Category: Tennis

Jannik Sinner “felt great on the court” as he annihilated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open semi-finals with his 25th straight hardcourt match victory.

The world number one powered through a rapid-fire opening set and overcame a wobble as he started the second set by dropping serve.

The defending champion prevailed in a brief 71 minutes as he claimed an eighth victory in a row at this event and his 30th this season.

“I felt great on the court today, you could see that,” said the Italian, who turns 24 on Saturday. “But every day can be different. Let’s see what I can do in the semis.”

Jannik Sinner, playing his first tournament since his Wimbledon triumph, will face either French qualifier Terence Atmane or Danish seventh seed Holger Rune for a place in the final.

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Auger-Aliassime meekly lost the opening set after less than 30 minutes, delivering three double-faults in the final game.

After dropping his serve early in the second Sinner broke back to level at 2-all, eventually advancing as Auger-Aliassime coughed up his eighth double fault on match point.

“I served well today, that was the key for me,” Sinner said. “I had a small drop in the second set, and I’m happy that I broke back. He moves and serves well, he’s difficult to play.”

Ben Shelto,n the fifth seed coming off a title in Toronto, finished up the last of the men’s fourth-round matches with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Jiri Lehecka, punctuated by back-to-back aces to yield three match points.

Shelton came good on his second as Lehecka drilled a return wide.

“I’m hungry, I’m in a good rhythm and the body feels good,” said Shelton, who will face third-seeded Alexander Zverev for the third time this season when they meet in the quarter-finals.

Zverev has won all three of their matches, including a quarter-final here a year ago.

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Carlos Alcaraz outplayed Hamad Medjedovic to reach the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open here at P&G Centre Court on Tuesday.

The Spaniard moved through hours before an evening rainstorm and lightning spoiled the nighttime scenario, leaving men’s and women’s third-seeded players stranded in third-round matches.

Alexander Zverev was set to serve for the match against Brandon Nakashima, leading the American 6-4, 5-4, when the match was forced off the court by the threat of lightning..

It was a similar situation for American Jessica Pegula, fighting back against Pole Magda Linette, who won the first set 7-6 (7/5), before last year’s finalist claimed the second 6-3.

Toronto champion Ben Shelton never got on court against Roberto Bautista Agut due to rainstorm conditions that forced officials to call it a night early.

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Second seed Carlos Alcaraz kept his exposure to a minimum in 32 Celsius conditions, taking an efficient 95 minutes to dispatch Serb Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4, for his 50th match win of the year.

“Medjedovic doesn’t like to run that much, so I tried to move him around as much as possible,” Alcaraz said. “But it was difficult with the ball flying so much and his shots coming so fast. I tried to defend in a good way.”

Alcaraz has been on a tear in 2025 as he chases Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings, and now owns 13 straight victories at the Masters 1000 level.

He will play for the quarter-finals against Luca Nardi after the Italian defeated Jakob Mensik 6-2, 2-1, with the Czech retiring after 42 minutes.

Five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, who is preparing for the approaching US Open start, added: “I was really happy to get the win in a very difficult match.

“The season is very long and in at least half of your matches you don’t feel that good (physically).

“But you have to stay positive and play your best tennis on the day. I’m proud about that. It’s a goal of the season.”

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World number two Carlos Alcaraz, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, has withdrawn from next week’s ATP Canadian Open in Toronto to recover from Wimbledon, organizers said on Monday.

The 22-year-old Spaniard lost to top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final earlier this month in a bid for his third consecutive crown in the grass-court classic.

“I’m really sad to have to miss the National Bank Open in Toronto,” Alcaraz said in a statement.

“I tried my best to be ready for the tournament as it’s one I really enjoy playing, but it comes just too soon for me as I recover after Wimbledon. I wish the event well and look forward to being back on the Canadian courts next year.”

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Carlos Alcaraz had his best Canada run in 2023, falling to American Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals.

“It’s disappointing to lose a player of Carlos’ quality, as we know our fans were looking forward to watching him,” tournament director Karl Hale said.

“Although he has been on the scene for a while, he’s still at the beginning of his career and there will be plenty of opportunities for Canadians to see him again in the future.”

American Sebastian Korda, the world number 33 struggling with a leg injury, and Poland’s 38th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz, fighting a knee injury, have also withdrawn.

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TORONTO: British top seed Jack Draper, Wimbledon winner Jannik Sinner, and veteran Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from the forthcoming Masters 1000 tournaments set to begin in a week’s time.

The ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, also known as ATP Tour Masters 1000, are a series of nine top-level professional tennis tournaments on the ATP Tour.

These tournaments are held annually and feature the top-ranked male tennis players. Each tournament winner receives 1,000 ranking points, hence the name “Masters 1000”.

Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Masters 1000 tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati due to an arm injury. The 23-year-old focuses on getting fit for next month’s US Open.

Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic have also pulled out of the Canadian Open, which starts on July 27.

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Jannik Sinner outplayed defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the final on 13 July to win his first Wimbledon men’s title.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic cited his groin injury for his withdrawal from the tournament, which he has won four times.

The Cincinnati Open begins on August 7 and wraps up on August 18, six days before the start of the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year.

Both tournaments are Masters 1000 events, the level below the four majors.

World number five Draper, who was knocked out in the second round at Wimbledon by Marin Cilic, said his injury was not serious and he would be fit for the US Open in New York.

“After Wimbledon, I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious, but I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season,” he said on X.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to compete in Toronto and Cincinnati… See you in NYC!”

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Jannik Sinner has warned Carlos Alcaraz that he will get even stronger after beating his arch-rival to win his first Wimbledon title on Sunday.

Sinner avenged an agonising French Open final loss against Alcaraz as he battered the Spaniard into submission with a dynamic display of power hitting on Centre Court.

The Italian’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory ended Alcaraz’s two-year reign as Wimbledon champion and gave Sinner his fourth Grand Slam crown.

Sinner has reached the last four Grand Slam finals, winning three of them, and the world number one has no intention of resting on his laurels.

“I don’t think I’m at my best because at 23, I don’t think you can be in your best shape ever. So hopefully I can keep improving,” he said.

“I keep looking up to Carlos because even today, I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did.

“That’s something we will work on and prepare ourselves because he’s going to come for us again.

“We have a big target on us, so we have to be prepared.”

It was a cathartic triumph for Sinner after he squandered a two-set lead and blew three championship points against Alcaraz at Roland Garros in June.

Carlos Alcaraz had won five successive encounters against the 23-year-old, including finals in Paris, Rome, and Beijing, prior to their showdown at the All England Club.

Jannik Sinner admitted it was vital to finally beat the world number two for the first time since 2023.

“It is important, for sure, because you know, when you lose several times against someone, it’s not easy. But at the same time in the past, I felt that I was very close,” he said.

“I never pushed myself down. I felt like I did something great because it was not easy. Coming here and winning Wimbledon, it has been amazing.”

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While Sinner had spent the last five weeks publicly insisting he would not let his French Open collapse affect him, he revealed he had to work hard to move on from the loss before launching his Wimbledon challenge.

“This is the part where I’m the proudest because it really has not been easy. I always tried to be honest with myself and had self-talk. You know, what if, what if? I tried to accept it, in a way,” said Sinner, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May.

“Even if I don’t cry, it feels emotional because only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court, and it has been everything except easy.

“We’ve tried to push, you know, every practice session, even I was struggling at times mentally.

“That’s why I also said after Roland Garros that it’s not the time to put me down, no, because another Grand Slam is coming up, and I did great here.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have won the past seven majors between them, establishing themselves in a class of their own.

Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill expects the pair to battle for supremacy for years to come, but he stopped short of comparing it to the dynastic era of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

“It’s difficult to compare this rivalry to what we’ve just had. It’s been a golden age in tennis with Novak, Roger, and Rafa. They dominated for 20 years,” Cahill said.

“To win a Grand Slam back in those days, you had to beat one of them in the quarters, the other one in the semis, and another one in the final.

“These guys still have a ways to go, but they’ve started incredibly well. Carlos is a big focus, and both of those guys are pushing each other.

“The rivalry is real. Hopefully it’s going to be there for the next 10 or 12 years.”

READ: Jannik Sinner makes history, defeats Alcaraz to win Wimbledon for the first time

LONDON: Jannik Sinner came from behind to defeat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz for his maiden Wimbledon title here on Sunday.

Imperious Sinner battled back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and four minutes. With this victory, the Italian No. 01 became a four-time Grand Slam champion.

Jannik Sinner also etched his name into history books, becoming the first Italian to clinch the Wimbledon men’s singles title, while Carlos Alcaraz suffered his first loss in the grand slam after having a perfect 5-0 record.

The Wimbledon 2025 champion Jannik Sinner shifted gears after taking the lead in the final as Carlos Alcaraz threw everything at the Italian. Ultimately, Sinner sealed the trophy with a faultless service game.

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Following the match, Carlos Alcaraz shared his thoughts in the presentation ceremony.

“It is difficult to lose. Always is. First of all, I have to congratulate Jannik [Sinner] once again,” he said.

“[It is] A well-deserved trophy. You are playing great tennis here in London. [Congratulations] To your team as well, a lot of people are here for you. You have an amazing team around you. [I am] Really happy for you and keep it going,” he added.

Two days earlier, Jannik Sinner outplayed Novak Djokovic in the semi-final with straight sets on Friday.

Jannik Sinner demonstrated his dominance after clinching the opening set as the 38-year-old Serbian star looked clueless.

Novak Djokovic was in a bid to reach his seventh successive Wimbledon final; however, the Italian shattered his hopes after dropping only six points on serve.

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LONDON: Jannik Sinner outplayed Novak Djokovic in straight sets to reach his first Wimbledon final clash against arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz here on Friday.

Top seed Sinner will now face Carlos Alcaraz in his maiden final after defeating seven-time champion Djokovic in the final with three straight (6-3, 6-3, 6-4) sets.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is seeking his third straight Wimbledon singles title in the grand finale this Sunday. Earlier, he won a hard-fought first semi-final against Taylor Fritz.

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Jannik Sinner demonstrated his dominance after clinching the opening set as the 38-year-old Serbian star looked clueless.

Novak Djokovic was in a bid to reach his seventh successive Wimbledon final; however, the Italian shattered his hopes after dropping only six points on serve.

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In the third set of the match, Djokovic briefly turned the tide with 3-0, but Jannik Sinner dashed any hopes of the Serbian star’s comeback.

Following the match, Jannik Sinner expressed his thoughts on reaching his maiden Wimbledon final

“From my side, I served very well today, I felt great on court, I was moving really well today. We saw in the third set that he was a bit injured. He’s been in a very difficult situation, but I tried to stay calm, to play the best tennis I can,” he said.

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Iga Swiatek routed former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 on Thursday to reach her first Wimbledon final, where she will face Amanda Anisimova.

The five-time Grand Slam champion, seeded eighth at the All England Club, dominated her Swiss opponent from the start, wrapping up victory in 71 minutes on Centre Court.

“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it’s going to be possible for me to play in the final. So I’m just super-excited and proud of myself, and I don’t know, tennis keeps surprising me,” said Swiatek.

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“I thought I had lived through everything, even though I’m young, I thought I experienced everything on the court, but I didn’t experience playing well on grass, so that’s the first time, and I’m super, super excited and just enjoying it.”

On a baking Centre Court, the 24-year-old caught Bencic cold, racing into a 3-0 lead.

Bencic, ranked 35th in the world, found her footing, holding serve twice but Polish star Swiatek broke to love in the eighth game to take the match by the scruff of the neck.

Bencic, who returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead.

The rampant Swiatek did not allow Bencic a single game in a remarkably one-sided second set.

Despite her impressive form, Swiatek has largely gone under the radar at this year’s Wimbledon, dropping just one set so far while the top seven women’s seeds were all eliminated.

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After slipping down the rankings, she is now back in the world’s top four, having reached her first-ever grass-court final at Bad Homburg last month.

Swiatek has won four French Open titles on clay, as well as the 2022 US Open on hard courts, but until this year, she had never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.

She will face Anisimova for the first time in her career on Saturday after the American 13th seed beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon final.

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Amanda Anisimova ended the Wimbledon dream of top seed Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday, winning a gruelling battle of the big-hitters to set up a final clash against Iga Swiatek or Belinda Bencic.

The American 13th seed converted her fourth match point to seal a tense 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in scorching temperatures on Centre Court.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka had reached the previous three Grand Slam finals but came up short against Anisimova, who matched her blow for blow in a bruising match lasting just over two and a half hours.

“This doesn’t feel real right now, honestly,” said Anisimova. “Aryna is such a tough competitor, and I was absolutely dying out there. I don’t know how I pulled it out.

“We’ve had so many tough battles, and to come out on top and be in the final of Wimbledon is incredible.”

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Anisimova is only the second player in the Open era to reach a women’s final at a Grand Slam after losing in qualifying at the previous year’s event.

“If you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you. It’s indescribable to be honest,” she said.

The 23-year-old, who now has an impressive 6-3 winning record against Sabalenka, won the first set when the Belarusian top seed double-faulted.

But a single break in the second set was enough for Aryna Sabalenka to level the match, and when she broke at the start of the decider, she appeared to have the momentum.

Anisimova, though, was not to be denied, breaking twice and moving into a 4-1 lead.

She wobbled when attempting to serve for the match but sealed the win on Sabalenka’s serve in the following game.

Reaching her first Grand Slam title match is a cathartic moment for Anisimova, who was hailed as a teenage sensation after reaching the 2019 French Open semi-finals aged just 17.

But in 2023, she took an eight-month break from the court for mental health reasons, tumbling out of the top 400.

This time last year, she was on the comeback trail but was ranked too low to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw and fell in the qualifying round.

Since then, she has climbed quickly, winning the WTA 1000 tournament in Qatar earlier this year, and is guaranteed to make her top-10 debut on Monday.

But defeat was a bitter blow for Sabalenka, who has still never been beyond the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

The 27-year-old won last year’s US Open to collect her third major, but suffered agonising defeats in the finals of this year’s Australian Open and French Open.

Polish former world number one Swiatek faces Swiss world number 35 Bencic in the second semi-final on Centre Court.

Swiatek, seeded eighth, has gone under the radar at this year’s Wimbledon as most of the other top women’s seeds have tumbled, dropping just one set so far.

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After slipping down the rankings, the 24-year-old is now back in the world’s top four, having reached her first-ever grass-court final at Bad Homburg last month.

Swiatek, who won junior Wimbledon in 2018, said after her quarter-final victory against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova that she had worked hard to improve her game on the surface.

“It feels great. Even though I’m in the middle of the tournament, I’ve already got goosebumps after this win. I’m super happy and super proud of myself, and I’ll keep going,” she said.

Bencic returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella.

Like Swiatek, the 28-year-old Bencic is a former junior Wimbledon champion.

“I’m very proud. I didn’t say it to myself much before, but since having Bella, I say it to myself every day. It’s not only me, I wouldn’t be able to do it without my amazing family and team,” said the Tokyo Olympic champion.

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Novak Djokovic won a testing battle against Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday to reach a record 14th men’s Wimbledon semi-final, which will be a blockbuster clash against world number one Jannik Sinner.

The Serb, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, was given the royal seal of approval by Britain’s Queen Camilla before his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win on Centre Court.

The seven-time champion was pushed hard by the Italian 22nd seed but ultimately had too much for the 23-year-old, who had never previously been beyond the third round of a major.

Djokovic said Wimbledon was the “most special tournament” in the sport as he was cheered by the crowd.

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“And of course, it means the world to me that I’m still still able at 38 to play the final stages of Wimbledon,” he said.

“Thank you for cheering for my age. I really appreciate it. It’s beautiful. Makes me feel very young.

“And I guess another thing that makes me feel very young is competing with youngsters, you know, like Cobolli today — he’s who knows how many years younger than me.”

The sixth seed prepared for the contest by meeting Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, who said she was keeping her “fingers crossed” for his match.

She watched Djokovic from the Royal Box, along with British actor Hugh Grant.

Cobolli showed early intent, mixing up his play with drop shots and heavy groundstrokes from his flashing orange racquet and unsettling his illustrious opponent.

Novak Djokovic, who has reached every Wimbledon final since 2018, served for the first set at 5-3 but the Italian broke back and won the ensuing tie-break.

Cobolli, who has claimed titles in Bucharest and Hamburg this year, next had to answer the question of whether he could sustain his level against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

But it was a different story in the second set as Djokovic broke twice to level the match in the evening sunshine.

The pair swapped service breaks early in the third set but Djokovic pounced again in the 11th game and thundered an ace as he took control of the match.

The fourth set was tight but Cobolli failed to put away a simple winner at the net in the ninth game.

Djokovic slipped and fell awkwardly when serving for the match, grimacing in pain, but got up to finish the job.

He played down the incident in his on-court interview.

“I had a nasty slip, but that’s what happens when you play on the grass,” he said.

“It did come at an awkward moment, but somehow I managed to find a good serve and close it out. Obviously, I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio and hopefully I’ll be well in two days.”

The Serb now owns the all-time record for most Wimbledon men’s singles semi-final appearances, moving one clear of eight-time champion Roger Federer, who reached the last four 13 times.

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He has also reached a 52nd Grand Slam semi-final, extending his all-time record in the men’s game.

Djokovic is now within two wins of breaking his tie with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles for any player, man or woman.

If he reaches and wins Sunday’s final he will also equal Federer’s record of eight men’s titles at the All England Club.

Jannik Sinner, who beat 10th seed Ben Shelton earlier Wednesday, will offer a different level of challenge.

The top seed has won his past four matches against Djokovic, beating him in straight sets in the semi-finals of the recent French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten Novak Djokovic in the past two finals at Wimbledon, takes on US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the other semi-final on Friday.

READ: Jannik Sinner breaks Shelton’s heart to reach Wimbledon semi-finals