Category: Tennis

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.

READ: Rested but rusty Novak Djokovic plots US Open ambush

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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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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