The Italian Open is fully underway, giving players one final opportunity to fine-tune their games ahead of the second Grand Slam of the season.
However, the upcoming French Open has also become the centre of major controversy over the past week, with several leading players criticising the event over prize money and claims that competitors are not receiving a fair share of the sport’s growing revenues.
Here are some of Thursday’s biggest tennis stories.
Zverev labelled ‘petulant child’ by former world No 1
Former doubles world No 1 Rennae Stubbs labelled Alexander Zverev ‘delusional’ after the German suggested that only Jannik Sinner sits above himself, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic in the current ATP hierarchy.
Zverev made the comments after being dismantled 6-1, 6-2 by Sinner in the Madrid Open final, marking his ninth consecutive defeat to the Italian. While the German argued there are ‘two gaps’ in men’s tennis, Stubbs insisted that Alcaraz belongs alongside Sinner at the very top and said it was ‘insanity’ for Zverev to place himself in the same category as the Spaniard.
Alcaraz has won seven Grand Slam titles, while the former world No 2 has reached three major finals — losing all of them.
Stubbs also criticised Zverev’s performance and body language in Madrid, claiming he ‘looked like a petulant child’ and accusing him of giving up during the closing stages of the match, which lasted just 58 minutes.
READ: Alexander Zverev lambasted over ‘delusional’ comments on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
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Sinner demands fairer pay at Grand Slams
Amid the escalating debate surrounding Grand Slam prize money, world No 1 Sinner has now weighed in.
The Italian said players feel ‘disappointed’ and ‘disrespected’ by the Grand Slams, arguing they are not receiving a fair share of the sport’s growing revenues despite booming profits from broadcasting, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
Sinner revealed that the top-10 men and women jointly sent a letter to Grand Slam organisers more than a year ago, though he claims little progress has been made since. While stressing that the issue is about ‘respect’ as much as money, the Italian admitted he understands why players such as Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have begun discussing the possibility of a boycott.
Meanwhile, French Open organisers defended the tournament’s prize money structure, pointing to a 9.53% increase in the overall prize pool for 2026.
READ: Jannik Sinner demands more ‘respect’ over prize money as French Open boycott talk grows
Raducanu’s reunion with former coach praised
Stubbs was also back in the headlines after backing Emma Raducanu’s decision to reunite with former coach Andrew Richardson, arguing that the Brit needs someone who truly understands her.
Richardson famously coached Raducanu during her remarkable 2021 US Open triumph, where she became the first qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam title, though the partnership ended shortly afterwards. The pair recently worked together again during a training block at David Ferrer’s academy in Spain, with Raducanu describing the reunion as ‘a nice week.’
Speaking on her podcast, Stubbs suggested Richardson’s long-standing relationship with the Brit could help bring stability to her career following several coaching changes.
While she joked that coaching the former US Open champion is ‘the most difficult job in the world,’ Stubbs praised Raducanu’s intelligence and said the Brit may benefit from working with someone she trusts rather than ‘trying to pretend to be a player that she’s not.’
READ: Emma Raducanu gets candid advice as she is told ‘half the problem is that she’s so smart’