Category: Tennis

Defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka says she is “a better player and person” than the one who lost to Leylah Fernandez four years ago as they prepare for a re-run of their 2021 semi-final.

Sabalenka overcame a spirited challenge from unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova to advance to the third round in New York on Wednesday.

World number one Sabalenka edged a tense first set in the Arthur Ashe night session before putting away Kudermetova 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

The win sent Sabalenka through to a first meeting with Canadian 31st seed Fernandez since their semi-final clash at Flushing Meadows four years ago.

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Leylah Fernandez won that showdown before losing the final to Emma Raducanu, but Sabalenka is reluctant to dwell on the past.

“I think I’d better not remember anything from that match, because I think I changed a lot,” said Aryna Sabalenka.

“I had really tough challenges after that, and I went through. I found myself. I have become a better player and a person.

“So I think it’s going to be a completely different match. I’d better just not try to remember that match.

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“But, of course, I do remember a couple of things, and I love rematches. So I’m actually super excited about facing her here again.”

Sabalenka is on a quest to make history by becoming the first woman to successfully defend her US Open title since the legendary Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2014.

“I have to focus on myself. I know that if I’m able to bring my game and fight for every point, I’ll have my chances. I try to bring the best fight possible every time,” said Aryna Sabalenka.

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British fifth seed Jack Draper pulled out of the US Open on Wednesday ahead of his second-round match due to injury, tournament organisers said.

Draper reached the semi-finals in New York last year but missed the warm-up events in Toronto and Cincinnati to nurse an injury to his left arm.

The 23-year-old beat Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez in four sets in the opening round on Monday, but withdrew before he was scheduled to face Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

In the US Open women’s singles, Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen’s ground to a halt with a comprehensive second-round defeat to Britain’s Emma Raducanu.

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Tjen upset Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday after becoming the first Indonesian to play in the main singles draw of a Grand Slam since 2004.

But any hopes of a sustained giant-killing run at Flushing Meadows evaporated in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat to 2021 US Open champion Raducanu at the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Emma Raducanu booked her place in the third round with a clinical performance, pulling Tjen all over the court with a succession of powerful deep groundstrokes into the corners.

Raducanu established control from the outset, breaking Tjen in the second game of the first set and holding twice for a 3-0 lead.

She broke Tjen again to take the first set, pinging a forehand into the corner as the 23-year-old from Jakarta scrambled unsuccessfully to return.

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Tjen was soon under pressure in the second set, being broken twice in succession to fall 4-0 down.

Raducanu then held for a 5-0 lead, before wrapping up victory by holding in the seventh game.

Raducanu, who made history with her fairytale US Open triumph four years ago when she became the first qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title, will face either ninth seed Elena Rybakina or Tereza Valentova in the third round.

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World number two Iga Swiatek powered into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday, swatting aside Colombia’s Emiliana Arango with a brisk straight-sets victory.

Swiatek arrived in New York as the bookmakers’ favourite to win her second US Open after a blistering run of recent form, which included a breakthrough Wimbledon title and a win at the Cincinnati Open.

The 24-year-old Polish star indicated she is ready to live up to that status with a quickfire 6-1, 6-2 demolition of world No.84 Arango on the main Arthur Ashe Stadium court at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

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Iga Swiatek seized control of Tuesday’s opener with a break of serve in the fourth game, blasting a booming forehand down the line that Arango could only return into the net.

She broke again for a 5-1 lead soon afterwards, her delicate drop volley forcing a scrambled return from Arango that drifted out.

After holding easily to clinch the first set, Swiatek was soon back on the offensive in the second.

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Arango was broken in the first game, and a further break in the seventh game left Swiatek 5-2 ahead and serving for the match.

A superb volley brought up three match points, and she converted the second of those to clinch victory.

Swiatek will face either Valerie Glozman of the United States or the Netherlands’ Suzan Lamens in the second round.

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German tennis legend Boris Becker believes Daniil Medvedev should seek “professional help” after the Russian crashed out of the US Open following the latest in a long line of spectacular on-court meltdowns.

Medvedev was at the centre of extraordinary scenes during his late-night battle with France’s Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday, losing in five sets in a game that descended into chaos during the third set.

The drama unfolded when chair umpire Greg Allensworth awarded Bonzi a first serve as he served on match point after a photographer mistakenly wandered onto the court.

That ruling sparked a furious reaction from Daniil Medvedev, who unleashed an angry tirade at Allensworth, accusing the official of wanting to end the game early.

“Are you a man? Are you a man?” Medvedev ranted. “He wants to go home guys. He doesn’t like to be here; he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

Medvedev then turned to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, waving his arms wildly to encourage them to voice their displeasure, leading to a six-minute delay before Bonzi could finally serve.

The rattled Frenchman subsequently lost his serve and the set, but later fought back to clinch a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 0-6, 6-4 victory.

Medvedev’s final act was to violently smash his racquet in anger following the loss.

The Russian later told reporters he was expecting a big fine for his actions but denied inciting the crowd, leading to the six-minute delay.

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“I’m getting big fine enough, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak,” Medvedev said.

Asked if he was deliberately testing officials to see how far he could go before being defaulted from a tournament, he replied: “Today I didn’t do anything bad, no.”

But Medvedev’s actions were a cause for concern for six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker.

“We call this ‘public meltdown,'” Boris Becker wrote in a post on X about Medvedev’s eruption. “I think he needs professional help ?!?”.

Former US tennis player, coach, and commentator Brad Gilbert agreed, saying Medvedev’s “brain is getting the better of him” after a string of recent defeats. The 29-year-old has now lost in the first round at three straight Grand Slams this year.

“I agree he definitely needs some help,” Gilbert replied to Becker’s post.

Former US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, meanwhile, said Medvedev should take a break from the game.

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“And Medvedev needs to take the rest of the year off,” McEnroe wrote on X.

Daniil Medvedev has compiled a litany of on-court outbursts throughout his career, regularly clashing with umpires and racking up thousands of dollars in fines in the process.

At the 2019 US Open, he sparred with American fans after snatching a towel from a ballboy, tossing his racket towards the umpire, and making an obscene gesture to the crowd. He was later fined $19,000 for his actions in the tournament.

At the 2022 Australian Open, he lambasted chair umpire Jaume Campistol, at one point questioning the official’s competence and asking: “Are you stupid?”

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Novak Djokovic fears his lack of physical conditioning may come back to haunt him as he chases a record 25th Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

The 38-year-old Serbian superstar made a winning start to his latest tilt at glory on Sunday, defeating US teenager Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 2hr 25min on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

But Djokovic, who needed a lengthy medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot between the second and third sets, admitted afterwards he was worried by a sudden loss of stamina during the second set.

“I started great, just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic said. “Then some long games to start the second set… I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically.”

“We had long exchanges, but also, I kind of dropped my level and made a lot of unforced errors and kind of got him back into the match.

“There are positives, but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of how I felt on the court physically in the second set.

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“It’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.”

Novak Djokovic has not played since his defeat in the semi-finals at Wimbledon last month, skipping ATP Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati to focus all his energy on the US Open.

While there were a few signs of rustiness at times on Sunday, Djokovic also laced his performance with flashes of the brilliance that has been his calling card throughout a glittering career.

Djokovic looked to be a man in a hurry in a scorching start, rattling off winners to take the first set 6-1.

Tien was given hope in a laboured second set from Djokovic, but the 19-year-old American could not convert a break point that would have made it one set all.

Instead, Djokovic held serve to make it 5-5 in the second set and reasserted himself to claim the second-set tie break, attacking the net cleverly and using some sublime variation to pull Tien all over the court.

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Djokovic paused for a medical timeout for treatment to his right foot before the third set got underway. The rest appeared to give Djokovic a jolt of energy, and he sprinted into a 5-1 lead to leave Tien reeling.

Tien did well to save a match point on Djokovic’s serve before breaking for 5-2.

But the respite was short-lived as Djokovic again responded emphatically, breaking back immediately to wrap up victory.

“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age — when you come to the late 30s, it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters,” Djokovic said.

“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully, I can keep it going,” he told the crowd.

Novak Djokovic will face US qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round.

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Aryna Sabalenka launched the defence of her US Open crown with victory Sunday while Novak Djokovic made a successful start to his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

World number one Sabalenka, bidding to become the first woman to claim back-to-back US Open titles since Serena Williams completed a hat-trick of wins in 2014, was made to work hard en route to a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Switzerland’s Rebeka Masarova.

Masarova, ranked 108th in the world, pushed Sabalenka out of her comfort zone with a gutsy performance on the main Arthur Ashe Stadium showcourt at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“Happy to get this win and happy to be in the second round. I feel like I didn’t start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm,” said Sabalenka, who will face unseeded Russian Polina Kudermetova.

While Sabalenka advanced safely, Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson tumbled out to Alexandra Eala.

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Eala, 20, became the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) win, battling back from a 5-1 deficit in the final set.

Another player from Southeast Asia, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, also bagged an upset, ousting Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

“I feel proud to be able to do this for my country,” said Tjen, the first Indonesian since Angelique Widjaja in 2004 to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam singles event.

Tjen, ranked 149th in the world, will face Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the second round.

Raducanu, who made history at Flushing Meadows in 2021 by becoming the first qualifier to lift a Grand Slam title, clinched her first US Open match win since that memorable triumph with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Japan’s Ena Shibahara.

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With men’s defending champion Jannik Sinner and rival Carlos Alcaraz not opening their campaigns until Monday and Tuesday, all eyes were on the veteran Serbian star Novak Djokovic in Sunday night’s session on Ashe.

The 38-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win against his unseeded 19-year-old American opponent Learner Tien.

Djokovic raced through the first set but was then forced to save a set point in the second after Tien grew in confidence.

A lengthy medical timeout to treat what looked like a blister on his right foot helped revive Djokovic, and he pulled away to wrap up victory in 2 hours and 25 minutes.

“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy,” Novak Djokovic told the crowd. “Hopefully I can keep it going.”

READ: US Open chaos as Benjamin Bonzi ousts raging Daniil Medvedev

France’s Benjamin Bonzi sent Russian 13th seed Daniil Medvedev crashing out of the US Open early Monday in a stormy late-night thriller that boiled over into chaos following an extraordinary third-set flashpoint.

Bonzi advanced to the second round after holding his nerve to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 0-6, 6-4 in 3hr 45min.

The match exploded into drama in the third set as Bonzi served at advantage on match point, leading 5-4 after winning the opening two sets.

After faulting on his first serve, Bonzi prepared to serve again when chair umpire Greg Allensworth suddenly halted play after a photographer mistakenly walked onto the court.

Allensworth called for time after shouting, “Not now, get off the court please,” before awarding a new first serve to Bonzi on the grounds of a “delay caused by outside interference.”

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That prompted an incandescent reaction from Medvedev, who sprinted across the court to remonstrate angrily with Allensworth, accusing the umpire of seeking to end the match early.

“Are you a man? Are you a man?” the 2021 US Open champion asked Allensworth, before shouting into a courtside microphone: “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here; he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”

Medvedev then turned to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, waving his arms wildly to encourage them to voice their displeasure.

As deafening catcalls and jeers rained down, play was held up for more than six minutes before Bonzi finally got the opportunity to serve for the match once again.

With the Frenchman clearly rattled, Medvedev saved match point and then went on to force a third-set tie-break, which he duly won to keep the match alive.

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Bonzi appeared to wilt in the fourth set, Medvedev winning 6-0 to send it to a decider.

But Bonzi showed great resolve in the fifth set, twice recovering from going a break down before breaking Medvedev’s serve to seal victory.

“It was crazy. I may have got some new fans but also some new non-fans,” Bonzi said afterwards. “The energy was wild. Thanks to all those who were booing that gave me energy in the fifth.”

Bonzi admitted he had lost composure during Medvedev’s third-set antics.

“I never experienced something like that. Maybe we wait five minutes before the match point, and it was so difficult to play,” he said. “I tried to stay calm and stay in the match, but it was not easy.”

Medvedev, meanwhile, slumped to his seat after the defeat, smashing a racquet violently in frustration.

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Former tennis world number one Novak Djokovic says the expansion of most ATP Masters 1000 events to 12 days makes them “just way too long for me” as he focuses on his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title.

“To be quite frank with you, I don’t enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore,” Djokovic said Friday as he spoke to reporters before the Sunday start of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of 2025.

“It’s just way too long for me. My primary focus is on the Slams, and I have mentioned that before.

“But I also like other tournaments. I’d like to play more of the other tournaments, but we currently have 12 Grand Slams a year, informally and unofficially, when you think about it.

“Grand Slam is two weeks, and the other Masters events are almost two weeks, as well.”

At 38, the former world number one says his priorities have changed in the latter stages of his career.

“I’m not chasing the rankings or building up my points or defending, et cetera,” Djokovic said. “I just don’t think about it anymore.

“For me, it’s really about where do I find motivation and joy? Where will I be inspired to play the best tennis? And where do I care to be, really, and play?”

With family now at the forefront of his life, Djokovic said, he is less willing to miss out on major personal milestones.

He noted that his daughter’s birthday falls on September 2, when he could find himself playing in the US Open quarter-finals.

“But those are types of things that I really don’t want to be missing anymore,” he said.

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Novak Djokovic, a long-time advocate for player input in matters such as scheduling and player compensation, said he does not see how the Masters 1000s could revert to the previous format.

Canada and Cincinnati in the run-up to the US Open became 12-day events this year.

“In the end of the day, when the players needed to be active and when there was a time of negotiations and decision-making, players weren’t participating enough,” he said.

Djokovic himself has not played since a comprehensive semi-final loss to the current world number one, Jannik Sinner, at Wimbledon in July.

He acknowledged that he is coming in “cold” in terms of match play, but said he had been training hard as he eyes a return to the later stages of the US Open.

A four-time winner in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2017 when he lost to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the third round of last year’s tournament.

But this week, Novak Djokovic has taken some time to explore New York as well, notably throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Yankees baseball game.

“It was a great experience,” said Djokovic, adding that he met Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

He also thought he acquitted himself well with his pitch.

“I didn’t throw that accurate, but it still wasn’t as embarrassing I think as some of the other guys I saw in the past.”

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka believes she is ready to hit her peak as she prepares to launch the defence of her US Open crown after a tumultuous season of near-misses.

The 27-year-old from Belarus arrives at Flushing Meadows sitting on top of the global rankings despite a year in which she has failed to add to her tally of three Grand Slam singles titles.

Agonising defeats in the finals of the Australian and French Opens, followed by a semi-final exit at Wimbledon, have left Sabalenka even more determined to retain her crown in New York, a tournament she regards as her favourite Grand Slam.

Aryna Sabalenka took a lengthy break after her Wimbledon disappointment, opting to skip the WTA Montreal tournament in order to recharge.

Although her return at the Cincinnati Open ended in a straight-sets defeat to Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, a relaxed Sabalenka says she is in a positive mood heading to New York.

“I’ve had a pretty good season so far in the Slams. Lost those two finals, but I learned really tough lessons,” Sabalenka said.

“I lost in the semis at Wimbledon, but the consistency is there. I’m just missing a little, little part. (The US Open) has always been my favorite slam. I’m the defending champion, and I love being in this position.”

Both of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam final defeats this season went to three sets.

A gruelling 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 loss to Madison Keys in Melbourne was followed by a 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 reverse to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.

“I really hope those tough lessons are going to help me in this one,” said Aryna Sabalenka, who was criticised for remarks after her French Open defeat in which she suggested her own mistakes.

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She subsequently apologised for her comments and has patched up her relationship with Gauff, who also defeated Sabalenka in the final of the 2023 US Open.

As the No.1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka could meet third seed Gauff in the semi-finals in New York, in a repeat of their 2023 final.

But the biggest threat to Sabalenka’s hopes of a successful title defence may come in the shape of Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who heads into the tournament brimming with confidence after following up her breakthrough Wimbledon title in July with victory at the Cincinnati Open.

Second-seed Swiatek, who defeated Sabalenka in the semi-finals en route to winning the US Open in 2022, has looked in a relaxed mood since arriving in New York.

She shrugged off fatigue to partner Casper Ruud to Wednesday’s mixed doubles final, where the duo were beaten by Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, but looks well-placed to add a second US Open crown to her collection of six Grand Slam singles titles.

Meanwhile, the US hopes will be spearheaded by Gauff, the 2023 champion whose fortunes have fluctuated since her victory at the French Open in June.

The 21-year-old suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon and has struggled to get to grips with her service game since, notably making 23 double faults in a single match at the Canadian Open in Montreal last month — the most in a WTA-level match since 2011.

Gauff has moved to remedy those problems by shaking up her coaching team just days before the US Open, reportedly bringing in biomechanical coach Gavin McMillan to iron out the kinks in her serve this week.

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Novak Djokovic hopes a selective approach to his scheduling will give him the best chance to win the US Open in his unrelenting pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam.

The 38-year-old Djokovic has not played since a comprehensive semi-final defeat by Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last month, skipping the two main US Open warm-up events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

He briefly returned to court on Tuesday for the revamped mixed doubles in New York, but lasted just 43 minutes as he and partner Olga Danilovic crashed out in the first round.

A four-time US Open champion, Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2017 when he lost to Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the third round of last year’s tournament.

He won his 100th ATP title in Geneva this May on the eve of the French Open but found his path blocked by Sinner at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Djokovic has reached the final just once at the last seven majors since equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles at the 2023 US Open.

Sinner (four) and Carlos Alcaraz (three) have combined to sweep every ensuing Grand Slam, leaving Djokovic on the outside looking in and with time working against him in his bid for history.

“I think, regardless of the fact that I haven’t won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams,” Djokovic said after his Wimbledon loss.

“Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most.”

But he has twice been compromised by injury this year in a Grand Slam semi-final.

A hamstring tear forced him to retire against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open before a hip and thigh issue hampered him in London.

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“It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest,” said Novak Djokovic.

“It’s tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I’m fresh, when I’m fit, I can still play really good tennis. I’ve proven that this year.

“But I guess playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets. I reached the final stages; I reached the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz.

“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with the tank half empty. It’s just not possible to win a match like that.”

But unlike Sinner and Alcaraz, who toiled through the heat and humidity in Cincinnati before the Italian retired from their clash in the final on Monday with illness, Djokovic took time off to recharge.

That means it will be almost five months since his last hard-court match — a straight-sets loss to Jakub Mensik in the Miami final — when he launches his 19th US Open campaign.

Only time will tell whether the gamble pays off at a tournament Djokovic also won in 2011, 2015, and 2018.

He is a six-time runner-up here as well, with his shot at a rare calendar Grand Slam four years ago dashed by Daniil Medvedev.

“I don’t know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career,” Novak Djokovic said earlier this year. “You know, I’m going to keep on keeping on.”

There is every chance, though, that he will have to get past both Sinner and Alcaraz to land another title.

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