Archive of posts tagged player

Putintseva Fires Back at Sakkari on Social Media

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"And the plot thickens," Yulia Putintseva posted over an image of Maria Sakkari.Broadcasting (NEC)

By Tennis Now | @TennisNow | Monday, June 23, 2025

Yulia Putintseva has fired back at Maria Sakkari in the latest shot in an ongoing feud. 

Tennis Express

Sakkari and Putintseva went at it after the Greek scored a 7-5, 7-6 win yesterday in Bad Homburg.

On-court microphones picked up Sakkari telling Putintseva “Nobody likes you” after the first match of the 2025 Bad Homburg Open was completed.


The pair exchanged more than those words, as Sakkari approached Putintseva to clarify what was being said.

"When you shake hands with someone, look them in the eyes," Sakkari said.

Today, on Instagram Stories, Putintseva posted two images of Sakkari from The Tennis Pulse not making eye contact with either Martina Trevisan or Emma Raducanu in their post-match handshakes. 

Putintseva added the caption: "And the plot thickens…" along with a clown emoji implying Sakkari is a clown for calling her out. 

After yesterday's on-court imbroglio, Sakkari said she respects Putintseva "as a player, but that's it."

"I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don't care, to be honest. I have very good friends and I'll go to dinner with them," Sakkari said. "Let me leave it here, and say that I have respect for her as a player, but that's it."

Well, looks like Putintseva is unwilling to leave it there and it's unlikely the pair will be breaking bread anytime soon. 

Sakkari to Putintseva: "Nobody Likes You"

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The Greek went on the verbal attack after her hard-fought win over Putintseva. Andy Murray

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday June 22, 2025

Maria Sakkari has taken a page from the Andy Murray playbook and called out another player.

Tennis Express

The 86th-ranked Greek wild card got into a spat with Yulia Putintseva after notching a 7-5, 7-6 win over her on Sunday in Bad Homburg. On-court microphones picked up Sakkari telling Putintseva “Nobody likes you” after the first match of the 2025 Bad Homburg Open was completed.


The pair exchanged more than those words, as Sakkari approached Putintseva to clarify what was being said.

"When you shake hands with someone, look them in the eyes," Sakkari said.

She continued her attack of the World No.27 during her post-match interview saying: "I don't think she's going to invite me for dinner for the rest of our lives, but I don't care, to be honest. I have very good friends and I'll go to dinner with them. Let me leave it here, and say that I have respect for her as a player, but that's it."

It reminds us of the time that Murray told Lukas Rosol that everybody hated him:

We’re actually not sure what is meaner: giving someone a bad handshake or telling someone that nobody likes them?

Sakkari will face either Belinda Bencic or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round at Bad Homburg.

Petra Kvitova, Dan Evans Lead Wimbledon Wild Cards

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Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova will return to SW19.Barbora Krejickova

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport

Petra Kvitova will return to Wimbledon this month.

Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova leads the list of Wimbledon wild cards announced today by Tournament Referee Denise Parnell.

Tennis Express

The left-handed Kvitova swept Maria Sharapova to win the 2011 Wimbledon title. Three years later, Kvitova crushed Eugenie Bouchard to capture her second Wimbledon championship.

Eight different women have won the last eight Wimbledon championships, including successive winners from Czechia. Barbora Krejickova is reigning Wimbledon champion. Left-hander Marketa Vondrousova raised the Rosewater Dish in 2023.

The 35-year-old Kvitova is the only non-British player receiving a main-draw singles wild card today.

On the men's side, Briton's Dan Evans is one of seven British men to receive a main-draw wild card.

"I'm the first to harp on about the wild cards. It's not just about one week or one match. It's about what you do 52 weeks of the year," Evans told the media on Monday in comments published by BBC. "Tennis is not just about the grass court season in Britain. It's great that we've got an amazing set of events, but there is other tournaments.

"I haven't been good enough at those other tournaments, but I've still been professional, still train day in, day out."

Here's the list of Wimbledon wild cards announced today.

Wimbledon Men's Main Draw Wild Cards

Jay Clarke (GBR)
Oliver Crawford (GBR)
Dan Evans (GBR) 
George Loffhagen (GBR)
Johannus Monday (GBR)
Jack Pinnington Jones (GBR)
Henry Searle (GBR)
One more to be announced 

Wimbledon Ladies' Main Draw Wild Cards

Jodie Burrage (GBR)
Harriet Dart (GBR)
Francesca Jones (GBR)
Hannah Klugman (GBR)
Petra Kvitova (CZE)
Mike Stojsavljevic (GBR)
Heather Watson (GBR)
Mingge Xu (GBR)

Wimbledon is set for June 30-July 13th.

Sabalenka on RG Reaction: Completely Unprofessional

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"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Aryna Sabalenka said of her controversial comments after losing the Roland Garros final.Aryna Sabalenka

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Photo credit: Julien DeRosa-AFP-Getty

Reality has induced regret in Aryna Sabalenka.

World No. 1 Sabalenka calls her behavior after her Roland Garros final loss to Coco Gauff "completely unprofessional" and shared she wrote a letter to the two-time Grand Slam champion apologizing for her behavior.

Tennis Express

The US Open champion said while we all have bad days at work "the difference with me is…I get a lot more hate for what I did."

"I absolutely regret what I said back then," Sabalenka told Eurosport Germany. "You know, we all make mistakes. I’m just a human being who’s still learning in life. "I think we all have those days when we lose control.

"The difference with me is, the world is watching. I get a lot more hate for what I did than other people."

In the first French Open final between the world’s top two women in 12 years, No. 2 Gauff was simply too tough for No. 1 Sabalenka at crunch time.

A resilient Coco Gauff combated Sabalenka’s fierce power with pure poise pulling off a 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 comeback to capture her maiden Roland Garros championship in a thriller.

Afterward, the world’s best player called it her worst final.

“It was really honestly the worst tennis I've played in the last, I don't know, in the last I don't know how many month,” Sabalenka told the media in Paris afterward. “Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me.

"I think it was the worst final I ever played.”

Sabalenka, who struggled to cope with whipping winds and an unrelenting Gauff's comprehensive court coverage, took criticism afterward for what some felt were ungracious and classless comments.

The top-seeded Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors. Sabalenka said at times she felt the tennis universe was playing a cosmic joke on her with Gauff’s running retrievals turning her damaging drives into punch lines.

“I mean, honestly sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame,” Sabalenka said. “Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you kind of, like, on the back foot.

“It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just staying there laughing, like, let's see if you can handle this. And I couldn't today.”

Reflecting on her comments, Sabalenka said she was upset after a physically and emotionally draining defeat and spoke out of frustration.

Since then, Sabalenka said she has apologized to Gauff.

"I was super emotional and not very smart at that press conference," Sabalenka added. "It took me a while to revisit it, to approach it with open eyes, and to understand. I realized a lot about myself. Why did I lose so many finals? I kept getting so emotional.

"So I learned a lot. Above all, one thing: I’m the one who always treats my opponents with great respect - whether I win or lose.

"Without that respect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So it was a tough but very instructive lesson for me."

Zheng Qinwen Cracks Top-4, 17-Year-Old Jovic Reaches Top 100

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The Chinese star hits a new career-high after her semifinal run at Queen's Club. Bianca Andreescu

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 16, 2025

Zheng Qinwen has become the second Chinese woman to hold a Top-4 ranking. Only two-time major champion Li Na, who topped out at No.2, has done better.

22-year-old Zheng, who reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club last week, leapfrogs Jasmine Paolini in Monday’s WTA rankings.

Tennis Express

Zheng is the fourth woman born in the 2000s to hold a Top-4 ranking, along with Bianca Andreescu, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

Maria Biggest Mover

The biggest riser inside the WTA’s Top-100 is Tatjana Maria, who jumps 43 spots to No.43 after claiming the title in Queen’s. The 37-year-old German is one spot shy of her career-high ranking, and is the oldest player inside the Top 100.

Jovic Cracks Top 100

Torrance, California native Iva Jovic won the 125K event in Ilkley, defeating Rebecca Marino in the final, and thus rises 26 spots to No.89 in the world. The American is the only player that has not turned 18 to rank inside of the WTA’s Top 200.

Only two teenagers – Mirra Andreeva and Maya Joint – currently rank higher than Jovic.

Toni Nadal: "Exceptional" Alcaraz Has Skills to Surpass Rafa Nadal's Career

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"I am not a fortune teller, but he has the [skills] to surpass [Rafa Nadal]," Toni Nadal said.Carlos Alcaraz

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, June 13, 2025
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Toni Nadal has spent his coaching career focused on the tennis ball not a crystal ball.

Still, watching an "exceptional" Carlos Alcaraz out-duel world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history compels Toni Nadal to a powerful conclusion: Alcaraz has the skills to match—and perhaps surpass—King of Clay Rafael Nadal's career.

Tennis Express

Toni Nadal, uncle and original coach of Rafa Nadal, met Spanish media at "The Battle Of Stars" celebrity golf pro-am in Mallorca on Thursday.

Uncle Toni cites a few reasons why he believes Alcaraz can achieve a career similar to 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal: the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner is exceptionally skilled, an explosive athlete—and for now the 22-year-old Spaniard's primary rival is Sinner whereas Rafa Nadal had to confront two fellow legends in Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

"[Carlitos] is an exceptional player who has all the [skills] in the world," Toni Nadal told Spanish media in comments published by AS.com. He's the fastest, he hits it very hard, he hits it well with a drive, with a backhand, the serve has improved a lot…

"I see him as a great player and on top of that I think he has an advantage, today he doesn't have the best Federer or the best Djokovic as rivals. He has a very good one which is Jannik Sinner, but I think the others for him are quite [manageable]."

During the record-setting five hour, 29-minute Roland Garros final on Sunday, TNT analyst and Hall of Famer John McEnroe created controversy—and sparked some backlash from Rafa Nation— declaring the stratospheric level both Alcaraz and Sinner produced would beat prime Nadal in a hypothetical RG final.

"You took a look at them bringing their A-game right now — I'm saying Sinner and Alcaraz against Nadal on clay — you would make a serious argument with both guys that they would be favored to beat Nadal, at his best," McEnroe said. "Do I think they're going to reach, 20, 24 titles either one of them?

"No. Because I think that plateau is so hard it's almost impossible; there's more depth in the game, bigger hitters, and more things happen."

Toni Nadal took his analysis a step further than McEnroe saying Alcaraz, if healthy, can match and perhaps "surpass" his Olympic doubles partner's career.

"I am not a fortune teller, but he has the [skills] to surpass [Rafa Nadal]," Toni Nadal said.

Alcaraz on Facing Sinner in RG Final: Beautiful Brutality

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"They push you to the limit," Carlos Alcaraz said of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.Adam

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, June 6, 2025
Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty

King of Clay Rafa Nadal famously said suffering is a prerequisite to Grand Slam success.

Reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz says facing world No. 1 Jannik Sinner brings beautiful brutality. 

World No. 2 Alcaraz defeated Lorenzo Musetti in four sets to power into his second straight Roland Garros final with his 13th consecutive win in Paris.

Tennis Express

Alcaraz rides a 4-0 record in Grand Slam finals into Sunday's French Open final against either Sinner in a rematch of the 2024 Roland Garros semifinals.

A red-hot Sinner scorched 44 winners and saved three set points in the third set fending off Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) in three hours, 16 minutes to advance to his maiden Roland Garros final.

It's the first time since the 1984 French Open that both men's and women's singles finals feature No. 1 vs. No. 2 with Aryna Sabalenka meeting Coco Gauff in the women's title match tomorrow.

Asked afterward what he loves about facing those two champions, Alcaraz said both bring out his best—and reinforce his belief pain is progress because both rivals "push you to the limit."

"I mean, I enjoy every time that I'm playing against them, because I love that battle," Alcaraz told the media in Paris. "But, you know, most of the time is just about suffering, because they push you to the limit."

Alcaraz said those brutal showdowns are beautiful experiences that make him a better player.

"But my favorite thing is, as I said, it gives you the feedback of how can I be better, a better player," Alcaraz said. "I think that's important, and that's beautiful, even though if I win or not, gives you a lot of stats and gives you the feedback."

Boisson By the Numbers: Inside the 22-Year-Old Frenchwomans' Breakout RG Performance

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Lois Boisson, at 22, is in the midst of one of the most remarkable Roland-Garros runs in Open Era history. Coco Gauff

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 5, 2025

Paris – Lois Boisson is all the rage in Paris, after the 22-year-old Frenchwoman has surged into the semifinals on her Grand Slam debut. On Wednesday the grounds were teeming with excitement as grounds pass holders that couldn’t get into Chatrier to watch the match flooded into the Place des Mousquetaires and the courtyard in front of Court Suzanne-Lenglen to view the spectacle.

Tennis Express

Boisson won in dramatic fashion against Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday, coming from 3-1 and 5-3 down in the opening set, then saving a set point in the first-set breaker. She then rallied from 3-0 down in the second set, winning the final six games to become the first Frenchwoman to reach the semifinals in Paris since 2011.

Boisson’s ride to the semifinals is one of the most remarkable runs in Open Era Grand Slam history, and it isn’t over yet. She’ll face Coco Gauff for a spot in the final.

Here are some of the stunning statistical details that the Dijon, Frances native has achieved already.


With her win Boisson became the second player in the last 40 years to defeat multiple top-10 opponents at her maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam event, after Monica Seles at Roland-Garros 1989.

Boisson is the first player in the Open Era to reach the Women’s Singles semi-finals at the as a wild card at Roland-Garros, and she could become the first wild card Grand Slam finalist since Justine Henin at the Australian Open 2010.

Excluding unranked players, Lois Boisson is the lowest ranked (#361) to reach a Women’s Singles Grand Slam semi-finals in the last 40 years.

Boisson is the third player since 1980 to reach the semi-finals at their maiden Women’s Singles Grand Slam main draw appearance after Monica Seles (Roland Garros 1989) and Jennifer Capriati (Roland Garros 1990).

Having played just two WTA level matches prior to Roland-Garros, Boisson is the player with the fewest WTA level matches played prior to reaching her maiden Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era, equalling Elisabeth Ekblom at the Australian Open 1976.

Today at Roland Garros Day 9

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Granby Tennis Club

Today at Roland Garros, the French Open was buzzing with high-stakes matches. In the women’s singles, Loïs Boisson created a stir by defeating the American No. 3 Jessica Pegula in a dramatic match. Ranked 361st, Boisson’s win by 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 was a major upset, making her the lowest-ranked woman to beat a top-five player at the French Open in four decades. She’s now set to face sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals. The day also saw second-seeded Coco Gauff, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, advance against Ekaterina Alexandrova. On the men’s side, No. 3 Alexander Zverev advanced due to the retirement of Tallon Griekspoor, who suffered an abdominal strain.

In other matches, tennis legend Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title, having already reached his 100th match win at Roland Garros, joining an elite group with Federer and Nadal. Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. The tournament is heating up as we approach the final stages, with fans eagerly following every serve and volley on the iconic clay courts of Paris.

Granby Tennis Club