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Raducanu beats Osaka but Norrie & Evans lose in DC

Britain's Emma Raducanu is through to the quarter-finals of the Washington Open after beating four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in straight sets.

After previously upsetting Ukrainian seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in round one, the 22-year-old produced a dominant performance to overcome former world number one Osaka 6-4 6-2.

The 2021 US Open women's singles champion will face wildcard Maria Sakkari in the last eight after the Greek player knocked out American second seed Emma Navarro.

Raducanu will also replace Katie Boulter, who lost to Sakkari in the first round, as British number one when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday.

However, in the men's singles, Britons Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans were eliminated in the last 16.

British number two Norrie lost to 14th seed Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

After a tight first set which was decided by a tie-break, American Nakashima twice broke Norrie's serve in the second to reach the quarter-finals.

Evans, who won the tournament in 2023, fought back from 5-3 down and saved a match point to force a tie-break in the second set against Corentin Moutet but the Frenchman prevailed in straight sets, winning 6-2 7-6 (7-4).


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Washington Open: Emma Raducanu beats Naomi Osaka but Cameron Norrie & Dan Evans lose in DC

Britain's Emma Raducana is through to the quarter-finals of the Washington Open after beating Naomi Osaka in straight sets but Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lose.
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Raducanu reaches semi-finals at Washington Open

Britain's Emma Raducanu recovered from 5-2 down in the second set to beat Maria Sakkari in straight sets at the Washington Open and reach her first semi-final of 2025.

The 22-year-old, who upset seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in the first round and overcame four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Thursday, beat her Greek opponent 6-4 7-5.

Raducanu will face Russian Anna Kalinskaya in the last four on Saturday as she bids to reach her first WTA final since winning the US Open in 2021.

If she beats Kalinskaya she could face Leylah Fernandez, who she beat in the US Open final, with the Canadian playing third seed Elena Rybakina in the other semi-final.

Raducanu told Sky Sports: "I've been doing a lot of good work. Little by little as you get results, you build confidence.

"But the amount of work I'm doing behind the scenes, to have that banked, you know you've done it. It takes a little bit of pressure off the results."

But Raducanu and playing partner Rybakina are out of the doubles after they retired from their semi-final while trailing 4-1 in the first set to second seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.

Emma Raducanu will replace Katie Boulter as British number one when the rankings are updated on Monday

Raducanu overcomes 'brutal' heat

In hot conditions in Washington DC, both Raducanu and Sakkari struggled to hold their serves in the opening set, with the Briton converting three of her six break points and her opponent two from four.

However, at 4-4, Raducanu struck the decisive blow, breaking Sakkari's serve for the third time before converting a second set point.

The 29-year-old Sakkari, runner-up at the tournament in 2023, had an opportunity to take the match into a decider after breaking serve in the sixth game of the second set and saving two break points for a 5-2 lead.

However, Raducanu roared back to win five consecutive games, including converting two of her five break points, to take the second set 7-5.

She received attention from a physio during the second set and later said she felt a "bit wobbly" due to the heat.

"It was brutal today," added Raducanu. "It was a long match, the first set was over an hour. You just have to enjoy suffering and leave it all out there on the court.

"Maria played an incredible match and the conditions really suit her with the liveliness of her game.

"I need to prepare [for the doubles] and get out of the heat. I felt a bit wobbly at the back end of the second set."

In the men's doubles, Britain's Neal Skupski and Australian partner John-Patrick Smith reached the semi-finals after coming back from a set down to upset fourth seeds Michael Venus and Yuki Bhambri 3-6 6-4 10-7.

Elsewhere, British number four Fran Jones will enter the top 100 in the WTA rankings on Monday for the first time in her career after reaching the semi-finals in Palermo.

The 24-year-old beat Hungary's Panna Udvardy 6-2 6-3 to set up a meeting with Tatiana Prozorova in the last four.

BBC
 
Raducanu misses out on Washington Open final

Britain's Emma Raducanu has been beaten 6-4 6-3 by Russia's Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals of the Washington Open.

The 22-year-old, whose run in the United States has ensured she will regain her British number one spot from Katie Boulter, served five aces early on, but could not convert any of her four break point opportunities.

Kalinskaya, ranked two places below Raducanu at 48th in the world, capitalised with a break in the ninth game on her way to clinching the first set.

The two exchanged early breaks in the second set before the 26-year-old Russian pulled ahead once more, taking a lead that proved decisive and breaking again to seal the win.

"It was an interesting match. It's nice to play against Emma," said Kalinskaya, who is aiming to win her first WTA 500 title. "I'm proud of myself. I stayed aggressive and stuck to my plan."

Kalinskaya will face Leylah Fernandez in Sunday's final after the Canadian edged out third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in an epic encounter that included three tie-breaks.

Fernandez, who Raducanu beat to win her US Open title in 2021, prevailed 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) after three hours and 12 minutes.

In the men's event, Australia's Alex de Minaur secured a 6-4 6-3 semi-final victory over French lucky loser Corentin Moutet.

De Minaur will play Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final, after the 12th seed defeated American fourth seed Ben Shelton 6-2 7-5.

BBC
 
Raducanu makes winning start in Montreal

British number one Emma Raducanu continued her fine form in North America with a routine win against Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Canadian Open.

Having reached the semi-finals of the Washington Open last week, the 22-year-old carried that momentum into her match with Romania's Ruse, winning 6-2 6-4.

She will face 32nd seed American Peyton Stearns in the second round.

Raducanu has found her rhythm on the hard courts as she prepares for the US Open - the final Grand Slam of the year and the tournament she won in 2021 - in New York between 24 August and 7 September.

"Elena is a good friend of mine and it's difficult to play someone you know but I'm happy with how I put that to one side," Raducanu said on Sky Sports.

"It's also good to back up a good week last week in DC."

The Briton showed resilience in the early stages by staving off five break points in her opening service game.

She then wrapped up the opening set in style by winning five successive games.

After exchanging a couple of breaks in the second set, Raducanu - who also beat Ruse in Auckland in 2024 - found the crucial break to lead 5-4 and served out for the match.

Since losing against Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon earlier in July, Raducanu has bounced back strongly with four victories from five appearances on hard courts.

If she gets past Stearns in Montreal, American fifth seed and 2025 Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova could be waiting in the third round.


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Canadian Open: Briton Emma Raducanu reaches second round as Katie Boulter exits

British number one Emma Raducanu continues her fine form in North America with a routine win against Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Canadian Open, but Katie Boulter exits.
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Osaka beats Ostapenko as Pegula's title defence ends

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka reached the fourth round of the Canadian Open with a dominant win over 22nd-seed Jelena Ostapenko.

The unseeded 27-year-old was impressive in the 6-2 6-4 success and will face a last-16 tie with a second successive Latvian in Anastasija Sevastova.

Japan's Osaka, a winner twice at the US and Australian Opens, will meet Sevastova after the 35-year-old upset defending champion, and third seed, Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-4 6-1 in Montreal on Friday.

Now ranked 49th in the world, Osaka has not reached the quarter-final of a Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event since returning from maternity leave at the start of 2024.

But Osaka impressed by winning the first set in 30 minutes before moving 3-1 ahead in the second.

She broke again for a 4-2 lead when Ostapenko netted a forehand and served for the match at 5-3.

But her 28-year-old opponent saved a match point on a forehand crosscourt winner and broke back when Osaka sent a forehand beyond the baseline.

Ostapenko, though, was broken again to love in the final game, with the Latvian netting a backhand to conclude matters after an hour and 12 minute.

"Granted, she broke me a couple times, but she's a really good returner, so I can't take that personally," said Osaka.

"I went in there knowing she's a great player and if I give her a chance she's going to hit a winner on me, so I just tried to keep my pace and stay as solid as I could."

Britain's Emma Raducanu is also in action later, when she takes on American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova.


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Canadian Open: Naomi Osaka impresses to beat Jelena Ostapenko in Montreal

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has reached the fourth round of the Canadian Open following a dominant win over 22nd-seed Jelena Ostapenko.
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Naomi Osaka is a black-Japanese. I have never seen any other black-Japanese before.

Anyway, she seems like a talented tennis player. I don't watch women's tennis but I hear her name often.
 
Raducanu beaten by Wimbledon finalist Anisimova

Britain's Emma Raducanu won just three games as she was beaten by Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova in the Canadian Open third round.

Raducanu had won both of her previous matches against the world number seven but held serve just twice in a 6-2 6-1 defeat.

Anisimova hit 29 winners to Raducanu's five, while the British number one also made 22 unforced errors.

American Anisimova suffered a heavy defeat in her first Grand Slam final a month ago, but she remains one of the WTA Tour's in-form players.

She has won 14 of her past 17 matches - more than any other player in that time span - and has now won 50 matches at WTA 1000 events.

She will face Elina Svitolina in the fourth round after the Ukrainian dismantled Russia's Anna Kalinskaya 6-1 6-1.

Sevastova stuns 'sloppy' defending champion

Earlier, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka registered a dominant 6-2 6-4 win over 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko.

"Granted, she broke me a couple times, but she's a really good returner, so I can't take that personally," said Osaka.

Japan's Osaka, a winner twice at the US and Australian Opens, will play Anastasia Sevastova after the 35-year-old upset defending champion and third seed Jessica Pegula 3-6 6-4 6-1.

American Pegula was on an 11-match winning run in Montreal but an a error-strewn deciding set cost her against world number 386 Sevastova.

Latvia's Sevastova, like Osaka, returned from maternity leave in early 2024 and has now registered her first win over a top-five opponent since 2017.

"It was a weird match for me," said Pegula. "I felt like I had total control and then I just played a couple of terrible games for, like three games.

"That totally flipped the momentum of the match, and I went from being up a set and 2-0 to being down very quickly.

"I don't really feel like I'm playing great tennis. At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy, which I don't like. I've got to figure it out."

In the men's event, seventh seed Andrey Rublev came back from a set down to beat Italy's Lorenzo Sonego 5-7 6-4 6-3.

"The main thing today, I was able to be mentally really good," Rublev said.

"After the first set, I didn't [go] down. I was, like, 'OK, let's keep fighting, keep being positive'".

Russia's Rublev will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina next after the Spaniard beat 12th seed and Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik 6-2 6-4.

American second seed Taylor Fritz also advanced with a 75-minute 6-4 6-2 win over home hope Gabriel Diallo.

BBC
 
Canadian teenager Mboko stuns Gauff in Montreal

Teenager Victoria Mboko produced the shock of the tournament as she defeated top seed Coco Gauff to reach the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal.

The 18-year-old Canadian, who was handed a wildcard entry into the main draw, needed just 62 minutes to defeat the two-time Grand Slam champion 6-1 6-4 and continue her meteoric rise up the rankings.

Mboko converted four of five break points against Gauff and has now dropped just one set in four matches at the tournament.

"Coming into the match, I was so locked in," Mboko said.

"I tried to keep my composure as much as I could, especially playing in front of so many people. This is a very special experience for me."

She began the year ranked 333rd in the world, and proceeded to win 22 successive matches without dropping a set on her way to securing five titles on the second-tier ITF Tour.

Mboko entered the tournament ranked 85th, but victory against Gauff will move her up to 53rd, and in the quarter-finals she will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ranked just two places higher.

Gauff once again struggled with her serve, committing six double faults to take her tournament total to 43 in three matches.

"I think she's going to have a lot of success on tour. I'm sure we're going to have many more battles in the future," Gauff said.

Meanwhile, second seed Iga Swiatek cruised into the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 victory against Eva Lys.

In Toronto Casper Ruud suffered a 6-4 7-5 defeat against Karen Khachanov, before top seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the quarter-finals with a walkover victory against Francisco Cerundolo.

Fifth seed Holger Rune threw away an early lead to lose 6-4 2-6 3-6 to Australian Alexei Popyrin.

BBC
 
Mboko reaches semis to continue dream Montreal run

Teenager Victoria Mboko continued her fairytale run at the Canadian Open as she breezed past Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to reach the semi-finals.

The 18-year-old Canadian, who knocked out two-time major winner Coco Gauff in the fourth round, impressed again on home soil with a 6-4 6-2 win in Montreal.

She will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, the ninth seed, in her first WTA 1000-level semi-final.

"I'm so excited to be in the semi-final here," Mboko, who is ranked 85th, said in her on-court interview.

"My first time playing in Montreal has been an unreal experience and I couldn't be more grateful."

Mboko started the year ranked 333rd in the world, and is set to move into the top 50 when the rankings are updated next week.

After opening the season with a 22-match winning streak in which she captured five titles on the lower-tier ITF Tour, she made her WTA Tour debut in March.

In her first Grand Slam appearance, she impressed by reaching the third round of the French Open before knocking out 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the opening round at Wimbledon a month later.

Mboko becomes the first Canadian to reach the semi-finals of the event since Bianca Andreescu won the tournament in 2019, while she is the youngest woman to make the last four since Belinda Bencic in 2015.

Rybakina, who defeated Mboko in the second round of last month's Washington Open, advanced to the semi-finals when Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk was forced to retire because of a wrist injury while trailing 6-1 2-1.

Zverev into Toronto semis as Djokovic withdraws from Cincinnati

In the men's event, taking place in Toronto, Alexander Zverev battled back from a set down to beat defending champion Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-3.

The 28-year-old German is into his 75th semi-final on the ATP Tour, becoming the only active men's player to have reached that milestone alongside Novak Djokovic.

He will face Russian Karen Khachanov, who moved past Alex Michelsen of the United States 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

The Cincinnati Open confirmed Djokovic had withdrawn for "non-medical" reasons from the tournament, which begins on Thursday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who is not competing in Toronto because of a groin injury, has not played since losing to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

The 38-year-old is unlikely to play before the US Open, which starts on 24 August.

BBC
 
US Open to offer 'largest purse in tennis history'

The US Open men's and women's singles winners will get $5m (£3.7m) each as part of a total pot of $90m (£67.4m) in prize money, which the tournament says is "the largest purse in tennis history".

The amount for the eventual singles champions is a 39% increase on 2024 when it was $3.6m (£2.8m), while the total purse has gone up 20% from the $75m (£57.8m) awarded last year.

In comparison, the total prize money at Wimbledon this year was £53.5m, with the men's and women's singles winners getting £3m apiece.

Players who are knocked out in the first round at the US Open will get $110,000 (£82,400), which is an increase of 10%.

Earlier this year, the top 20 men's and women's players sent a letter to the four Grand Slams asking for a greater share of the revenue generated by the major tournaments.

"The US Open has made a deliberate and concerted effort to ensure double-digit percentage increases from 2024 in all rounds of all events for all players, while at the same time significantly increasing the percentage of prize money for athletes playing deep into the singles draws," said a statement, external from the tournament organisers.

The pot of money on offer in men's and women's doubles at the US Open this year will be $4.78m (£3.6m) - an increase of 23% from 2024.

The tournament said that "for the first time ever" the winners of the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles would get $1m (£749,000) in prize money per team.

The US Open will also be providing $5m (£3.7m) in support for costs, including travel and expenses, for players in the main draw, while the prize money for the men's and women's qualifying tournaments will rise by 10% to $8m (£6m).

The 2025 US Open at Flushing Meadows runs from 24 August until 7 September.


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US Open: Tournament organisers reveal record prize money for 2025 event

The US Open men's and women's singles winners will get $5m (£3.7m) each as part of a total pot of $90m (67.4m) in prize money which the tournament says is "the largest purse in tennis history".
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Mboko sets up Osaka final after stunning comeback

Teenager Victoria Mboko will face Naomi Osaka in the final of the Canadian Open after defying the odds to upset former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

The 18-year-old Canadian, ranked 85th in the world, lost the first set and saved a match point in the second before going on to seal a 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) victory in Montreal.

Mboko, a wildcard entry for the tournament, will face former world number one Osaka on Thursday in her first WTA 1000 final.

"I had everyone supporting me and pushing me through," said Mboko.

"Without you guys, I don't think I would've been able to pull this through."

The Canadian, who is set to move into the top 50 in the rankings when they are updated next week, has already beaten Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin on her remarkable run to the final.

She started the year ranked 333rd in the world but opened the season with a stunning 22-match winning streak.

Osaka stands in her way of a famous victory, following the Japanese's 6-2 7-6 (9-7) win against Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson.

Khachanov stuns Zverev

In the men's tournament in Toronto, three-time Grand Slam runner-up Alexander Zverev suffered a shock defeat by Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov.

The 29-year-old saved a match point before going on to complete a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-4) win against the German.

"I had to dig deep and lift my level. It was a very demanding, very mental, very physical match," said Khachanov.

"Today was a real close one. I was match point down, if the ball touches the net and drops over we wouldn't be talking now."

Khachanov will face America's Ben Shelton in the final after he overcame compatriot and second seed Taylor Fritz in straight sets with a 6-4 6-3 victory.

BBC
 
Wildcard Mboko beats Osaka for maiden WTA title

Wildcard Victoria Mboko won her first WTA title by coming from behind to beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final.

For the second successive match, the 18-year-old Canadian had to show resilience after conceding the opening set but rallied to win 2-6 6-4 6-1.

Mboko began the year ranked 333rd in the world but is projected to rise to 34 after a win that delighted her home crowd.

"I was super happy to be playing in Montreal for the first time ever. I just remember feeling nervous, but really taking in the moment as much as I possibly could," Mboko said.

"When I won my first round, I was super happy and super content. I would have never thought that I would have made it to the final, let alone win the tournament.

"I have so many emotions going through my head, I can't even express it."

Mboko beat four Grand Slam champions en route to collecting the title in front of 11,000 spectators.

BBC
 
Raducanu wins first match with new coach Roig

Emma Raducanu brushed aside Olga Danilovic at the Cincinnati Open to make a confident start with her new coach.

The British number one has added Rafael Nadal's former coach Francis Roig to her team on a full-time basis as she prepares for the upcoming US Open.

And the surprise 2021 champion in New York cruised to a 6-3 6-2 win in her first match since the Spaniard came aboard.

Danilovic beat British number three Katie Boulter in the first round while Raducanu had a bye, and the Serbian number one broke Raducanu to love in the first game of Saturday's match.

After four breaks of serve between the pair in the opening five games, Raducanu came from 30-0 down to grab another and make it 5-3, before serving out the set with an ace.

In the second set, Raducanu, 22, drew errors from her 24-year-old opponent and eventually earned a break for 3-2.

From that point, the world number 39, ranked four spots higher than Danilovic, did not drop another game as she booked her spot in the third round in Ohio.

"I'm really building some momentum. I'm really happy with how I've stayed pretty consistent over the last few months," said Raducanu.

"I still feel like there's a long way to go but just working hard behind the scenes, putting a lot of hours in and hoping I can trust in that."

Raducanu will next face world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who beat her at Wimbledon last month in two tight sets.

Sabalenka, playing for the first time since losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals, progressed 7-5 6-1 against Czech Marketa Vondrousova.

Sabalenka faced and saved 12 break points in the match before securing victory.

Earlier, Poland's Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek eased through to the last 32 with a 6-1 6-4 win over Russian Anastasia Potapova.

Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the United States saved two match points before beating Germany's Eva Lys 1-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1).

Sinner wins first match since Wimbledon title

In Cincinnati's ATP draw, Italy's world number one Jannik Sinner beat Colombia's Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1 6-1 in his first match since claiming his maiden Wimbledon title.

Taylor Fritz, who is number four in the men's rankings, sent down 12 aces as he defeated qualifier and fellow American Emilio Nava 6-4 6-4.

However, eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti from Italy was bounced out by Benjamin Bonzi, with the Frenchman, ranked 63rd in the world, fighting back to win 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-4).

Another Frenchman regrouped to pull off an upset as 70th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech beat Norway's Casper Ruud, the 11th seed, 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-2.

The US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, begins at Flushing Meadows, New York, on 24 August.

BBC
 
Raducanu 'getting back to best' but edged out by Sabalenka

Britain's Emma Raducanu fell agonisingly short of beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka and earning a statement win at the Cincinnati Open.

Raducanu, 22, lost 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) as defending champion Sabalenka edged a battle lasting more than three hours to reach the fourth round.

Having also pushed Sabalenka at Wimbledon, Raducanu's performance was further evidence she can severely test the world's best as her revival continues.

This season, with the British number one's fitness issues largely behind her and the development of greater resilience, she has climbed back into the top 40.

"As I said at Wimbledon I am really happy to see her healthy - mentally and physically," said Sabalenka.

"Every time she is improving and I can see she is getting back to her best.

"I'm enjoying fighting against her - she is such an incredible player."

Raducanu could be seeded among the leading 32 players at the upcoming US Open, providing a more favourable draw - in theory at least - at the hard-court Grand Slam which she won as a teenage qualifier in 2021.

On the basis of this display against Sabalenka, there are plenty of positives for Raducanu to take into the final major of the season.

Signs that Raducanu can challenge the best

With her service game providing a strong foundation, backed by calmness and clarity from the baseline, a tense contest in a sweltering Cincinnati could easily have gone her way.

Sabalenka was well below her best level throughout, with the powerful baseline game which has delivered three major titles looking vulnerable and erratic.

Raducanu, who was guided vocally throughout by her new coach Francisco Roig, took full advantage.

Roig was part of the team which helped Rafael Nadal win the bulk of his 22 major titles, and his forensic attention to detail was clear throughout the match.

Regular instructions came about the pattern of Raducanu's serve and the shape of her forehand, while she also responded well when he implemented some positive reinforcement.

"You're better than her," was one of the 57-year-old Spaniard's messages to the player.

In the past Raducanu has wilted in similarly intense battles and equally draining conditions.

The manner in which she survived four break points during a marathon eighth game in the decider - coming through 12 deuces to hold serve after 22 minutes - was a fine example of her improved durability in recent months.

Sabalenka, though, has a formidable record in tie-breaks. She showed why by holding her nerve and being brave in the match-defining moments, meaning she has now won her past 16 tie-breaks - an Open era record in WTA singles.

That enabled the 27-year-old Belarusian to prevail despite winning three fewer points than Raducanu over the course of the match.

Despite the clear positives, Raducanu's defeat means she has still only won three of her 17 matches against top-10 players and never beaten an opponent ranked in the world's top four.

She will be hoping that will change sooner rather than later - perhaps in New York.

BBC
 
Alcaraz secures 50th win of 2025 at Cincinnati Open

Carlos Alcaraz says for half the matches of the tennis season, players "don't feel that good" as the Spaniard secured a tour-leading 50th victory of 2025 at the Cincinnati Open.

The 22-year-old cruised past Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in straight sets 6-4 6-4 in the third round to also claim his 13th consecutive Masters 1000 win.

Alcaraz is the first player since 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, from 2013 to 2016, to reach 50 wins in four consecutive seasons.

The world number two will face Italian Luca Nardi in the fourth round on Wednesday.

"You have to think positive and just play your best tennis possible that day," said the five-time Grand Slam winner.

"I'm really happy that in really difficult matches I'm able to play my best tennis even though I'm not feeling the right way.

"I'm just happy and proud about it because it's something I'm working on."

Lucky loser Nardi, 22, led 16th seed Jakub Mensik 6-2 2-1 when the Czech retired from their third-round match.

The first set between Medjedovic and Alcaraz was tight in the sweltering Ohio conditions but the Spaniard got the break for 4-3 before sealing the opener.

Medjedovic then received treatment from the physio for neck pain.

Medjedovic, who is also 22, had a chance in the second set to take the lead at 3-3, but his attempt at two drop shots both hit the net. Alcaraz edged ahead to take a 4-3 advantage once again, and he wrapped up victory soon after.

Alcaraz has won seven ATP Masters 1000 trophies in his career, including the Monte Carlo and Rome titles this year.

He also successfully defended his French Open title by beating world number one Jannik Sinner in an extraordinary final at Roland Garros in June, before Italian Sinner defeated him in the Wimbledon final a month later.

Following the tournament in Cincinnati, Alcaraz heads to New York for the last Grand Slam of the campaign, the US Open, which begins on 24 August.

Players have been struggling with the heat during this week's tournament, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30C.

Francisco Comesana and Reilly Opelka both took medical timeouts during their third-round match, which was also interrupted for 45 minutes by rain.

Argentine Comesana won 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5, saving three match points, but he needed medical attention in the second set, with a ball girl rushing to hand the 24-year-old a sick bag as he made his way gingerly back to his seat.

American Opelka, 27, also called for the doctor in the final set, complaining of dizziness and high blood pressure after being broken for 5-6.

BBC
 
Sinner beats Mannarino to reach Cincinnati last eight

World number one Jannik Sinner reached the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals with a 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory over a stubborn Adrian Mannarino.

Sinner quickly took control of the match when he broke the 37-year-old Frenchman in the third game.

Mannarino, ranked 89th in the world, saved a break point in the seventh game with an ace but the left-hander could not stop his opponent going on to claim the first set.

Play was suspended for rain with Sinner 40-30 on serve and 2-1 down in the second set, before the players resumed about two hours and 45 minutes later.

Mannarino proved a more obdurate competitor in the second set but, despite saving three break points at 5-5, eventually succumbed to the fourth when he netted a backhand to go 6-5 down.

Sinner was 30-0 up when serving for the match but some inspired tennis earned Mannarino his first break point which he took with a stunning forehand return.

However, Sinner produced back-to-back aces to win the tie-break 7-4 and extend his record to four wins in as many matches against Mannarino.

"He's a tough opponent," said Sinner. "Very different to all the other opponents. Not only because he is a leftie but also how he hits the ball - it's very low.

"I struggled a bit to close it out but this can happen in this sport and I'm very happy to be in the next round."

Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev needed just one game to complete his victory over Brandon Nakashima after rain had forced their match to be suspended overnight with the score 5-4 in the second set.

Zverev progressed 6-4 6-4, and will play again on Wednesday when he takes on Russian Karen Khachanov in the fourth round.

Meanwhile seventh seed Holger Rune is through to the quarter-finals after his opponent, American 10th seed Frances Tiafoe, retired with a back injury while trailing 6-4 3-1.

BBC
 
Alcaraz edges past Rublev to reach Cincinnati quarters

World number two Carlos Alcaraz battled past Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 7-5 to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.

The Spaniard took control with the first set, but his Russian opponent produced an excellent fightback to level.

World number 11 Rublev's quality faltered, though, in the tense and decisive third set as he committed two double faults, including one on match point.


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Cincinnati Open: Carlos Alcaraz beats Andrey Rublev to reach semi-finals

World number two Carlos Alcaraz battles past Andrey Rublev 6-3 4-6 7-5 to reach the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.
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Sabalenka loses to Rybakina in Cincinnati quarters

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka fell to a 6-1 6-4 defeat by Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The Kazakh dominated the opening set and racked up 11 aces against the world number one before sealing her victory in 74 minutes.

"I'm happy with the serve. It was the key today," Rybakina said.

"I served really well. If she had been serving well it would have been a totally different match. It was also intense from the baseline. I just hope to continue like this."

Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, will now face this year's All England Club champion in the last four - as Iga Swiatek beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 6-4.

Poland's Swiatek, ranked third in the world, was always in charge against the Russian, who appeared hampered by a calf problem and saved four match points in the penultimate game.

However, Swiatek prevailed to move into her fourth WTA 1,000-level semi-final of the season.

"I just played my game. It was not easy but I'm happy that I stayed solid and kept my intensity," said the Pole.

BBC
 
World number three Iga Swiatek powered to a 7-5 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina to reach the final of the Cincinnati Open for the first time.
 
Sinner retires from Alcaraz final with illness

An emotional Jannik Sinner retired from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz with illness, only six days before he begins his US Open title defence.

World number one Sinner was out of sorts from the first point of the highly anticipated showpiece, and trailed 5-0 after 23 minutes on another hot day.

He sat with ice on his head at the first changeover after going a double break down, and called for the trainer after losing another two games.

After a brief chat, Sinner apologised to the umpire and officials, growing tearful as he told them he "felt really bad" for the fans.

The Italian shared a hug with Alcaraz and walked out to the middle of the court, raising his hands in apology to the crowd before returning to his seat and hiding his head in his towel.

Spanish world number two Alcaraz quickly went over to comfort his rival, putting an arm around him and speaking to him before writing on the camera lens: "Sorry Jannik".


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Cincinnati Open: Jannik Sinner retires from Carlos Alcaraz final with illness six days before US Open begins

Jannik Sinner retires from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz with illness, only six days before he begins his US Open title defence.
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Swiatek beats Paolini to win Cincinnati title

World number three Iga Swiatek said winning the Cincinnati Open has given her a "boost of confidence" before the US Open begins on Sunday.

The six-time Grand Slam champion secured a dominant 7-5 6-4 victory over Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini to clinch a maiden title at the WTA 1000 event.

"I'm happy with the work we've been doing, happy with that process. I'm happy I won in straight sets," she said.

"I'm a good player. I can play on any surface."

The 24-year-old Pole was in fine form throughout the week in Ohio and did not drop a set.

She now heads to Flushing Meadows looking to claim a second US Open title in the final Grand Slam of the season, having triumphed at Wimbledon last month.

In a repeat of last year's French Open final, which Swiatek won, Paolini surged to a 3-0 lead on Monday before Swiatek rattled off five games in a row on her way to taking the first set.

The pair twice traded breaks in the second set but 2022 US Open winner Swiatek took the decisive break in the seventh game before serving out victory two games later.

Third seed Swiatek hit nine aces to Paolini's none and she converted all six of her break point opportunities.

Swiatek has now won 11 titles at the WTA 1000 level and is two away from equalling the record held by Serena Williams.

She is due to compete alongside Norway's Casper Ruud in the US Open's revamped mixed doubles event which begins on Tuesday.

BBC
 
Raducanu & Alcaraz out as polarising US Open event starts

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz might have lost in the revamped US Open mixed doubles - but they certainly won the hearts of the New York crowd.

In a party-like atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Britain's Raducanu and Spain's Alcaraz saw their chances of claiming a $1m winning prize ended by fellow Briton Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula, who have reached Wednesday's semi-finals.

Despite the presence of home player Pegula, it was the losing pair who were heavily backed by a sizeable crowd at Flushing Meadows.

Pegula and Draper won 4-2 4-2 in the new shortened format, which is part of the US Open's "reimagination" of the mixed doubles.

As well as the huge financial incentives, the event has also been moved forward to the week before the singles main draws to attract the stars.

Raducanu and Alcaraz teaming up for the glamorous event - which has controversially deviated from its traditional format and polarised opinion - created many of the pre-tournament headlines.

There was a fear they might not turn out at all, given Alcaraz played in the final of an ATP event in Cincinnati on Monday.

But the pair walked out together on the US Open's main show court little over 24 hours later to a euphoric reception of screams and shouts.

An excitable atmosphere continued as the fans - who paid between $25 (£18.50) and $145 (£107) for what British doubles player Jamie Murray described as a "glorified exhibition" - danced to tunes played by an on-court DJ and acted up when appearing on the big screen.

Alcaraz and Raducanu smiled and laughed throughout in a fun tune-up, illustrating how the stars are using the event to tune up for their greater priority of the singles.

For some, it underlined the view of the doubles specialists sidelined that a Grand Slam tournament had lost value.

Pegula, who has been ranked world number one in the women's doubles, and Draper were also a scratch pairing but had too much quality against opponents with little experience in tour-level doubles.

For Draper, it was third time lucky with Pegula - having seen previous planned partners Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa withdraw through injury.

Pegula and Draper's mutual will-to-win was more evident than some of the pairings, looking focused as they later beat Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev to reach the last four.

The Russian pair earlier knocked out 24-time major singles champion Novak Djokovic and his fellow Serb Olga Danilovic in the first round,

There was the loss of another star name before Tuesday's play started, when men's world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew through illness.

'We're playing for all the doubles players not here'

When the news about the US Open's plans emerged in February, reigning mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavussori labelled the decision "a profound injustice".

Their thoughts have since been echoed by many doubles specialists, who also gripe about losing a crucial earning opportunity after being pushed out in favour of the stars.

Errani and Vavussori were eventually given a wildcard to play in the 16-team event, but were the only specialist doubles pairing in the draw.

The Italian pair opened the day's play on Louis Armstrong Stadium - the second show court at Flushing Meadows - and competed like they had a point to prove.

Passionate roars were loud and clear throughout their 4-2 4-2 opening win over big-name pairing Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz.

More emotion was shown when they reached Wednesday's semi-finals with a 4-1 5-4 (7-4) victory against Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev.

"We're also playing for all the doubles players that could not be here, so we tried to do our best," said Vavassori.

Errani and Vavassori face American pair Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison - who signed in on Tuesday morning to replace Sinner and Katerina Siniakova - in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

Six-time Grand Slam singles champion Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, a three-time major finalist, meet Pegula and Draper.

BBC
 
'Mission completed' - doubles specialists win US Open mixed title

Italian doubles specialists Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori completed their "mission" by beating singles stars Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud to win the controversially revamped US Open mixed event.

Errani and Vavassori, whose place in the new-look tournament was initially under threat, defended their crown with a thrilling 6-3 5-7 10-6 victory secured at almost midnight in New York.

The pair walked away with the increased prize pot of $1m (£740,000) designed to attract superstars like Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic - five times more than the $200,000 (£148,000) they won last year.

Enticing the singles players meant Errani and Vavassori were the only recognised doubles pairing in the 16-team draw.

"This is for all the doubles players who couldn't play this tournament," said Errani.

Vavassori added: "We have been on a mission."

The Italians showed their joy at winning another Grand Slam title - and proving a point to tournament organisers - by Vavassori hoisting Errani into the air.

Britain's Jack Draper, playing alongside home favourite Jessica Pegula, lost to Swiatek and Ruud in the semi-finals earlier on Wednesday.

When the US Open announced a "reimagination" of the mixed doubles - featuring a shorter scoring format in the earlier rounds and new scheduling slot before the singles draws - opinion was split.

It provoked outrage among doubles players, with Errani and Vavassori issuing a joint statement where they called out the organisers for what they felt was a "profoundly wrong" move.

The pair, whose combined singles rankings were too low for direct entry, were eventually given a wildcard - but the majority of doubles specialists were left sidelined.

Congratulating the champions, a smiling Swiatek said: "I guess you proved doubles players are smarter tactically than singles players."

After winning their opening two matches on Tuesday, Vavassori proclaimed they were competing on behalf of their peers who were ostracised by the inclusion of more singles stars.

The pair showed the same quality, teamwork and tactical nous in Wednesday's climax, beating American pair Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison in the semi-finals before seeing off Swiatek and Ruud.

Third seeds Swiatek and Ruud fought back from 8-4 down in the match tie-break of their semi-final against Pegula and Draper - but could not repeat the feat with the title on the line.

"We showed that doubles is a great product and in the future we need more marketing and visibility," added Vavassori.

Intensity increases at business end of innovative event

If the opening day had the air of an exhibition at certain times, the finals night immediately felt like business.

From the start it brought the feel of a traditional US Open showpiece event, with a patriotic rendition of the national anthem and a group of US Marine Corps standing with an unfurled Stars and Stripes flag providing pomp.

Many feel the overhaul has devalued the mixed doubles as a major title. Some are even putting asterisks next to the champions.

Given that, the stadium announcer outlining what winning the title would mean for each player's Grand Slam résumé felt like an attempt to add legitimacy.

The opening semi-final was played at a ferocious intensity - not surprising given the will-to-win of the characters involved - while Ruud calling for a VAR-style check on a Pegula shot was another indication of how seriously it was being taken.

At 3-3 30-30, the umpire confirmed the American had not reached over the net - following fervent discussion between the opposing players - with Pegula and Draper using the momentum to win the opening set.

But Pegula's clasp of her head after they blew an 8-4 lead in the first-to-10 match tie-break summed up their bitter disappointment at missing a shot for the trophy.

Unsurprisingly, Errani and Vavassori were also seriously pumped up.

The duo mirroring Hulk Hogan-style underarm bicep flexes after winning their semi-final was one of the defining images.

While the energy on court ramped up, the emphasis on providing entertainment for those watching in the stands remained.

A pair of DJs were perched behind courtside decks, tasked with whipping up the crowd through a New York-inspired playlist including Jay-Z, Cyndi Lauper and the Friends theme tune, while the familiar sight of Celeb Cam and Dance Cam added to the party atmosphere.

Fashion icon Anna Wintour, who recently stepped back from her role as Vogue editor-in-chief, added further star-dust in a near-full capacity crowd.

Thousands stayed late until the end and were rewarded with a fine finale to a transformative tournament which looks destined to stay in the coming years.

BBC
 
Raducanu back in 'happy place' as US Open begins

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Britain's Emma Raducanu says she is finally seeing the US Open as her "happy place" as she returns once again to the scene of her fairytale New York victory.

Raducanu, 22, stunned the world four years ago when she lifted the Grand Slam title as a teenage qualifier.

However, she has not won a match at Flushing Meadows since, with injury and expectation derailing her career.

On Sunday, the world number 35 is hoping to continue her recent revival when she starts the British challenge at the final major of the season.

"I really struggled when I came back in 2022. I didn't enjoy coming back here," said Raducanu, who plays Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara at 16:00 BST.

"I think now is the first time that I feel like I can come back to the US Open and really enjoy the memories that I made here.

"I can be proud of that and see it as a happy place.

"So for that, I feel very grateful for and very pleased about. So I feel in a much better place now."

Raducanu rocketed to fame by creating one of the biggest shocks in British sporting history, but found the aftermath - in terms of the transition to becoming a full-time WTA Tour player and the stratospheric scrutiny - extremely difficult.

After being ruled out of the 2023 tournament through injury, she made her return last year but rued being under-prepared after losing again in the first round.

Raducanu fought back tears after her loss to fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin, saying she felt "sad" and "down".

This year, she has returned to New York riding a wave of optimism.

Looking more carefree and content, she has played some of her best tennis since the US Open triumph and is close to climbing back into the world's top 30.

"I feel relaxed, I feel happy, I feel in a way like the same off court in terms of just enjoying my tennis, enjoying practicing, enjoying competing, and the process of getting better," said the former world number 10.

"I think I feel the same [as 2021] in that sense."

What about the other Brits?

While Raducanu is the only Briton playing on the US Open's first Sunday start, there are seven other players from the nation in the singles draws.

British men's number one Jack Draper is seeded fifth as he looks to better his run to the semi-finals last year, although he has not played since Wimbledon because of an arm injury.

"It's not something which I'm going to go out on Monday and feel like it's holding me back at all," said 23-year-old Draper, who starts against Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez.

Cameron Norrie is the other British interest on Monday when he opens against American Sebastian Korda.

After a couple of early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati, 29-year-old Norrie went back to his old Texas Christian University to recharge before launching his bid to reach the second week at a third consecutive Grand Slam event.

Norrie has climbed back into the world‘s top 40 after runs to the French Open last 16 and Wimbledon quarter-finals.

"I think it's good to clear your mind and be away from the tour. It can be draining if in tournament mode and not competing," said Norrie.

The rest of the British players - Jacob Fearnley, Billy Harris, Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal and Francesca Jones - will start their campaigns on Tuesday.

BBC
 
Draper 'almost happy' to drop a set on US Open return

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

British number one Jack Draper says he was "almost a bit happy" to drop a set as he was put through a severe examination of his fitness on his US Open return.

Draper needed to dig deep to beat Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez 6-4 7-5 6-7 (7-9) 6-2 in the first round.

The fifth seed, who reached the New York semi-finals last year, was playing his first singles match since Wimbledon in early July after suffering an arm injury.

"I needed tennis in my legs. I needed to play a three-hour match," Draper said.

"I was almost a bit happy when I lost the third because my level wasn't amazing.

"Then I felt like towards the end of the fourth I started to get better and better."

Draper, 23, is seen as one of the contenders for the title on his return to the scene of his breakout Grand Slam run.

While not quite at his reliable and powerful best, the left-handed Englishman was ultimately content with how he largely negated Gomez's explosive game.

Draper soaked up a lot of pressure at the baseline, asking questions that his 203rd-ranked opponent was not able to answer consistently.

After saving a match point in the tie-break, Gomez managed to extend the contest before Draper regrouped to seal victory with his second match point.

"I wasn't too sure if I was going to make it here," Draper said when asked about the injury.

"I'm not putting too much expectation on myself. I'm so happy to be able to compete."

Fellow Briton Cameron Norrie is also through to the second round after American opponent Sebastian Korda was forced to retire injured.

How arm injury affected Draper

All eyes were on Draper's upper left arm as he took to the singles court for the first time since a shock Wimbledon second-round exit almost eight weeks ago.

The attention was not necessarily to evaluate his beefed-up muscles, but to see if there were any issues with the bruised humerus that has troubled him recently.

Draper did not play the recent ATP 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati to give himself time to recover, but competed in last week's revamped US Open mixed doubles competition to build sharpness.

On his singles return, Draper wore a compression sleeve – which provides support and comfort - on his troublesome serving arm.

Draper insisted before the match he would not hold back, although his serve speeds were slightly slower than usual.

"I've definitely had to rein in my serve a little bit to keep the pain down," he said.

"At the same time, though, I feel like my accuracy is almost a bit better."

An average of 111mph in the first set, dropping to 108mph, 110mph and 106mph in the next three, indicated he was not going full throttle.

The precision of Draper's kick serve contributed to not being broken until the end of the second set – which he went on to win – and was crucial again as he dominated the fourth.

While his forehand winners were outnumbered by Gomez's own blistering weapon, there were gasps when he did produce ferocity off that wing.

Flatter hitting from that side in the fourth brought Draper more success as he teed up a second-round clash against Belgium's Zizou Bergs – another explosive, fearless opponent.

'Nervous' Norrie through after Korda retirement

A "nervous" Norrie was worried about being first on court at 11:00 local time and need to fuel up before playing an opponent who was ranked inside the top 20 a year ago - and against whom he had lost three of four past meetings.

Ultimately the 30-year-old did not need to be overly concerned, as Norrie was leading 7-5 6-4 when Korda, 25, ended the match early.

American Korda only returned to tour action last week following a near three-month shin stress fracture lay-off.

He called a medical timeout at the start of the second set against Norrie when he appeared to be struggling with an abdominal issue.

Although Korda persevered for the remainder of the set he was unwilling to go any further, sending Norrie through to face Argentina's Francisco Comesana.

"I was very nervous for the match," said Norrie.

"Playing a Grand Slam match at 11am and trying to get rice down at 10am is not easy!"

BBC
 
Fearnley overcomes nerves - and heckler - at US Open

Britain's Jacob Fearnley overcame nerves in the big moments - and a heckler - to secure the first US Open main-draw win of his career.

Fearnley, 24, struggled with his service game before coming through 7-5 6-2 5-7 6-4 in a late-night battle with Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.

A first-service percentage of below 50% across the opening three sets led to 16 double faults, before Fearnley cleaned up his opening shot in the fourth to help get over the line.

"If you look at when the double faults were happening – serving for the match, serving to stay in the set – they came at the highest tension moments," said Fearnley, who won in three hours and 24 minutes - the longest match of his career.

"Those ones are definitely down to nerves more than anything."

The Scot was also put off by a rambunctious fan behind the baseline - who was initially loudly supporting him before switching to root for Bautista Agut.

"When I Iost the service game at 5-4 in the third he completely turned – I couldn't believe it," Fearnley said.

"I wanted to say something. He switched quick. It wasn't abuse, just confusing and extremely loud. He didn't say a nice thing after that."

Fearnley was the only Briton to win at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, with Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Francesca Jones and Billy Harris all going out.

Now he is set for a rematch against German third seed Alexander Zverev in the second round on Thursday.

Zverev, who has already swept Fearnley aside at the Australian Open and Miami Open this year, beat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo in his opening match.

Another career milestone ticked off for Fearnley

Fearnley's progress has been so rapid over the past 15 months, it can be easy to forget how inexperienced he remains at the highest level.

Little over a year ago, the former US college student was ranked outside of the world's leading 500 players.

Since then he has soared up the rankings - cracking the top 50 in June - after a stunning introduction to the ATP Tour.

Fearnley has a habit of drawing high-profile names early in the Grand Slams and has already played on some of the iconic courts in the game.

But in recent months his form has been compromised by a nervous tension which is particularly damaging to his serve.

Asked how he can solve the issue, Fearnley said: "I'm not too sure. I guess it's helpful to know that even hitting all those double faults I can win the match – that's a positive more than anything.

"There are good days and bad days, but in recent matches the doubles faults have been an issue.

"I'll be playing Zverev next on another big court - a high-stakes, high-tense environment and I think putting myself in those situations will help."

With Fearnley and Bautista Agut not taking to the court until after 8pm local time, a long night looking inevitable when the British number three finally secured a 62-minute opener.

When Fearnley used greater variety in the second and third sets - to move the world number 47 around - it reaped rewards.

Fearnley closed in on a relatively sharpish straight-setter when he broke serve early in the third - only for more double faults to help 37-year-old Bautista Agut extend the contest.

But he reset admirably in the fourth set, landing more first serves and limiting the double faults, to get over the line.

Surviving the first round meant Fearnley has now completed a full set of victories at the four Grand Slam tournaments.

"It was an extremely tough match, I knew Roberto would make me go right to the end," said Fearnley, who wrapped up victory about 11:15pm local time.

BBC
 
Sinner breezes through - but still areas to 'improve'

World number one Jannik Sinner says there is still room for improvement despite recording a 23rd successive match victory in hard-court Grand Slams to reach the US Open third round.

Having lost just four games in a dominant first-round win over Vit Kopriva, defending champion Sinner produced another efficient display against world number 36 Alexei Popyrin.

It was another ominous message to Sinner's rivals - Popyrin, who beat Novak Djokovic in the third round in New York last year, had been seen a potentially tricky opponent for the Italian.

But Sinner broke Popyrin's serve early in each of the three sets and wrapped up a clinical 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium in just over two hours.

Sinner has not lost a match at a hard-court major since the 2023 US Open, when he lost in the fourth round to Alexander Zverev.

He won the title at Flushing Meadows last year and is the two-time defending Australian Open champion.


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US Open 2025 results: Jannik Sinner beats Alexei Popyrin to reach third round

Jannik Sinner says he still has room for improvement despite extending his winning run at hard-court Grand Slams to 23 matches as he reaches the US Open third round.
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Alcaraz 'not an early person' but cruises through

Carlos Alcaraz showed no signs of being affected by a morning start despite being "not an early person" as he sailed into the US Open fourth round with a comfortable straight-set victory over Luciano Darderi.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had won his first two matches of the tournament during the evening sessions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but opened play on that court at 11:30 local time on Friday.

Italian 32nd seed Darderi, appearing in the third round of a Grand Slam for only the second time, was swept aside 6-2 6-4 6-0 in one hour and 44 minutes.


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US Open 2025 results: Carlos Alcaraz cruises through to fourth round of US Open

Carlos Alcaraz shows no signs of being affected by a morning start, sailing into the US Open fourth round with a straight-set win over Luciano Darderi.
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Norrie rues 'overconfidence' as chance to beat Djokovic disappears

Britain's Cameron Norrie says he might have paid the price for being a "little overconfident" as 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic battled through injury to reach the fourth round.

Norrie has now lost all seven of his meetings with the 38-year-old Serb following a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3 defeat in New York.

The 30-year-old left-hander briefly moved ahead in the match when he broke at the start of the third set.

But Djokovic fought back to end British singles interest at the final major tournament of the season.

"I started great in the third set but maybe a little overconfident after breaking," Norrie told BBC Sport.

"He settled into the match after that, competed well and was just too good in the end."

Djokovic, who is bidding for a standalone record 25th major title, struggled with a lower back injury in the opening set and needed a medical time-out off the court.

The four-time US Open champion asked for more treatment early in the second set.

It is his first tournament since losing in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July - seven weeks ago.

"Coming into the match, you want to win in straight sets without any drama - but that's not possible," a smiling Djokovic said after a contest lasting almost three hours.

"My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can spend more minutes there. Looking from that perspective it is good."

After showing signs of vulnerability in opening victories over teenager Learner Tien and qualifier Zachary Svajda, Djokovic produced his best level of the tournament against Norrie.

On his fitness, the seventh seed added: "You have some ups and downs but you don't want to reveal too much to your rivals. I'm as young and as strong as ever."

Norrie still has 'much to smile about'

Pushing one of the all-time greats at a Grand Slam tournament is a measure of how far Norrie has come over the past several months.

After a chastening first-round exit at the Miami Open in March, Norrie flew home to Europe and had a deep think about the direction of his career.

The 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist was perilously close to dropping out of the world's top 100, struggling to regain form and confidence following a forearm injury which disrupted his 2024 season.

A heart-to-heart with his team followed. The collective conclusion was the group needed to lighten up a little, vowing to enjoy life on tour more again.

Since then, Norrie has reached the French Open fourth round - where he lost to Djokovic - and the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Even another defeat by Djokovic did not leave him overly disappointed, given where he found himself earlier this year.

"It has been fun - I wouldn't change anything in this tournament," said Norrie.

"There is so much to smile about."

Before the match, Norrie said he was "ready for anything" from Djokovic - including seeing him struggle with fitness issues before regaining his level.

That is exactly what happened on an entertaining night on Ashe.

Norrie wanted to turn the match into a physical contest, given Djokovic's perceived vulnerabilities, but was unable to sustain his level.

"I wouldn't change too much, I tried to play my brand of tennis, I tried to make it physical," said Norrie.

"In the third and fourth sets I gave him too many cheap points and that was the difference."

How Djokovic's serve 'makes things easier'

In the early part of his career, Djokovic's serve was seen as one of the weaker parts of his game.

But it has developed into a potent weapon over the years, with the veteran knowing more than ever it needs to perfect to land another Grand Slam title.

Unable to rely as much on physicality against his younger opponents, Djokovic wants the accuracy of his opening shot to help limit the baseline rallies.

Djokovic used his serve to great effect against Norrie, who rued "getting nowhere it" in the opening set and a half.

Norrie won only two receiving points in the first set, while Djokovic ended with 18 aces - the most he has ever hit in a US Open match.

"Serving so well makes your life easier," said Djokovic, who is the oldest man to reach fourth round since Jimmy Connors in 1991.

"It is probably the most important shot in the game. I'm glad how I executed it."

BBC
 

Superb Auger-Aliassime ends Zverev's bid for elusive major​


Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime says the quality he produced to stun German third seed Alexander Zverev in the US Open fourth round did not simply "fall out of the sky".

Auger-Aliassime's bold attacking approach paid off as he fought back to win 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 6-4 in New York.

The 25-year-old had not previously beaten a top-five ranked opponent in seven attempts at a major tournament.

But his game - booming serve, vicious groundstrokes and supreme athleticism - knitted together to end Zverev's latest bid for an elusive Grand Slam title.

"In practice I felt like I was doing things really well. Mentally, [I've had] more clarity in my game and how I want to play," Auger-Aliassime said.

"A performance like this doesn't fall out of the sky.

"But you never know also when you're going to play that level on any given day."

Many people in the game judge 28-year-old Zverev as the best player of recent generations without a major title to his name.

Identified as a future star in his teenage years, when he followed his older brother Mischa around the ATP Tour, he has gone close by reaching three major finals.

Despite his pedigree, he has not got over the line - most notably when he blew a two-set lead in the 2020 US Open final - and still appears to lack belief against the very best at the business end of Grand Slam tournaments.

In a bid to solve the issue, Zverev recently enlisted the help of Toni Nadal - who coached his nephew Rafael to 16 of his 22 Grand Slam titles.

A trip to Nadal's academy in Majorca followed Zverev's first-round exit at Wimbledon, where he opened up about receiving psychological help to get "out of the hole" he was in.

Afterwards, Nadal told BBC Sport he tried to instil the belief into Zverev that he could beat the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic if he faced them in New York.

Instead it was Auger-Aliassime - who ironically was coached by Nadal between 2021 and 2024 - who prolonged Zverev's wait for the prize he desires.

Former world number six Auger-Aliassime faces Russian 15th seed Andrey Rublev in the fourth round on Monday.

Meanwhile, 23rd seed Alexander Bublik set up a meeting with defending champion Jannik Sinner after again taking advantage of a home favourite's physical ailments.

Kazakhstan's Bublik, whose previous opponent Ben Shelton retired with a shoulder injury, knocked out 14th seed Tommy Paul in a thrilling 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 win ending at 1:15am local time.

Paul had spent almost three tournament hours more on court than Bublik, having come through another late-night thriller against Portugal's Nuno Borges two days earlier, and could barely move during the final set.

"I'd like to wish Ben and Tommy the best recovery because they're close friends and it was a pity to see them like this," said Bublik, who has won all of his 55 service games during the tournament.

Relieved Swiatek through after refusing to 'panic'

While Zverev became increasingly frustrated as he was unable to problem solve, six-time major champion Iga Swiatek showed in her third-round match what it takes to come through adversity.

Swiatek, 24, trailed 5-1 in the opening set against Russia's Anna Kalinskaya before readjusting to win 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in Saturday's night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"It's not easy sometimes to find the solutions and the exact thing that will help you," Swiatek, who plays Russia's 13th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova next, said.

"You need to have your mind open enough to think about what can you do.

"Today was a pretty good day in terms of that, because at 5-1 it's easy to panic and I didn't."

and the US Open in the same season

Trusting her natural ability, and the work she is doing with coach Wim Fissette to further improve, has also been the key to Swiatek turning around her season.

After a slump by her lofty standards at the start of the year, the former long-time world number one started the final major of the season as most people's pick for the trophy.

The recently crowned Wimbledon champion, who won the US Open in 2022, underlined her credentials on the American hard courts with victory at the Cincinnati Open.

Swiatek was far from her best against 29th seed Kalinskaya, with a low serve percentage particularly damaging, and her relief was demonstrated by an animated celebration.

"I'm happy that I came back, kept being positive and figured it out," Swiatek added.

In the other night-session match, Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia made light work of Greece's Maria Sakkari after the pair took to court at 11:15pm local time.

Haddad Maia, seeded 18th, moved fast to wrap up a 6-1 6-2 victory, booking a last-16 match with Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

BBC
 
World number two Carlos Alcaraz maintained his quest for a second US Open title with a straight-set victory over unseeded Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the fourth round.

The 22-year-old, who is through to the last eight in New York for the fourth time in five years, is still yet to drop a set at this year's tournament, coming through 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-4.

The Spaniard will face Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals after the Czech 20th seed beat Adrian Mannarino in four sets.


BBC
 
'AI-generated' Sinner races into US Open quarters

Jannik Sinner was labelled an "artificial intelligence" player by opponent Alexander Bublik after the defending US Open champion ruthlessly raced into the quarter-finals.

World number one Sinner needed only one hour and 21 minutes - the second-quickest win in the men's singles this year - to beat Kazakhstan's Bublik in a 6-1 6-1 6-1 victory.

Within minutes of his defeat, 23rd seed Bublik wrote 'AI' in a comment on the US Open's Instagram post about the result - reiterating the description he made about Sinner going into Monday's fourth-round match.

Bublik is one of only two men to beat Sinner this season, but the 24-year-old Italian ensured there was no chance of a repeat with a ruthless performance in New York.

"We had some tough battles this year but we know each other's game really well," said Sinner, who has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year.

"He had a tough match [in the third round], five sets, finishing late and he didn't serve as well as he usually does. Overall I'm very happy."

Four-time major champion Sinner, who extended his winning streak at hard-court Grand Slam tournaments to 25 matches, took eight of his 17 break opportunities.

Going into the match, Bublik had won all 55 of his service games in the tournament.

Bublik spoke about the importance of holding serve early in the match but, having completed victory over American hopeful Tommy Paul shortly after 1:15am local time on Sunday morning, he instantly looked out of sorts.

Losing serve in the first game - down to sloppy groundstrokes and a double fault on break point - set the tone.

After Sinner seized control, his athleticism soaked up the drop-shots and underarm serves thrown his way by the unpredictable Bublik.

There was also no let up in the ferocity of the top seed's groundstrokes.

Bublik could not handle the pace being thrown at him, before a double fault on Sinner's first match point summed up his difficult evening.

In the face of such adversity, the ever-entertaining Bublik still managed to play with a smile on his face and shared a joke at the net with Sinner following his defeat.

"You're so good, this is insane. I'm not bad," the 27-year-old said.

Perhaps the only consolation for Bublik was avoiding being at the wrong end of the fastest beating of the tournament.

Surviving three break points to hold serve for 4-1 in the final set helped him slightly prolong the match, taking it past the one hour and 20 minutes in which Czech 21st seed Tomas Machac beat Italy's Luca Nardi in the first round.

Sinner goes on to face 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti in an all-Italian quarter-final.

Anisimova to face Swiatek after another one-sided match

Following Sinner's win, Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova continued the day's theme of one-sided victories by brushing aside Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.

American eighth seed Anisimova won 6-0 6-3 to wrap up a short night session lasting less than four hours on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Seven of the eight singles matches played on Monday ended in straight-set wins.

Anisimova, 24, needed only one hour and 15 minutes as she carried a career-best run at her home major into the quarter-finals.

There she will face Iga Swiatek, less than two months after the Polish second seed thrashed Anisimova in the heaviest Wimbledon women's final defeat for over a century.

"Who would've thought we'd meet again so soon?" Anisimova said.

"I'm super excited. It's going to be a great match... I hope, this time."

BBC
 
'I'm here to entertain' - Alcaraz books semi-final spot

Carlos Alcaraz says he is "here to entertain" after producing another brilliant performance to beat Jiri Lehecka and reach the US Open semi-finals.

The Spaniard took less than two hours to beat the Czech 6-4 6-2 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

The five-time Grand Slam winner laid down an early marker by breaking world number 21 Lehecka in the opening game and displayed a laser-like focus throughout the match.

But Alcaraz still found time for some showmanship during the victory, thrilling the crowd with his astonishing repertoire of shot-making.

Second seed Alcaraz will either face fourth seed Taylor Fritz or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.


www.bbc.com

US Open 2025 results: Carlos Alcaraz comprehensively beats Jiri Lehecka to reach semi-finals

Carlos Alcaraz reaches the US Open semi-finals for the third time after comprehensive straight-set win against Jiri Lehecka.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
'Very solid' Sinner sweeps aside Musetti to reach semis

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Jannik Sinner continued his US Open title defence in dominant fashion as he swept past fellow Italian Lorenzo Musetti to reach the semi-finals in New York.

Labelled an "artificial intelligence" player by Alexander Bublik in the last round, Sinner's scintillating form carried on as he won 6-1 6-4 6-2.

Musetti, ranked 10th, was unable to convert any of his seven break points, while he hit just 12 winners to his compatriot's 28 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"We know each other very well. We're from the same country, there's so many Italian players in the draw, so it's nice to play here," Sinner said.

"Obviously playing Davis Cup together and stuff like this you have to take the friendship away, but when you shake hands everything is fine."

In a ruthless first set, Sinner rattled through the first five games and conceded just five points before Musetti eventually held serve to get himself on the board for 5-1.

Sinner closed out the opener after just 27 minutes, but his momentum slowed in the second set as Musetti stepped up his level.

But the top seed managed to grab the decisive break at 4-4 and served it out comfortably before breaking twice in the third to secure the win just before midnight at Flushing Meadows.

"From my point of view it was a great performance, very solid," Sinner added.

He has now won 26 consecutive matches at hard-court Grand Slam tournaments.

The 24-year-old will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in Friday's semi-final after the Canadian defeated Alex de Minaur of Australia.

Auger-Aliassime 'digs deep' to reach semis

Auger-Aliassime came from a set down to win 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-4) and reach the semi-finals at a major for the first time since 2021.

However, it was more quarter-final heartbreak for De Minaur, who has reached the last eight of a Grand Slam on six occasions but is yet to go beyond that stage.

It was a back-and-forth match that at times lacked quality on both sides of the net, with a combined total of 22 double faults and 93 unforced errors during the four hours and 13 minute encounter.

"I think it was just a lot of nerves today during the whole match," Auger-Aliassime said.

"It wasn't pretty at all times but that's what Grand Slam matches are - some days you won't feel your best but I was willing to dig really deep to stand here right now.

"The biggest challenges are yet to come but that's what I live for, so I'm going to show up and be ready for my match on Friday."

BBC
 
Sinner - 98
Alcaraz - 90
Djokovic - 80

Rest under 75, this is the current power scaling in Tennis. Sinner Vs Alcaraz will still be a 4 set match, but if Sinner gets Djokovic, it's gonna be a straight sets whooping.
 
Naomi Osaka back in US Open semi-finals for first time since birth of daughter

Naomi Osaka is back to her resilient ways. On Wednesday night she turned back 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova for a 6-4, 7-6 quarter-final victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium in just under two hours’ time. The former world No 1, who is just two years removed from watching the tournament from the stands, now finds herself back in a major semi-final for the first time since giving birth to her daughter, Shai, and well on her way toward reprising her mantle as a women’s tour standard-bearer.

The two-time US Open champion enters Thursday’s matchup against Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova as the sentimental favorite. All four times that the Japanese has reached a grand slam quarter-final in her still-young career, she has gone on to win it all. Throughout this year’s US Open, she has not only sustained flashes of the belligerent game that gave rise to her hardcourt dominance. She’s shown she can move with the best of them and bide her time in long rallies and lash a winner when the moment’s right.

“Honestly, I was just trying to hang in there and see if I got an opportunity,” Osaka said afterwards of her strategy against Muchova. Add a more positive attitude to those technical improvements and self-belief, and what you have is a player who appears more than up to the challenge of taking down Anisimova, herself in the throes of a career resurgence.

Against Muchova, Osaka remained sturdy and steady in the face of the Czech’s offensive blitz. The opening games saw both women serve brilliantly but struggle to separate themselves. In the 10th game Osaka played the pressure points better and broke Muchova to stake a first-set lead. As Osaka made her way to her chair for the changeover, Muchova propped herself up with her racket to stretch out her legs behind the baseline before calling a medical timeout.

“I just stepped like a little wrong with ugly move,” said Muchova – no stranger to surprise injuries, alas. “I don’t know what it is. I think it’s just something with the muscle that’s hopefully not going to take me long to heal. But, yeah, it limited me a little bit on the court.” To stay warm in the interim, Osaka practiced her serve and flagged down new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski for a few pointers from her player’s box.

Muchova re-emerged on court after the break with wrap around her left leg that seemed as if it might hobble her. But she quickly put those concerns to rest by breaking Osaka to open the second set and by reaching deeper into her bag of tricks. Muchova’s quick hands at net helped her eke out a 4-3 lead and trip up Osaka – who could only scream and lightly spike her racket in response to the errors Muchova was inducing on her forehand. “There were a lot of moments where she broke me or she was really close to getting a really crucial moment or point,” Osaka said. “I just tried to play every point like it was the last point of the match.”

Once the frustration left Osaka, though, there was only anger and her swinging away with focused rage until she broke back and brushed away an opportunity for Muchova to serve for the set at 5-4. After splitting three more holds with Muchova, Osaka raised her level again in the tiebreaker, sprinting out to a 5-2 lead and running Muchova ragged on her bandaged leg until an unforced forehand error ended her tournament.

After the match, Osaka looked up into the stands at the adulating crowd and basked in her moment of catharsis a little while her mother, Tamaki, doubled over in her players box from emotion. “I’m surprised I’m not crying,” she said on court afterward. “Honestly, I was sitting up there watching and hoping I could have the opportunity to play on this court again. This is like my dream is coming true.”

www.theguardian.com

Naomi Osaka back in US Open semi-finals for first time since birth of daughter

Naomi Osaka reached her first US Open semi-final since 2020 with a gritty win over Karolina Muchova, setting up a clash with Amanda Anisimova
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Anisimova fights back to set up final with Sabalenka

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Amanda Anisimova fought back from a set down to beat the resurgent Naomi Osaka and set up an enticing US Open final against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

In a topsy-turvy battle, Anisimova took charge of the deciding set win 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 and reach back-to-back Grand Slam finals.

The American eighth seed fell to a humbling 6-0 6-0 defeat by Iga Swiatek in her first major final at Wimbledon in July.

But 54 days on, she ensured another shot at Grand Slam glory after following up her semi-final revenge victory over Swiatek with a gritty win against two-time US Open winner Osaka.

Eighth seed Anisimova fell to her knees in celebration after a three-hour tussle that ended at just before 01:00 local time.

Her reward is a meeting Saturday's showpiece against world number one Sabalenka, who earlier claimed a steely 4-6 6-3 6-4 comeback win over Jessica Pegula.

"It means the world. I'm trying to process that right now - it's a dream come true," Anisimova said.

"The hope is to be the champion but I'm in the final now and I'm excited."

Anisimova overcomes nerves for chance at redemption

Eight weeks ago, Anisimova gained the unwanted title of becoming the first woman to lose a Wimbledon final 6-0 6-0 in 114 years.

Such a high-profile loss could have been enough to knock anyone's confidence. But Anisimova has responded in scintillating fashion, grinding her way through the early rounds at Flushing Meadows before producing "the most meaningful victory of my life" in the last four against Swiatek.

It continues a standout year for Anisimova, who dropped out of the world's top 400 after taking a seven-month mental health break in May 2023.

This year, she has broken into the top-10 and won the biggest title of her career in Qatar in February before finishing as runner-up at SW19.

Only time will tell if she has truly moved on from that chastening defeat at the All England Club, but the resilience she showed against Osaka was a good sign.

"I tried to stay positive - there were a lot of nerves at the beginning. This tournament means so much and I think that was getting to me," she said

Anisimova's victory - underpinned by her huge backhand in a match that saw 11 breaks of serve - brought to an end a sterling run by Osaka.

Osaka was outside the world's top 800 on her return from maternity leave in January 2024 and struggled for consistency until the recent hard-court swing.

The 27-year-old has experienced an upturn of form since parting ways with coach Patrick Mouratoglou in July and hiring Tomasz Wiktorowski, who guided Poland's Swiatek to four majors in three years.

Her run in New York, where she showed good movement alongside the same power that helped her to four Grand Slam titles, has shown her potential to return to the heady heights she enjoyed between 2018 and 2021.

"She is playing amazing tennis, I'm so proud of her after having a baby and returning to this level," Anisimova said of the Japanese.

Sabalenka keeps cool to fend off Pegula

Sabalenka also showed grit as she battled back from a set down to beat Pegula and reach her third straight US Open final.

It has been a disappointing season in terms of Grand Slam success for Sabalenka, considering she reached the final at the Australian and French Opens.

She also made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, but on all three occasions emotions got the better of the 27-year-old.

The collapses in composure were reminiscent of her early career - and something she seemed to have put behind her when she claimed three Grand Slam titles in the space of 20 months.

However, the Belarusian avoided more Grand Slam heartbreak by, for the most part, keeping her emotions in check against Pegula to continue her bid for a fourth Grand major singles title.

Sabalenka led the first set 4-2 before losing four straight games, and had to stave off four break points in the final set as she secured victory.

"Hopefully I can go all the way again," said Sabalenka, who has now reached six successive finals at the hard-court Grand Slams.

"It means a lot. I will go out there on Saturday and I will fight for every point like it's the last point of my life."

BBC
 
Trump set for first US Open final since 2015

President Donald Trump will attend the US Open men's singles final on Sunday in what will be his first visit to the Grand Slam tennis event since 2015.

Trump, who was re-elected in 2024 for a second term in office, has not been to the New York City tournament since he first came to power in 2016.

He had previously visited Flushing Meadows on several occasions before being joined by wife Melania on his last visit a decade ago.

A White House official confirmed to the BBC that the president was expected to attend.

In 2015, Trump was greeted by American six-time major champion John McEnroe as he watched from a hospitality area.

Trump, 79, was born in the Queens borough of New York City where the Grand Slam tournament is held.

No American players will compete in the men's final, which starts at 14:00 (19:00 BST) on Sunday.

The finalists will be decided by Friday's last-four matches, when Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, followed by Italy's Jannik Sinner against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime.


www.bbc.com

US Open 2025: President Donald Trump to attend men's singles final in New York

President Donald Trump will attend the US Open for Sunday's men's singles final - his first visit to the event since 2015.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Alcaraz powers past Djokovic to reach US Open final

World number two Carlos Alcaraz made his youth count as he beat 38-year-old Novak Djokovic to reach another US Open final.

Spain's Alcaraz, 22, was tested by 24-time major champion Djokovic but had enough quality and energy to win 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in Friday's first men's semi-final.

The margins were fine in the first two sets, with Alcaraz rarely near his free-flowing best, but the gap widened as Serbia's Djokovic faded physically early in the third.

Two weary double faults from Djokovic hurried his opponent into a 3-1 lead and another teed up a first match point for Alcaraz - on which Djokovic batted a volley wide.

Seventh seed Djokovic hung over the net as he waited to congratulate Alcaraz, before waving to all corners of Arthur Ashe Stadium as he departed.

Alcaraz, the 2022 champion, will play either Italian top seed Jannik Sinner and Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday's final.


www.bbc.com

US Open 2025 results: Carlos Alcaraz powers past Novak Djokovic to reach final in New York semi-finals

World number two Carlos Alcaraz makes his youth count as he powers past 38-year-old Novak Djokovic to reach another US Open final.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Sinner wins to set up Alcaraz final at US Open

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Jannik Sinner came through a slight injury scare to win his US Open semi-final against Felix Auger-Aliassime and set up another tantalising Grand Slam final with Carlos Alcaraz.

It will be the third consecutive meeting between the pair in a title decider after Alcaraz's French Open win in June was followed a month later by Sinner winning at Wimbledon.

It is also the first time in the Open era that two players have contested three major finals in the same season and Sunday's match will also be for the number one ranking - which Sinner has held for 65 consecutive weeks.

Defending champion Sinner was far from his best but had enough to come through 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It means Sinner, 24, has won 26 of his 27 matches at Grand Slams this year - winning titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and reaching the final of the French Open.

Sinner rattled through the opening set but stumbled in the second, with an injury seemingly hindering him as a rejuvenated Auger-Aliassime drew level.

The Italian took a medical timeout before returning for the third set and settled back into a rhythm without ever hitting top form.

He will take on world number two Alcaraz in Sunday's showpiece after the Spaniard overcame Novak Djokovic 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 earlier on Friday.

"Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again," said Sinner, who added in his post-match interview that his injury was "nothing too bad".

He continued: "We'll see what's coming. I feel like our rivalry started here playing an amazing match [in 2022, when Alcaraz beat Sinner in the quarter-finals]. We are two different players now, with different confidence too.

"We've played each other a lot, we know each other very well."



World number one Sinner was almost perfect in the opening set, making just four unforced errors, leading to the feeling that another routine win was on the cards.

But errors began to creep into Sinner's game in the second and Auger-Aliassime, who was appearing in just his second Grand Slam semi-final and first since 2021, grew in confidence - feeding off the energy of the crowd to get a foothold.

Auger-Aliassime passed up three break points for the chance to lead 2-0 but went on to break for 5-3 before serving out for the set.

There had been no real indication that Sinner was carrying an injury until he left the court for treatment, although his first-serve accuracy had dropped slightly.

He landed just 10 of 25 (40%) in the third compared to 10 of 22 (45%) in the second set and 13 of 25 (52%) in the first.

Auger-Aliassime was unable to fully capitalise on any potential problem, though, and a break of serve at 5-3 was enough to take the set.

By the time the fourth began, Sinner appeared the fresher of the two - barring a few moments of resilience from his opponent.

Victory means Sinner is just the fourth player in the Open era to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a single season after Rod Laver, Roger Federer and Djokovic.

Sinner trails Alcaraz in their head-to-head record, losing nine of their 14 meetings, including three of their four encounters in 2025.

Maturing Alcaraz avenges Melbourne defeat

Before the final major of the season began, everyone wondered who could stop Alcaraz or Sinner sweeping the Slams for the second straight year.

Alcaraz has won back-to-back French Open titles and lifted the Wimbledon title last year, before losing to Sinner in this year's final. Now he has booked his place in the New York showpiece without dropping a set.

He broke Djokovic in the first game of the match and threatened to move a double break ahead before the Serb served his way out of trouble.

It was not a classic set of tennis, lacking absorbing rallies as points were punctuated by baseline errors. Nevertheless, Alcaraz rarely looked like relinquishing his lead.

Momentum switched at the start of the second set, however - just as it did in their Australian Open quarter-final in January.

Alcaraz dominated the first set in Melbourne, became confused as Djokovic upped the intensity in the next, and ultimately malfunctioned in a four-set defeat.

Thoughts went back to that match when Djokovic moved 3-1 up in the second set. But this time Alcaraz recognised what was happening and was able to adjust tactically and mentally.

The Spaniard ended a brutal exchange at 30-30 by casually flicking a cross-court forehand past Djokovic, bringing up a break point that his deflated opponent planted in the net.

Neither player created any more break chances, leading to a tie-break where Djokovic wiped out a 4-1 deficit for 4-3 before running out of steam.

Alcaraz had not previously lost any of the 52 Grand Slam matches where he had won the opening two sets.

It quickly became apparent that Djokovic, who asked for treatment on his neck before the third set, would not be the one to end that run.

Age continues to catch up with Djokovic

Djokovic has built an entire career - arguably the greatest ever seen - on upsetting the status quo.

When he first emerged as a force in the late 2000s, he was the outsider looking to break up the duopoly of Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Nearly 20 years on, Djokovic finds himself squeezed out at the top of the men's game by Sinner and Alcaraz.

Alcaraz served well, and backed it up with aggressive groundstrokes early in the rallies, to overpower Djokovic in the key moments.

Former world number one Djokovic has proved this year that he still has enough left to reach the semi-finals of all four majors, but 30 unforced errors indicated the pressure he feels against Alcaraz and Sinner.

Ultimately, he will never believe he cannot win - even when the odds are stacked against him.

"They're just too good, they're playing at a high level," said Djokovic.

"I ran out of gas. I'm happy with my level of tennis - it's just the physicality of it."

BBC
 

Trump back in sports spotlight at US Open final​


Donald Trump will become the first sitting U.S. president to attend the U.S. Open in a quarter-century on Sunday, as he joins the legions of fans in New York to catch a highly anticipated showdown between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Republican Trump has attended numerous sports events to meet with his supporters, but he may not receive the warmest welcome at the U.S.

He was once a fixture of the tournament before taking office and in 2015 was booed by some tennis fans not long after launching his presidential campaign.

Ticketholders can expect extraordinary security measures at the sprawling Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Trump's home borough Queens, where the final tennis major of 2025 is on track for a fourth straight year of record-setting attendances.

While the pricey playground for tennis fanatics and designer-clad social media influencers regularly brings in an array of A-listers, the tournament has not seen a sitting U.S. president since Bill Clinton attended in 2000.
Barack and Michelle Obama attended in 2023, six years after the Democratic president left office.
Second seed Alcaraz said he would try not to think about Trump in the crowd as he bids for his sixth Grand Slam title.
"I don't want myself to be nervous because of it," the Spaniard told reporters on Friday after defeating 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

"But I think, you know, attending the tennis match, it's great for tennis to have the president at the final."

MEGAWATT SPOTLIGHT

Trump is far from the first U.S. president to step into the megawatt spotlight of professional sports.
President Barack Obama appeared on ESPN to fill out his "March Madness" bracket while in office and George W. Bush famously threw out the first pitch at Shea Stadium in 2001, when the Mets took on the Atlanta Braves for the city's first major sporting event after the September 11 attacks.

But few have embraced sports' biggest events with the same gusto as Trump, particularly in his second term.

Trump grabbed headlines when he became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl in February, stepping into the media glare of America's most-watched annual event.

The fans at New Orleans' Superdome greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos, and he met briefly in the stadium with families of the victims of the New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street as well as police officers and emergency workers.

Months later, Trump announced from the White House that Washington, D.C., would host the 2027 NFL Draft, an annual mega-event that regularly attracts hundreds of thousands of fans.

He attended soccer's Club World Cup final in July, where he sat in box seats at MetLife Stadium with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino and remained on the stage during the trophy lift with winners Chelsea, to the confusion of some of the players.

Source: Reuters
 
GB's Skupski & Salisbury suffer heartbreak in final

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski missed three championship points as they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the US Open men's doubles final.

Salisbury and Skupski were aiming to become the first all-British pair to win the Flushing Meadows title since 1903, as well as claim their first major together.

But they lost 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 to Spain's Granollers and Argentine Zeballos, who also beat them in the French Open final earlier this year.

"I am starting to dislike you guys!" Skupski said to the winning team.

"We seem to be bumping into each other all the time. Why not make it Australia? We will go again."

The Englishmen, who only teamed up at the start of 2025, were the better pair in the opening set.

A poor service game from Zeballos handed Salisbury and Skupski a break at 5-3 before Liverpudlian Skupski served it out.

They looked on track to get the job done in two sets and exact some revenge for July's defeat in Paris when leading 0-40 at 3-3 in the second - but Granollers stood firm and went on to hold.

After winning 15 successive points on serve, Salisbury faltered in the second set tie-break - dropping serve twice - to send the match to a decider.

Salisbury and Skupski did not have to defend a break point until the third set and showed resilience to stave them off initially.

Salisbury and Skupski led 5-4 when they found themselves with three championship points on their opponents' serve, but a series of poor returns cost them.

Roles were reversed in the next game as Skupski was broken before Granollers served out victory.

BBC
 
Aryna Sabalenka sweeps aside Amanda Anisimova to retain US Open title

At the end of an excruciating season filled with near-misses and heartbreak at the final hurdle, Aryna Sabalenka began her third consecutive US Open final with one final chance to win the grand slam title she felt she was owed.

This occasion could have been the source of more anxiety and stress, another reason for her to fall apart, but Sabalenka’s increasingly legendary career has been driven by her ability to recover and learn from her worst losses, no matter how painful they are. This time, the No 1’s nerves perfectly held up under pressure as she maintained her composure during a late surge from Amanda Anisimova before closing her US Open title defence with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.

As the best player in the world at the peak of her powers, Sabalenka continues to establish herself as one of the greatest players of her generation. She has now won four grand slam titles, drawing level with Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Naomi Osaka and Hana Mandlikova. Sabalenka has established an era of dominance on hard courts, earning her four major titles with an equal share of victories at the Australian and US Open. She has now also reached six consecutive grand slam finals on hard courts.

Eight weeks after being overpowered by Anisimova in their semi-final match at Wimbledon, Sabalenka played a smart match, maintaining pressure on Anisimova with her first strike tennis but also playing with greater margin than her opponent and making use of her more well-rounded game. Most importantly, she kept her cool even when the match became complicated at the end.

“I think because of the finals earlier this season, this one felt different,” said Sabalenka. “This one felt like I had to overcome a lot of things to get this one. I knew that the hard work we put in, like, I deserved to have a grand slam title this season. So when I fell, it was like truly emotions, because it means a lot to defend this title and to bring such great tennis on court. And to bring the fight and be able to handle my emotions the way I did in this final, it means a lot. I’m super proud right now of myself.”

From the beginning, both players made it clear that in a match between two of the most lethal shotmakers in the sport, nothing but the most fearless and clear-headed attacking tennis would be sufficient. After a nervous start, Anisimova worked her way into the match with the destructive ball striking off both wings that guided her through immense wins over Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka this week. However, under pressure on such a significant occasion and against an ultra-focused Sabalenka who pummeled her second serve, served well enough in key moments and offered few unforced errors, Anisimova was felled by her own mistakes.

Deep in the second set, Anisimova was finally granted a lifeline. With Sabalenka two points from victory on her serve at 6-3, 5-4, the Belarusian showed her nerves at 30-30 by completely misjudging a straightforward smash, slamming it into the net. Anisimova snatched the lead immediately, pounding a forehand winner to take the break before rolling through her subsequent service game.

This could have been the moment she began to fall apart, all of her painful memories from this season rushing back. Instead, Sabalenka refused to let her emotions get the better of her and she closed out her fourth grand slam title with a faultless tie-break. Remarkably, Sabalenka has now won the last 19 tiebreaks she has played, a run that dates back to February.

Of all the tight losses Sabalenka endured this year, no defeat was as painful as her three-set defeat to Coco Gauff in the French Open final. Sabalenka had entered the final convinced she was mentally and physically ready for any challenge that came her way. Instead, she fell apart mentally on the court and then lashed out afterwards in the press room, which became a source of shame as well as disappointment. Sabalenka also lost to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final.

“After those two finals where I completely lost control over my emotions, I just didn’t want that to happen again,” said Sabalenka. “There were a few moments when I was this close to just let it go. I was like ‘C’mon now, you have to stay focused. Keep going, keep trying.’” It’s really helped me. I think I have to keep the same mindset every time - hopefully I’m going to make many more finals - so every time I’m in the final, I have to stick to the same plan.”

On another enormous occasion against an American opponent, the New York crowd desperately cheering for her downfall all evening, Sabalenka put herself back together under some of the most challenging circumstances possible, pulling off a victory that may well guide her to even greater successes in the future.

Having given herself another shot at a grand slam final at the next possible occasion after her 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, this time Anisimova played a competitive match and fought hard at the end, but she was simply too erratic against the best player in the world. As Sabalenka entered her player box in the crowd to embrace her loved ones, a tearful Anisimova was comforted in her chair by the tournament director Stacey Allaster. “I think I didn’t fight enough for my dreams today,” Anisimova said.

www.theguardian.com

Aryna Sabalenka sweeps aside Amanda Anisimova to retain US Open title

Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended the title with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory against Amanda Anisimova in the final of the women’s US Open
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Sinner v Alcaraz gonna be off the charts tonight.

I'm banking on my boy Jannik to win.
 
Alcaraz edges Sinner trilogy to win US Open

Carlos Alcaraz claimed the latest chapter of his compelling rivalry against Jannik Sinner with a four-set victory to regain the US Open title.

Spain's Alcaraz started strongly, weathered a second-set fightback from Italy's Sinner, before powering to a 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory in New York.

The men's final was delayed by half an hour because of extra security measures put in place due to US President Donald Trump's presence.

Once under way, the pair produced another engaging contest - albeit short of the drama and quality of their French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year.

Reigning French Open champion Alcaraz's superior serving - an area which let him down against Sinner at the All England Club - ensured he reclaimed the US Open title that he first won in 2022.

The 22-year-old has now won six Grand Slam titles - making him the second youngest man behind Bjorn Borg to reach this tally.

Alcaraz's victory ensures an even split between him and Sinner - who won the Australian Open as well as Wimbledon - at the four majors in 2025.

Alcaraz has also wrestled the world number one ranking away from Sinner, who held the position for 65 weeks.

After Sinner saved two championship points, Alcaraz reset to take his third opportunity with an ace out wide - celebrating with a now trademark golf swing.


BBC
 
Britain's Draper out for season with arm injury

Jack Draper will not play again this season because of the arm injury that forced his withdrawal from the US Open.

The 23-year-old British number one left New York before his second-round match because the discomfort in his arm had become too much.

Draper, ranked seventh in the world, had not played singles since Wimbledon because of bruising on his upper left serving arm, although his team were confident a scan taken before the US Open suggested a full recovery.

But after beating the Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez in the first round, Draper flew home and now says he must rest and sit out the remainder of the season.


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Jack Draper: British number one out for season with arm injury

Jack Draper will not play again this season because of the arm injury that forced his withdrawal from the US Open.
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GB hope to avoid 'FA Cup giant-killing' in Davis Cup

Great Britain must beat Poland in Gdynia over the next two days to have a chance of winning the Davis Cup next year.

The world number seven Jack Draper is unavailable for the World Group 1 tie because of injury, but Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley will have a huge ranking advantage over their opponents.

It feels like a Premier League side being drawn away to a non-league team in the third round of the FA Cup.

World number 34 Norrie will play 19-year-old Tomasz Berkieta, ranked 545th, in the first of Friday's singles. Then Fearnley, who is 54th, follows on against Olaf Pieczkowski, who stands at 484.

Straightforward? "It doesn't often work that way," warned the GB captain Leon Smith.

"If you look at tennis as a sport, I think more than football in a way, guys ranked 400 or 500, they are playing to a good level.

"We do go in as favourites, but you have to be very respectful of the opposition, which we are, and very professional, which we have been."

The world's number one doubles pair, Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, will make their debut in Saturday's doubles, which will be followed by two reverse singles. Arthur Fery, aged 23, is the fifth member of the team.

Poland are without their top two singles players. The 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz has knee troubles and Kamil Majchrzak had to retire from his third-round match at the US Open because of a chest muscle injury.

Britain lost 3-2 in Japan in the first round of this year’s Davis Cup, and so must win this tie to maintain their status among the elite. Defeat would mean a February play-off which could result in relegation to World Group 2.

Draper made 'right call' to end season early

Draper will miss the rest of the season because of bone bruising in his serving arm, which led to his withdrawal from the US Open.

Captain Smith says the British number one had been planning to play in Gdynia, but his team have made "the right call".

"He was keen to come here and that was the plan, so it's a shame that he's not here," Smith told BBC Sport.

"But more importantly for him, I feel for him. The momentum that he had built in that first part of the year was exceptional and he's had a few challenges before, but he will come after this.

"I think what they have done is the right call, to take this time out now and get this sorted, and work on other aspects. And I'm sure he will be back for the start of the season."

Why Davis Cup weeks are so different to life on tour

Even when players are fully fit, it can be hard for team captains to secure their services, as Davis Cup ties are regularly played the week after a Grand Slam.

Andy Murray played sparingly for three years in his early 20s, when GB were outside the World Group, but Smith is optimistic Draper will continue to want to play for the team.

“I get the feeling that the players want to be part of this," he said.

"We, at the LTA, and the players here, you can tell they value this, they value coming together.

"Our job this weekend is to try and keep in the top group so we can try and win it next year, but there are clearly more conversations that need to be had about the scheduling, to try and get those players that are going deep in the Slams.

"If you want them to play, asking them for a few days turnaround - sometimes to travel extremely far or change surfaces - that's going to be difficult.

"So I get the feeling there is a strong appetite to represent your country in Davis Cup, but there is some work to do in the formatting."

A torn bicep and illness has prevented Norrie playing Davis Cup since the 2023 quarter-final with Serbia.

The 30-year-old has already played 22 tournaments this year, but says Davis Cup weeks are "very different".

"It's always one of my favourite weeks, playing for your country," he said.

"It's such a great group of guys and girls - it's just exactly what I want to be doing.

"It's a very different week to a week on the tour. It's almost like another rest - it's such a precious week.

"You could be resting, you could be practising, you could be playing another tournament. But for me I always want to try and prioritise that in my career."

BBC
 

Norrie & Fery put GB in control in Davis Cup tie​

Great Britain took a big step towards next year's Davis Cup qualifiers as Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery both won to give them a 2-0 lead over Poland.

World number 34 Norrie survived a scare against world number 545 Tomasz Berkieta to win his nation's opening World Group 1 match 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 in Gdynia, Poland.

Fery, ranked 227 in the world, then battled to a 6-4 6-2 victory over Olaf Pieczkowski.

The 23-year-old was making an unexpected Davis Cup debut after British number three Jacob Fearnley pulled out with a rib injury.

Britain need one more win on Saturday to reach February's first round and therefore have a shot at winning the title in 2026.

The world's number one doubles pair, Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, will make their debut in Saturday's doubles, which will be followed by two reverse singles.

Britain lost 3-2 in Japan in the first round of this year's Davis Cup, and so must win this tie to maintain their status among the elite. Defeat would mean a February play-off, which could result in relegation to World Group 2.

World number seven Jack Draper was unavailable for the tie because of an arm injury which has ruled him out of the remainder of the season.

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Davis Cup 2025: Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery win to give Great Britain a 2-0 lead over Poland

Cameron Norrie and Arthur Fery won their Davis Cup matches to give Great Britain a 2-0 lead over Poland and a strong chance of reaching next year's qualifiers.
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Davis Cup 2025: Sumit Nagal helps India beat Switzerland for Qualifiers spot-​

​

The Indian tennis team beat ninth-seeded Switzerland 3-1 in their Davis Cup 2025 World Group I tie at the Swiss Tennis Arena in Biel on Saturday to make the cut for next year’s Qualifiers.

India’s win over Switzerland was the first time since 1993 that they beat a European nation in Europe. Back then, an Indian team comprising Leander Paes and Ramesh Krishnan beat France 3-2 in the quarter-finals.

The result also relegated Switzerland to the Davis Cup 2026 World Group I play-offs.

Taking a 2-0 lead into the tie from the first day after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal won their respective singles rubbers on Friday, India needed one win to close out the contest.

However, N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli failed to close the deal in the doubles match as they lost 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7-5 to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker.

​

Click to expand...

Knocked the 9th seeds down in their home turf. Congratulations to Bhartiya posters @Rajdeep , @Bhaijaan , @cricketjoshila , @Romali_rotti , @Devadwal , @Hitman , @JaDed , @deltexas , @uppercut and all I have missed.
 
A great achievement.

Beaten a European team in Europe after 32 years
 
Fritz stuns Alcaraz to turn tide for Team World

American Taylor Fritz stunned world number one Carlos Alcaraz as Team World turned things around to take a 9-3 lead on day two of the Laver Cup.

Team Europe had led 3-1 after Friday but Team World won all four matches in San Francisco on Saturday to turn the tide before Sunday's final day.

Fritz, who had not beaten Spaniard Alcaraz in three previous meetings, sealed a comprehensive 6-3 6-2 victory in the final singles match of the day.

The world number five said it was one of the best moments of his career so far.

"I think I take almost more pride in this one because I feel like, start to finish, I won it, I earned it," he said.

"A lot of the decisive points in the match weren't so much him giving them to me - I felt like I made it happen in those moments. Just start to finish, I played an amazing match. I'm hoping this can be a sign of things to come."

Alcaraz was on a 13-match winning run and was playing in his first singles match since winning the US Open, his sixth career Grand Slam, earlier this month.

Fritz overpowered Alcaraz from the baseline, hitting 17 winners and five aces while also showing good hands at the net, winning 16 of his 20 net points.

Victory also marked a first over a world number one player for Fritz, 27, and avenges last year's Laver Cup defeat by Alcaraz, which sealed the title for Team Europe.

That came after Australian Alex de Minaur had won Team World's first points of the day, shocking German world number three Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-4.

Then Argentine world number 21 Francisco Cerundolo secured an upset of his own - a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over Danish world number 11 Holger Rune.

World number eight De Minaur then teamed up with American Alex Michelsen in the doubles to beat Casper Ruud and Rune 6-3 6-4 and complete a clean sweep of day two victories for Team World.

Match victories on the opening day of the Laver Cup were worth one point each, with two points awarded for wins on day two.

Team World need two more wins to reach the 13 points required to lift the title but holders Team Europe could still come back into it with each win worth three points on Sunday.

Europe have won five of the seven editions of the event.

BBC
 
Frustrated Alcaraz survives Ruud scare to reach final

World number one Carlos Alcaraz will face Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open final after coming from behind to beat Casper Ruud in Tokyo.

The Spaniard dropped the opening set - the first he has dropped in the tournament - but recovered to beat the Norwegian 3-6 6-3 6-4.

It was Alcaraz's 66th win of the season and he is the fourth male player in history after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to reach nine successive ATP-level finals.

Despite his victory, the six-time Grand Slam winner was angry about his performance in the opening set.


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Carlos Alcaraz to face Taylor Fritz in Japan Open final after Casper Ruud scare

Carlos Alcaraz reached his ninth successive ATP-level final after overcoming Norway's Casper Ruud.
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'Life is too short' - Monfils to retire in 2026​

Gael Monfils has announced he will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season.

The 39-year-old has won 13 titles in his career and became the oldest ATP Tour champion at the age of 38 and four months when he won the Auckland Open in January.

Monfils' athleticism and all-action displays made him one of the most popular players on tour.

However, the world number 53 has struggled with injuries in recent years and he was forced to retire from last month's Chengdu Open with an ankle problem.

"Life is too short. Believe me when I say that I have no regrets," Monfils wrote on Instagram.

"The opportunity to turn my passion into a profession is a privilege I have cherished during every match and moment of my 21-year career.

"Though this game means the world to me, I am tremendously at peace with my decision to retire at the end of the 2026 tennis season."

The Frenchman reached a career-high ranking of sixth in the world in 2016 after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open, when he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.

Monfils' run at Flushing Meadows was the second of two Grand Slam semi-final appearances in his career, having lost to Roger Federer in the last four of the 2008 French Open.

"While I came close, I never did win a Grand Slam during my career," continued Monfils.

"I won't pretend that I expect to do so during the next year.

"What I do have is the feeling that I have been lucky: insanely, stupidly lucky. I've had the chance to play during a golden age of tennis, alongside some of the greatest names in the history of our sport: Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, Djokovic, [Andy] Murray."

Monfils appeared at four Olympic Games, reaching the quarter-finals in Beijing in 2008 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Source: BBC
 

Kartal upsets Andreeva to reach China Open quarters​

Britain's Sonay Kartal claimed the biggest scalp of her career as she overcame world number five Mirra Andreeva to reach the China Open quarter-finals.

The British number four beat the Russian 7-5 2-6 7-5 in a thrilling contest which lasted two hours and 25 minutes.

The victory, Kartal's first against a player ranked in the top 10, means she has reached the last eight of a WTA 1000 event for the first time.

"She's [Andreeva] a top-10 player for a very good reason," said Kartal.

"She made me play my best tennis today, so credit to her, but I'm super happy with the level I managed out there."

World number two Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, suffered a shock defeat by American 16th seed Emma Navarro.

Navarro had not won more than three games in two previous matches against the Polish 24-year-old, but triumphed 6-4 4-6 6-0 in Beijing.

Kartal, 23, edged the first set by taking her sole break point opportunity against the fourth seed.

Andreeva responded emphatically in the second set, breaking twice as Kartal struggled with a 60% first serve percentage.

But Kartal, the world number 81, showed her resilience in the third set as Andreeva failed to build on her momentum.

After failing to take match point, Kartal took her second opportunity as Andreeva fired wide.

Kartal has only dropped one set across four rounds on her way to the last eight, where she will face world number 27 Linda Noskova for a place in the semi-finals.

Source: BBC
 

Defending champion Gauff into China Open last four​

Defending champion Coco Gauff beat Eva Lys in straight sets to reach her third consecutive China Open semi-final.

The world number three took one hour and 28 minutes to overcome her German opponent 6-3 6-4.

Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner, broke Lys' serve three times in the opening set.

"I'm happy with how I played. She's a tough opponent and she hit some incredible shots on the run, but I tried my best to play aggressive and good tennis," said Gauff, who is seeded third.

"I think staying confident in my game [was important]. Not being too passive when I had the lead, I played one passive point in the last game but after that I played good tennis."

The 21-year-old American, who has struggled with her serve at times this season, has been working on that problem and had an impressive 78% first serve percentage throughout the match.

Gauff, who was knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon after winning the French Open, before falling to Naomi Osaka in the US Open fourth round, is now the highest-ranked player left in this week's event.

She will face American compatriot Amanda Anisimova - runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open this year - in the last four.

Anisimova, seeded second, came from a set down to beat Italy's Jasmine Paolini 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-4 and will play in her sixth semi-final of the year.

BBC
 

Norrie records first win since US Open​

Great Britain's Cameron Norrie claimed a first win since September's US Open, beating Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in a third-set tie-break to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

The British number two was knocked out by Novak Djokovic in the third round at Flushing Meadows and has since tasted back-to-back defeats in Chengdu and Beijing.

But it proved to be third time lucky in China for Norrie as the five-time winner on the ATP Tour clinched a rollercoaster 6-3 0-6 7-6 (7-5) victory over the world number 70.

Elsewhere, world number two Jannik Sinner began the defence of his title in Shanghai with a comfortable 6-3 6-3 win over Germany's Daniel Altmaier.

Sinner, who won the China Open last week, broke early in both sets as he eased into the third round at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

The Italian will face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in the next round.

Germany's Alexander Zverev overcame a foot problem to secure his place in the third round with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Valentin Royer.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev breezed through his match with Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina, wrapping up a 6-1 6-1 win in 60 minutes.

However, Medvedev's compatriot Andrey Rublev was knocked out, falling to a surprise 2-6 6-1 6-4 defeat by Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.

Alex de Minaur, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Lorenzo Musetti all came through their matches to reach the last 32.

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Shanghai Masters: Cameron Norrie beats Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in second round

Great Britain's Cameron Norrie beats Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-3 0-6 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters.
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'I'm at breaking point' - Kasatkina ends season

World number 19 Daria Kasatkina says she is at "breaking point" and has ended her season early, describing the schedule as "too much, mentally and emotionally".

The 28-year-old switched nationality from Russia to Australia in March, having criticised her country's LGBTQ+ laws and the war in Ukraine.

She struggled for form this year, failing to win a title and finishing with a 19-21 record.

Kasatkina said the emotional stress of her nationality switch contributed to her struggles, including not seeing her father for four years.

"I've been far from fine for a long time and, truth be told, my results and performances show that," she wrote in a lengthy statement., external

"I am at breaking point and sadly I am not alone.

"Add in to the mix the emotional and mental stress related to my nationality switch and there is only so much I can deal with and take as an individual woman.

"If this makes me weak, then so be it, I'm weak.

"However, I know I am strong and will get stronger by being away and recharging.

"It's time I listened to myself for a change."

Former top-five players Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa ended their seasons early in recent weeks.

Ukraine's Svitolina said she had "not been feeling like myself", while Badosa has spoken about the mental toll of an ongoing back problem.

Other players have also spoken about the impact of the tennis calendar.

Five players retired injured in two tournaments in China last week, with six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek saying the season is too long and intense.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has made it mandatory for top players to participate in each Grand Slam, 10 WTA 1000 events and six 500-level tournaments.

The majority of 1000 events on the WTA and men's ATP Tour last two weeks, as do all four Grand Slams.

Players can skip mandatory events if they injured or have personal reasons, but they will receive no rankings points or prize money if they do not play.

Former world number one Novak Djokovic, who has slimmed down his schedule in recent years to protect his body, has called on players to be more united, external in forcing change.

BBC
 
Norrie out in Shanghai Masters third round

Britain's Cameron Norrie was left to rue missed opportunities as he was beaten by rising teenage star Learner Tien in the Shanghai Masters third round.

World number 33 Norrie fell 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the American on another hot and humid evening.

Norrie came back from a break down in the first set and served for the opener before Tien regrouped to take the eventual tie-break.

Norrie then missed three break points early in the second set before losing his serve in the next game, and later missed another two chances to break back.

Tien, ranked 36th in the world, won four of the final five games to set up a meeting with former world number one Daniil Medvedev.



BBC
 
Alcaraz v amateurs in Million Dollar One Point Slam

Amateur players will have the chance to win A$1m when they face tennis' top professionals - including world number one Carlos Alcaraz - in a single-point showdown before January's Australian Open.

Organisers of the year's first Grand Slam have announced the Million Dollar One Point Slam, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals in a knockout tournament at Melbourne Park.

Players will play 'rock, paper, scissors' to determine who serves or receives, and whoever wins the point will progress to the next round.

The winner of the event will take home £490,000.

Players who reached the semi-finals of the men's or women's singles main draw in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m (£540,000).

The US Open staged a revamped, standalone mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m (£737,000).

The Australian Open held its inaugural One Point Slam event this year, but the prize fund was A$60,000 (£29,400) and it generated little publicity.

Andrey Rublev was the only top-10 player involved, and his run came to an end when he put the one and only serve allowed into the net in his quarter-final.

Australian professional Omar Jasika won the One Point Slam, which pitted 16 amateurs - eight men and eight women aged between 15 and 72 - against 16 professionals.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tilley said: "Whether you're an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs across the country."

Tilley said there were "more big names to be announced soon", while the Australian Open website said "celebrities" would be involved.

How will it work?

Organisers have not said exactly how the event will work, but it is expected to follow a similar format to this year's edition.

The professionals were allowed to serve once and the amateurs twice - as is the norm in traditional tennis.

While it is unclear how the draw will work, there will be five knockout rounds and the venue will be the Rod Laver Arena rather than the smaller Kia Arena.

The final stages will take place in a night session instead of 1pm local time.

Eight amateurs will qualify through events in each state and territory, while an extra two spots will be up for grabs during the opening week, which starts on 12 January.

BBC
 
Draper hires Murray's former coach Delgado

Jack Draper has hired Jamie Delgado, who worked with Andy Murray when he became world number one, as his new head coach.

The British number one will soon begin preparations in earnest for next season, having only been able to play one singles match since Wimbledon because of bone bruising in his left arm.

Delgado will cover the majority of weeks on tour, but there will still be a role for James Trotman who has been by Draper's side for the past four years.

It was a period of great success for Draper, who this year alone reached the world's top four and won his first Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells.

Last year he reached the US Open semi-finals and won his first two ATP titles.

Trotman has spent a lot of weeks away from home in that period, but will still be involved and on tour from time to time.

Delgado's three-year partnership with Grigor Dimitrov came to an end last month, but he is best known for his work with Murray.


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Jack Draper hires Andy Murray's former coach Jamie Delgado

Jack Draper hires Jamie Delgado, who worked with Andy Murray when he became world number one, as his new head coach.
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Sabalenka wins first match since US Open triumph​

Aryna Sabalenka overcame a rusty start in Wuhan as she fought back to beat Rebecca Sramkova in her first appearance since winning the US Open.

The world number one secured her first Grand Slam trophy of the year in New York, retaining her title as she defeated Amanda Anisimova in the final.

But in her first match for over a month, Sabalenka's game was initially riddled with errors and she struggled with the power of Slovakia's Sramkova, ranked 68th in the world.

However, after losing the first set she settled into her game in the second set before steamrolling through the third to wrap up a 4-6 6-3 6-1 victory.

"I knew it would be not easy after the break [following the US Open] to get into my rhythm but I am glad in the second set I found my game, I stepped in and I played really great," Sabalenka said.

"I have to say she played incredible tennis, especially in the first set and there was not much I could do."

Sabalenka is the three-time defending champion in Wuhan, having won in 2018 and 2019, and again in 2024 following the tournament's three-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked what it was like to be nicknamed the "Daughter of Wuhan", Sabalenka replied: "First I was 'Daughter of China', then 'Queen of Fried Rice' [a nickname she says is in honour of her love of the dish].

"And then I talked to [China's world number 10 Zheng] Qinwen and they actually call me 'Tiger'. So many nicknames.

"I won so many tournaments here and it feels like home, I hope I can go all the way."

Given a bye to the second round, Sabalenka cut a frustrated figure as she struggled with her serve, with a handful of double faults handing Sramkova an early break.

The Slovak played Sabalenka at her own game, beating the top seed with deep, aggressive hitting to the baseline and huge serves as she took the opener 6-4.

But Sabalenka eventually regained some rhythm to strike first in the second set and she fended off several break points to open up a 5-2 lead on her way to forcing a decider.

With more momentum behind her, the four-time major champion took control in the third set, breaking twice and saving four more break points at 5-1 before securing the victory with another break of serve.

Sabalenka will face Liudmila Samsonova after the Russian beat former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin 3-6 6-3 6-1.

Earlier, Coco Gauff breezed into the third round with a 51-minute win against Japan's Moyuka Uchijima, who won just five points on the American third seed's serve.

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula avoided an upset in the second round, winning 6-4 4-6 7-6 (8-6) after converting her seventh match point in a gruelling two hour and 55 minute encounter with fellow American and world number 55 Hailey Baptiste.

Pegula will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova next, while Gauff will play Shuai Zhang, the world number 142 who beat Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Japan's four-time major winner Naomi Osaka lost 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to Czech Linda Noskova, the world number 17 who is continuing her fine run of form during the Asian swing after reaching the final of the China Open earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the heat and humidity continued to cause problems for some players, with Czech 12th seed Karolina Muchova forced to retire while trailing 7-6 (7-1) 4-1 to Poland's Magdalena Frech.

BBC
 
Gauff struggles on serve but wins in Wuhan

French Open champion Coco Gauff put in a stuttering performance but secured victory over Jasmine Paolini to reach the final of the Wuhan Open.

The 21-year-old beat the seventh seed from Italy 6-4 6-3 in a match featuring 11 breaks of serve in a row to reach her first final since her win at Roland Garros in June.

Gauff may have won in straight sets but struggled on serve, being broken five times and serving seven double faults - with Paolini actually winning more points in the match.

Gauff will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka or Jessica Pegula in the final.

"I'm really happy with how I played today. It was tough, especially playing on the serve, but I did what I needed to do to get through," Gauff said.

"Sabalenka and Pegula are great players, and I've lost to them both before. But overall, I'm just going to focus on my side of the court and try to control the things I can control."

Defending champion Sabalenka extended her winning streak in Wuhan to 20 matches with a straight-set victory over Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals on Friday.

BBC
 
Coco Gauff became the first player to win her first nine hard court finals as she beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets to win the Wuhan Open.

The 21-year-old world number three won 6-4 7-5 against her American compatriot to claim her 11th career singles title in total.
 
Boulter out of Japan Open in second round

British number three Katie Boulter was beaten 6-3 6-1 by Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the Japan Open.

World number 59 Boulter, who shocked world number 17 Linda Noskova in the first round, lost in one hour nine minutes in Osaka.

There were three breaks of serve in the opening four games as Cirstea, ranked 51 in the world, went 3-1 ahead before wrapping up the first set.

She broke Boulter three times on the way to a 5-0 lead in the second.

Although Boulter broke back, she failed to hold serve in the next game as the impressive Cirstea secured a quarter-final place.

Japan's Naomi Osaka had a medical timeout in her 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-2 win over defending champion Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands.

Osaka was 5-0 up in the final set when she was treated, returning with strapping around her left thigh before securing a quarter-final meeting with Romania's Jaqueline Cristian on Friday.

"It was definitely really difficult," said Osaka. "I'm kind of sorry for my attitude but I'm really glad to have won."

She ended the on-court interview by saying: "Can I go? My leg is really hurting."

BBC
 
Raducanu ends season and will keep coach for 2026

Britain's Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from her final two events of the year because of the illness she has been battling over the past 10 days.

The 22-year-old was due to play in Tokyo and Hong Kong but has decided to fly home to recover before starting her preparations for 2026.

Those preparations will include coach Francisco Roig, as the pair have agreed to work together again next season.

Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during her first-round match with Ann Li in Wuhan last week and retired when trailing 6-1 4-1 on an oppressively humid day.

She again required a visit from the doctor at this week's Ningbo Open, where she lost in three sets to Chinese wildcard Zhu Lin in the opening round.

Raducanu was also moving far from freely in the deciding set against Zhu because of the lower back problem that has troubled her at times this year.

Those results meant an encouraging season, in which Raducanu rose into the world's top 30 for the first time in more than three years, ended with three successive defeats.

Raducanu had three match points before losing to Jessica Pegula in the third round in Beijing last month.

Raducanu won 28 matches this year and reached the semi-finals in Washington, but her most impressive week was at the Miami Open in March.

The British number one reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 event, beating eighth seed Emma Navarro on the way before losing in three sets to fourth-ranked Pegula.

She was coached by Mark Petchey from Miami until Wimbledon, with Roig taking over in time for the US Open.

The initial agreement with Rafael Nadal's former coach was until the end of the season but the partnership will continue, with a training block pencilled in for the end of the year.

Raducanu told BBC Sport her three-day trial with Roig after Wimbledon was like a "black ops mission" as they tried to keep the meeting secret.

She came very close to beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka at their first tournament together in Cincinnati in August.

Roig was also with Raducanu in New York, where she reached the third round before being beaten by 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

BBC
 
Draper & coach Trotman part ways after four years

Jack Draper will no longer work with the man who coached him to the Indian Wells title as James Trotman wants to prioritise time with his family.

The British number one has already hired Jamie Delgado as his head coach for next season but had been hoping there would also be a role for the man with whom he has enjoyed much success over the past four years.

Trotman says it has become increasingly difficult to "juggle" Draper's career with his own family life.

"I've made the decision that four years has been a great run," Trotman told BBC Sport.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was getting increasingly difficult for me juggling the demands Jack deserves as the player that he is - and also being a father and a husband.

"I need to start to get those energy levels back up and have a little bit more normality - watch my son play football on a Sunday, go on some family holidays, have a bit more of a normal life."

Trotman says he first spoke to Draper about his future after Wimbledon, having felt mentally and physically tired over the previous year.

The pair have been working together this week, with 23-year-old Draper returning to the practice court after resting the left arm injury that ended his season early.

If the bruising in his arm heals as expected, Trotman will head to San Diego for some warm weather training with Draper and Delgado at the end of November.

But after that, he will return to his job as an LTA men's national coach.

"My relationship with Jack is strong. We are extremely close," Trotman continued.

"We spent more time with each other than anybody else on the planet over the past four years.

"We are going to stay incredibly close and obviously I'll be following and supporting in any way I can from the sidelines."

As well as winning the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells in March, Draper hit a career-high world ranking of four in June.

Last year, he reached the US Open semi-finals and won his first two ATP titles.

"Whatever Jack does in the future, I feel incredibly proud of the work that I've done," Trotman said.

"And where Jack is now, is not just as a result of me, it's a result of everybody that's worked with Jack and his family from a young age."

Draper is due to make his comeback at the three-day UTS Grand Final in London in December, and is also expected to play an exhibition in Macau later that month.

As the top-ranked British player, he will then have the opportunity to start next season by representing his country in the United Cup mixed team competition in Sydney and Perth.

Delgado will be in full charge by then, and Trotman speaks highly of a man he has known since he was 12.

"One of the few people we could have worked really well together with was Jamie," Trotman added.

"I have a huge respect for him as a person and as a coach and the job that he has done with Gilles Muller, Andy [Murray] and more recently with Grigor [Dimitrov]."


www.bbc.com

Jack Draper: British number one and coach James Trotman end partnership after four years

Jack Draper will no longer work with the man who coached him to the Indian Wells title as James Trotman wants to prioritise time with his family.
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Osaka out of Japan Open quarter-final with injury

Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Japan Open before Friday's quarter-final because of a leg injury sustained in the second round.

The former world number one held back tears and needed painkillers to come through a three-set last-16 win over defending champion Suzan Lamens on Wednesday.

Top seed Osaka, who completed the match with strapping on her left thigh, was due to face Jaqueline Cristian in the last eight but the Romanian will instead progress to the semi-finals.

The Japan Open made the announcement on X, saying: "We regret to announce that Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today."

It is not yet known whether Osaka will play in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo later this month.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is the latest high-profile player to suffer late-season injury issues.

In September, Iga Swiatek complained the season is "too long and too intense" following a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

British number one Emma Raducanu called time on her season on Thursday after retiring from her two previous matches with illness.

Australia's Daria Kasatkina, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and Spain's Paula Badosa also ended their seasons early in recent weeks.

Across two tournaments in China last week, five players retired injured.

BBC
 
'Sport must adapt', says Draper after Rune injury

British number one Jack Draper says the tennis calendar must be adapted after Holger Rune became the latest high-profile player to have his season ended prematurely.

Danish 22-year-old Rune, set to return to the world's top 10 after reaching the semi-finals at the Nordic Open in Stockholm, was forced to retire with injury when leading Frenchman Ugo Humbert by a set.

Rune's mother, Aneke, later told Danish newspaper BT that she had been informed by medical staff that her son's injury was "very bad".

She said: "They are completely sure that it is a torn Achilles tendon, so it's of course very bad. Holger is completely devastated. They say they can see it with the naked eye."

Draper wrote on X: "Injuries are going to happen… we are pushing our bodies to do things they aren't supposed to in elite sport.

"We have so many incredible younger guys on the tour right now and I'm proud to be a part of that.

"However, the tour and the calendar have to adapt if any of us are going to achieve some sort of longevity."

Rune, nursing a hamstring issue coming into the match, appeared instantly aware of the severity of his injury and was emotional as he received treatment after hobbling to his chair.

He had pulled up in pain after jumping to hit a ball at the back of the court, with the game level at 40-40 on Humbert's serve and Rune leading 6-4 2-2.

Humbert said: "It was not the way I wanted to win. I'm super disappointed for Holger, I hope he is going to be OK.

"I wish him a speedy recovery. It was a great match, he was playing a little bit better than me, but I'm really sorry for Holger."

Later on Saturday, Novak Djokovic also retired after losing the first set of his third-place play-off against Taylor Fritz at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia - an exhibition event - having struggled with injury and sickness at last week's Shanghai Masters.

Carlos Alcaraz, who finished runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the Saudi Arabia event which is not part of the ATP Tour, criticised the congested tennis calendar in September, saying "they are going to kill us in some way".

Naomi Osaka became the latest high-profile player to withdraw from a tournament because of injury when she pulled out of the Japan Open with a leg problem before her quarter-final on Friday.

Former women's world number one Iga Swiatek complained in September that the season is "too long and too intense" amid a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

British number one Emma Raducanu called time on her season on Thursday after she was forced to retire from her two previous matches with illness.

Australia's Daria Kasatkina, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina and Spain's Paula Badosa also ended their seasons earlier than planned in recent weeks, citing either injury or a need to take a break from the tour.

BBC
 
Resurgent Medvedev wins first title for 882 days

A resurgent Daniil Medvedev claimed his first title for 882 days with victory over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.

The Russian former world number one has had a torrid year, winning just one match at the Grand Slams and suffering a meltdown at the US Open.

Medvedev's inconsistency on the ATP Tour - and struggles with his serve in particular - led to him dropping out of the world's top 10 and ultimately splitting with long-time coach Gilles Cervara.

Now working with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke, Medvedev has steadily improved in the past month - culminating in a hard-fought 7-5 4-6 6-3 victory over Frenchman Moutet.

It is Medvedev's first title since the 2023 Rome Masters and first on a hard court since March of that year.

Victory also means Medvedev has won 21 titles at 21 different tournaments.


www.bbc.com

Almaty Open: Daniil Medvedev beats Corentin Moutet for first title in 882 days

A resurgent Daniil Medvedev claims his first title for 882 days with victory over Corentin Moutet in the Almaty Open final.
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Sinner to miss Italy's Davis Cup title defence

Four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner will not be part of the Italy team aiming to clinch a third consecutive Davis Cup title next month.

The 24-year-old reached all four Grand Slam singles finals in 2025, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and won the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Sinner is scheduled to take part in the ATP Tour Finals in Turin from 9-16 November, but Italy captain Filippo Volandri said the world number two had "not given his availability" to play at the Davis Cup in Bologna from 18-23 November.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has been named in Spain's team.


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Davis Cup 2025: Jannik Sinner not in Italy team, Carlos Alcaraz named by Spain

Four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner will not be part of the Italy team aiming to win a third consecutive Davis Cup title in November.
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Norrie battles past Rublev to progress in Austria

Britain's Cameron Norrie battled his way to victory over seventh seed Andrey Rublev to progress to the second round of the Erste Bank Open.

World number 35 Norrie won the two-hour match 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 in Austria.

Norrie, 30, started the match in fine fashion and took the opening set in just 34 minutes before breaking serve to move 2-0 up in the second.

The Briton served for the match at 5-4, but Rublev landed his first break of serve to force a tie-break, which he won to set up a deciding set.

Former world number eight Norrie regrouped to break Rublev's serve in the second game to take command of the third set.

Norrie broke once more to book his spot in the next round, where he will face either Australia's Alexei Popyrin or Italy's Matteo Berrettini.


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Cameron Norrie: British number two beats Andrey Rublev at Erste Bank Open

Britain's Cameron Norrie overcomes seventh seed Andrey Rublev in three sets to reach the second round of the Erste Bank Open.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Xu through to Wrexham Open quarter-finals​

Wales' Mimi Xu reached the quarter-finals of the Wrexham Open with a straight-set win over Lithuania's Andre Lukosiute.

Xu won her opening service game, and although a powerful display from Lukosiute saw her reel off five games in a row to take control, a battling Xu claimed the next six to take the set 7-5.

The 18-year-old from Swansea conceded another early break in the second set but fought back to take it 7-5 and book her spot in the next round.

Xu will be in doubles action alongside fellow Brit Ella McDonald on Thursday afternoon when they take on third seeds Naima Karamoko and Jessika Ponchet in the quarter-finals.

Czechia's Lucie Havlickova is also through to the quarter-finals of the singles after a straight sets win over fourth seed Kathinka von Deichmann.

Fifth seed Raluca Georgiana Serban of Cyprus also bowed out in straight sets to Belgium's Jana Otzipka.

Source: BBC
 
Saudi Arabia to host new ATP tournament from 2028

A new ATP Masters 1000 tournament will be added to the tennis calendar from 2028 - and staged in Saudi Arabia.

A 56-man field will contest a one week event, most likely in February, in another sign of the increasing pulling power of the Gulf state.

Saudi Arabia already hosts the WTA Finals and the Next Gen ATP Finals and its Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the official naming partner of both the ATP and WTA rankings.

However, with players expressing so much concern about the length of the season and the number of events they play, the new tournament will not be mandatory.

"We are dealing with players who are independent contractors, so ultimately they are free to choose their own schedule," said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.

"They also play outside of the system and we saw this last week with the Six Kings Slam exhibition [in Saudi Arabia].

"I do agree the off season is too short and I don't think it's just too short for the players, but I also think it is too short for the fans - who at some point need to take a break from our sport."

This is the first time the Masters 1000 category has been expanded since the birth of the concept in 1990.

The Saudi Arabia event will join existing 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada (which is rotated between Toronto and Montreal), Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.


www.bbc.com

Saudi Arabia to host new ATP Masters 1000 tournament from 2028

A new ATP Masters 1000 tournament will be added to the tennis calendar from 2028 - and staged in Saudi Arabia.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Norrie beaten by Berrettini in Austria Open thriller

British number two Cameron Norrie was knocked out of the Austria Open by Italy's Matteo Berrettini in a dramatic last-16 match.

The world number 59 overcame Norrie in three hours and 16 minutes with a 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (9-11) 6-4 victory in Vienna.

Norrie let a 4-1 lead slip in the first set, and was punished in the tie-break as Berretini edged ahead.

The second set was even tighter, with both players keeping serve throughout.

The Italian squandered a match point in the tie-break, with Norrie taking his fourth set-point opportunity to level the match.

But the 30-year-old could not build on his momentum in the deciding set and Berrettini sealed a crucial break in the ninth game to swing the match in his favour.

Berrettini, 29, will face third seed and world number seven Alex de Minaur in the next round following the Australian's 6-4 6-4 victory over Filip Misolic.

Italian world number two Jannik Sinner defeated compatriot Flavio Cobolli 6-2 7-6 (7-4).

Germany's world number three Alexander Zverev also progressed, winning 6-4 6-4 against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi.

But, four days after ending his 882-day wait to win a title, Russian Daniil Medvedev was beaten 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 by Frenchman Corentin Moutet - his opponent in Sunday's Almaty Open final.


www.bbc.com

Austria Open: Cameron Norrie beaten by Matteo Berrettini in thriller

British number two Cameron Norrie exited the Austria Open last-16 after defeat by Italian Matteo Berrettini in Vienna.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Rybakina clinches last spot in WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina has clinched the last spot for next month's WTA Finals by beating Victoria Mboko to reach the Pan Pacific Open semi-finals.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion, who has won two WTA 500 titles this year, beat 19-year-old Mboko 6-3 7-6 (7-4) to seal her place in the end-of-season event.

The WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams of the year, starts on 1 November in Saudi Arabia.

Kazakhstan's Rybakina needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Tokyo to pass Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the race for the eighth and final spot.

Her victory over Mboko means she will join Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini in Riyadh.

"It's great to qualify and play some more matches, especially against top players," Rybakina said.

"Last week I was focusing one match at a time and I knew that to qualify it's going to take a long road."

Andreeva and fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, 30, are the first and second alternates for the Finals.

Rybakina won her second title of the season at the Ningbo Open in China on Sunday to boost her chances of reaching the WTA Finals for a third successive year.

The 26-year-old, who will rise to world number six when the rankings are updated on Monday, will face sixth seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in the Tokyo semi-finals on Saturday.

BBC
 
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