Can Swiatek emulate Alcaraz to start clay season?

Iga Swiatek is group for a mammoth fewer months.

The world number 2 is defending 4,195 points during nan clay-court play aft her astonishing 2024, which saw her triumph each tourney barroom nan Stuttgart Open. Even then, she reached nan semi-finals.

Poland's Swiatek won some WTA 1,000 titles successful Madrid and Italy, earlier picking up different 2,000 points from defending her French Open title.

Simply put, she's defending 54% of her 7,276 points complete nan adjacent six weeks - and world number 3 Jessica Pegula, breathing down her neck, is defending none.

Clay is Swiatek's champion surface, nan slower conditions giving her much clip connected her pacey forehand, backed up by her superb activity astir nan court.

But it's been a tricky twelvemonth for Swiatek. She mislaid successful nan Australian Open semi-finals from lucifer constituent up, was stunned astatine nan Miami Open by Filipina teen Alexandra Eala and has trim a stressed, irritable fig connected court.

Swiatek has besides had to woody pinch an upsetting incident disconnected nan court, being verbally abused by an "aggressive and taunting fan" successful Miami.

A return to her favoured clay mightiness supply a reset for her - arsenic Carlos Alcaraz has shown.

Like Swiatek, Alcaraz is nan defending French Open champion. He excessively has had a mixed commencement to nan year. He excessively had a astonishment nonaccomplishment successful Miami and, for illustration Swiatek, has a inclination to beryllium overly self-critical.

The caller Monte Carlo champion did not person it each his ain measurement connected his tally to nan title. His quarter-final against Arthur Fils was a tricky, tight encounter, and nan Spaniard was second-best successful nan early stages of nan last against Lorenzo Musetti.

But Alcaraz recovered a measurement done and, ultimately, a measurement to win. That is thing Swiatek tin emulate this week and beyond.

There has been very small activity connected nan WTA side, pinch players either practising aliases competing astatine nan Billie Jean King Cup, which does not connection ranking points.

On nan men's side, Lorenzo Musetti's Monte Carlo tally has near him knocking connected nan doorway of nan world's apical 10.

Owner of a one-handed backhand - 1 of nan astir beautiful sights successful tennis - Musetti hit defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and 10th-ranked Alex de Minaur to scope nan final.

He will beryllium hoping nan thigh wounded that hampered him against Alcaraz will not clasp up his clay play excessively much.

The Stuttgart Open, wherever nan victor walks distant pinch a caller Porsche, is nan large arena connected nan WTA Tour this week.

Seven of nan world's apical 10 are there, including Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva.

Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who has been plagued by wounded since her 2019 win, is group to make her first quality of nan twelvemonth astatine nan Open de Rouen successful France.

On nan men's side, defending champion Alcaraz heads up nan Barcelona Open field, alongside Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev, while Alexander Zverev is apical seed astatine nan Munich Open.

British doubles brace Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool began their clay plaything strongly, reaching nan last of nan Monte Carlo Masters.

The duo won nan first group but yet fell 1-6 7-6 (10-8) 10-8 to location favourite Romain Arneodo and France's Manuel Guinard.

Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara besides reached nan semi-finals successful Monaco, losing to nan eventual champions, while Giles Hussey triumphed astatine nan ITF M15 successful Monastir.

Sonay Kartal, caller from her awesome BJK Cup debut, is nan eighth seed astatine nan Open de Rouen, pinch Harriet Dart besides competing.

Cameron Norrie came done qualifying to scope nan main tie successful Barcelona but Jacob Fearnley lost successful nan past round. Billy Harris also suffered conclusion successful Munich qualifying but is into nan main tie arsenic a fortunate loser.

Elsewhere, Lucy Shuker and Ben Bartram are among 4 Britons successful nan wheelchair singles and doubles astatine nan Japan Open.

With truthful galore master tennis tournaments taking spot crossed nan world, and crossed truthful galore levels, it tin beryllium difficult to support up pinch everything from 1 week to nan next.

As portion of BBC Sport's committedness to connection much for tennis fans, Second Serve will beryllium your play round-up of nan biggest stories successful nan sport.

As good arsenic nan main talking point, you tin spot which ATP and WTA players are making important advancement - aliases struggling for form, really nan British contingent are doing and what nan adjacent stops connected nan calendars are.

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