstances".

"The LTA is deeply disappointed with this outcome," the statement read. "The ATP, in its finding, has shown no recognition of the exceptional circumstances created by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, or the international sporting community and UK Government's response to that invasion.

"The ATP appear to regard this matter as a straightforward breach of their rules – with a surprising lack of empathy shown for the situation in Ukraine, and a clear lack of understanding of the unique circumstances the LTA faced."

The LTA said the fine will prevent the organisation from holding smaller events to give opportunities to lower-ranked players, and announced that plans for ATP Challenger level events will be scrapped.

A previous fine was issued by the WTA for the banning of female Russian and Belarusian players, which has been appealed by the LTA.

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