Carlos Alcaraz is the five-time Major champion at 22. The El Palmar's early success has drawn inevitable comparisons to his great compatriot and idol, Rafael Nadal.
Yet, the young gun is determined to forge his own identity, following that path since his arrival on the Tour. Frequently hailed as Nadal's heir, Alcaraz is grateful for the admiration but refuses to embrace that narrative.
Carlos does not want to see himself as Rafa's successor. He reflected on the great rivalries and great players we had in the past. However, he does not feel obligated to use the same path and mirror what they did.
Carlos after he won his doubles match with Rafa Nadal at the Olympics:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 28, 2024
While respectful of the legacy forged by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Carlos emphasized the importance of self-belief and individuality.
The young gun is defending his ideas and philosophy, using it as a defensive mechanism against pressure. As he adds more trophies to his growing collection, Alcaraz remains focused on building a legacy that is entirely his own.
The Spaniard has been the player to beat since April. The 22-year-old has embraced six consecutive finals, conquering Monte Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros and Queen's while falling in the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner.
The El Palmar native took a couple of weeks off the court after losing his first Major final in London. He withdrew from Toronto and hit the practice court ahead of his next stop.
It's next week's Cincinnati Masters, his final preparation for the US Open. Carlos' goals? Another Major trophy in New York and the ATP throne taken from Jannik Sinner!
"I do not want to be seen as Rafa's successor. Tennis has always had great rivalries and great players. It's a privilege that people watch our matches in this way, with such enthusiasm.
In the end, we have no obligation to do what they did, far from it. If you do not defend your ideals and aspirations, that pressure can consume you. You have to know how to differentiate.
We try not to think about the pressure and, above all, to do as they did," Carlos Alcaraz said.
Jessica Pegula admits she feels her tennis has been "sloppy" lately and isn't hiding that she is "bothered" by her results.
In late June, the American tennis star captured her third title of the year after beating Iga Swiatek in the Bad Homburg final. Since then, the world No. 4 has stunningly gone 1-3.
After picking up shock first-round losses at Wimbledon (Elisabetta Cocciaretto) and Washington (Leylah Fernandez), Pegula snapped her mini losing streak at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal by beating Maria Sakkari after a first-round bye. In the Montreal third round, the American was 6-3 2-0 up against Anastasija Sevastova. But then, she inexplicably shut down and world No. 386 Sevastova stormed back to win 3-6 6-3 6-1.
Pegula: My tennis has been kind of sloppy… I don't like it and it bothers me
“It hasn’t been great, to be honest. 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. It really bothers me. You have to figure out how to get out of it and not feel sorry for yourself or make excuses. I’ve got figure it out. I feel like I felt pretty confident knowing I like playing here. I’ve always had good results here. … Did I win DC coming into here? No, but at the same time I’ve won tournaments and lost first round. Nothing in tennis makes sense sometimes," the world No. 4 said.
While Pegula is set to lose a good chunk of points by not defending her Montreal title, she will still stay at No. 4 after the tournament. However, that's not the end of troubles for the 31-year-old since she still has a good chunk of points to defend in the rest of the North American hard-court swing – she reached the finals of the US Open and Cincinnati last year.
Unless Pegula quickly figures out something, her North American hard-court swing could turn into a complete disaster.
Eva Lys kept it light after being routed by Iga Swiatek in Montreal as the 69th-ranked German teased herself and also funnily blamed the Pole for always ending her good runs.
The 23-year-old German, who broke into the top-100 for the first time earlier this year, only this year made her maiden appearance at the Canadian Open. And the world No. 69 started solidly, beating Leolia Jeanjean and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before Swiatek handed her a 6-2 6-2 third-round loss.
On X, a fan posted a video of how the third-seeded Pole saved a game point in the opening game by making Lys run from side to side. The six-time Grand Slam champion also got her first break of the match in that game.
The X video in question was captioned: "Iga has Eva running marathons already." After the match, the German noticed the post and hilariously stated that she thought the same on the court: "Legit what I said to my box 20 mins into the match."
If you can recall, Lys was one of the best stories of this year's Australian Open as she stayed in Melbourne for a couple of days after losing in the qualifying final round before literally entering the draw as a lucky loser at the last moment. The rest is history as the 23-year-old ended up making the round-of-16 and becoming the first lucky loser since 1988 to make the second week at Melbourne Park. Her fairytale run was ended by Swiatek, who beat her 6-0 6-1.
"@iga.swiatek always ending my good runs lol. tried my best, came a little closer this time. we appreciate the small steps. BIGGEST thank you to the amazing fans in Montreal. you made me feel loved. until next year," the German wrote on Instagram.
Iga Swiatek says she doesn't read a lot of Polish media simply because she finds "ridiculous" some of the stuff that has been written about her over the years.
When the Polish tennis star became one of the best in the women's game, she also instantly became one of the most popular and most recognizable athletes in her country. And as you can correctly guess, that put her every move and result under the extra loop.
When Swiatek missed some of the Billie Jean King Cup action, she was heavily criticized by the media back home. Also, the former world No. 1 went through some heavy scrutiny before ending her 13-month title drought at Wimbledon.
Swiatek: Some stuff written about me was weird and ridiculous… I didn't believe people until I read it myself
"Overall, I don't read. I only did when I had, like, two months off from tournaments just because I was kind of bored, and there was a lot of weird things that totally didn't make sense. So I wanted to actually see that because it was so ridiculous that I didn't believe people around me saying that what media wrote. I wanted to have that proof. But besides that, I don't read at all. Doesn't make sense. Sorry, guys," the 24-year-old explained when asked about the Polish press in Montreal.
As mentioned above, Swiatek endured some major criticism during her struggling period as the Polish media heavily speculated reasons behind her dip in results.
After putting up an impressive Wimbledon run and ending her title drought in the best way possible, the current world No. 3 had a message for the Polish media – she ripped their treatment of her as "unpleasant" and asked them to leave her alone.
Meanwhile, Swiatek is also off to a promising start in Montreal, where she will look to extend her winning streak to 10 matches when she takes on Clara Tauson in the round-of-16.
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 1, 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open Facebook
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina slammed ATP scheduling in Toronto.
Dan Evans delivered a stinging wake-up call to the Spaniard in response.
On his Instagram Stories, Evans called out Davidovich Fokina’s “pathetic” griping.
Reposting the Spaniard’s criticism, Evans posted “Wake up and play. The world wakes up and works 9-5 even 8-6. Pathetic.”
The Briton’s blunt response came after Davidovich Fokina, who suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Alex de Minaur in last week’s Washington, DC final, ripped the ATP scheduling his National Bank Open match for 11 a.m.
“Every match starts at 12:30 p.m., except ours, which has been scheduled for 11 a.m.,” Davidovich Fokina wrote on Instagram Stories. “We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means that we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good conditions. We asked for a change, but the answer was that everything was already sold: tickets, TV rights, etc. Once again, it’s clear that the players are not taken into consideration. The ATP always promises they’ll fix things, but nothing ever changes.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 1, 2025 Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Nick Kyrgios’ next career could see him pushing buttons.
In an interview at the Esports World Cup 2025, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this week, Kyrgios confessed his first sports love was not tennis.
Instead, he favored gaming and basketball.
“My passion was basketball and gaming,” said Kyrgios, sporting a black Call of Duty t-shirt during his interview. “To be thrown into a sport where tennis is very clean cut. You know, I’m very rough around the edges and I didn’t really fit the mold for a tennis player. And I really struggled with that early in my career.”
The devoted Boston Celtics fans said he’s spent hours playing Fortnite and Call of Duty. Kyrgios said his gaming compulsion often came at the expense of tennis training and tournament play on the ATP Tour.
The former Australian Open doubles champion said he’s dream of being a professional gamer.
“I would love to be [an esports] player,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve been criticized in my career for not putting enough time on the court. And I’ve missed tournaments and training because I’ve just been gaming purely because I love it and I don’t care.
“The thing about it is like esports continue to grow. You know, it’s always going to evolve, technology’s going to get better, a new game’s going to come out.”
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist shared he dropped “F-Bombs” in front of the Royal Box during his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic, but vowed he’s not going to change his style to fit traditional tennis norms.
“And now it seems I’m a bit more embraced. And I’m glad I’m able to put on a show,” Kyrgios said. “You know, when I played in front of the Royal Box at Wimbledon, I was throwing F-Bombs…
“But look, it’s been a struggle to kind of fit in. But you know now I kind of embrace it. I’m not going to change for anyone and it took me all the way here, so it paid off.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, August 1, 2025 Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Novak Djokovic is kicking in a new investment.
The Grand Slam king has invested in the Le Mans football (soccer) team, Le Mans FC announced today.
Former world No. 1 Djokovic joins Georgios Frangulis, the Brazilian businessman owner of Oakberry best known to tennis fans as Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend, former Formula 1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen and South American sports investment firm OutField as new investors in Le Mans FC.
“Novak Djokovic, tennis legend and the most successful player in history, whose mental strength and unique approach will add considerable value,” Thierry Gomez, Le Mans FC owner and president said in a statement.
“We have to be aware that the economic model of football has changed, with a tightening of the elite and the arrival of new investors,” Le Mans FC owner Gomez said. “To exist in this new context and hope to continue to grow, we have no choice but to adapt, because our ambition remains the same: to fill the stadium and share beautiful emotions together, like in our last match against Versailles.
“That’s why I’m pleased today to announce the arrival of our new financial partner: OutField, the leader in sports investment in Latin America, and Georgios Frangulis, founder and CEO of OakBerry. They have the particularity of being a Brazilian investment fund. You know my love for the game… and who better than the Brazilian team symbolizes, in the world of football, the beautiful game?
“The particularity of this fund also lies in its contribution to high-level athletes. Thus, Novak Djokovic, Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen will be part of the adventure.”
Djokovic, who comes from a family of champion skiers, is also a skilled soccer and basketball player. He’s shared his soccer skills both in pick-up games with fellow pros on the Indian Wells grass and in charity football matches.
The 38-year-old Serbian superstar is also good friends with WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis. During Wimbledon, Sabalenka shared Djokovic has given her advice on coping with the pressures of world No. 1.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion jokingly jabbed Sabalenka in an Instagram post yesterday as he reposted images from his GQ phot shoot captioned “this is how you strike a pose Aryna Sabalenka.”
Alexander Zverev has had a difficult season in 2025, but if we take a step back and look at the body of work of the German, we can see that he’s in the process of putting together a legendary career.
Tennis Express player gear
On Thursday in Toronto the 28-year-old became the fifth active player to record 500 ATP wins with his 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 over Matteo Arnaldi at the National Back Open.
Zverev is the fifth active player to have reached the mark, joining:
Novak Djokovic (1,150)
Marin Cilic (593)
Gael Monfils (583)
Stan Wawrinka (580)
And he’s the third German man to hit 500 wins, along with Boris Becker (713) and Tommy Haas (569).
Alexander Zverev joining an elite group 👏
he becomes the first man born in 1990 or later to record 500 tour-level wins! pic.twitter.com/WzQGsYTyIK
Anastasija Sevastova flipped the script and bounced two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula from the draw on Friday in Montreal, the new mother notching her first Top-10 win since 2020, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The victory is Sevastova’s first Top-5 win since she defeated then-third-ranked Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals at the 2018 US Open.
The 386-ranked Latvian is appearing in Montreal for the first time since 2021 due to maternity leave and an ACL tear to her left knee early in her comeback.
Tennis Express player gear
Today the 35-year-old rallied back for her second career win over Pegula, winning 12 of the final 15 games to book her spot in the round of 16 alongside Naomi Osaka.
Earlier on Friday Osaka raced past Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 6-4.
“It was tough in the first set,” the former World No.11 said. “I didn’t think I played that great. I was down 2-0 in the second set and I started playing better and better. In the third set I played really well.
“Mentally just finding my game in the second set, just trying to stay on court as long as possible, and fighting for every point.”
Pegula, ranked fourth, has now lost three of four since the start of Wimbledon. She drops to 36-14 on the year.
Talking about the importance of the Masters is redundant, as for many it is the most prestigious golf competition in the world. Most golfers are highly motivated to participate in this tournament, fully aware of its importance and prestigious reputation.
Billy Horschel is one of the golfers who has played in this tournament for years, but has never excelled in this tournament.
Fans wondered what was the reason for Horschel's lackluster games, and the experienced golfer revealed what it was all about in an interview with the media.
Billy admits that he feels quite anxious playing in this tournament, admitting that he does not feel comfortable at Augusta National.
“I get excited, I get anxious. The most nervous I ever get is the four tees shots, rounds one, two, three and four at Augusta. That first tee shot is the most nervous I am anywhere, ever.
I was nowhere near as nervous at The open Championship last year at Royal Troon on Sunday when I was leading waiting to tee off as I am at Augusta.
Me and Augusta have never got on very well, I’ve never shot sub-70 there and I just feel like one swing at the wrong time you’re in the worst spot you could possibly be.
I just think the comfort level, I’m not nearly as comfortable on that golf course.”- he said.
Modifications
As a golfer who belongs to the very top, it is clear that he will have to change something in his game, but it seems that it would be even more necessary to have a different mindset when it comes to this tournament.
It is obvious that the strong pressure before this tournament, as well as the expectations, bring negative consequences for Horschel.
In his words, you can feel that Billy has given up on this prestigious competition, which he admits is of great importance.
Defending Canadian Open champion Jessica Pegula is out of the Montreal third round after blowing a big lead and picking up a shock 6-3 4-6 1-6 loss to world No. 386 Anastasija Sevastova.
The American, seeded at No. 3 in Montreal, made a strong start as she claimed breaks in the first and ninth games to routinely take the opening set. Up by a set, the defending champion also won the first two games of the second set.
Leading by a set and a break, Pegula appeared to be heading toward a routine straight-set win. But then, Sevastova responded by stunningly winning the next four games. While the American managed to get the break back and level the set to four games apiece, she lost her serve again in the ninth game as the Latvian went 5-4 up before serving out for a decider in the following game.
After failing to capitalize on her early lead, Pegula's game completely collapsed as the world No. 386 won five games in a row from 1-1 in the third set to complete her shock comeback.
386 – Anastasija Sevastova is the 3rd-lowest ranked since the Tier I/WTA-1000 format's introduction in 1990 to defeat a top-5 in such events
Capriati – Hilton Head 1990 (Unrk.)
Stephens – Toronto 2017 (934)
Sevastova – Montreal 2025 (386)✅
Sevastova collects her first top-10 win since beating Serena Williams & And who is her next Montreal rival?
By beating world No. 4 Pegula, Sevastova – a former world No. 11 – registered her first top-10 win since upsetting Serena Williams in the Billie Jean King Cup.
For a place in the Montreal quarterfinal, Sevastova will play against Naomi Osaka, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko today.
So far, they have met five times and Osaka leads their head-to-head 3-2. However, it should be noted that their last match came more than six years ago during the 2019 Australian Open.
Cameron Smith, once the main face of the PGA Tour, and today a member of LIV Golf, is not excelling this season. It seems that this is the worst season in the career of the experienced Australian, and his performances at Major tournaments this year are especially disappointing.
Smith did not make the cut at any of the 4 Majors, and such performances are sure to cause pessimism among fans.
At one of the press conferences, Cameron shared his frustrations mainly because he worked hard and the results did not come.
However, he does not want to give up his goals, aiming to pick up the pace and be significantly more dominant in the upcoming tournaments.
"I've been working hard and not getting results which isn't a good feeling and kind of ****** to be honest," Smith said, as quoted by Golf Magic.
"But we've got a few more events here before. We're in Chicago and [Indianapolis] before we get to Detroit.
The goal is to finish it off strong and keep working it hard for those three events and then in the off season to have a better one next year.
You're constantly trying to figure stuff out whether you're playing great or bad."
Speculation: Why Cameron Smith isn't as dominant as he once was
Fans are speculating about the reasons for Smith's somewhat lackluster performances. As someone who dominated the PGA Tour and showed signs that he could be at the top of the golf scene, joining LIV Golf has taken his career in a completely different direction.
Some will say the reason is the less competitive nature of LIV Golf, while others will say that Smith is expecting his first child, and it's natural to experience a slight dip at that moment.
His colleagues are emphasizing that the Australian will return to real form and show his dominance.
Either way, the Australian golfer is focused on getting back into the game and trying to lift the trophy in the rest of the season.
Like many times before, Novak Djokovic is expanding his portfolio beyond tennis. The 24-time Major winner became an investor in French Ligue 2 football club Le Mans FC.
The club earned the promotion back to the second division. On Friday, they shared huge news with their fans, announcing Novak as part of a high-profile group led by Brazilian investment firm OutField and former Formula 1 drivers, Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen.
Le Mans was founded in 1985. This year, they are celebrating their 40th anniversary with the arrival of athletes of Djokovic's stature as a strategic asset and a long-term plan.
Djokovic's renowned mental strength and unique mindset should bring value on and off the court. Meanwhile, Massa and Magnussen will bridge football and motorsport, as the little French town stages the most acknowledged endurance race every June.
Racing heritage is already there, and football should join in the upcoming years if everything develops as planned. Novak continues to pursue tennis history at 38, still feeling the old desire to chase notable titles.
However, his latest move marks a new venture into football ownership. Le Mans FC kicks off its Ligue 2 season on August 9, and the investment underscores a broader trend of elite athletes diversifying their impact beyond their primary careers.
Novak is a massive football fan. He enjoys watching matches whenever he can, in Belgrade or worldwide. We have also seen him in various charity matches with his colleagues and other athletes.
Now, the time has come to take that admiration to another level and open the new realm of football ownership. Novak should watch the start of Ligue 2 from Cincinnati if he enters the seventh Masters 1000 of the season.
Rickie Fowler is playing at this week's Wyndham Championship, and many eyes are on him and his performance. The famous golfer has not been in great shape for years, and although some speculated that Fowler could make a breakthrough this season, it seems that Fowler has a lot of problems.
In an interview with the media, the American golfer sent messages of reason, believing that he is far from his game.
Rickie is not sure that he has done much to deserve to be part of the team, but he hopes to be at least a little more dominant in the coming weeks.
“I would say that I am definitely outside of consideration right now,” Fowler said. “There is still time to plead my case, but going back to executing, I need to go and play some good golf, and I need a really good stretch these next few weeks.
The team will be fine with or without me, but I haven’t quite done much of anything to say that I should be there. But it would be fun to go on a little run and see if that maybe sparks anyone’s interest.
But if we can’t, it’s part of it. You don’t make all of them. But they are fun to be a part of, and we will see if we can give ourselves a shot at it.”- Fowler concluded, as quoted by the Golfing Gazette.
What will happen?
It is hard to imagine that Rickie can be close to the US Ryder Cup, and it would take a miracle to perform at Bethpage Black.
Rickie would probably have to celebrate at the next three events, but his only hope is Keegan Bradley, captain of the US team, whose pick could be Fowler.
Fans are skeptical about it, but it is clear that Rickie certainly does not have serious expectations regarding the Ryder Cup.
Alcanada is one of those courses that lingers in your memory. Not just for the view of the lighthouse or the perfectly manicured grass, but for that feeling you get when you're on a course truly designed for golf. I played it during my golf trip to Mallorca, and I can tell you it was a memorable experience.
Mallorca, news
The course is located in the northeast of the island, a few kilometers from Alcúdia, directly overlooking the Mediterranean. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course unfolds naturally among hills, pine trees, olive trees, and picture-perfect sea views. But don't be fooled by its beauty: the layout is technical, requires precise choices, and changes depending on the wind.
A course that changes: up and down towards the sea
My experience began on the first nine holes, which unfold on hilly terrain. Here, the course rises and falls between natural slopes, narrow doglegs, and blind tee shots that force you to trust your shot. The surrounding vegetation gives you a sense of intimacy, but every now and then it opens up and allows a glimpse of the sea, foreshadowing what's to come.
The back nine are a different story. The course begins to curve toward the coast, and the protagonist becomes the Alcanada lighthouse, looming between the holes like a fixed landmark. The landscape opens up, the wind becomes more present, and each hole begins to interact with the Mediterranean.
It is precisely on these holes that important pages of European golf are written: since 2019, Alcanada has been the official host of the Challenge Tour Grand Final, the final event of the season. The best players on the circuit compete here, battling for promotion to the DP World Tour. It's a crucial stage, in a spectacular and challenging setting: fast greens, meticulously planned flag positions, and the pressure of those playing for their future.
Of all the holes, there are a few that have truly remained in my heart:
Hole 3 – A par 4 that seems easy, but isn't
A short par 4 that doesn't seem intimidating… but it doesn't take much to complicate your life. The tee shot is blind, and the fairway slopes slightly, with lateral bunkers ready to punish overshots. I tried to be conservative to leave a comfortable second shot, but the green is well-defended and unforgiving with hidden slopes. It's one of those holes where you need more brains than strength.
Hole 7 – The picture-perfect par 5
Here, I really slowed down to enjoy the view. From the tee, the view of the ocean and the lighthouse is breathtaking. The fairway slopes gently toward the green, squeezed between bunkers and Mediterranean scrub. The opening shot must be well-placed to avoid the bunker in the middle of the fairway, and the second shot—if you decide to attack—requires courage. The surrounding scenery is so captivating, you almost forget about your score.
Hole 11 – Pure Strategy
Another par 5, another story. This hole is long and tricky, with a narrow, sloping fairway. Every shot must be considered: the ball's position on the third shot greatly affects the entry to the green, which is well protected by a side bunker. The lighthouse in the background is an incredible constant on the back nine.
Hole 13 – The signature hole of Golf Alcanada
This is the course's signature hole, the one that alone is worth the trip. A downhill par 5, with the Alcanada lighthouse perfectly aligned before you and a breathtaking, open view of the blue Mediterranean. The tee shot is both spectacular and technical: I took the driver and managed to land in the center of the fairway, edging past the bunker placed right there to make you think twice.
From that point on, you enjoy a hole that embodies all the charm of this course: clean lines, nature as the protagonist, and a well-defended green that forces you to think until the very last shot. If there's one moment I'll take home from this experience, it's this tee shot.
Hole 17 – an Open-level par 3
Almost at the end of the round, Alcanada pulls off a masterstroke. The 17th is a 194-meter par 3 with the sea on the left and a green protected by well-placed bunkers. The wind, as often happens here, is unforgiving.
Holger Rune was mentioned during the Coco Gauff and Veronika Kudermetova Montreal match after a Tennis Channel commentator brought up the Russian tennis player's recent claim that the Dane slid into her Instagram DM.
Prior to the start of the Canadian Open, one of the things that made the headlines in the tennis world was an interesting but also fun one – during a recent podcast appearance, 28-year-old Kudermetova shared that Rune tried shooting his shot with her. According to the 42nd-ranked WTA player, she only pointed out to the Dane that she was married.
"Rune recently texted me. I told him, 'Boy, I'm probably too old for you. If you looked at my Instagram, you’d see I have a husband.' He replied, 'Oh, sorry.' After that, he stopped saying hi to me," the Russian tennis player said.
A commentator brings up Kudermetova's Rune revelation live on air
On Thursday, the world No. 42 took on Gauff in the Montreal third round. And right at the start of the second game, one Tennis Channel commentator brought up the news that recently made all the headlines.
“I don’t know if you heard about this tea… not tennis related, but there was news that Holger Rune apparently texted Kudermetova, and she said she was too old for him and married," a Tennis Channel commentator told her colleague on air.
The commentators during this Coco Gauff and Kudermetova match:
“I don’t know if you heard about this tea… not tennis related, but there was news that Holger Rune apparently texted Kudermetova, and she said she was too old for him and married” 💀💀💀
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 31, 2025
Unfortunately for the Russian, what looked like a big day for her ended in disappointment after she allowed Gauff to come back from a set and a break down and win 4-6 7-5 6-2.
Meanwhile, the ninth-ranked Dane has been through to the Toronto Masters round-of-16, where he plays Alexei Popyrin.
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, July 31, 2025 Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
The Montreal service line loomed like a fault line and Coco Gauff was blowing herself up.
The top-seeded Gauff coughed up 14 double faults but turned an early implosion into an inspirational ending playing her most dynamic tennis in the final set.
Gauff shook off a seven game spiral, surging back to score a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Veronika Kudermetova to battle into the Montreal round of 16 today.
Tennis Express player gear
Down a set and a break, Roland Garros champion Gauff successfully fought off her own sloppy serving and shotmaker Kudermetova and will face either Canadian wild card Victoria Mboko or Czech Marie Bouzkova for a quarterfinal spot.
“I mean the goal is to survive and advance—we all know it’s not my best but it’s good enough for today,” Gauff said. “Mentally, I’m very proud of myself. There’s obviously parts of my game I’m working on, one of them being the serve…I look forward to the future when I’m feeling my best hopeful it’s a little bit easier.”
Through two rounds, Gauff has clanked an unsightly 37 double faults yet she’s reinforced her reputation for resilience raising her 2025 three-set record to 9-1 today.
The two-time Grand Slam champion has the ability to compartmentalize serve struggles, shirk stretches of shoddy play and fight furiously with the match on the line. The question is: Can Gauff pick up her serving as she progresses, and the competition intensifies? The good news, Gauff said, is she’s finding ways to win with her service game “on a crutch.”
“I mean, there’s positives and there’s negatives,” Gauff told the media in Montreal. “Obviously I am so disappointed in myself when it comes to that part of the game just because I didn’t play D.C. to work on that and made changes to that and doing well in practice and serving really well in practice. Yeah, so I just would like for it to transfer to the match.
“It does give positives that, okay, I’m winning these matches having literally like one part of my game on a crutch. So it’s like if I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it would be a lot more straightforward and a lot more easier for me.”
Gauff committed 23 double faults—nearly a full set of doubles—in her opener vs. Danielle Collins yet still squeezed out a 7-5, 4-6 7-6(2) victory relying on her grit and legs to get it done in two hours, 56 minutes.
The normally feisty Collins’ continuously dropping her Tecnifibre racquet to the court in a show of physical frustration that certainly didn’t help her cause. Gauff kept calm despite the deluge of double faults and dug out a third-set tiebreaker, improving to 11-2 lifetime in third-set tiebreakers.
Today, the world No. 2 jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Soon the double fault ghosts haunted Gauff again. Part of the problem today is Gauff sometimes chased her ball toss and was hitting a hybrid kick-slice serve in the opening set: She wasn’t getting the pronation to bring the kick back down in the court but wasn’t slicing the serve severely enough to control it either.
Three double faults in the ninth game saw Gauff gift the break and a 5-4 lead to Kudermetova. If you’re Gauff—or her coaches—you might just want to hit some hard slice serves right into the body in those moments to sustain the racquet acceleration while getting enough net clearance to bring the ball down into the box.
Kudermetova cracked the wide serve on the deuce side to create space. When Kudermetova cranked an inside-out forehand winner she snatched the opening set exploiting seven double faults from Gauff.
From 1-4 down, Kudermetova tore through seven straight games building a 6-4, 2-0 lead.
Empowered by her run to the Wimbledon doubles championship earlier this month, Kudermetova held a break point to go up 4-1, but Gauff denied it. Gauff spun a forehand down the line followed by a backhand strike down the opposite sideline to hold for 2-3.
Striking her forehand with more conviction, Gauff drilled a diagonal forehand winner to break back and level six games into the second set.
Many players resort to the slice forehand when pushed wide on the stretch to extend the point. At times today, Gauff opted to hit slice forehands on balls right down the middle when she had time to set up and hit her traditional topspin forehand. You wonder why she doesn’t take the short preparation steps, create space between her body and the ball and rip some of those forehands just to get her groove going on that wing.
Deadlocked at 5-all, the second set turned on a series of close calls. Gauff badly botched a forehand sitter from nearly right on top of the net choosing to slice her forehand rather than hit it to face a break point.
Surprising the Russian with the drop shot, Gauff got away with it when Kudermetova caught up to the ball but shoveled her forehand out. Given new life, Gauff hammered a wide ace then jolted her opponent backward with a body serve digging through a tough hold for 6-5.
Knowing Gauff’s backhand is her more stable wing, Kudermetova inexplicably played the American’s backhand wing and paid the price as Gauff gained double set point in the 12th game. Kudermetova saved the first set point, but again challenged the Gauff backhand and netted a high backhand volley.
Playing from behind for most of the set, a gritty Gauff broke to force a final set after one hour, 56 minutes.
You can question Gauff’s serve and her sometime flaky forehand, but she is unquestionably one of the toughest competitors on the WTA Tour. After scraping into a third set, Gauff elevated soaring through eight straight points to open the final set. Gauff slashed a forehand crosscourt winner extending to 3-0. Kudermetova, who was sometimes barking at her husband and coach Sergey Demekhine by then, rapidly ran out of answers.
Reading the Russian’s wide serve on the deuce side, Gauff hit some of her finest forehand returns in that final set. A match that saw Gauff dump 14 double faults ended with Kudermetova hitting her first double fault.
Watching Gauff through the first two rounds of Montreal is a bit like watching a sprinter stack her own lane with hurdles right before the race yet still manage to overcome all obstacles and cross the finish line first.
“My energy level is there. I’m not quite at the point where these matches tire me out physically,” Gauff said of winning successive three-setters. “Yeah, I was training in Florida for three weeks having, like, three-, three-and-a-half-hour practices, plus fitness in 90-degree weather with humidity. So it doesn’t feel as long as it is said, but I would love to get these matches under the two-hour mark, but if that’s what it takes, I’m here to be out here.”
Earlier, Marta Kostyuk rose from a dramatic fall out-dueling Daria Kasatkina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) in a match highlighted by one of the craziest points of the tournament.
Two points into the tiebreaker, Kostyuk slipped and fell behind the baseline, dropped her racquet, picked it up extended the point with a forehand and eventually won the point after climbing off the court.
Kostyuk converted seven of 11 break points and exploited 11 double faults from Kasatkina for her second straight three-set win.
The 24th-seeded Ukranian will face next American McCartney Kessler.
The 28th-seeded Kessler conquered fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-6(5), 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas continues to search for answers as his difficult season rolls on. The Greek ended his brief collaboration with Goran Ivanisevic after two tournaments, returning to a more familiar setup with his father, Apostolo, as head coach.
However, the change has not provided the desired results, at least not in Toronto. World no. 30 lost in the second round to Christopher O'Connell 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and one minutes.
Thus, Stefanos extended a concerning trend: he has not managed to win back-to-back ATP matches since the ATP 500 event in Barcelona in April. For the moment, he remains in the top-30, although that may change quickly.
🇦🇺 Chris O’Connell with the first break of the match vs. 🇬🇷 Stefanos Tsitsipas (23) followed by a hold has him a game away from the opening set at 5-3 – Toronto R64
The most recent loss at the sixth Masters 1000 event of the season further highlights the ongoing challenges Stefanos is facing. Despite efforts to reset his team and regain momentum, the Greek is playing miles below his best.
Tsitsipas worked with Ivanisevic during two early exits in Halle and Wimbledon. The question lingered about his openness to bring necessary changes and integrate new coaching voices.
While Goran could not stay his coach following his remarks about Stefanos' lack of will and his terrible physical shape, many questioned his decision to reunite with his father, as they had issues before.
Tsitsipas will seek deeper runs in Cincinnati and New York, although it remains unclear how much can he offer with low confidence and ongoing back issues that threaten to end his career way before the 30th birthday.
Stefanos and Christopher struggled to find the first serve. The Greek stayed behind his rival on the second serve and gave serve away four times, three in the decider. The Aussie denied six of eight break points and sent the 2018 runner-up packing.
Pam Shriver is not ruling out the possibility of Emma Raducanu winning a Grand Slam once again as the 1978 US Open runner-up suggests that if a player has done it once, they certainly have the mindset to do it at least one more time.
How the British tennis player became a Grand Slam winner in a historic way and the criticism she faced after failing to keep up with the same level in the aftermath of her win is well-documented.
Last week, Raducanu came very close to making her first final of any sort since the 2022 US Open. Sadly for the 22-year-old, she fell just short in her bid after Anna Kalinskaya handed her a 6-4 6-3 loss in the Washington semifinal.
Overall, Raducanu is 23-15 this year and ranked at No. 33 in the world. Over the past year, the Briton has improved certain areas in her game – she has managed to stay healthier – and it is positively reflecting on her results. However, she still remains without a really big result or something that could propel her to the top of the game.
While Shriver – who has one Grand Slam final on her resume and multiple semifinals – acknowledges that Raducanu's results haven't been the best for the past four years, she still believes it is possible for the 22-year-old to lift a Grand Slam glory.
Shriver on Raducanu's future Slam chances
"Obviously, in the last say three and a half years, four years she’s kind of fallen back into kind of like a solid player with some good results during the year. But if you just took her resume, take that US Open out, that one tournament out, you would probably say no she’s not going to win one. She might have some quarterfinals, semifinals, but when you know that somebody’s had the mindset to do it once you always think sure, they can do it again," Shriver said on Talking Tennis.
Last year, Raducanu confidently said in one of her interviews that she was "going to win Wimbledon one day."
This year, the British tennis player had a third-round outings at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while she exited the French Open in the second round.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has publicly criticized the ATP for what he sees as unfair and inconsiderate scheduling. The Spaniard expressed frustration after being assigned an 11:00 a.m. match at the Canada Masters in Toronto.
The recently-crowned top-20 player will open Friday's action alongside Jakub Mensik, an hour and a half earlier that all other matches that day, which are scheduled to begin at 12:30 or later!
Staying an hour away from the tournament venue, Alejandro emphasized the difficulty of preparing properly under such conditions. Davidovich Fokina's attempts to adjust the schedule were rejected.
La volea de todos los tiempos, cortesía de Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The ATP cited tickets, TV rights and other logistical factors that prevent them from changing the schedule. The Spaniard argued that player well-being continues to be ignored, stating they are not taken into consideration.
The Washington finalist pointed out the inconsistency in scheduling, highlighting that he and his rival have to start the match at 11:00 while there are many courts available to make the schedule more even and flexible.
In a strong closing lines of his statement, Alejandro claimed the ATP regularly makes empty promises to fix issues. However, they remain only on paper, as nothing ever changes.
His post offers a rare glimpse into the frustrations competitors face behind the scenes and major stadiums, admitting it's not as great at t looks from the outside!
Alejandro wasted three match points against Alex de Minaur in a heartbreaking Washington final. The Spaniard cracked the top-20 with those points and defeated Corentin Moutet in the first match in Toronto.
Davidovich Fokina will seek his spot in the last 16 against the Miami Open champion, Jakub Mensik.
"Today, I want to share my disappointment and frustration with ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30 except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00.
We are staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. We have asked for a change, but the answer was that everything has already been sold, including tickets and TV rights.
Once again, it's clear that players are not taken into consideration. Today, it happens to others, tomorrow it's me, and from the day after, all matches return to 12:30. There are plenty of available courts, and yet we are the only ones playing at 11:00.
The ATP always promises they will fix things, but nothing ever changes. This is not the first time it has happened, and when you are inside, you realize it's not as great as it looks from the outside," Alejandro Davidovich Fokina wrote.
Joel Dahmen, a 37-year-old US player, has a serious challenge ahead of him, as he wants to qualify for the PGA Tour playoffs. The seasoned golfer had an impressive day, finishing the round with three consecutive birdies for a 9-under 61.
The American golfer has a one-shot lead over Alex Noren.
The popular golfer is motivated to jump another step in his career, aware that the first 70 on the FexExCup list will have many privileges.
After the end of the first round, the experienced golfer shared positive emoticons, aware of what such a great result would bring him.
Joel Dahmen's ambitions
However, Dahmen does not want to focus too much on the next days or think about the result, as he wants to primarily play a great tournament.
“I mean, I've had like three top twos in my career — I don't know, four of them, maybe? I mean, it's not even a thing, right? Yeah, great to make the Playoffs, that would be unbelievable, give me a lot of time off this fall. We’ve got a baby coming so that would take some pressure off of that.
The Playoffs are a bonus for me. I’m just going to go out and try to play good golf, and I guess if I play really well, then I get to play another week.”- he concluded, as quoted by the PGA Tour.
The first 50 after the first Playoff tournament will have a guaranteed entry into all Signature events worth 20 million dollars, and there are many who have a strong motive to reach such a position.
This tournament also brought disappointment for some more experienced names, but today they will have the opportunity to improve their impression.
It will be interesting to follow Dahmen and see if he can really maintain his leadership position at one of the important PGA tournaments.
Charlie Woods is a golfer who has been filling the covers of golf magazines for days, even though he still competes in junior tournaments. Before the start of the last tournament, the 16-year-old golfer had strong ambitions to win a place in the junior Ryder Cup team, and it seems that he is well on his way to that.
With an impressive performance on the Ackerman-Allen course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex, the teenager finished in second place with a score of 12 under par, totaling 202.
While on the one hand, he will have an extremely difficult task to dethrone Lunden Esterline, who has a seven-shot advantage, it seems that the 16-year-old is not burdened by it.
Although he is still a young golfer who lacks the necessary experience, there is no doubt that Tiger was an important figure in shaping his personality. This is also the reason why many expect calmness and focus from Charlie in the final round.
Ryder Cup place
The players are strongly motivated when it comes to these tournaments, as the first two in this tournament get an automatic spot in the Junior Ryder Cup team.
It seems that the young golfer is on the right track, but it will be necessary for him to show his superiority even during the last day.
The final round could bring pressure for Charlie Woods, but there is no doubt that the young golfer has the techniques and methods to deal with it. The stakes are high, and moments like these can serve as a powerful way to silence the critics and gain additional self-confidence.
It’s interesting that the young golfer is accompanied by Tiger Woods, who will surely have valuable advice for his son as he prepares to step into the professional waters.
It is clear that Charlie's every step is under scrutiny, mostly because of his father, and whether this will be a hindering factor for him in his career remains to be seen.
All eyes are focused on this tournament and the 16-year-old who wants to take an important step.
Coco Gauff admits she is disappointed in herself when it comes to her serving display in Montreal but also adds she is happy with the fact that so far she has managed to find ways to win ugly.
In the Montreal third round, the American – who is seeded at No. 1 in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka – sprayed 14 double faults against Veronika Kudermetova and she was down by a set and a break at one point. With her back turned against the wall and her serve not working, the two-time Grand Slam champion pulled off a big second-set comeback – gradually improved her serve as the match went on – and avoided a shock loss by beating world No. 42 Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.
Gauff, who had a first-round bye, also double-faulted 23 times during her opening Montreal win over Danielle Collins – that makes it 37 double faults across two matches played at the Canadian Open.
Gauff: I'm disappointed in myself when it comes to the serve part
"Yeah, I mean, there's positives and there's negatives. Obviously, I am so disappointed in myself when it comes to that part of the game just because I didn't play DC to work on that and made changes to that and doing well in practice and serving really well in practice. Yeah, so I just would like for it to transfer to the match. It does give positives that," the top seed said.
"'Okay, I'm winning these matches having literally like one part of my game on a crutch.' So it's like if I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it would be a lot more straightforward and a lot more easier for me."
Gauff plays next against rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko. They met three months ago in Rome for the first time and the American was tested by the world No. 85 before coming back to win 3-6 6-2 6-1.
Gauff is evidently not happy with how she has served so far in Montreal and she will definitely emphasize doing much better in that department against Mboko.
Dan Evans had no sympathy at all for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and his issues at the Toronto Masters, ripping his complaints about an early match schedule as "pathetic."
While Thursday action was ongoing in Toronto, the tournament organizers released their schedule for the next day.
And Davidovich Fokina, who is seeded at No. 20 and slated to play Jakub Mensik in the third round, wasn't happy a bit after seeing that his clash was scheduled for 11 AM local time – which is the earliest possible match schedule. The 26-year-old Spaniard took to social media to blast the ATP authorities.
“Today I want to share my disappointment and frustration with the ATP. Tomorrow, every match starts at 12:30, except ours, which has been scheduled at 11:00. We’re staying one hour away from the club, which means we have to wake up extremely early to arrive in good condition. The ATP always promises they’ll fix things, but nothing ever changes. This isn’t the first time it happens, and when you’re inside, you realize that it is not as great as it looks from the outside," Davidovich Fokina wrote in the message.
Evans on Davidovich Fokina complaining about getting up very early: Pathetic
Evans, who is nine years older than Davidovich Fokina, literally had zero sympathy for the Spanish tennis player. Reacting to it through his Instagram account, the 35-year-old Briton pretty much told the 26-year-old he is in a privileged position and still complains.
“Wake up and play. The world wakes up and works 9-5, even 8-6. Pathetic," Evans wrote.
This is not the first time that Evans has blasted players' complaints about the tennis schedule and calendar. In one of his interviews conducted earlier this summer, the two-time ATP champion suggested that some of his colleagues are hypocrites because they want to earn as much as possible but still complain about playing a lot.
Meanwhile, Evans played at the Lexington Challenger this week, where he lost to Michael Zheng in the round-of-16. The 35-year-old has already appeared in 21 tournaments this year.
