Novak Djokovic to skip all clay tournaments; struggling Iga Swiatek & Carlos Alcaraz fire key team members | 5 bold predictions for tennis in April 2025

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and other top players will now turn their attention to clay starting this month. The initial hardcourt swing saw the rise of teenagers, with Mirra Andreeva winning two WTA 1000 tournaments while Jakub Mensik won a Masters 1000 title.

Ad

Jack Draper and Amanda Anisimova, both highly touted teenagers back in the day, fulfilled that promise by winning a big title as well. Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked players on their respective tours, won the Miami Open and the Australian Open, respectively.

Sinner was handed a three-month ban related to his doping test last year following his Australian Open triumph. The PTPA's lawsuit against the ATP and WTA Tours also sent shockwaves through the tennis community last month. As another new month begins, here are some bold predictions on what could possibly unfold in the month of April:

Ad

Trending

#1. Novak Djokovic to potentially ditch the clay swing

Novak Djokovic at the Miami Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Novak Djokovic finished as the runner-up to Jakub Mensik at the Miami Open. He's scheduled to contest all big tournaments on clay this year, starting with the Masters 1000 tournaments in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, followed by the French Open.

Ad

Conventional wisdom indicates that Djokovic would be keen to capitalize on his momentum in order to snag that coveted 100th career title. However, a packed schedule could potentially have adverse effects on his body. He already injured himself at the Australian Open earlier this year and then lost his next two matches upon his return.

Towards the end of his career, Roger Federer also skipped the clay season completely in 2017 and 2018 to remain fresh for the grass swing. Djokovic could follow in his footsteps. The Serb picked up an injury at last year's French Open and while he did reach the Wimbledon final after that, he was clearly not at his best and was outplayed by Carlos Alcaraz. He could have a great shot at the grass court Major if he doesn't step foot on the red dirt this time.

Ad

#2. Carlos Alcaraz to possibly part ways with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero

Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz has been coached by Juan Carlos Ferrero since 2019. Their partnership has been incredibly successful, having won four Major titles and five Masters 1000 titles thus far. The young Spaniard also added Samuel Lopez to his entourage in December 2024. He had previously worked with his current coach as well.

Ad

Alcaraz's results this year have been disappointing by his lofty standards. He did win his first title on indoor hardcourts in Rotterdam. However, he left Indian Wells and Miami empty-handed for the first time since 2021. He also failed to improve his result at the Australian Open, losing in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row.

Perhaps Alcaraz and Ferrero's collaboration has run its course. If the 21-year-old fails to make an impact in the coming weeks, this long-standing partnership has the potential to crumble.

Ad

#3. Iga Swiatek to potentially let go of her psychologist Daria Abramowicz

Iga Swiatek and Daria Abramowicz at the Italian Open 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Iga Swiatek has worked with sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz for a long time now. The five-time Major champion has credited her work with her in shaping her career and helping her elevate her game.

Ad

However, fans and tennis pundits have made note of Abramowicz's seemingly overbearing nature. Swiatek's recent on-court behavior has also changed. Having hired a new coach in the form of Wim Fissette last year, she could feel that it was time to bring in a new voice when it came to helping her deal with the mental pressure. Thus, she could probably end her working relationship with her psychologist.

#4. Emma Raducanu possibly hires Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach

Emma Raducanu at the Miami Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Emma Raducanu had a resurgence at the Miami Open, winning four consecutive matches for the first time since her victory at the US Open 2021. She's also without a full-time coach once again.

Ad

Goran Ivanisevic joined Elena Rybakina's team with much fanfare towards the end of last year. However, their partnership fizzled out by the end of this year's Australian Open in light of the Kazakh's situation with her coach, Stefano Vukov.

Raducanu, who has tasted a good amount of success on grass courts, could benefit under Ivanisevic's guidance. The latter won his only Major title at Wimbledon and also helped Djokovic win the grass court Major thrice. The young Brit could thus hire him as her coach to improve her odds of winning Wimbledon.

Ad

#5. Venus Williams to potentially announce her retirement

Venus Williams at the Miami Open 2024. (Photo: Getty)

Venus Williams has made sporadic appearances on the tour for the past couple of years. She contested only two tournaments last year and has been missing in action since the Miami Open 2024. While not officially retired, her current status is deemed to be that of an inactive player.

Williams was rumored to return during this year's "Sunshine Double" events but that didn't turn out to be true. Given her prolonged hiatus, it could be possible that she's considering retirement. She could announce a farewell tour soon if that's the case, though she has always stated that she wants to continue for as long as it's possible for her to do so.

× Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading

Factually Incorrect

Hateful or Abusive

Baseless Opinion

Too Many Ads

Other Cancel Submit Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback

How did Novak Djokovic meet Jelena Ristic? All about the most admired couples in tennis

Click here to read article