Spain's Amaia Latorre won the Ahlsell Trophy with a score of 208 (72, 70, 66, -8). On the course at Gränna Golfklubb (prior 72), in Västanå Castle, Sweden, she finished tied with Sweden's Isabell Ekstrom (71, 68, 69) and then won her first LET Access title, beating her in a play-off. Of the Italians in the field, Marta Spiazzi finished 30th with a score of 219 (79, 67, 73, +3), and Maria Vittoria Corbi was 50th with a score of 228 (76, 71, 81, +12).
Letas, results
Amaia Latorre, a 27-year-old from Vitoria-Gasteiz, had only achieved three top-ten finishes in her first 29 appearances on the tour. In the final round, she recovered from sixth place with a 66 (-6, one eagle, six birdies, two bogeys), the best score of the round, and caught Ekstrom, the leader after two rounds, to whom she was three strokes behind (69, -3, three birdies), making her sixth birdie on the 18th hole. For the 27-year-old Swede from Uppsala, a winless player on tour, this is her 12th top ten finish in 32 appearances. The Spaniard received a check for €7,200 out of a prize pool of €45,000.
Behind the two protagonists, and out of the playoff by one stroke, is Dutchwoman Lauren Holmey, third with a score of 209 (-7), followed by Czech Patricie Mackova and fellow Spaniard Maria Parra in fourth place with a score of 212 (-4), American Annika Borrelli and Englishwoman Ellen Hume in sixth with a score of 213 (-3), and Denmark's Cecilie Leth-Nissen in eighth with a score of 214 (-2), Mexican Fernanda Lira, who had won the previous two tournaments, and Swedish amateur Edit Hertzman, who had led in the first round.
After 36 holes, Emma Lundgren, 57th with a 150 (74 76, +6), amateur Matilde Modesti, 90th with a 156 (80 76, +12), and Caterina Tatti, 110th with a 166 (84 82, +22) were cut.
The first documents attesting to the existence of rules of golf date back to March 1744. The rules were produced for a competition to be held at a Scottish golf club, and contained 13 points in total.[3] Initially, writing the rules was the responsibility of each individual club and so they varied depending on where the game was played.
World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz passed the first obstacle at the Cincinnati Masters. Like at Roland Garros, the Spaniard had to dig deep against Damir Dzumhur, earning a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory in an hour and 41 minutes.
Carlos made a reliable start before losing ground in set number two. The runner-up from two years ago forged an early advantage in the third set and grabbed two breaks to seal the deal and emerge at the top.
The favorite claimed ten points more and made the difference behind the first serve. Alcaraz faced three break points and suffered as many breaks. He stole 46% of the return points and provided five breaks from ten opportunities.
They sprayed over 80 unforced errors. The Bosnian took a slim advantage in service winners, and the Spaniard responded with a fine performance from the baseline and at the net.
World no. 2 was off to a great start. He created break chances in all four return games of the first set and delivered three straight breaks for 6-1 in 28 minutes. Damir bounced back in the second set.
He provided four fine holds and clinched breaks in games three and five. The Bosnian forged a massive lead and clinched the set 6-2 on his serve to gain a boost and force a decider.
The Spaniard made a fresh start and secured a break in game four for a 4-1 advantage. He wasted a game point in game seven and lost serve to bring Dzumhur back to the positive side.
The Bosnian hit a costly double fault in game eight, losing serve again and falling 5-3 behind. Carlos served for the win at 5-3 and welcomed the rival's backhand error to seal the deal and make a winning start.
Patrick Mouratoglou decided to tell a little story about the time when one of Serena Williams' comments made him realize the best with what type of champion mindset the American had.
In 2002, Williams lifted her maiden French Open title. Although she had been one of the most dominant players in the next decade, the American's next triumph at Roland Garros didn't come until 2013, when she defeated Maria Sharapova in the final. At the time, she was working with Mouratoglou and it was her 16th Grand Slam title.
After Williams triumphed at the French Open for the first time in 11 years, her team was ready to celebrate heavily. And while the American tennis star dressed and was ready to hit the club, she changed her mind at the last moment and just told Mouratoglou that she wanted to get back and already start preparing for Wimbledon.
Mouratoglou: Williams never celebrated her 2013 French Open win, she was already thinking about Wimbledon
"In the evening, everybody wanted to go dancing, and when we arrived in front of the night club, she looked at me and she said, 'Let's go back home,' she never celebrated. She was already thinking about Wimbledon," the French coach recalled in a video uploaded on his Instagram.
"There is a trophy ceremony, and when she gets out of the court, she comes to me and she says, 'OK, let's do the cool down.' So we go in the fitness room, and after five minutes, she looks at me and she says, 'Now we have to win Wimbledon.' This is the mindset of the champion. As soon as they achieve something, they immediately think about a new goal, another one."
While Williams was determined and locked in on making it all the way at 2013 Wimbledon, it didn't happen for her that year after she was upset by Sabine Lisicki in the round-of-16.
However, Williams and Mouratoglou went on to enjoy much more success since their partnership brought seven more Grand Slams before the American retired.
Emma Raducanu says she is keeping her goals realistic at the moment and isn't expecting to win Grand Slam and WTA 1000 tournaments, but highlights that will change as soon as she gets to her desired level.
Prior to coming to Cincinnati, the world No. 33 made a splash move and hired Rafael Nadal's former long-time coach Francisco Roig. When addressing the collaboration for the first time, the 22-year-old noted that she hired Roig because she thought he could help her improve her shots and get to the level where she could legitimately challenge the very best in the game.
Since winning her first and lone title at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu hasn't made any finals. Also, she hasn't been ranked inside the top-10 since early 2022.
“I know there will be a time where I'll be targeting big tournaments, Masters and Slams, but to be honest, right now, that's not my goal. My goal is to improve as a player," the 22-year-old said in Cincinnati.
Raducanu's honest expectation for the upcoming Aryna Sabalenka match in Cincinnati
For a place in the Cincinnati round-of-16, Raducanu will battle against three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka. For the 22-year-old Briton, it will be a chance to register her first-ever win against a world No. 1. However, in their previous two meetings – of which the last came at Wimbledon – the Belarusian handled the business in straight sets.
Heading into their third meeting, the British tennis player suggests the Cincinnati surface favors more the top seed.
“I'm reasonable enough, and I guess honest enough with myself, to know that different surfaces favor different people, and where my game is at in comparison. So, I think the grass gave me a bit of an advantage (against Sabalenka), but we'll see how it goes," Raducanu explained.
A bit interestingly, Raducanu is only now making her second Cincinnati appearance. In her first and lone appearance at the American WTA 1000 tournament in 2022, she reached the last-16 before losing to Jessica Pegula.
The possibility of the LIV becoming part of the world ranking system seems closer than ever, given that last month the Saudi Super League reapplied to join the system. The system now has new leadership in South African Trevor Immelman and a more favorable context for evaluating the case amid the lull that has dominated the relationship between the circuits for some time now.
Jon Rahm spoke on the matter this Wednesday before taking part in this year's 12th leg of the circuit (6:15 p.m., Movistar Golf) at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Chicago (USA). Whether more or less veiled or more explicit, the Basque native has gradually hinted that he would welcome certain modifications to the LIV format, particularly in terms of world ranking points, which would facilitate access to the top players for its players, currently limited to qualifying, invitationals, and the few exemptions its members still retain. But also, even though he hasn't said it publicly, the truth is that the tournament structure is more suited to his style of play on the PGA and European tours.
Rahm, statements
“There's an open process to enter the rankings, and once we're in, we can see what changes can be made to get the maximum number of points possible without losing our core. Let's say we currently have 20 points. If you add a fourth round, you'll go down to 25. It may or may not be worth it. It could also be a cut or something, but with the number of players we currently have and the team situation, I don't see it happening. Another thing would be to expand the league, say to 15 teams and 60 players. You can make it work. There are many possibilities I'm thinking about, but all of this is completely hypothetical because I haven't talked about it with anyone on the tour. But there are things we could do to get more ranking points if necessary, and surely the world ranking guys and Scott (O'Neil, CEO of LIV) have even more in mind that I can't think of,” Rahm commented on the matter.
Because the truth is that, if he were to make the cut, the number of points that the LIV tournaments could award would initially be rather small, given that the system assigns one point or another based on parameters such as the number of golfers playing, the number of rounds in the tournament, and the ranking of its participants, which in this tour's case has been severely affected by years of being unable to score points beyond their occasional appearances in tournaments on the Asian Tour, the European Tour, or the majors.
On the other hand, Rahm again addressed his situation regarding his eligibility for the European team that will face the US in the Ryder Cup next September. "There's nothing I can confirm or deny. Luke (Donald, European captain) communicates with me just as he does with others. I don't think he's assured anyone anything yet. It's too soon for that. He'll be waiting until the end of August, and in my case, I think I'm just another name on his list."
On a strictly sporting level, Rahm faces the need for a strong showing this week, combined with a poor performance from Joaquín Niemann, as he attempts to catch the Chilean at the top of the LIV annual standings. With the last three tournaments remaining, just over 37 points separate them, a surprising figure given that Joaco has been the clear dominator this season, in which he already has five wins to the Spaniard's none, who, in contrast, has been a prodigy of consistency when it comes to scoring top-10 finishes. He has achieved this at every stop except one, in Dallas, including two second places. In the team standings, his Legion XIII does rule the roost, having won four titles and well on track to reach the team final in Michigan in first place.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is the first to admit that his relationship with his father has never been perfect but also adds that it is only now as transparent as possible.
As you probably know, the Greek tennis star had a very messy split with his father in early 2024 August, when he shouted at Apostolos and made him leave the stands of the Montreal Masters. The very next day, they put an end to their partnership. However, what happened in Montreal wasn't the sole instance as it had been rumored for quite some time that there had been a lot of tension in their relationship.
After spending a full year without his coach and lasting only two tournaments in his most recent partnership with Goran Ivanisevic, Tsitsipas decided to return to the factory settings and bring back his father – who guided him in the past to two Grand Slam finals and a career-high ranking of No. 3 in the world.
Tsitsipas: We've had bad moments but the communication has never been better
"It's great having him back in the team. Well, it's one of those things that nothing else can beat. I feel like we've worked together for so many years. We've built so many amazing memories together. Obviously, a father-son relationship can be also complicated from time to time," the 26-year-old said on Tennis Channel.
"I won't deny that we've had our good moments, we've had our bad moments, miscommunications, not being able to communicate with ease in certain aspects or ways. But you know, we're not perfect. We're trying to figure it out. I've been very open with him, which I've never, I've never allowed myself to be that open and that transparent with him ever."
On Saturday, Tsitsipas clinched his first win since returning Apostolos to his team after overcoming Fabian Marozsan 7-6 (3) 6-2 in his opening Cincinnati Masters match. In the Cincinnati third round, the 25th-seeded Greek will take on Benjamin Bonzi.
Tsitsipas is currently ranked at No. 30 in the world and he has struggled with his consistency and results for the past two years. It remains to be seen if his father can help him return to where he once was was.
The new and improved Madison Keys is a tightrope walking, nightmare stalking legend, and when the pressure grows to a boil she stays ice-cold.
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The 30-year-old saved match points en route to victory for the fourth time in 2025, defeating Eva Lys 1-6 6-3 7-6(1) to book her spot in the third round at the Cincinnati Open.
Madison Keys now has FOUR wins from match point down this year.
Keys saved two match points while serving at 6-5, 15-40. She also rallied from 4-1 down in the second set and then 3-0 in the third set to complete her Houdini act.
“I just kept trying to listen to everyone here cheering me,” Keys said in her on-court interview. “It helped me get back into the match and across the finish line.”
Keys defeated Iga Swiatek from match points down at the Australian Open, then took out Sofia Kenin from match point down at Roland-Garros. In Montreal the American saved two to get past Karolina Muchova.
Keys has won ten matches from a set down this year, and 15 three-setters overall.
She will face Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito in the third round.
Coco Gauff jokes there "has not been much of a competition" between American men and women at Grand Slams simply because the women have had much more success over the last two decades.
As you probably know, the last US male tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title was Andy Roddick. After winning his maiden Major at the 2003 US Open, the former world No. 1 appeared in four more Major finals but never won his second title on the biggest level.
After Roddick's 2009 Wimbledon final defeat to Roger Federer, it took US tennis 15 years to get another male Grand Slam finalist – Taylor Fritz reached the 2024 US Open final but stood no chance there, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.
When it comes to American WTA stars, their Slam success over the past two decades is well-documented. In the most recent history, Gauff landed two Grand Slams in the last two years.
Gauff takes a playful shot at US ATP players
"For the men, I feel like the women, it hasn't been much of a competition, no offense to them, but now it is kind of was it three or four straight Slams with American in the finals. So I think we're we're doing pretty good on our end. They have to catch up. But no, I think it's great to see so many so much representation of like our country in the sport," the 2023 US Open winner said.
After making it clear that she thinks American male tennis features some pretty quality players, Gauff revealed her big wish was to witness an American male and female winning the same Grand Slam. Last year, Fritz and Jessica Pegula came close to making that happen, but lost their respective US Open final matches.
"I would love to see in my lifetime like a woman and an American woman and male when the same Slam that would be that would be great. We got it US Open. They were both in the final so hopefully maybe this U.S. Open some magic can happen," Gauff added.
In early June, Gauff won her first French Open title. Now, the 21-year-old is an Australian Open and Wimbledon title away from completing a Career Grand Slam.
Emma Raducanu handled the business in her opening match with coach Francisco Roig after ousting Olga Danilovic 6-3 6-2, and she plays Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati third round.
The 30th-seeded Briton, who had a first-round bye at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, lost her serve twice in the first set but broke the 40th-ranked Serb three times to still take the opener. The second was more straightforward for the 2021 US Open champion, who claimed two breaks to seal a straight-set victory.
Next up for Raducanu will be a third career meeting versus top seed Sabalenka, who defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-1. Last year, the current world No. 1 beat the Briton 6-3 7-5 in Indian Wells. A month ago, they met for the second time, and the Belarusian tennis star also registered a 7-6 (6) 6-4 win.
How Raducanu reacted to her performance versus Danilovic and what she can expect versus Sabalenka?
Following her opening Cincinnati win, the 2021 US Open champion acknowledged that it wasn't an ideal performance. However, the 22-year-old was still pretty happy with her display.
“Bar the first game today, that was not very much fit, but other than that, I was pretty mature and disciplined in my performance. I took care of my service games really well. And I knew that playing Olga, who's really difficult and really dangerous as a lefty and with big strikes, it was going to be important," the world No. 33 said after her opening win.
Against Sabalenka, Raducanu has yet to win a set. However, the British tennis player managed to cause some problems to the Belarusian during their Wimbledon match – especially in the first set – when she didn't convert some chances. Also, it is worth mentioning that the world No. 1 is only now playing her first tournament since Wimbledon, while the Briton is already playing her third tournament on hard this summer.
It remains to be seen if Raducanu can pull off an upset and beat Sabalenka for the first time in Cincinnati.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will not remember Toronto and Cincinnati for good. The Spaniard retired at both events, and his latest setback hurts the most!
Alejandro had a 7-6, 4-0, 30-0 advantage against Joao Fonseca in the second round in Cincinnati before dropping five straight games and retiring, propelling the young gun into the third round.
The more experienced player claimed a tight opener and provided two breaks at the beginning of the second set to forge a massive advantage. However, he lost pace and retired after dropping five games in a row.
They traded early breaks in the first set and served well after that for 4-4. Alejandro secured another break in game nine and served for the opener, only to suffer a break and keep his rival in contention.
The Spaniard delivered a mini-break in the first point of the tie break and won all points on serve for 7-4 and a boost. Fonseca lost serve two times in a row at the beginning of the second set to find himself 4-0, 30-0 down.
However, he started his comeback with a break in game five and delivered another two games later to reduce the gap. The young gun held at love for 4-4 and clinched his third straight break in game nine with a backhand down the line winner.
Davidovich Fokina ended the match at that moment, retiring for the second straight week and sending his rival over the top.
Danielle Collins took to social media to hit back at "keyboard warriors" but also clarify what happened in Cincinnati, revealing that she is dealing with a back injury.
In the Cincinnati first round, the American – who plummeted to No. 61 in the world – suffered a 4-6 6-7 (2) loss to Taylor Townsend.
After the match was over, a Collins outburst video started making rounds on X. Down 0-2 in the second-set tie-break, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up went over to her team – started to scream and cry – while letting out a painful statement: "Why is this happening to me?"
Don't have a good feed clip, but here is Danielle Collins becoming VERY upset in the middle of the tiebreak.
As the 2024 Miami Open champion was exiting the court, she didn't pick up her belongings. Instead, it was picked up by Townsend, who passed it on to the 31-year-old's team.
While some expressed a concern for Collins, some criticized her actions.
Collins: It's not surprising that the keyboard warriors can't understand my pain
The American tennis player noticed what was being said and written about her on social media and decided to react. In her message, the American revealed that she was battling a disc hernia. Also, she thanked Townsend for being classy and helping her on the court.
"Anyone who has a herniated disc knows my pain. It's no surprise the keyboard warriors can't understand or relate, as they've been too busy sitting on a**es judging people who show up and and try to give it their best even on days that suck. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my injury and thank you to Taylor Townsend for being the best of the best," Collins wrote on her Instagram Story.
Competing for the first time since lifting his first Wimbledon title, world no. 1 Jannik Sinner made a stunning debut in Cincinnati. The defending champion ousted a qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in the second round.
The Italian had the upper hand fro start to finish, dictating the pace on the fast hard court and sealing the deal in 59 minutes. Thus, Jannik secured his personal record, delivering his fastest ATP win in completed matches.
In 2019, Sinner ousted Mikael Ymer at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 56 minutes. However, it was a different format with shorter sets.
Jannik Sinner with a stunner of a drop shot against Galan in Cincinnati.
The Italian produced brutal numbers in his service games, losing six points and saving the only break point while serving for the opener at 5-1. Elahi Galan felt the pressure and cracked under it.
The Colombian landed in 54% of the first serve and lost 56% of the points in his games. Sinner created 13 break chances and converted five, controlling the scoreboard and racing over the top.
Jannik tamed his strokes nicely and fired 20 winners and 12 unforced errors, mixing his shots well and adding drop shots to his arsenal. The Italian hit 19 service winners and forged a vast 31-9 lead from the baseline against the powerless rival.
World no. 1 outplayed his opponent in the shortest and mid-range rallies, taking charge and presenting his career-fastest victory. Sinner found his momentum right from the start.
He geld at love in the first game, grabbed a break in the second and drew the rival's mistake at 2-0 for another hold at love. Daniel netted a routine forehand in the fourth game and experienced a break at love.
Jannik painted a forehand winner in game five, providing his third straight hold at love and moving 5-0 up after 15 minutes. Daniel Elahi ended his downfall in the sixth game and created his only break point at 1-5.
The Italian saved it with a service winner and converted a set point with a half-volley winner for 6-1 after swift 26 minutes. The favorite served well in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side.
Sinner clinched a break in the first game with a deep return and cemented it with a service winner a few moments later for 2-0. Daniel denied five break points in the third game and avoided a bagel.
Jannik held at 15 in the fourth game before generating three break chances in the next one. He converted the last with a forehand winner and forged a 4-1 lead. The Italian held at love for 5-1 and made another push on the return in game seven.
He landed a perfect drop shot winner on a match point, sealing the deal in style and racing into the third round.
Holger Rune celebrated a milestone victory in Cincinnati. The young Dane ousted Roman Safiullin 7-5, 7-6 in an hour and 58 minutes in the second round, prevailing and making a winning start.
Holger celebrated his 50th Masters 1000 victory, becoming the fourth player born in 2000 or later to achieve that. Rune joined Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the exclusive 'Club 50.'
The Dane claimed his first Masters 1000 win in Indian Wells three and a half years ago. He claimed the Paris Masters crown later that season following five straight top-10 triumphs!
Un triunfo especial💥
Holger Rune🇩🇰 consigue su primer triunfo en Cincinnati venciendo a Roman Safiullin🇷🇺 7-5 y 7-6
📌El danés ya registra 5️⃣0️⃣ victorias en Masters1000#CincyTennis
Holger was the finalist in Monte Carlo and Rome in the spring of 2023, and his most recent Masters 1000 final came in Indian Wells this March. The youngster will seek his fifth Masters 1000 final in Cincinnati.
The 7th seed had to dig deep in his first test in Ohio. He took six points more than Safiullin and prevailed in the decisive moments to avoid a decider. Rune lost serve two times and provided three return games from five chances.
They sprayed over 70 unforced errors, and the Dane reduced the number of errors. Holger forged the advantage in service winners but lost in from the baseline. He had the upper hand in the shortest exchanges, and Roman reduced the gap in the mid-range ones.
They traded breaks in the middle of the opening set. The Dane provided another break in game nine and served for the set at 5-4. Rune wasted two set points and lost serve.
However, he kept his composure and closed the opener with another break at 5-5 and a hold in game 12. The second set was much more fluid, with no break chances and 12 comfortable holds.
Rune grabbed two mini-breaks for a 5-2 advantage. Roman erased the deficit with a mini-break in the tenth point, locking the result at 5-5. Still, Holger claimed a decisive point on the return at 6-5, sealing the deal and making a winning start.
Roger Federer will return to Shanghai this fall. The two-time champion will embrace the Roger Federer and friends celebrity doubles match on October 10, offering his fans another chance to see him in action on the court.
Last year, the Swiss spent a couple of entertaining days in Shanghai, exploring the city and enjoying the action at the eighth Masters 1000 event of the season.
The two-time winner met Novak Djokovic, watched Jannik Sinner and trained with Carlos Alcaraz on an indoor court, joking and asking what he was doing there.
Federer was 23-6 during his eight visits to Shanghai. The legend defeated Novak Djokovic on his debut in 2010 before losing the final to Andy Murray. The same rivals met in the semi-final two years later, and the Briton celebrated in straight sets.
Roger fell to Gael Monfils in 2013, still seeking his first title in China. It finally came in 2014 over Novak Djokovic and Gilles Simon. Alberto Ramos-Vinolas stunned him in 2015, and the crowd favorite bounced back stronger in 2017.
Federer ousted Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal en route to his second and last title in China. The Swiss played a sublime match, dropping eight points in his games and breaking his greatest rival's serve three times en route to a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Roger competed as the defending champion in 2018 and suffered a surprising loss to Borna Coric in the semi-final in straight sets. Six years ago, the two-time winner battled in China for the eighth and final time.
He lost a tight encounter to Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final, wrapping up his Shanghai Masters journey with a 23-6 score. Federer enjoyed his time in China last October, and the fans will see him again in two months.
Rafael Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló (Maria Francisca, or Xisca) have welcomed their second child at the Quirónsalud Palmaplanas Hospital in Palma, on October 7.
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The baby has been named Miquel. According to the Europa Press news agency the name is a special tribute Nadal and his wife wanted to make to Mery’s father, who passed away in April 2023 at the age of 63.
🚨
🇪🇸🥰 Rafael Nadal and his wife welcomed their second child – another boy – on August 7th! 👏
👶 He is named Miquel – after Mery’s father, who passed away in 2023
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 9, 2025 Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook
All-surface champion Jannik Sinner returned to his favored hard court in Cincinnati.
The world No. 1 combined deconstruction with deception launching his Cincinnati title defense rolling to his 22nd consecutive hard-court victory.
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When Sinner wasn’t busy torching blazing drives by Daniel Galan he bamboozled him with touch, flicking a clean forehand drop shot to wrap a 6-1, 6-1 sweep.
“I would say I’m obviously very happy to be back here,” Sinner told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj afterward. “It’s a special place for me and last year was an amazing year for me. So let’s see what’s coming.
“It’s very difficult to play here, I feel like the ball is flying fast so when you lose confidence with a couple of shots it makes it very, very difficult to play. I’m very happy about today’s performance, playing against a qualifier, it’s not easy so I’m happy about today and let’s see what’s coming.”
In his first match since dethroning two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to make history as the first Italian to win Wimbledon, Sinner picked up right where he left off at SW19.
The world’s top two have renewed their rivalry teeing off on the local golf course before the Cincinnati Open began.
“We actually played now a couple of times before the tournament here,” Sinner told Prakash Amritraj. “I’m not a good golfer, but I love to spend time doing different things.
“Maybe now we will go because I have tomorrow one day off. Maybe we will play a couple of holes here. It’s the best place to play golf. In Cincinnati, there’s not so much to do. So we’re actually lucky the golf course is there.”
The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion was nearly untouchable on serve winning 22 of 23 first-serve points and saving the only break point he faced in a comprehensive 59-minute conquest.
Sinner will face either Argentinean Sebastian Baez or big-serving Canadian Gabriel Diallo with a potential round of 16 clash looming against American Tommy Paul.
Newly-engaged Paul pounded out a 6-2, 6-2 win over Spaniard Pedro Martinez earlier today.
Two of the top 12 seeds failed to clear their first hurdle in the top quarter of the draw with both falling to Frenchmen.
Benjamin Bonzi beat No. 8-seeded Lorenzo Musetti 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4). That upset came shortly after Arthur Rinderknech outlasted 1th-seeded Casper Ruud 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2.
Launching his quest to become the first man since legendary Roger Federer in 2014-2015 to successfully defend Cincinnati, Sinner was in charge from the very outset. The lanky Italian’s attention to detail was evident when he bent over to pick up the coin and return it to chair umpire Aurelie Tourte after losing the opening coin toss.
That was one of the last defeats Sinner took on this day.
The US Open champion rolled through 12 straight points on serve winning four of the first five games at love surging to a 5-0 lead after 17 minutes of play.
The reigning champion rips the ball with such fierce force off both wings, opponents have to respect the deep drive. Seeing the Colombian qualifier back behind the baseline, Sinner flicked a dropper, followed it forward and bunted a backhand down the line to take the first set in 26 minutes.
The bearded Colombian was on the verge of another early-set blow out, when he dug in and fought back.
Galan denied five break points in a punishing third game to hold for 1-2 in the second set.
Swatting a deep forehand return to push his opponent back behind the baseline, Sinner stepped in and scalded a forehand strike down the line breaking for 4-1.
The four-time major champion flicked a final forehand drop shot closing in 59 minutes and scoring his 25th consecutive opening victory.
After disarming his opponent today, Sinner shared he didn’t hit a ball for 10 days after his Wimbledon win and believes that helps him return refreshed.
“I went without tennis, it was 10 days,” Sinner told Prakash Amritraj. “When I was a bit younger, a couple of years ago, I never wanted to take the racquet away.
“Now every time when I have a small chance, I put it away, you know? Because then I will have even more love for the sport and for the game. And also, appreciation to comeback and feel good again. I love this sport. I love to make sacrifices also and I also love the people I have around. It’s a good combination of many, many things.”
Leylah Fernandez reveals she has had two dates with "a nice guy" and a love relationship is definitely a realistic option since they are "keeping in contact."
Just before kicking off her triumphant Washington, the 22-year-old said she wanted to have her first-ever date in Montreal and encouraged interested individuals to reach out to her. At the Canadian Open, the local star lost in the first round so she had lots of time to go out on a date.
After arriving at Cincinnati, Tennis Channel caught up with Fernandez. To no one's surprise, the 2021 US Open finalist was asked to issue an update on the dating matter. The world No. 24 proceeded to reveal that a couple of international guys were interested in flying out to Montreal to meet, but she didn't want that. Instead, she waited and hoped that a local would appear.
Fernandez: His first message caught my attention… Stalked him a bit and he's real
"So I was giving it one more day, and then I stumbled upon him, and his message kind of caught my attention," the 22-year-old said on Tennis Channel.
"When I asked him, 'Did you even see my video?' And he's like, 'No, I didn't.' His first message just kind of caught my attention, and then afterwards I stalked him to make sure that he's real. He's a real person, seemed like a nice guy, and then got a couple opinions from family, team members, to make sure that they were okay with it. There's been a second date, and we're keeping in contact, so we'll see."
During Washington, Fernandez jokingly but also seriously told guys not to be afraid of her dad because it wasn't true that he was "unwelcoming." Evidently, the Canadian's date passed the dad test and everything has gone well so far.
Andrey Rublev understood that he had to change some things to get out of the crisis that has affected him in the last year and a half, which is why he decided to start a new collaboration with his compatriot Marat Safin. The latter cannot travel with him to all the tournaments on the calendar, but he is helping him with his advice and some progress has been seen from the Russian ace.
The player from Moscow put in good performances during the Wimbledon Championships last month and did not disappoint at the Toronto Masters 1000 either, although he was unable to 'defend' the final reached in Montreal last year.
He is not far from the Top 10 of the ATP rankings right now and can aspire to achieve this goal by achieving good results at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 and especially at the US Open, two tournaments that should be suitable for his game.
Rublev opens up on Safin
During a recent interview with 'Tennis Bolshe', Andrey revealed that Safin is spurring him to add new weapons to his game to become more unpredictable: "I've understood for some time that I have to do something different if I want to become competitive again at the highest level. I knew that scoring more frequently was one of the main keys from a tactical point of view, but I was almost never able to do it until Marat came along. He told me that there were no other options and I had to try until I could do it."
Although Safin has a consulting role in Rublev's team, his main coach continues to be Fernando Vicente who has followed him since the beginning of his career. The latter has sacrificed much of his private life to help Andrey realize his dream and the Russian champion has never missed an opportunity to show him his enormous gratitude.
"Our relationship goes far beyond what is usually between a player and his coach. Fernando is a member of my family in some respects," Rublev said in a recent interview.
Novak Djokovic's schedule after the Wimbledon Championships surprised both fans and insiders. The former world number 1 decided to skip the Toronto Masters 1000 and this choice was not particularly surprising, considering that the Serbian legend has not played in Canada since 2018 and definitely needed a break after his loss to Jannik Sinner at the Championships.
However, most experts expected that the 38-year-old from Belgrade would at least participate in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 – scheduled in Ohio from August 7 to 18 – in order to play some official matches on the hard courts in view of the US Open.
The final Major of the season will begin on August 24 in New York and it is now clear to everyone that Nole will only play mixed doubles with Olga Danilovic before making her singles debut.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has spent the last few weeks on vacation with his family and friends, enjoying his free time first in Croatia and then in Greece. Novak has not yet resumed practicing and it is not known if he has solved the muscle problem that had conditioned him during the semifinal of the Championships.
Nole is still resting
A few days ago, Djokovic's presence at the second edition of the 'Six Kings Slam' to be held in Saudi Arabia was announced.
In the latest episode of his podcast, American legend Jimmy Connors admitted that he was surprised by Nole's recent choices: "I have to admit that his schedule worries me a bit. He hasn't played a hard court match so far and it would have been good to see him in Cincinnati to test his level, but instead he preferred to stay home. We don't know what to expect from him, although we can't underestimate one of the best in history. We've seen him on vacation for the last month, that's all we know."
The Serbian ace had missed both American Masters 1000 last season, before being prematurely eliminated in New York.
World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will chase his first Cincinnati Masters title. The Spaniard starts his campaign against Damir Dzumhur, returning to action for the first time since losing his first Major final to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon.
Carlos and Damir embraced a thriller at Roland Garros two months ago, and maybe we can see another tight duel between them in Ohio. The Spaniard and the Bosnian faced in the third round in Paris.
The favorite prevailed 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours and 14 minutes en route to the last 16. Alcaraz controlled the pace in the opening two sets before losing his vibe and struggling in the remaining two.
Dzumhur took the pivotal points of the third set and forged a 3-1 advantage in the fourth, using the defending champion's shaky period. However, Carlos woke up and grabbed five of the final six games to emerge at the top and avoid a decider.
The Spaniard admitted he did not know what to do in the third set, losing ground and struggling to overcome an inspired opponent. However, he found improvements and wrapped up a challenging duel in style.
Alcaraz played against 12 break points and saved nine. He generated 21 chances on the return and converted seven, including ones in the pivotal moments. The Spaniard hit 52 winners and 44 unforced errors.
World no. 2 saved two break points in the first game of the duel and secured back-to-back breaks en route to 6-1 in under half an hour. Damir lost serve at 1-1 in the second set and fell behind.
The Bosnian served to stay in the set at 3-5 and played another loose service game, propelling his rival two sets to love in front. Dzumhur raised his level in the third set.
He secured a break in the seventh game and disturbed the rival's momentum. Damir denied six break points in games eight and ten, wrapping up the set 6-4 and gaining a boost.
Carlos made his position even more challenging after losing serve at the beginning of the fourth set. He trailed 3-1 before erasing the deficit with a break in game six.
The Spaniard secured the seventh game after a deuce and moved in front. The defending champion made another push on the return at 4-3 and delivered another break to rattle off four games and extend the gap.
Alcaraz served for the win at 5-3 and suffered a break to keep his rival in contention. However, Dzumhur experienced another break at 4-5, propelling the favorite into the last 16.
The Cincinnati Masters 1000 and the US Open represent the two new stages of the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who will compete for the first position in the ATP rankings until the end of this season. The 22-year-old Spaniard won Roland Garros for the second year in a row at the end of an epic final, in which he also cancelled out three match points, but the current world No.1 took revenge on his top rival at the Wimbledon Championships by becoming the first Italian ever to lift the trophy in London.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria is still at the top of the ATP rankings, but he will have to defend many more points than Carlitos in the coming months and risks being overtaken. The four-time Grand Slam champion will be called upon to defend 3000 points between Cincinnati and New York, unlike his main rival who had not shone in these two events last season.
Piatti talks about Sinner and Alcaraz
There is no doubt that the US Open – scheduled in New York from August 24 to September 7 – will be fundamental in the race for the first position in the ATP rankings, with the Italian and the Spaniard doing everything possible to play their best tennis in Flushing Meadows.
In a long interview with 'La Stampa', top coach Riccardo Piatti – who worked with Sinner until 2022 – analyzed this amazing rivalry in detail: "Carlos' top goal is the US Open: if the Spaniard were to triumph in New York, it would become very difficult for Jannik to finish the year as number 1.
They are two champions who love competition and aspire to become the best version of themselves, without obsessions of any kind. Sinner has raised his level exponentially in the last year and has understood that he will have the chance to make the Grand Slam in the coming seasons. I've always thought so."
In the 2022 edition of the US Open, Jannik and Carlitos played a memorable match in the quarterfinals.
Iga Swiatek is off to a strong start to her Cincinnati campaign after ousting world No. 44 Anastasija Potapova 6-1 6-4.
The Pole, who is seeded at No. 3 at the American WTA 1000 tournament, dominated the start of the match after claiming two breaks and not facing a single break point on her serve.
After easily winning the first set, Swiatek also claimed the first break of the second set. Down by a set and a break, Potapova refused to quit and managed to get the break back in the fourth game. However, the six-time Grand Slam champion didn't panic as she earned herself another break in the seventh game and then held on to her serve for the rest of the match to complete a straight-set win.
For Swiatek, this was her first match since stunningly losing to Clara Tauson in the Montreal third round. In her next Cincinnati match, the world No. 3 plays against No. 25 seed Marta Kostyuk.
Swiatek's honest admission about an early Montreal defeat
After winning seven matches at Wimbledon to become a champion at The All England Club, the Pole also triumphed in her opening two Montreal matches before Tauson ended her nine-match winning streak by handing her a 7-6 (1) 6-3 defeat. In Cincinnati, the 24-year-old admitted that she relaxed more than she should have following her Wimbledon win.
“Winning Wimbledon is a thing that is going to be with you the rest of your life. I let myself be happy a little bit longer, maybe that’s why I wasn’t so sharp in [Montreal],” Swiatek admitted in her pre-tournament presser in Cincinnati.
After Wimbledon, the Polish tennis giant relaxed by going to the Baltic sea.
“I was on a boat, I slept there and everything. I could see the shore and every big city that we have there from the water point of view. My friends were there. It was all super fun and I loved it," Swiatek said.
Aryna Sabalenka suggests people should have more understanding when a player makes certain comments after a loss, simply because the players usually don't have much time to process everything before appearing in front of the media.
If you can recall, the Belarusian tennis star blamed her 70 unforced errors on a French Open final loss and said that Coco Gauff "did not play incredibly." As soon as those remarks were made, they went viral and the three-time Grand Slam champion faced some major criticism and backlash.
Later, Sabalenka publicly apologized to Gauff through Instagram and during a Berlin press conference.
“People don’t understand the intensity of everything. You lose the final of the biggest tournament and you go to media straight away and you are so pissed off with yourself. You don’t think clearly & then you make the comment," the world No. 1 said in Cincinnati.
Aryna on the Coco RG Final incident
“People don’t understand the intensity of everything. You lose the final of the biggest tournament and you go to media straight away and you are so pissed off with yourself. You don’t think clearly & then you make the comment…”
When Sabalenka and Gauff arrived at Wimbledon, they were spotted together. To no one's surprise, the American world No. 2 was asked where she stood with the Belarusian after the French Open presser controversy. The 21-year-old proceeded to confirm that the two discussed the incident privately and that there were no hard feelings on her side.
"I understood what she was trying to say. It was a terrible conditioned day. I don't think I was playing well either, so I understood where she was coming from. Some of the stuff she said in the presser I was a bit more surprised about. I'm not someone to hold a grudge, and when I was talking to my circle about it, I was like 'If she apologizes, I will be fine and we'll move on,'" Gauff said at the time.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka and Gauff are the two top-seeded players at the Cincinnati Open and they could possibly meet in the final.
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 8, 2025 Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
The US Open is over before it began for Paula Badosa.
Former world No. 2 Badosa has officially withdrawn from this month’s US Open.
Badosa, who has been battling a back injury in recent years, has not played a match since bowing to Briton Katie Boulter in three sets in her Wimbledon opener last month.
Badosa’s departure gives Swiss Jil Teichmann entry into the US Open main draw, the USTA announced today. Veteran Alize Cornet is now the first player out of the main draw.
Initially, Badosa and ex-boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas were on the entry list for the US Open Mixed Doubles tournament. After they split as a couple, the pair withdrew from the US Open Mixed Doubles.
On the USTA’s most recent entry list, Badosa was set to partner Jack Draper in a match of Indian Wells’ champions, but that will not happen with her Flushing Meadows withdrawal.
An Australian Open semifinalist in January, Badosa will miss the US Open in her birthplace of New York City for the second time in the last three years.
A year ago, Badosa reached the US Open quarterfinals losing to Emma Navarro 6-2, 7-5. Badosa went on to a successful Asian swing reaching semifinals at the WTA 1000 in Beijing and at the WTA 500 in Ningbo where she retired after dropping the first set to Daria Kasatina.
Due to her back issues, Badosa has either retired or conceded a walkover seven times in the last two years.
Vukov, who was suspended by the WTA Tour for breaching its code of conduct in January, was barred from receiving credentials at sanctioned events.
Reportedly, Vukov entered into private arbitration with the WTA as part of his appeal, and attended a hearing that took place before Wimbledon.
The long, drawn-out saga has taken place over the span of a year, with the tour first provisionally suspending Vukov near the end of 2024, then officially doing so on January 31st. All the while, Rybakina expressed the sentiment that she’d prefer it if Vukov could continue coaching her.
Rybakina cut ties with Vukov ahead of last year’s US Open, then hired Goran Ivanisevic in the off-season. In January she announced that Vukov was going to come back into the fold, but he was soon banned. Still, Ivanisevic ended up parting ways with Rybakina rather than stay in a situation he called “sad and strange.”
Exclusive: Stefano Vukov, who in January was given a one-year ban by the WTA for his treatment of Elena Rybakina, has had his suspension lifted on appeal ⬇️https://t.co/3AawsAGrx3
Previously, members of Rybakina’s team had appealed to the WTA that they feared for her safety. Vukov stayed close to his former charge, and inherited agent duties, while Davide Sanguinetti stepped in to coach her.
According to the Athletic, Vukov initiated an appeal this spring, and has been reinstated.
“The WTA is fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as set out in our WTA Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Code,” the WTA said in a statement to the Athletic. “Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal.
“While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr. Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events. We will not be commenting further.”
Sanguinetti has been supportive of Vukov, and could potentially keep his role in the team even after Vukov returns.
Tenth-ranked Rybakina will face Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in second-round action at the Cincinnati Open.
