I am features writer, covering several of the key storylines - both modern and historical - across tennis. My main focus and interest is on facts & data, and historical contest, producing an array of content for Tennis365 in these areas across the year. I have also attended the Queen's Club Championships on behalf of the site, as well as interviewing former stars such as Gilles Simon, Marion Bartoli, and Mike Bryan. After receiving a gold-standard NCTJ qualification in 2021, I went on to work for Beat Media Group from June 2021 to September 2023. My time at Beat Media saw me attend the Wimbledon Championships in 2023 and also cover events such as the YONEX All England, and write for publications such as The Independent, The i, and England Football. I joined Planet Sport in April 2024 as part of the Tennis365 team and have been working for the site for one year. Having grown up in Hertfordshire, I studied English at the University of Southampton from 2016-19. Entering sports journalism has been my passion since I was a child, and I have been an avid tennis fan for the best part of two decades.
Articles by Oli Dickson Jefford

Casper Ruud banishes ‘big title’ hoodoo as Madrid Open title secures top-10 return
Casper Ruud sealed a stunning rankings rise as he ended his wait for a Masters 1000 title in Madrid.

The 4 British men to reach the top five of the ATP Rankings: Jack Draper joins Andy Murray
Jack Draper is just the fourth British man in 52 years to reach the top five of the ATP Rankings.

Aryna Sabalenka named as ‘firm favourite’ for French Open ahead of Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka has been backed ahead of Iga Swiatek to lift the title in Roland Garros.

Naomi Osaka seals stunning rankings boost as she ends four-year title wait
Naomi Osaka triumphed at the WTA 125 tournament in Saint-Malo to seal a timely rankings boost.

Alexander Zverev asked if it is getting ‘easier’ to reach top 10 of ATP Rankings
Alexander Zverev is ranked at his career-high of world No 2 and has been a top-10 mainstay in recent years.

Jannik Sinner’s first Italian Open practice partner confirmed as suspension ends
Jannik Sinner's first practice partner at the Italian Open has been confirmed ahead of his return.

Aryna Sabalenka equals stunning Martina Hingis feat as reaches fourth Madrid Open final
Aryna Sabalenka saw off Elina Svitolina to book a Madrid Open final showdown versus Coco Gauff.

Iga Swiatek makes ‘plan B’ admission after being thrashed by Coco Gauff at Madrid Open
Iga Swiatek won just two games in a chastening loss to Coco Gauff in Madrid.

Novak Djokovic rankings drop confirmed as Jack Draper hits epic new milestone
Jack Draper's Madrid Open quarter-final win spells bad news for Novak Djokovic in the ATP Rankings.

Iga Swiatek set for huge WTA Rankings blow after shocking Madrid Open exit
Iga Swiatek was handed one of her worst-ever defeats by Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open.

Coco Gauff hits stunning milestones as she thrashes Iga Swiatek in Madrid Open shocker
Coco Gauff dropped just two game as she thrashed an erratic Iga Swiatek in Madrid.

Casper Ruud matches stunning Rafael Nadal feat with Madrid Open quarter-final triumph
Casper Ruud downed Daniil Medvedev to reach a seventh Masters 1000 semi-final on clay.

Jannik Sinner reveals his ‘favourite’ shot ahead of blockbuster Italian Open comeback
Sinner has revealed his "favourite" shot - and why he has 'envy' for Alcaraz and Musetti in one key area.

Novak Djokovic facing worrying rankings slide as young rival closes in
Jack Draper stormed through to a first clay-court Masters quarter-final - and could be in line for a huge reward.

Coco Gauff vs Iga Swiatek: Huge rankings ramifications set ahead of Madrid semi-final
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek will meet for the 15th time - with the world No 2 ranking potentially at stake.

How Novak Djokovic’s Italian Open withdrawal affects his Roland Garros hopes
Novak Djokovic is officially out of the Italian Open - and it will significantly dent his French Open hopes.

The 9 women to bagel Iga Swiatek: Madison Keys the first since 2021
Madison Keys is the first woman in almost four years to hand Iga Swiatek a bagel set.

Aryna Sabalenka’s impressive Madrid Open record that only Serena Williams can beat
Aryna Sabalenka's Madrid Open pedigree continues to impress after once again reaching the quarter-final.

When did Nick Kyrgios last play at the French Open? Aussie star teases surprise Roland Garros return
Nick Kyrgios has teased a return to the French Open - potentially ending a long absence at the event.

Madison Keys continues stunning record against top-30 opponents as she books Iga Swiatek rematch
Madison Keys easily dispatched Donna Vekic to book a Madrid Open quarter-final versus Iga Swiatek.

Who is Jannik Sinner’s new girlfriend? World No 1 dating model Lara Leito
World No 1 Sinner's new relationship appears to be confirmed after splitting from Anna Kalinskaya.

Has Novak Djokovic’s former biggest strength become his key weakness?
Djokovic is considered the greatest-ever returner - but has that shot contributed to his loss of form?

Mirra Andreeva’s stunning WTA 1000 milestone confirmed ahead of Coco Gauff showdown
Mirra Andreeva turns 18 the day after hitting an impressive milestone at the Madrid Open.

Alex Eala’s clay court schedule: Teen star makes major change after Madrid Open run
Alex Eala is embarking on a big clay-court swing, though has now made a big change to her schedule.

Who is Grigor Dimitrov’s rumoured new girlfriend? Hollywood star Eiza Gonzalez
Eiza Gonzalez appeared to confirm rumours she was dating Dimitrov with a Madrid Open appearance.

Revealed: How Iga Swiatek can remain as WTA world No 2 at the Madrid Open
With Jessica Pegula out, Swiatek must now hold off Coco Gauff to stay as the world No 2.

WATCH: Madrid Open plunged into darkness as national power outage causes cancellation on Monday
The Madrid Open was brought to a standstill by a major power outage on Monday.

Comparing Rafael Nadal’s Madrid Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and Italian Open records
'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal dominated on the dirt - but how do his Masters 1000 records compare?

The 5 men with the highest Madrid Open win percentage: Carlos Alcaraz 88.24%
Five men have a Madrid Open win rate of 80% or over since the tournament moved to clay.

The 9 women with the most WTA clay match wins: Chris Evert with 382, Steffi Graf 6th
Five Grand Slam winners are among the nine women to record the most WTA clay match wins.

The 10 men to spend 52+ consecutive weeks as world No 1: Jannik Sinner guaranteed milestone
Jannik Sinner is set to become just the 10th man to spend 52+ weeks as the world No 1.

Who will Novak Djokovic play Madrid Open Round 2? Italian star Matteo Arnaldi
Novak Djokovic's Madrid Open quest begins against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi.

Iga Swiatek hits stunning Madrid Open milestone with Alex Eala revenge win
Iga Swiatek battled back to earn revenge over rising star Alex Eala in Madrid.

Iga Swiatek’s ‘confidence’ questioned by Serena Williams’ ex-coach amid form struggles
Iga Swiatek's confidence has been called into question as her ongoing title drought continues.

Who is Emma Raducanu’s coaching team for the Madrid Open?
Emma Raducanu has called on some familiar faces for guidance during her Madrid campaign.

Carlos Alcaraz set for ATP Rankings blow after Madrid Open withdrawal
Carlos Alcaraz's Madrid Open withdrawal aids Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev in the ATP Rankings.

Who is Alex Eala’s coach? Joan Bosch guiding teen star’s rise to the top
Alex Eala's rise has been guided by Joan Bosch - a long-time coach at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Who does Emma Raducanu face in Madrid Open Round 2? Former rival Marta Kostyuk
Emma Raducanu and Marta Kostyuk meet three years after their previous Madrid Open clash.

The 4 women to win multiple Madrid Open titles: ft. Aryna Sabalenka, Serena Williams, Petra Kvitova
Four women have won multiple Madrid Open titles - can Iga Swiatek make it five in 2025?

Iga Swiatek vs Jessica Pegula vs Coco Gauff: Battle for No 2 at Madrid Open
Iga Swiatek faces a Madrid battle to keep Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff taking the world No 2 ranking.

Novak Djokovic’s Madrid Open titles, record, and pathway to 100th ATP title in 2025
Novak Djokovic has won three Madrid Open titles - but can he make it four in 2025?

Boris Becker claims tennis ‘needs’ both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Becker was speaking ahead of Sinner's impending return from a three-month ban.

Sabalenka’s quest, Swiatek & Gauff’s struggles, Raducanu’s rankings chance – Madrid Open predictions
We predict the big talking points for the Madrid Open women's singles draw.

The 5 men to win multiple Madrid Open titles on clay: Rafael Nadal top, Carlos Alcaraz with 2
Five men have won multiple Madrid Open titles since the tournament switched to clay in 2009.

Alex Eala close to Naomi Osaka record as she books Iga Swiatek rematch in Madrid
Eala breezed past Viktoriya Tomova to book a clash against defending Madrid champion Swiatek.

The 10 greatest female clay-courters of the Open Era – ranked!
With the clay season underway, we rank the greatest WTA dirtballers of the Open Era.

Prize money and points earned by Sabalenka, Swiatek, Ostapenko & Gauff at 2025 Stuttgart Open
How much did champion Jelena Ostapenko and other key stars earn for their efforts in Stuttgart?

Revealed: Alex Eala’s special Madrid Open connection ahead of Round 1 clash
Eala is set to return to WTA-level action at the Madrid Open - one of her most significant tournaments.

Who is Emma Raducanu’s Madrid Open Round 1 opponent? Dutch star Suzan Lamens
Raducanu has been handed an intriguing, but winnable, opening-round clash in Madrid.

Jelena Ostapenko emulates staggering Serena Williams feat as she storms to Stuttgart title
Ostapenko dispatched Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to claim her ninth WTA singles title.