Emma Raducanu is out of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal after being crushed 2-6 1-6 by Amanda Anisimova, while Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to nine matches after making light work of Eva Lys 6-2 6-2.
Anisimova, who was beaten by Raducanu earlier this year at the Australian Open and Miami, came out determined to make a statement early on and she did so by breaking the Briton three times in the opening set. The second set was a similar story as the fifth-seeded American took the opening five games before serving out for the win in the seventh game.
In the Swiatek and Lys match, there wasn't any drama as the six-time Grand Slam champion got the job done routinely by claiming two breaks in each set. It was a clinical performance from the Polish tennis star, who faced only one break and saved it.
In the Montreal round-of-16, Anisimova will battle against Elina Svitolina, who beat Anna Kalinskaya. On the other side, Swiatek will fight against Clara Tauson – the same rival she beat en route to winning Wimbledon.
Swiatek's reaction to beating Lys
Going into their Montreal meeting, Swiatek and Lys had met twice and the Pole won both of those meetings – 6-1 6-1 in 2022 Stuttgart, 6-0 6-1 at this year's Australian Open. While the Pole gave no chance to Lys again, she insisted that it wasn't really an easy match.
“It’s always fun here. It was a solid match so I’m happy to have a chance to play another one here. The match was different from how we played each other last time. I just focused on myself and knew what my plan was, but Eva played some great down-the-lines and sometimes was really able to use her wrist and play some fast balls. It wasn’t easy, but I’m happy I just did my job," Swiatek said after her win.
Former three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport says it is "unbelievable" that Coco Gauff has been winning matches in Montreal so far this week with her "C-level tennis."
So far, Gauff is two out of two at this year's Canadian Open. But both of her opening two matches were an absolute slugfest. Against Danielle Collins, the top seed sprayed a shocking 23 double faults and 74 unforced errors but still won 7-5 4-6 7-6 (2). In her following match, the two-time Grand Slam winner was down by a set a break – she fired 14 double faults – but somehow still found a way to beat Veronika Kudermetova 4-6 7-5 6-2.
As you could notice, Gauff's serving has been disastrous this week. But the top-seeded American is still alive and set to fight against Victoria Mboko for a place in the Montreal quarterfinal.
Davenport on Gauff's display in Montreal: Unbelievable she wins with her C-level tennis
“It was interesting she kept looking down at her grip when she was serving. It looked like they were trying to make some changes with the serve. She was not comfortable with it yet. It looks like they know it’s a problem and she didn’t have the confidence with it last night. Her toss was all over the place. But she still wins. It’s unbelievable her ability to figure out ways to win when she is playing, honestly, C-level tennis out there. She did a fantastic job managing her emotions," Davenport said on Tennis Channel.
Gauff's serving issues have been a major topic for the past two years. At times, the 21-year-old serves better consistently and that's when she usually does well. However, there are also periods when she simply can't catch any rhythm on her serve and that usually leads to some shock losses.
In Montreal, Gauff twice avoided picking a surprise defeat. It remains to be seen how she plays against Mboko.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Andrey Rublev is trying to turn his season and career around in recent times, having made the decision to hire Marat Safin as his new coach after going through a very negative period.
The Russian ace has a lot of points to defend at the 'Canadian Open' – which is taking place in Toronto right now – having reached the final in Montreal last year. The champion from Moscow can take advantage of the fact that numerous top players have decided not to participate in the prestigious Canadian tournament in this edition, preferring to recharge their batteries in view of the US Open scheduled for the end of the summer.
Without Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper – all absent for various reasons – Rublev can really try to achieve an exceptional result in Ontario, which would allow him to regain a lot of confidence in view of the last Grand Slam of the season. Last year's finalist had a strong debut in Toronto, where he defeated French star Hugo Gaston in straight sets.
Rublev opens up on Safin
During his press conference, he explained that the conditions are very different between Toronto and Montreal: "The courts are very fast here, the ball slips and it's not easy to control the shots. The situation is totally different from Montreal, where the surface is slower and the rallies are much longer. The conditions in Toronto are tougher in my opinion."
Rublev seems more confident and confident since Safin became his mentor and it is no coincidence that he put in excellent performances at the Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the round of 16 losing to Carlitos Alcaraz at the end of a hard-fought match (the Russian had won the first set, before suffering the comeback of the Spanish champion).
Andrey explained that Marat's presence in New York is not yet certain: "We hope he can be with me at the US Open, but it is not certain that he will be able to get his visa in time. If he doesn't succeed, we'll have to wait for the tournaments in Asia."
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025 Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
Gael Monfils reached down to touch the Toronto baseline signaling he’d reached the end of the line at the National Bank Open.
The 38-year-old Frenchman failed to convert match points bowing to Chilean qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3) in Toronto on Sunday.
Tennis Express player gear
Afterward, a disconsolate Monfils said his first-round exit was his final Toronto appearance.
“It was the last time I play in Toronto, for sure, yeah,” Monfils told the media in Toronto.
The National Bank Open alternates between Toronto and Montreal each year. Monfils will be 40 years old when the tournament returns to Toronto in 2027 and he made it clear he won’t be competing.
“There’s no explanation, you know, it’s the last one,” Monfils said. “It will be two years to play in Toronto, so pretty much I won’t be able to play it. Obviously I think the next one is too old for me, so I think it was the last time I play here.
“So, you know, I actually thought at the end, and I was like, Well, I think it’s, unfortunately, but the last time I think I would play here.”
Monfils opened the 2025 season winning his 13th career title in Auckland and went on to reach the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Since then, he’s posted a 9-11 record with opening exits in four of his last five events.
A two-time semifinalist at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada, Monfils reached the Toronto quarterfinals two years ago pushing Jannik Sinner to three sets. The end of his opener on Sunday marked the end of an era.
“In Toronto, I think I played a semifinal here, had a great year here, great run,” Monfils said. “I remember a great match against Milos, a few other great matches here. Even two years ago I played quarterfinal with Jannik, it was a quite high level. But then it was too far.
“I remember I think I played Radek Stepanek, it was quite fun. I mean, I had fun matches in Toronto since I played here. So, it’s something, but at the end of the day, you know, it is natural and normal.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025 Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Naomi Osaka didn’t waste time moving on from ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
Former world No. 1 Osaka will begin working with Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski, Iga Swiatek’s ex-coach, on a trial basis starting in Montreal this week.
It’s a case of trading coaches as Swiatek currently works with Osaka’s ex-coach Wim Fissette.
Under Coach Wiktorowski’s guidance, Swiatek captured four of her six Grand Slam titles. The pair parted in October of 2024 with Swiatek subsequently hiring Osaka’s ex-coach. Though Swiatek did not defend her Roland Garros championship, she made history as the first Polish player to win Wimbledon crushing Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, in The Championships final earlier this month.
Swiatek commenced her run with Wiktorowski at the end of the 2021 season. The pair captured four of Swiatek’s Grand Slam titles during their three-year partnership, and logged 19 of Swiatek’s 22 career titles. She was previously coached by Piotr Sierzputowski, and the pair won Roland-Garros together in 2020.
“Coach Wiktorowski joined my team for three seasons, when I strongly needed changes and a fresh approach to my game,” Swiatek said after splitting wtih the Polish coach. “His experience, analytical and strategic attitude and enormous knowledge about tennis helped us to achieve things I’ve never dreamed of only a few months after we started working together.
Tennis Express player gear
“Our main goal was to become No.1 player in the world and coach Wiktorowski was the one who said it first. We aimed very high, we headed to every tournament with a clear goal to win it. Together with coach Wiktorowski we won many tournaments and 4 Grand Slams.”
Naomi Osaka prepares for her opening match later today ✨
— Omnium Banque Nationale (@OBNmontreal) July 28, 2025
Osaka announced her split from Patrick Mouratoglou, who coached her for nearly 11 months, over the weekend.
“Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you,” Osaka posted on Instagram. “Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 28, 2025 Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty
A hometown farewell ignite fire in Genie Bouchard.
Playing the final tournament of her career before her home fans in Montreal, Bouchard turned back time with a rousing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over world No. 82 Emiliana Arango.
Attacking relentlessly, the Canadian wild card rode a wave of energy from Montreal fans to score her first main-draw Tour-level win in more than two years.
“I always knew, of course, if I lost, it would be the last one be, but as soon as I got on the court, I really tried to take it like a regular match and really emphasize, like, the focus and just telling myself what I wanted to do each point,” Bouchard said afterward. “I’m blocking out all the kind of consequences, and I’m, like, Okay, I’ll deal with all that stuff after, let me just play tennis and enjoy the toughness of what playing a WTA match is, because it’s tough out there.”
Tennis Express player gear
A physical three-set win required resilience from Bouchard, who handed Arango her first three-set defeat of the season.
Former world No. 5 Bouchard said her performance was a balancing act of savoring the physical pain while drawing on the pleasure and inspiration of Montreal fans exhorting her on nearly every point.
“You know, you have to kind of enjoy that pain, and so I did,” Bouchard said. “Then the crowd really was helpful in terms of motivating me and giving me energy, but at the same time, it’s almost– it can be a point where it’s almost so much that it can help me — it can make me lose my focus or I don’t want to get kind of too kind of excited or too high because you still have the rest of the match to play. So there were definitely moments where I had to kind of almost block out the noise and just pretend it was a normal point that just happened and just keep going because the crowd was very loud out there, and I really, really appreciated it.”
Refusing to surrender, Bouchard extended her career for at least one more match. The former Wimbledon finalist will face 2025 Wimbledon semifinalist and 2015 Canadian Masters champion Belinda Bencic next.
“She’s obviously a great player. It’s funny, I played here in Toronto ten years ago, and then she ended up winning the tournament,” Bouchard said of Bencic. “So, yeah, I know it will be a crazy tough match. I’ll probably do stuff in practice tomorrow, kind of thinking about playing against her. She loves to take it early, change direction. So I’ve had some battles against her, so I’m looking forward to it.”
By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
Bianca Andreescu won a clash of major champions, but lost a health battle in the process.
The 2019 US Open champion suffered turn ankle ligaments at the very end of her 6-3, 6-4 victory over 2024 Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova in Montreal on Sunday. Despite injuring her ankle, Andreescu, operating on adrenaline, managed to play a couple more points to score her first WTA main-draw win since ‘s-Hertogenbosch on grass last month.
Tennis Express player gear
The injury forced Andreescu to withdraw from the National Bank Open before her scheduled showdown with Mirra Andreeva today.
Beset by a litany of injury in recent years, Andreescu said she has to laugh to keep from going crazy.
“All I could think about is, honestly, like why, again?” Andreescu told the media in Montreal. “I think I even screamed out, “Why does this keep happening to me?” Yeah, just a bunch of emotions. I was super overwhelmed obviously playing in front of home crowd. Winning the match, right?
“It was match point for me, and it was just crazy. It was crazy. I started laughing at one point because, honestly, at this point it’s laughable. For me it’s just crazy. It’s crazy. I’m trying to stay positive, but it’s getting really tough. It’s getting really tough.”
Currently ranked No. 187, Andreescu said she hopes to recover in time to play Cincinnati, but isn’t sure her ankle will heal fast enough to permit her to play in the Queen City.
“Taking it day by day, but obviously the ligaments are a little bit torn, so that takes time,” Andreescu said. “So it’s kind of a day-to-day thing. I’m hoping to be ready for Cincinnati, but yeah, we don’t know. Can’t say.”
The 25-year-old Canadian’s US Open hopes will be in doubt if she doesn’t recover in time for Cincinnati and has to play qualifying in Flushing Meadows. A year ago, Andreescu pushed Wimbledon finalist and seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini to 6-4 in the third set in a US Open first-round loss.
While Andreescu concedes her injury woes have caused her to contemplate an early retirement, she said she loves the sport and views injury issues as a test she’s determined to pass.
“On my bad days, which yesterday definitely was a very bad day for me, I definitely had different thoughts running through my head, but at the end of the day, I know that I truly love this sport,” Andreescu said. “It’s given me so much, and the emotions that I get from – just an example, last night was incredible being able to play in front of my home crowd and actually win and finish the match off, even though I was still hurt.
“If you are talking about retirement or whatever… I don’t know. Just because obviously I’ve thought about that too, but no, like, this for me, my goals are still set. Yes, I’m going to have bad days, but I know my goals, and I know what I want to accomplish in this sport.
“So yeah, all I have to do is do my best, and I know that we didn’t do anything wrong. Yeah, I guess, I don’t know, it just happened. The universe just keeps testing me, but I know it’s going to make me stronger.”
Leylah Fernandez is revealing what she considers a red flag ahead of her first date and that's seeing a person using "a lot of slang."
10 days ago, the 2021 US Open champion candidly admitted to never being on a date and asked potential suitors to slide into her Instagram DM for a potential date in Montreal. While competing in Washington, the 22-year-old funnily told interested individuals to feel safe to reach out to her because it was not true that her father/coach Jorge was "unwelcoming."
After winning the WTA 500 tournament in Washington, Fernandez arrived in Montreal – the place where she should have her first date. During an appearance on Tennis Channel, the panel touched on the subject and asked the Canadian to reveal what she would consider a red flag in a date.
"I think the No. 1 red flag for me is… There's a lot of slang in the message. For me, it's not very… I don't like to say proper but it's not easy to understand," Fernandez said.
After beating Anna Kalinskaya in the Washington final, the world No. 24 shared that she had found herself a date for Montreal. However, she also added that since she would arrive late to Montreal, she would likely push back the date.
"Honestly, I told my date that we might have to push it back a little bit because I'm still in DC. So, hopefully, maybe at the end of Montreal, I get to have that date finally, but we've been talking and keeping in touch to hopefully schedule it at the end of Montreal before going to Cincy," Fernandez said.
Since the 22-year-old lost in the Montreal first round on Tuesday, her date might come in the next day or so.
Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins delivered an error-strewn display in Montreal but it was the No. 1 seed who managed to come out on top and clinch a narrow 7-5 4-6 7-6 (2) win.
Gauff, who is seeded at No. 1 in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka, sprayed a stunning 74 unforced errors and had 23 double faults. Collins wasn't any better, firing 80 unforced errors and 13 double faults in two hours and 54 minutes of play. Overall, the two combined for a stunning 154 unforced errors.
The third set was especially a rollercoaster – the top seed was twice up by a break but Collins managed to twice come back before also claiming a break in the 11th game to go 6-5 up. With a chance to serve out for the match, the world No. 61 failed to seal the deal and she paid the price by easily losing the tie-break.
How Gauff reacted to winning ugly against Collins?
"I was practicing well and I don't think I transferred it today, but hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of the way. Maybe if I cut that in half, it would be a quicker match for me… I thought that I was playing well, except that part of my game," the No. 1 seed said.
In the Montreal third round, Gauff will take on Veronika Kudermetova, who defeated Olga Danilovic in the second round. So far, they have met three times and the Russian caused some problems to the American in the past, having won their 2023 Doha battle. However, the 2023 US Open champion still leads their head-to-head 2-1 since she triumphed in their 2023 Stuttgart and Beijing meetings.
Heading into the match, one thing is for sure – Gauff will look to do a much better job of making less errors on the court.
Leylah Fernandez took a shot at the Montreal organizers following her early exit at the tournament, claiming that she had made a request that wasn't granted.
The Canadian, ranked at No. 24 in the world, won the WTA 500 tournament in Washington on Sunday and she arrived in Montreal riding a five-match winning streak. But in her opening match at the Canadian Open, the new four-time WTA champion didn't stand a chance as Maya Joint claimed a routine 6-4 6-1 win.
Speaking with reporters after the match, Fernandez revealed that she reached out to the tournament organizers asking for her first-round match to be scheduled for the Tuesday evening session. The 22-year-old also added that she had been given "a lot of promises" that would happen – but it didn't.
“I did not receive that. That hurt me because I was very looking forward to be playing at night, but I guess it's a little bit political issues at that point," the top-ranked Canadian female tennis player said afterward.
Montreal tournament director responds to Fernandez's strong words
Montreal tournament director Sophie Tetreault confirmed that the Washington champion indeed made the request and suggested that she was ready to grant it. But then, the WTA authorities stepped in and had another match that they preferred in the night slot.
“But I didn't win my fight. I received the request for her to play in the evening. It's my role to have conversations with the WTA, so I pushed as much as possible for her to have what she wanted," Tetreault said.
The main action in Montreal started on Sunday and the majority of first-round matches concluded by Monday. On Tuesday, three first-round matches were left to be played out – Fernandez was one of them.
Fernandez losing early in Montreal is disappointing for all sides, especially knowing that she came to the Canadian Open in great form.
Bianca Andreescu says it "sucks" to be forced to withdraw from Montreal and admits she is "frustrated over a freak accident," but remains hopeful it isn't anything long-term.
With a chance to close out the match against 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, the Canadian tennis player twisted her ankle on a match point. After spending some time on the court in pain and receiving medical assistance, the 2019 US Open champion managed to continue the match and complete a 6-3 6-4 win.
Andreescu, who was in tears after beating Krejcikova, lamented her bad luck and it was clear that she may not be able to continue her Montreal campaign. Unfortunately, exactly that happened on Tuesday when she was forced to give a walkover to Mirra Andreeva.
Andreescu: I can't really explain this injury other than call it a freak accident
The 25-year-old Canadian has a long injury history but insists she has been doing everything possible lately to have a strong body and stay healthy. Speaking to reporters after pulling out of the Andreeva match, the former world No. 4 revealed she is hoping to be able to play in Cincinnati since her injury is considered "a day-to-day thing."
“It's kind of a day-to-day thing. I'm hoping to be ready for Cincinnati, but yeah, we don't know. Can't say… It was out of nowhere. Just happened. I mean, we work proprioception every single day. We do foot exercises, ankles. Yeah, we can't really explain it. Maybe it was emotions. Maybe I was a little bit tired. I just stepped in a weird way. Yeah, we're kind of just saying it was a freak accident. It's all we can really say," Andreescu explained.
Previously, Andreescu was out for six months due to an injury and only kicked off her 2025 season in April.
Serena Williams' childhood coach Rick Macci still believes in Naomi Osaka but highlights to the former world No. 1 that she must find the right guidance and fix some technical stuff in her game.
On Sunday – just a day before her scheduled Montreal first-round match against Ariana Arseneault – the Japanese tennis player decided to end her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou. While the Frenchman is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the game, he didn't manage to help the current world No. 49 rediscover her form that was once making her a Grand Slam contender and champion.
While Osaka and Mouratoglou had some positive moments and flashes – like when the Japanese reached the final at the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland and also won the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Saint-Malo – overall their tenure didn't go as expected. This year, the four-time Grand Slam champion is only 21-12 and sits ranked just inside the top-50.
Macci: Osaka's split step and anticipation are not there… She can flip the script with the right choice
"Winning/losing is a fine line. Naomi can flip the script with the right choice and what she 100% needs and a proven voice. Her split step is way off and overall anticipation is on vacation. This can be corrected if it is explained in detail and no doubt her confidence will not bail," the 70-year-old coach wrote on X.
Winning/ losing is a fine line. Naomi can flip the script with the right choice and what she 100% needs and a proven voice. Her split step is way off and overall anticipation is on vacation. This can be corrected if it is explained in detail and no doubt her confidence will not…
Osaka has now changed two coaches since starting her post-pregnancy comeback in 2024 January. In late 2023, she returned Wim Fissette to her team – the same coach with whom she won multiple Grand Slams in the past. Their partnership ended last September.
It will be interesting to see what Osaka will search in a new coach and who it will be.
Frances Tiafoe straight up ripped the new Toronto Masters final date as "weird" and "garbage."
On Sunday, which was July 27th, the main action officially started at the Canadian Masters tournament. This year, 96 players entered the main draw for the event slated to last 12 days. In the past, the the Canadian tournament was a seven-day event, featuring 56 players.
While the first thing that stands out is the fact that the Canadian Open expanded, one of the very interesting things about this year's Toronto event is its final date – August 7th, Thursday.
Tiafoe, who is making his seventh appearance at the Canadian Masters this year, was asked about the format change. And while he is excited about being in Toronto, he admitted to being a but stunned by some of the changes implemented by the tournament.
Tiafoe on the Canadian Masters final date: That's garbage…
"It is what it is. I like that it’s a bit shorter than Madrid, Rome. Weird because the final is on a Thursday. That’s garbage. But, I mean, I think it’s going to be great. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I love the city of Toronto. My girlfriend’s from there. Then I’ve got a lot of friends in the league from there, so I’m going to be set up, have a good time," the American tennis star said.
In the past, Tiafoe played three times in Toronto and three times in Montreal. So far, the 27-year-old has had more success in the Ontario region, reaching the round-of-16 twice when the Canadian Masters was taking place in that particular. In Montreal, the American has never made it past the second round.
This year, Tiafoe is seeded at No. 7 and has a first-round bye. Then, he will the winner of the match between Daniel Altmaier and Yosuke Watanuki.
Since Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are all skipping Canada this year, there could be Tiafoe's chance to possibly make a run and play that final next Thursday.
If he participated in the Toronto Masters 1000, Carlos Alcaraz would have had a chance to get closer to Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings. The world No. 1 was the first to announce his absence in Canada, having to recharge his batteries after winning the Wimbledon title for the first time in his career.
A few days later, the 22-year-old Spaniard made the same decision having played many matches in recent months. The five-time Grand Slam champion made it to the bottom of every tournament, lifting his second trophy in a row at Roland Garros and reaching another final at Church Road (lost to his top rival in four sets).
The world number 2 will return to action in Cincinnati and will use this tournament as a test in view of the US Open, where he had a disastrous run last year being eliminated already in the second round.
The rivalry continues
Sinner will have to defend 3000 points between Cincinnati and the US Open, in addition to losing the 200 points obtained in Montreal last year.
This means that Alcaraz has a real chance to overtake his top rival already by the end of the summer, but to succeed in this feat he would have to win the title in both Ohio and New York.
The Italian ace will have many more points to defend than the Spanish star even in the latter part of the season, considering that he had triumphed at the Shanghai Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in 2024.
Carlos – on the contrary – had not particularly shone in the second half of last season, except for his victory at the Beijing ATP 500 beating Jannik at the end of a truly spectacular final.
This rivalry is set to electrify fans in the second half of 2025 as they wait to see if any other players can become dangerous to their dominance. The general feeling is that these two young champions are taking tennis into a new dimension, creating a huge gap compared to all their opponents.
Naomi Osaka is making a major change at the start of the North American hard-court swing as the former world No. 1 decided to call time on her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
Last week, the Japanese kicked off her summer on hard courts in Washington, where she defeated Yulia Putintseva in her opener before being bounced by Emma Raducanu in straight sets. Overall, the four-time Grand Slam champion is 21-12 this year and ranked at No. 49 in the world – a far cry from where she wants to be.
After failing to rediscover her old form, Osaka split with Wim Fissette following the conclusion of the 2024 US Open. The 27-year-old hired Mouratoglou shortly after. Now, less than a year of working together, they are separating.
"Merci Patrick. It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met and I'm sure I'll see you around," the four-time Grand Slam champion announced through an Instagram Story.
How Osaka's tenure with Mouratoglou went?
When Osaka hired Mouratoglou – who worked with Serena Williams for a decade and achieved massive success – she was hoping the French coach could lead her to the Promised Land. It didn't happen and their partnership is now a thing of the past.
When it comes to the Japanese's 2025 season, two results stand out – a runner-up finish in Auckland and her first clay title at the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Saint-Malo.
Now that Mouratoglou is gone, it will be interesting to see if Osaka brings someone to assist her or if she decides to go solo for some time.
Today, the former world No. 1 is starting her campaign at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, where she plays against world No. 515 Ariana Arseneault. The Japanese's form may not be the best but she enters as the major favorite against the 515th-ranked Canadian.
Bianca Andreescu went through a painful moment very late in her Montreal opener as the former world No. 4 badly rolled her ankle on a match point.
Serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set against 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, the Canadian twisted her ankle and fell on the court instantly. Moments after the injury scare, the 2019 US Open winner yelled, "Why does this always happen to me?"
Andreescu, who was in evident pain and discomfort, was assisted to her bench, where she was treated by the trainer. Ultimately, the Canadian – who received a wildcard for this year's tournament in Montreal – managed to resume play and complete a 6-3 6-4 win.
Bianca Andreescu rolled her ankle on match point while serving for the match against Barbora Krejcikova in Montreal.
She’s been struggling with injuries for so much of her career and always fights her heart out to get back on the court.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 28, 2025
Andreescu cried and got emotional after her Montreal win
The Montreal crowd prompted the 25-year-old to continue playing and gave her the extra energy. And after the current world No. 187 managed to get over the finish line, she became emotional but also acknowledged the crowd's help.
"You guys are everything. I'm super happy I was able to pull through and it's thanks to you guys," the home player told the crowd.
Andreescu's injury history is well-documented as she has struggled with various injuries over the last several years.
After taking part in the Tokyo tournament in 2024 October, the Canadian decided to take a break to address her back injury. The 25-year-old returned to action in April. Since coming back to tennis, she has posted a 12-8 record and she is ranked just inside the top-200.
In the Montreal second round, Andreescu is due to meet Mirra Andreeva. It remains to be seen if tshe will be impacted by the ankle injury.
Emma Raducanu's deep Washington run came with a solid reward as the British tennis player gained 13 spots on the updated WTA rankings and now sits at No. 33 in the world.
After returning to the top-40 for the first time in years a few months ago, the 2021 US Open champion exited the top-40 club recently and she entered Washington as the 46th-ranked player in the game. Although unseeded, the 22-year-old put up a good run and made the semifinal at the WTA 500 tournament in the United States capital before falling short to Anna Kalinskaya.
For Raducanu, it was heavily disappointing not to reach her first final since 2021 in Washington. However, the Briton still has something to be happy about as she is back inside the top-35 for the first time since 2022. Also, she is now once again the top-ranked British female tennis player.
Raducanu issued a pretty confident remark about herself in Washington
Last week, the 22-year-old decided to publicly praise herself. When doing so, she spoke positively about her game but also her tennis outfits.
"I think when I watch myself now, I really like how I look on the court. Not in like a narcissistic way. I mean in terms of energy, and I think I feel quite upbeat. The pink outfit is pretty cute as well. I think it's more I look composed on the court. I feel composed. I think that's a product of just the amount of work I'm doing behind the scenes that maybe people don't see. I love that, I love banking it in, doing everything in the shadows," Raducanu said in Washington.
This week, Raducanu is competing at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal. Since the new world No. 33 didn't play at the Canadian Open last year, she could clinch some solid ranking points if she makes a run.
Raducanu plays against Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the Montreal first round. In the past, they played once – in the 2024 Auckland first round – and the British tennis player won that match in three sets.
Leylah Fernandez claimed the Washington title in style after destroying Anna Kalinskaya 6-1 6-2 in just an hour and nine minutes of play.
Early in the match, it was actually world No. 48 Kalinskaya who had two break points in the third game. But after saving those two break points and opening a 2-1 lead, Fernandez went on to also win the next four games and bag the opener.
After dropping the first set, Kalinskaya served out the opening game of the second set. But just as she did in the first set, the Canadian went on a five-game run and opened a 5-1 lead before serving out for the match in the eighth game.
For Fernandez, this was her first Washington title and overall her fourth WTA title. Also, this was her first WTA main glory since she made it all the way in Hong Kong in late 2023.
Fernandez dedicated her Washington title to her family and her team
"I want to dedicate this trophy to my mom, my oldest sister, and my fitness trainer. You guys have been fighting all year round and still are fighting. Thank you so much for never giving up on me. Don’t give up on yourselves. This trophy is for you guys. Hopefully we can celebrate all together very very soon," the Canadian tennis star said.
Leylah Fernandez dedicates her Washington trophy to her mom, sister, and fitness trainer:
“I want to dedicate this trophy to my mom, my oldest sister, and my fitness trainer. You guys have been fighting all year round and still are fighting. Thank you so much for never giving up… pic.twitter.com/wa6l2Oo88x
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 27, 2025
Fernandez will now fly to Montreal, where she is as the home star will take on Maya Joint in the first round of the Canadian WTA 1000 tournament.
