Category: Tennis

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has urged Grand Slam chiefs to solve the prize money row that prompted Wimbledon stars to limit their media duties ahead of the tournament.

Sabalenka is among a group of leading players fighting to increase the total prize money on offer at the four Grand Slam tournaments.

With Wimbledon starting on Monday, the Belarusian and her fellow players met the media at press conferences on Saturday.

But, as several stars did at the recent French Open, Sabalenka and other players again restricted their time with journalists in a prize money protest.

Wimbledon organisers have increased the total pot for this year’s tournament by a record 20 percent in response to the demands of a players’ group led by former WTA chief executive Larry Scott.

While Sabalenka acknowledged that was a welcome gesture, the four-time Grand Slam champion said it still wasn’t enough and called for negotiations between the players and the tournament chiefs.

“It’s a great start that they raised the prize money. But if you look over the last 10 years, if you compare the prize money to 2016, it’s kind of like the same,” she told reporters.

“I really hope we can finally get to the table and really get it done, come to a conclusion that everyone is going to be happy with.

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“Hopefully we’ll never have to do this again.”

All England Club officials admitted they were “surprised and disappointed” by the protest, pointing out they have proposed a player council to solve the dispute.

Wimbledon’s £64.2 million ($84.7 million) prize money for 2026 is around 15 percent of the tournament’s overall revenue.

But that figure is short of the 16 per cent that the players want.

The Wimbledon singles champions will bank £3.6 million, an increase from the £3 million earned by 2025 champions Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner.

Even first-round losers will receive £80,000 — a significant rise from last year’s £66,000.

Sabalenka and her fellow millionaire stars have been accused of greed by demanding more prize money.

But the 28-year-old insisted they were fighting on behalf of lower ranked players, who do not enjoy the same rewards and benefits that come with being at the top of the sport.

“Listen, we do it for the tour, we don’t do it for ourselves. We do it for the rest of the players who are suffering to even hire a coach,” she said.

“It’s not an easy life for players who is, like, lower in the ranking. So we do it for them.

“I’m more than sure the crowd understand us. I mean, we’re playing matches, we’re there, we’re competing, we’re bringing the show.

“Now we are just limiting our media. We are just trying to really get to something that everyone is going to be happy with.”

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Novak Djokovic is taking inspiration from Serena Williams’ sensational comeback as he sets his sights on a record-breaking triumph at Wimbledon.

Williams has returned to tennis at the age of 44 and will play her first singles match in four years when she faces Maya Joint in the Wimbledon first round next week.

The American legend has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her remarkable career, just behind Djokovic’s men’s record tally of 24.

Djokovic, 39, is chasing an all-time record of 25 Grand Slam singles titles and Williams’ astonishing return — motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters — prompted him to seek out the American to discuss her comeback.

“Look, first and foremost, what she’s doing is inspirational and it’s epic. That’s what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story,” Djokovic told reporters on Saturday.

“For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort to, not just for her own satisfaction is remarkable.

“I told her that whatever happens, what she’s doing is truly inspirational for me personally, I’m sure for millions around the world.”

Djokovic set the Open Era record for the oldest men’s Grand Slam singles finalist when he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open showpiece in January.

Ken Rosewall is the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era, aged 37 at the 1972 Australian Open.

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With Williams’ return giving him extra belief in his own history bid, Djokovic hopes the American also enjoys a sustained run at a tournament she last won in 2016.

“I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible,” he said.

“It’s admirable, honestly, the effort she’s putting in. Of course, all eyes are on her comeback. She created something historical, legendary in her career. She deserves every applause she’s going to get.”

Williams and Djokovic have both won seven Wimbledon singles titles.

But Djokovic’s most recent triumph at the All England Club came four years ago, with his last final appearance ending in defeat against Alcaraz in 2024.

Novak Djokovic crashed out in the third round of the recent French Open, blowing a two-set lead against rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca.

As the sands of time run out on Djokovic’s transcendent career, he knows Wimbledon’s fast grass-courts, which shorten draining rallies, offer him the best conditions to win that elusive 25th Grand Slam title.

“It is different in terms of just the overall physical state. I think I’m better prepared here than I was for Roland Garros, which was very demanding and draining,” Novak Djokovic said.

“I was planning to peak at Wimbledon after the injury of the shoulder that kind of kept me away from the tour for several months.

“Obviously playing on grass, comparing to clay, you don’t need to exert as much physical effort. So that’s better for me.”

Wimbledon has always been Djokovic’s favourite tournament and he added: “I have a very good score here, some history. That gives me, of course, a higher dose of confidence coming into the tournament.”

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Serena Williams will play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 after the American legend was given a wildcard to play the doubles event with her sister Venus on Tuesday.

Williams made a sensational return to tennis last week when she won her first-round doubles match at Queen’s Club with partner Victoria Mboko.

The 44-year-old had not played professional tennis for four years after saying she was “evolving away” from the sport following the 2022 US Open.

But the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was keen to play in front of her two young daughters and made the shock announcement of her return just prior to the Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen’s.

Serena Williams was unable to play more than one match at Queen’s after Mboko pulled out with an injury, but she is due to continue her remarkable comeback in the Berlin Open doubles alongside Karolina Muchova this week.

The Williams sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, winning their last title on their most recent appearance together a decade ago.

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Following speculation that Serena would be tempted to play in the singles at Wimbledon, which starts on June 29, the American was absent from the list of wildcard entries into that part of the tournament.

After so long away, she had no ranking to secure automatic entry into tournaments, leaving her to rely on wildcards.

Williams is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, but she hasn’t won a Grand Slam crown since beating Venus to win the 2017 Australian Open.

Her most recent Wimbledon singles title came in 2016, with her last four Grand Slam finals ending in defeat.

There is still one singles wildcard place for Wimbledon to be announced.

Williams’ return at Queen’s for her first match in 1,375 days captured the imagination of the sporting world.

Her decision to pick up a racquet in a competitive setting for the first time since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open had sparked questions about the wisdom of the move.

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But it was like she had never been away as Williams produced her trademark thunderous serve and fearsome ground-strokes to the delight of a capacity crowd.

Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus has been beaten in all seven of her singles matches this year.

The 45-year-old, who plays only occasionally in the twilight of her career, won a doubles match with Katie Boulter in Madrid in April.

Elsewhere in the Wimbledon wildcard list, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who will retire at the end of the season, and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov were given entry into the men’s singles.

Maja Chwalinska, who reached the French Open final earlier in June, was handed a wildcard for the women’s singles.

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Polish outsider Kamil Majchrzak clinched his first ever ATP tennis tour title Sunday, stunning world number six Alex de Minaur 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) in a nail-biting final on the ‘s-Hertogenbosch grass.

The win capped a fairytale run for the world number 76, who had already overcome two top-10 players in consecutive rounds in Felix Auger-Aliassime (world rank four) and Daniil Medvedev (world rank eight).

Both players battled blustery conditions but Majchrzak was the more aggressive player, taking more risks and eventually grinding down the obdurate de Minaur in a match lasting two hours 25 minutes.

“This is a very emotional moment for me, I’ve been waiting for this moment all my career,” said the 30-year-old as he collected his trophy.

“I played some of the best players in the world, so this one feels really good, it feels really special. To beat three players from the top 10 is an unbelievable run for me.”

The Pole got off to a flying 3-0 start in the first set, breaking De Minaur’s first service game as the Australian appeared to struggle with the swirling wind on serve.

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That early break proved to be enough, as Majchrzak wrapped up the first set 6-3 with a high backhand volley at the net.

Losing his first set of the tournament appeared to galvanise the Australian, who broke Majchrzak’s first service game of the second set with a crosscourt forehand pass.

But this time the Pole responded immediately, getting the set back on serve with a break of his own as De Minaur pushed a ground stroke long.

A series of unforced errors from Majchrzak at 3-2 however gifted De Minaur another break of serve and the Australian sealed the set 6-2 with another break as the Pole drifted a forehand drive wide.

The deciding set went on serve until the crucial seventh game, when Majchrzak seized the initiative, breaking the Australian’s serve courtesy of a double fault.

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But the stubborn de Minaur broke back immediately and won his next service game with a brilliant backhand pass up the line, one of the shots of the match.

A final-set tie-break seemed a fitting way to decide such a tight match.

De Minaur kicked off the breaker with a double-fault and Majchrzak gratefully accepted the gift to race into a 3-0 lead.

With a first title in his sight, the Pole tightened up somewhat, allowing the Australian to scrape back to 5-5, but a brave serve and volley gave him championship point.

In the end, De Minaur handed him the title with a double fault, Majchrzak sinking to his knees in triumph after the biggest win of his life.

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Roger Federer will play in a US Open one-night exhibition event that also includes long-time rivals Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, and Andy Roddick, the US Tennis Association said on Monday.

The 44-year-old retired Swiss superstar, who won five of his 20 Grand Slam singles titles in New York, will play in “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York” on August 25 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer last played in the US Open in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals. He won at Flushing Meadows from 2004 through 2008, the only man or woman to capture five consecutive singles titles on the New York hardcourts.

“The US Open has always been one of the most special tournaments for me,” Federer said in a statement.

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“So many unforgettable moments of my career happened in New York, and Arthur Ashe Stadium is a place that means a great deal to me.

“I’ve missed being part of that atmosphere and feeling the incredible energy that the fans bring every year. To return to Arthur Ashe and share the evening with Andy, Andre and John makes it even more meaningful.

“I’m looking forward to celebrating those memories, seeing the fans again, and enjoying a very special night together.”

The event comes four days before Federer will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

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Alexander Zverev finally secured his maiden Grand Slam title with a dramatic five-set victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final on Sunday.

The second seed became the first German man to win a major tournament since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 victory after four hours and 16 minutes.

“This court is so special to me in so many ways… but now finally, it’s a happy end,” said Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier, where he was also edged out in five sets by Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 final.

It was Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final and second at Roland Garros after some heartbreaking near misses in his career.

“We’ve been through losses, we’ve been losers at times as well in the most important moments,” he said during the trophy presentation, turning to his team.

“But at the end of the day, we’re Grand Slam champions now, and that’s what counts.”

Cobolli, the 10th seed, was bidding to become the first Italian man since Adriano Panatta to win the French Open in 50 years.

The 24-year-old had never even played a Slam semi-final before, let alone a final, after his last-four opponent Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from the tournament through illness.

“It’s not easy for me to talk right now,” said Cobolli after receiving his runner-up trophy from Panatta, before addressing Zverev.

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“I’m happy for you, but I’m also sad because I was close and I feel it. So now you’ve achieved your dream, let me win the next time.”

Both players appeared to struggle with nerves at various points in the match, especially Cobolli during an error-strewn first set.

But Zverev’s greater experience showed in a deciding set that was far tenser than the scoreline suggested, as he managed to get over the line.

The 29-year-old was handed a golden opportunity to break his Grand Slam duck by the injury-enforced absence of reigning champion Alcaraz and surprise early exits for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The world number three was not always in control, making 54 unforced errors, but did enough to finally shed the tag of being one of the best players to have never won a major.

Alexander Zverev had previously also lost in six Slam quarter-finals and seven semi-finals, alongside his three final defeats.

The most agonising miss of all was his first major final when he blew a two-set lead and failed to serve for the championship against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

The now-retired Thiem was watching on from the stands at Roland Garros as Zverev belatedly put the memories of that match to bed six years later.

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Alexander Zverev moved to the verge of a long-awaited first Grand Slam title as the second seed saw off Jakub Mensik in four sets to reach his second French Open final on Friday.

The German will face either 10th seed Flavio Cobolli or his fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Sunday after securing a 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Mensik.

Zverev has endured several near misses at major tournaments, with three previous final defeats, including against Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros two years ago.

“This is a Grand Slam, it’s best of five, things are going to happen, opponents are going to play better. I managed it,” said Zverev.

“I hope to play another great match on Sunday.”

But he will be a strong favourite against either Cobolli or world number 104 Arnaldi to finally get over the line and lift a Slam trophy.

The world number three was playing in his 11th Grand Slam semi-final and his experience showed against Czech youngster Mensik.

The 20-year-old, in the last four of a major for the first time, tired as the match went on as his previous exertions in Paris, including two five-set matches, took their toll.

Zverev has dealt well with the pressure of being the tournament favourite since the early exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, in the second and third rounds respectively.

He will face one last test of his mental strength on Court Philippe Chatrier in two days’ time, but should at least be fresh physically after reaching the final having only lost two sets in six matches.

“Pure emptiness, there’s absolutely nothing in my head,” insisted a smiling Zverev in his on-court interview.

“We’re athletes, very few of us have anything in our heads. Sometimes it’s easier to be stupid and not to think too much.”

The 29-year-old has been within one set of victory in two of his previous Slam finals, when facing Alcaraz in Paris in 2024 and when he blew a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

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Zverev is also aiming to end a 14-month title drought dating back to a clay-court event in Munich in April last year.

Zverev took a closely-fought first set courtesy of a break in the 11th game, having earlier saved three break points to deny Mensik a 5-3 lead.

The 26th seed could not keep pace at all in the second set, as Zverev broke twice and only dropped four points on his own serve.

Mensik called for a medical time-out just three games into the third set, appearing to struggle with a neck injury.

But he dragged himself back into the contest seemingly out of nowhere, breaking to take a 4-2 lead in the third set as his use of the drop shot started to make a greater impact.

That shot wrapped up a hold to love and the set — only the second Zverev had lost in the tournament.

Mensik could not keep up his momentum, though, falling 2-0 behind in the fourth set as consecutive backhand unforced errors gifted Zverev a break.

The three-time Grand Slam runner-up powered into the final from there, despite drawing the ire of some spectators for disputing two line calls and also receiving a warning for a time violation.

Zverev wrapped up victory on his first match point as Mensik netted a backhand.

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Mirra Andreeva raced into her first Grand Slam final as she beat an erratic Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 at the French Open on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Russian took one hour and 16 minutes to overcome her Ukrainian opponent. Andreeva will play either compatriot Diana Shnaider or Pole Maja Chwalinska in Saturday’s final.

“I’m still very, very nervous. I was very nervous coming into this match,” said eighth-seeded Andreeva on court at the end.

Kostyuk, the 15th seed, had won her previous two meetings with Andreeva, both this year. The most recent was on clay in the final in Madrid as Kostyuk put together a 17-match unbeaten run on the red dirt coming into the Roland Garros last four.

Yet, on Thursday, she quickly started to unravel against her teenage opponent. Kostyuk dropped serve in the very first game after two double faults and a pair of unforced errors.

She led 0-40 in Andreeva’s first service game but a combination of Kostyuk errors on high-risk strokes and the Russian’s steadier defence allowed Andreeva to recover to consolidate the break.

The pattern persisted as Andreeva grabbed the initiative to win through the 34-minute set.

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Kostyuk had a break point in the first game of the second set but could not take it.

Andreeva pulled 4-1 ahead. Kostyuk, who finished with 34 unforced errors, finally forced a break of her own but promptly dropped serve to love and Andreeva duly served out the win.

“She’s had an amazing season,” said Andreeva of Kostyuk. “She’s an amazing player, very tough opponent.

“I’m super happy with the way I played and then that I got revenge for Madrid final and I’m happy that I’m in my first-ever Grand Slam final.

“All of these feelings combined it’s amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

Andreeva was the only one of the women’s semi-finalists to have reached this stage at one of the four majors — she lost to Jasmine Paolini at the last-four stage of Roland Garros in 2024.

Shnaider and Chwalinska, a qualifier, meet to decide her final opponent later Thursday.

“I’m nervous but at the same time I’m very, very excited,” added Andreeva of playing her first major title-decider.

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka made a startling admission after crashing out of the French Open, revealing that she briefly felt like quitting tennis following a stunning quarter-final defeat to Diana Shnaider on Wednesday.

Sabalenka appeared firmly in control of the contest on Court Philippe Chatrier after claiming the opening set and racing to a 4-1 lead in the second with a double-break advantage.

However, the Belarusian suffered a remarkable collapse as Shnaider stormed back to secure a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory and book her place in the semi-finals.

The top seed struggled badly as the match slipped away, committing 57 unforced errors and losing the final 10 games of the contest in one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the tournament.

Speaking moments after the defeat, Sabalenka did not hide her frustration when asked about her emotions.

“No thoughts, no emotions. Just want to quit tennis right now,” she said during her post-match press conference. “But we’ll see. We’ll see in a few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion later elaborated on her mental struggles during the match, admitting she found herself unable to recover after momentum shifted in Shnaider’s favour.

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“I don’t know when was the last time that happened to me, that I lost 10 games in a row. I don’t know. I guess mentally I got into very deep, deep, dark hole over there, and I just couldn’t get back mentally on track,” Aryna Sabalenka told reporters.

Despite establishing herself as one of the dominant players on the WTA Tour, Sabalenka’s greatest successes have come on hard courts, where she has won all four of her Grand Slam titles. Her quest to capture a maiden French Open or Wimbledon crown, however, continues to prove elusive.

The latest defeat echoed last year’s heartbreaking French Open final loss against Coco Gauff, another match in which Sabalenka failed to convert a strong position.

The 28-year-old insisted she remains comfortable on clay and grass courts but acknowledged that her desire to break through on those surfaces may be creating additional pressure.

“I really feel great on clay. I feel great on grass,” she said. “I think maybe I’m focusing too much on the fact that I never won a Slam on either surface. Maybe that’s making me overthink things and become too emotional in certain moments.”

Sabalenka added that managing her emotions has become a priority as she looks to bounce back from another painful Grand Slam disappointment.

“This is something I have to step back and find a solution for because I’m tired of losing matches in this way simply because I became overemotional,” she concluded.

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Aryna Sabalenka’s bid for a first French Open title was left in tatters as she fell apart in a bizarre defeat by Russian 25th seed Diana Shnaider in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

The world number one led by a set and a double-break before exiting the tournament in a blaze of unforced errors, collapsing to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss in blustery conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Shnaider will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals on Thursday, with Marta Kostyuk or Mirra Andreeva awaiting the winner in Sunday’s final.

“Well honestly I’m speechless, I’m super happy. Obviously tough conditions with the wind,” said the 22-year-old Shnaider after beating a top-10 player for only the second time in her career.

“First time playing Aryna so definitely a lot of nerves and I feel the first set was trying to adjust to her game.”

Sabalenka was the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros, but belied that status by making a whopping 57 unforced errors.

Shnaider was playing in her first major quarter-final, but now finds herself a strong favourite to reach the final heading into her last-four tie against world number 114 and fellow left-hander Chwalinska.

“Definitely super happy I managed to finish on a good note rather than start on a good note. Definitely a special tournament for me here,” added the Russian.

“It’s going be a lefty battle so I’m looking forward (to the semi-final).”

Sabalenka’s scarcely believable defeat was reminiscent of the way she threw away a strong position in last year’s final against Coco Gauff.

The Belarusian was playing in a 14th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final but failed to become the first woman to make seven straight major semis since Serena Williams.

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The top seed raced into a 5-1 lead and eventually sealed the opener on her third set point after initially failing to serve it out.

The second set followed a similar pattern at first, as Sabalenka moved 4-1 in front with a double-break before throwing away her next service game.

Sabalenka became increasingly frustrated as she gifted Shnaider three break points to level at 4-4.

After some animated remonstrating with her box, she recomposed herself enough to hold.

But the 28-year-old’s game continued to come apart, as a string of dreadful unforced errors allowed Shnaider to break again and tie up the set at 5-5, with Sabalenka left to gesticulate wildly towards her coaching staff.

Shnaider could not believe her luck as Sabalenka dumped successive forehands into the bottom of the net to finish off the set and send the match into a decider.

The Russian grew in confidence and moved 2-0 up in the third as Sabalenka sprayed eight unforced errors around Chatrier in the space of two games.

Shnaider cruised to victory from there, fittingly securing a semi-final berth when Sabalenka knocked a routine backhand into the net on the third match point.

A stunned world number one was left to trudge off court after winning just 14 points in the deciding set.

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