Zverev upset, Swiatek ‘figuring out’ coach link, Toni Nadal assesses Fonseca – Tennis roundup
Whilst the ATP Tour is having a break from its top-tier events this week, the WTA’s Stuttgart Open is coming to the final weekend.
Iga Swiatek’s three-set loss to Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals led to her admitting that she is still ‘figuring out’ her relationship with new coach Francisco Roig.
Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev suffered a disappointing loss to Flavio Cobolli in the last four of the ATP 500 tournament in Munich – where he was the defending champion.
Here are some of the biggest tennis news stories from Saturday.
Toni Nadal seeks to cool Fonseca expectations and predicts Djokovic’s slam chances
The uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal has delivered a blunt verdict on Djokovic’s Grand Slam future, while also urging caution over the growing hype surrounding Joao Fonseca. The Spaniard suggested that, despite Djokovic’s greatness, adding to his major tally may now be ‘unlikely’.
Djokovic’s career remains one of the most decorated in sporting history, however, recent fitness issues and a reduced schedule have raised questions about his ability to consistently compete with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Nadal was equally candid when discussing rising star Fonseca, despite the teenager’s impressive recent results. He admitted that, based on what he saw during his matches in Miami, he did not view the Brazilian as a ‘great player’ at the level of the sport’s elite.
READ: Toni Nadal delivers brutal Novak Djokovic verdict and cools hype around Joao Fonseca
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Alex Eala adds another event to her 2026 clay-court schedule
Swiatek says she needs time to ‘figure’ her new coaching relationship out after Stuttgart exit
Swiatek’s wait for a first semi-final of 2026 continued after a three-set defeat to Russian Andreeva in the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals. Despite taking the opening set, the Pole was edged out 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The Pole has suffered multiple quarter-final losses this season and was coming off a second-round loss to Magda Linette in Miami.
Much of the focus is now on her new coaching partnership with Francisco Roig, a former coach of Rafael Nadal, which is still in its early stages. After just two weeks of collaboration together, Swiatek admitted they are still ‘getting to know each other,’ with the Spaniard giving her space to figure things out during matches.
Zverev falls further behind Alcaraz-Sinner after latest loss
Zverev’s difficult 2026 season continued with a straight-sets semi-final defeat to Cobolli at the Munich Open. The German fell 6-3, 6-3, struggling on serve and winning just 30% of his second-serve points.
After the match, Zverev pointed to fatigue as a key factor, admitting his heavy schedule had caught up with him and was looking forward to a few days of rest.
The result has, potentially, significant ranking implications, with Zverev set to drop 300 points, leaving him only 545 points ahead of Djokovic in the Live ATP Rankings. The Serb has only played two events since October and has recently opted out of a third consecutive Masters 1000 event.
It also extends the gap between Zverev and the world’s top two – Alcaraz and Sinner – to 7705 ranking points.
