The famous tennis player received several interesting questions, which were somewhat bizarre, significantly different from anything he had received so far.
Archive of posts tagged tennis player
Roger Federer Return Set For Shanghai Exhibition Doubles
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 11, 2025
Photo credit: Wilson
The Swiss Maestro will make the strings sing in Shanghai in October.
Former world No. 1 Roger Federer announced he will play an exhibition doubles match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on October 10th.
“Shanghai has always been a special place for me, with great fans, unforgettable memories and a real love for the game,” Federer said in a video message posted on the tournament’s social media channels. “I look forward to seeing you there on October 10th.
“Shanghai let’s meet.”
Roger Federer is coming back to Shanghai 🤩
Join us on October 10th for the @rogerfederer and Friends Celebrity Doubles Match!#rolexshanghaimasters pic.twitter.com/6gpnkFfl6B
— Rolex Shanghai Masters (@SH_RolexMasters) August 10, 2025
The Roger Federer and Friends Celebrity doubles match will feature actors Wu Lei and Donnie Yen, and former Chinese tennis player Zheng Jie. The Federer exhibition doubles match will be played on Qizhong Stadium’s center court.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion returned to Shanghai last fall where he practiced with Carlos Alcaraz in a session starring two of the top shotmakers in Open Era history.
An immensely popular presence in Asia, Federer is a two-time Shanghai champion.
In the 2017 final, the second-seeded Swiss played a near-flawless match firing 10 aces against no double faults and permitting just eight points on serve in a 6-4, 6-3 win over top-seeded rival Rafael Nadal.
Federer captured his first Shanghai title in 2014 out-dueling Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-6(6), 7-6(2) in a one hour, 53-minute final. The third-seeded Federer stopped top-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in the 2014 semifinals.
In an interview with Tennis Now in New York City during the 2024 US Open, Federer said he had been hitting and was looking forward to potentially playing some exhibitions.
Visiting the Masters at Augusta National in April, Federer reiterated his desire to play some exhibitions.
“Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again. Enough with the golf already for a moment now,” Roger told SNTV.
“I would seriously start playing 2 or 3 times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court and hopefully maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world.”
In two months time, fans will see Federer back on court in Shanghai.
Emma Raducanu admits she is not targeting Slams e WTA 1000 titles at the moment
Emma Raducanu says she is keeping her goals realistic at the moment and isn't expecting to win Grand Slam and WTA 1000 tournaments, but highlights that will change as soon as she gets to her desired level.
Prior to coming to Cincinnati, the world No. 33 made a splash move and hired Rafael Nadal's former long-time coach Francisco Roig. When addressing the collaboration for the first time, the 22-year-old noted that she hired Roig because she thought he could help her improve her shots and get to the level where she could legitimately challenge the very best in the game.
Since winning her first and lone title at the 2021 US Open, Raducanu hasn't made any finals. Also, she hasn't been ranked inside the top-10 since early 2022.
“I know there will be a time where I'll be targeting big tournaments, Masters and Slams, but to be honest, right now, that's not my goal. My goal is to improve as a player," the 22-year-old said in Cincinnati.
Raducanu's honest expectation for the upcoming Aryna Sabalenka match in Cincinnati
For a place in the Cincinnati round-of-16, Raducanu will battle against three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka. For the 22-year-old Briton, it will be a chance to register her first-ever win against a world No. 1. However, in their previous two meetings – of which the last came at Wimbledon – the Belarusian handled the business in straight sets.
Heading into their third meeting, the British tennis player suggests the Cincinnati surface favors more the top seed.
“I'm reasonable enough, and I guess honest enough with myself, to know that different surfaces favor different people, and where my game is at in comparison. So, I think the grass gave me a bit of an advantage (against Sabalenka), but we'll see how it goes," Raducanu explained.
A bit interestingly, Raducanu is only now making her second Cincinnati appearance. In her first and lone appearance at the American WTA 1000 tournament in 2022, she reached the last-16 before losing to Jessica Pegula.
Coco Gauff teases American men over lack of Grand Slams: No competition
Coco Gauff jokes there "has not been much of a competition" between American men and women at Grand Slams simply because the women have had much more success over the last two decades.
As you probably know, the last US male tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title was Andy Roddick. After winning his maiden Major at the 2003 US Open, the former world No. 1 appeared in four more Major finals but never won his second title on the biggest level.
After Roddick's 2009 Wimbledon final defeat to Roger Federer, it took US tennis 15 years to get another male Grand Slam finalist – Taylor Fritz reached the 2024 US Open final but stood no chance there, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.
When it comes to American WTA stars, their Slam success over the past two decades is well-documented. In the most recent history, Gauff landed two Grand Slams in the last two years.
Gauff takes a playful shot at US ATP players
"For the men, I feel like the women, it hasn't been much of a competition, no offense to them, but now it is kind of was it three or four straight Slams with American in the finals. So I think we're we're doing pretty good on our end. They have to catch up. But no, I think it's great to see so many so much representation of like our country in the sport," the 2023 US Open winner said.
After making it clear that she thinks American male tennis features some pretty quality players, Gauff revealed her big wish was to witness an American male and female winning the same Grand Slam. Last year, Fritz and Jessica Pegula came close to making that happen, but lost their respective US Open final matches.
"I would love to see in my lifetime like a woman and an American woman and male when the same Slam that would be that would be great. We got it US Open. They were both in the final so hopefully maybe this U.S. Open some magic can happen," Gauff added.
In early June, Gauff won her first French Open title. Now, the 21-year-old is an Australian Open and Wimbledon title away from completing a Career Grand Slam.
Cincinnati: Emma Raducanu routinely wins, now set for difficult Aryna Sabalenka test
Emma Raducanu handled the business in her opening match with coach Francisco Roig after ousting Olga Danilovic 6-3 6-2, and she plays Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati third round.
The 30th-seeded Briton, who had a first-round bye at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, lost her serve twice in the first set but broke the 40th-ranked Serb three times to still take the opener. The second was more straightforward for the 2021 US Open champion, who claimed two breaks to seal a straight-set victory.
Next up for Raducanu will be a third career meeting versus top seed Sabalenka, who defeated 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-1. Last year, the current world No. 1 beat the Briton 6-3 7-5 in Indian Wells. A month ago, they met for the second time, and the Belarusian tennis star also registered a 7-6 (6) 6-4 win.
How Raducanu reacted to her performance versus Danilovic and what she can expect versus Sabalenka?
Following her opening Cincinnati win, the 2021 US Open champion acknowledged that it wasn't an ideal performance. However, the 22-year-old was still pretty happy with her display.
“Bar the first game today, that was not very much fit, but other than that, I was pretty mature and disciplined in my performance. I took care of my service games really well. And I knew that playing Olga, who's really difficult and really dangerous as a lefty and with big strikes, it was going to be important," the world No. 33 said after her opening win.
Against Sabalenka, Raducanu has yet to win a set. However, the British tennis player managed to cause some problems to the Belarusian during their Wimbledon match – especially in the first set – when she didn't convert some chances. Also, it is worth mentioning that the world No. 1 is only now playing her first tournament since Wimbledon, while the Briton is already playing her third tournament on hard this summer.
It remains to be seen if Raducanu can pull off an upset and beat Sabalenka for the first time in Cincinnati.
Danielle Collins slams 'keyboard warriors' after viral Cincinnati outburst
Danielle Collins took to social media to hit back at "keyboard warriors" but also clarify what happened in Cincinnati, revealing that she is dealing with a back injury.
In the Cincinnati first round, the American – who plummeted to No. 61 in the world – suffered a 4-6 6-7 (2) loss to Taylor Townsend.
After the match was over, a Collins outburst video started making rounds on X. Down 0-2 in the second-set tie-break, the 2021 Australian Open runner-up went over to her team – started to scream and cry – while letting out a painful statement: "Why is this happening to me?"
Don't have a good feed clip, but here is Danielle Collins becoming VERY upset in the middle of the tiebreak.
Legit thought something horrible had happened. https://t.co/kmWiKr2fk5 pic.twitter.com/oSl7ekfQ3g
— Tick Tock Tennis (@TickTockTennis) August 8, 2025
As the 2024 Miami Open champion was exiting the court, she didn't pick up her belongings. Instead, it was picked up by Townsend, who passed it on to the 31-year-old's team.
While some expressed a concern for Collins, some criticized her actions.
Collins: It's not surprising that the keyboard warriors can't understand my pain
The American tennis player noticed what was being said and written about her on social media and decided to react. In her message, the American revealed that she was battling a disc hernia. Also, she thanked Townsend for being classy and helping her on the court.
"Anyone who has a herniated disc knows my pain. It's no surprise the keyboard warriors can't understand or relate, as they've been too busy sitting on a**es judging people who show up and and try to give it their best even on days that suck. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my injury and thank you to Taylor Townsend for being the best of the best," Collins wrote on her Instagram Story.
Karen Khachanov comments on dealing with angry bettors amid sad Elina Svitolina case
Karen Khachanov says every tennis player is pretty familiar with online abuse and admits it is not a pleasant feeling, but believes that staying smart and not engaging with such people is the best thing to do.
In case you missed it, Elina Svitolina was subjected to some pretty disgusting messages following her Montreal quarterfinal loss on Monday – her DM was full of various insults and some even mentioned her family and sent death threats.
On Tuesday, Khachanov was in action at the Canadian Masters as he defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 6-3 4-6 7-6 (4) to reach the final. In his presser, the 29-year-old Russian was asked whether he noticed Svitolina's post and if he has dealt with something similar.
"My whole career, I would say, I heard it (laughing), like any other tennis player, I guess any other sportsman, athlete, you know," the seven-time ATP champion said.
Khachanov: They want to provoke you and you sometimes want to respond… But don't do that
"Now anyone can write anything they want, from fake accounts or whatever, just to kind of, yeah, piss you off or whatever, just get inside your head. But this is what they are trying to do… But sometimes you want to respond. But at the same time this is what they are trying, they are provoking you. You know, to answer means, means that it matters to you, so you just have to try to get over it," the Russian explained.
In the same interview, Khachanov noted that his agents run his social media accounts and that he only uses social media when he wants to personally check something, and that he tries to avoid reading anything else as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Khachanov is due to play Ben Shelton in the Toronto Masters final. If the 2018 Paris champion wins, it will be his second Masters title.
Emma Raducanu makes it crystal clear what she wants from Rafael Nadal's ex-coach
Emma Raducanu sounds ecstatic over adding Francisco Roig to her team and highlights the main thing she wants from Rafael Nadal's former coach is to help her improve her game to the level where she can legitimately challenge the very best in the game.
Ahead of Cincinnati, the 2021 US Open champion made a major announcement, revealing that Nadal's former coach of 17 years agreed to work with her.
So far this year, there hasn't been much stability in Raducanu's coaching staff. After Nick Cavaday left the team in late January, the 22-year-old was assisted by some LTA coaches, before having an unsuccessful two-week stint with Vladimir Platenik in March. Ultimately, the British tennis player hired Mark Petchey – but since he has his own commentary commitments – he wasn't a full-time presence in the box until the grass season.
But now, Raducanu's tumultuous 2025 coaching situation may have come to an end with the Roig appointment.
Raducanu: Roig has got a bank of experience… I want the quality of my shots to be better
“It’s going really well, it’s my second day here with him here, but I did a few days in London before I came out here. He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side," the Briton said.
So far in her career, Raducanu has collected three wins against top-10 players. This year, the 22-year-old played against Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Zheng Qinwen, and lost all of those meetings. Her lone top-10 win of the year came against Emma Navarro in Miami. And that's one aspect that she wants to fix.
“I’m working on the quality of my shots to be better. I think against the very top that’s what it needs, it needs to improve. So I’m hoping that with time – I’m pretty patient, I’m going to try and be pretty patient – that it’ll improve," Raducanu underlined.
In the Cincinnati first round, Raducanu will play against a qualifier.
Coco Gauff drops hilarious line after winning Montreal doubles title
Coco Gauff captured her first doubles title in over a year and then hilariously remarked that her "temporary return" to doubles was instant success.
After disappointingly seeing her Montreal singles campaign end in the round-of-16, the American stayed in Canada because she still had doubles going on with fellow American McCartney Kessler. In their first appearance as a pair, the American duo won a total of five matches and impressively beat No. 3 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai 6-4 1-6 13-11 in the final.
For Gauff, this was her third doubles tournament of the year. Previously, the American teamed up with Robin Montgomery in Madrid and with Alexandra Eala in Rome, respectively. The 21-year-old now has 10 doubles titles in her collection.
"Lol temporarily came out of doubles retirement and got a dub!" the top-ranked American female tennis player wrote on her Instagram Story.
Coco Gauff Instagram Story© Coco Gauff/Instagram – Fair Use
Gauff enjoyed big success with Jessica Pegula but they stopped playing together
Across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Gauff and Pegula were one of the top teams on the WTA Tour and they won a total of five doubles titles during that period and were also finalists at the 2022 French Open.
Going into the 2024 Paris Olympics, their goal was to capture the gold medal – or at least win any medal. But those hopes were quickly squashed after they picked up a surprise round-of-16 loss to Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova.
Since then, Gauff and Pegula haven't played together. Earlier this year, Pegula insisted everything was fine between the two but they simply stopped playing doubles because they wanted to focus on singles.
"Coco and I played so much for a couple years there. We did great. A lot of really amazing results and memories. At the same time doing well in the singles court, we obviously didn't want to play as much anymore. The schedule just gets really, really tough. I've barely played this year, probably won't play any of the Grand Slams this year," the 31-year-old explained.
Coach Davide Sanguinetti reveals his honest approach to Elena Rybakina
Davide Sanguinetti says he definitely has a different approach to WTA players because female athletes are "more sensitive" and therefore he has to be a bit softer in his methods.
In January, Elena Rybakina went through a very tumultuous period when she decided to bring back Stefano Vukov to her team – that didn't sit well with Goran Ivanisevic at all – who left the Kazakh's team as soon as she finished her Australian Open campaign. To make it all worse for the 26-year-old, the WTA concluded their investigation into Vukov's behavior and he was handed a one-year ban from coaching.
Following the Vukov ban news, Rybakina hired former Italian tennis player Sanguinetti. In the past, the Italian worked with Dinara Safina, Vincent Spadea, Go Soeda, and Brandon Nakashima. As you probably know, Safina played her last pro match in 2011 so a lot of time passed between the last time that Sanguinetti coached on the WTA Tour.
Rybakina's coach Sanguinetti: We definitely need to be more sensitive to girls
"We definitely need to be more sensitive to girls, who have different ways of interacting. It was new to me; I'm learning and adapting," the Italian coach said on Italian channel Supertennis.
One of the reasons why Ivanisevic left Rybakina's team was the fact that he thought he would be the lone coach in her team. But after she decided to bring back Vukov after all the controversies that surrounded them, Ivanisevic decided it simply wasn't worth it.
When Sanguinetti arrived in the 26-year-old's team, he was directly asked how he felt about Vukov. And he confirmed that he was fine with Vukov.
"Vukov and Elena are close, he will always be there. Stefano and I talk a lot, we are on the same wavelength. It’s not a problem to have two coaches, it’s almost a trend now," the 52-year-old said in February.
Meanwhile, Rybakina is in the midst of a great Montreal run, where she made the semifinal.
Clara Tauson gets very honest on how she feels about Caroline Wozniacki comparisons
Clara Tauson admits she was never a big fan of being compared to Caroline Wozniacki, especially since she believes that they are two "very different players."
When Wozniacki won the 2018 Australian Open title, she became the first Danish woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Also, the 35-year-old is the first Danish woman to hold the world No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings.
A year after Wozniacki finally made her long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough, a 16-year-old Tauson won the 2019 Australian Open girls' singles title. To no one's surprise, it instantly drew major focus on the 2019 Australian Open junior champion and led to her being compared to the biggest WTA name from Denmark.
Six years later, Tauson is a well-established WTA player, having won three titles on the main level. Also, the 25-year-old is now enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 19 in the world. While the three-time WTA winner hasn't turned into a major star yet, she has been doing some nice things and has been the top-ranked Danish female tennis player for the past couple of years.
Tauson on the Wozniacki comparisons: I've always myself from that
"I think I've always separated myself a bit from that, because I mean, obviously Caroline, she's one of the biggest influences in Danish tennis obviously because we're such a small country, and nobody really cares about tennis. But I think we're two very, very different playing styles, and I've always said that from a young age. I don't feel like I've had any kind of pressure like that. We've had some good juniors in the years after also. They never really made it here," the 22-year-old explained.
Meanwhile, Tauson is in the midst of a promising run at the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, where she has reached the quarterfinal and come three wins away from winning the biggest title of her career. In the Montreal quarterfnal, the Dane plays against Madison Keys.
Even if Tauson loses her next match, she is still guaranteed to improve at least two spots next Monday and achieve a new career-high ranking of No. 17.
Alexander Zverev shares Daniil Medvedev is his 'most annoying rival' in hilarious way
Alexander Zverev has named Daniil Medvedev as his "most annoying rival," and even hilariously stated that the Russian "turns into a prime Novak Djokovic" whenever they meet on the court.
Against Medvedev, Zverev has seven wins in 20 meetings and the 2021 US Open champion is evidently an uncomfortable matchup for him. But there is one stunning thing about their rivalry – before the German started regularly losing to the Russian, he had a perfect 4-0 record against the former world No. 1 and once also held a 5-1 record in their head-to-head.
However, that was before the 2020 season. Since 2020, they have clashed against each other 14 times and Medvedev has won 12 of those encounters.
Over the past year and a half, the Russian has struggled a lot with his consistency and he is now ranked at No. 14 in the world. However, that didn't stop him from beating the third-ranked German 7-6 (3) 6-7 (1) 6-4 in their most recent meeting in the Halle semifinal.
Zverev: Even now, I still lose to Medvedev… He turns into a primer Djokovic against me
“For me, the most obvious answer is Daniil. I mean, lost to him like 78 times, to be honest (laughs). Even now. Even now, I’m ranked three in the world and he is ranked, I don’t know 14, and I still lose to him in Halle. He turns into prime Novak Djokovic every time he plays against me and I’m like, ‘I don’t even play that bad. Why am I losing?'” the 28-year-old said on the Nothing Major Show, which is hosted by former American tennis player Sam Querrey, John Isner, Steve Johnson and Jack Sock.
Zverev maybe hasn't had much success against Medvedev in recent years but he won one of their most important clashes in the last five years – the German ended on the winning side in the 2021 ATP Finals final to win his second title at the prestigious season-ending tournament.
Kyrgios Talks Potential New Career
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.”
Holger Rune sliding into Veronika Kudermetova DM mentioned during Russian's match
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.
Ex-Slam finalist lays out one strong reason why Emma Raducanu can win Major again
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.
Dan Evans rips 'pathetic' Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: World wakes up early and works
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.
Dan Evans with an interesting response to ADF’s IG story https://t.co/ff2thMr1TN pic.twitter.com/UPj41j7s5b
— Christian's Court (@christianscourt) August 1, 2025
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.
Home star Leylah Fernandez slams Montreal organizers after 1R exit
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 laments her bad luck after 'freak' Montreal injury
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.
— ً (@tennisgif3) July 28, 2025
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 has sage advice for struggling Naomi Osaka
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…
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) July 28, 2025
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.
Emma Raducanu rewarded for great Washington run with her best ranking since 2022
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.
Holger Rune teases Novak Djokovic for a funny reason
Novak Djokovic is a living legend of this sport and his ability to push his own limits is amazing, considering that he has already won everything a top-level tennis player can dream of. The former world No.1 also achieved the last goal of his endless career at the Paris Olympics a year ago, when he shocked fans around the planet by winning the gold medal on his last attempt (although he has repeatedly stated that he also wants to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, when he will be 41 years old).
After that amazing triumph, the Serbian veteran tried to win his 25th Major title but has not succeeded until now. The 38-year-old from Belgrade has reached the semifinals in all three Grand Slam tournaments that have been played this year, proving that he is still superior to most opponents, but the two current leaders of the men's tour – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz – have no intention of leaving him room again.
Djokovic is on vacation now
After being overwhelmed by Sinner in the semi-final of the Wimbledon Championships a couple of weeks ago, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has allowed himself a few days to relax in Croatia and then will begin preparing for the Cincinnati Masters 1000.
Nole will not play the Canadian Open this year either, preferring to recharge his batteries ahead of the US Open scheduled in New York at the end of the summer. As chance would have it, Novak won his latest Major title in New York two years ago, when he defeated Russian ace Daniil Medvedev in the final. It seems like much more time has passed, given that the hierarchies of men's tennis have changed profoundly in this period of time.
Meanwhile, young Danish star Holger Rune gave a nice interview in which he was asked who is the player who arrives late most often. The world number 9 chose Djokovic.
It's OK to be @DjokerNole ⏰ 😅😂 pic.twitter.com/Pvfc26HvMr
— TRAVEL&Sp🎾rts (@travel__Sports) July 25, 2025
How Sinner Became Unstoppable on Grass
The unflappable Italian went from unsure to commanding on the sports slickest surface. By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday July 13, 2025
What made the difference for Jannik Sinner on Sunday at Wimbledon? How was he able to overcome his devastating loss to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland-Garros last month and snap a personal five-match losing streak to the Spaniard?
So many reasons. But anybody who watched Sinner control the run of play against the two-time champion knows that his movement had a lot to do with it. Now comfortable with sliding on both sides, and able to use his speed to complement his breathtaking power game, Sinner has gone from a player who may never win Wimbledon, because Alcaraz is in his way, to a player that has what it takes to win multiple titles at the All England Club.
“I think that once he learned to feel more comfortable moving on grass, we believed that he had a game that was really good for grass,” his coach Darren Cahill said in a press conference after Sunday’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 takedown of Alcaraz on Centre Court. “His game has been improving all the time, and his results have shown that.”
Sinner agrees. And he adds that his naturally flat groundstrokes make him particularly difficult to contend with on grass.
“This year for sure I felt great on court,” he said. “I think we saw this also today how I started to move better every match I played,” he said. The beginning of my career I knew that I could potentially play well here because of my groundstrokes. They're quite flat, and the ball goes through.”
Another reason for Sinner’s rapid rise as a grass-court guru? His ability to watch and learn.
Cahill says that Sinner has been watching and learning from his rival as their rivalry has evolved. He may not surpass him in some areas, but he’s wise enough to recognize that he could implement some of the things that Alcaraz does well in his own game.
“I would say that Jannik watches more Carlos matches than he does anybody else because he's fascinated with the improvements that are coming in his game, and he's pushing us as coaches to make sure that he's improving also as a tennis player as well,” Cahill said. “So the rivalry is real. It's there. And hopefully it's going to be there and real for the next 10 or 12 years.”
Finally, we must factor in Sinner’s unflappability. How was he able to stay so on-mission after losing in the most heartbreaking fashion to Alcaraz in Paris. Triple match point in the fourth set? It would be understandable if he lost belief in himself temporarily after that harrowing experience.
“This I think is the part where I'm the proudest of because it really has not been easy,” Sinner admitted. “I always tried to be honest with myself, and I had the self-talk too – you know, what if, what if? I always tried to accept it, in a way.”
Sinner did more than accept it. He embraced it, and realized that he was so close rather than so far, from where he wanted to be. Then he did the work and pulled off a magical run on the grass.
Rivalry on…
Navratilova: WTA Wrong Permitting Trans Women to Play Women's Tennis
"There is no ban on trans women in sports. They just need to compete in the proper category which is the male category," Martina Navratilova tells BBC in a new interview.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, June 19, 2025
Photo credit: Avantist
Martina Navratilova says the WTA is wrong to permit transgender women to play women's tennis.
Hall of Famer Navratilova says allowing transgender women to compete against biological women not only creates an unfair playing field, it takes job opportunities away from biological women because "now a male has taken her place."
In a wide-ranging new interview with BBC's Ashitha Nagesh, the former world No. 1 reiterated her long-stated stance that the WTA is wrong in allowing trans women to compete on the Tour.
"There should be no ostracism, there should be no bullying," Navratilova told BBC. "But male bodies need to play in male sports. They can still compete. There is no ban on transwomen in sports.
"They just need to compete in the proper category which is the male category. It's that simple."
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion suggested women are being treated as second-class citizens in their own sport. Navratilova said it's frustrating and wrong that "we always seems to put trans rights ahead of women's rights."
"By including male bodies in the women's tournament, now somebody is not getting into the tournament – a woman is not getting into the tournament because now a male has taken her place," Navratilova told BBC.
For years, Navratilova has been one of the most outspoken critics of the WTA policy on trans women playing tennis, writing a controversial editorial for The Times on the topic.
Here is the WTA rule on transgender women competing on the women's tour from the WTA Rulebook:
"Eligibility conditions for biological males with a female or non-binary gender identity In cases falling within clause 2.1.2, to be eligible to compete in WTA Tournaments, a biological male with a female or non-binary gender identity must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the WTA Medical Manager that they meet each of the following requirements (together, the Eligibility Conditions): They must provide a written and signed declaration, in a form satisfactory to the WTA, that their gender identity is female or non-binary, and they must maintain a female or non-binary gender identity for so long as they wish to retain eligibility to compete in WTA Tournaments.
"Before they compete in their first WTA Tournament, the concentration of testosterone in their blood must have been below 2.5 nmol/L continuously for the previous twenty four (24) months. The concentration of testosterone in their blood must remain below 2.5 nmol/L at all times thereafter (i.e., whether they are in competition or out of competition) for so long as they wish to retain eligibility to compete in WTA Tournaments."
In a Wimbledon press conference last July, a journalist asked: "Martina, have you faced any backlash regarding your comments on women's tennis and transgender players?"
Navratilova replied: "Where have you been?
"Backlash? Where have you been? I've been jettisoned by a lot of the groups in the LGBT community," Navratilova replied. "But, you know, I've been speaking my mind for a long time. I'm not going to change that.
"Yes, it's been pretty rough. But I know I'm on the right side of history. I'm right on most people's opinion about women's sex-based spaces, and especially sports. They need to stay female."
The owner of 59 Grand Slam titles across all disciplines, Navratilova has been branded "transphobic" by some critics, who say this is a human rights issue.
The left-hander has publicly battled figures ranging from soccer star Megan Rapinoe to Harry Potter star Daniel Ratcliffe to the USTA over transgender athletes participation in women's sports.
In an interview with Time Magazine last year, Rapinoe suggested Navratilova was not only weaponizing women's sports, she implied critical comments by Navratilova, comedian Dave Chappelle and former ESPN star Sage Steele were leading to violence against trans people.
“It’s particularly frustrating when women’s sports is weaponized,” Rapinoe told Time Magazine. “Oh, now we care about fairness? Now we care about women’s sports? That’s total b*llsh*t. And show me all the trans people who are nefariously taking advantage of being trans in sports. It’s just not happening…
"Dave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise, against trans people. When Martina or Sage or whoever are talking about this, people aren’t hearing it just in the context of elite sports. They’re saying, ‘The rest of my life, this is how I’m going to treat trans people."
Speaking at Wimbledon last July, Navratilova acknowledges it's become a political issue, but maintains she views it as a women's rights issue.
"But the politics have been kind of crazy about that. It's become very political when it shouldn't be when it comes to women's rights," Navratilova said. "We seem to put the trans rights ahead of women's rights, particularly for males that identify as women.
"Women are asked to be kind and be inclusive, yet by including transgender-identified males in women's sports, you're excluding women.
Navratilova said response to her stance has "been pretty rough in the LGBT community," but says she's also received some positive reaction.
"Anyway, it's a long story. I won't go into too many details. Yeah, it's been pretty rough in the LGBT community," Navratilova said. "But at the same time, I went to a drag queen show in Miami a couple months ago. I was wondering how it would be.
"Everybody just couldn't have been nicer, including the drag queens, including everybody else there. I felt very loved by the community as a whole, but you wouldn't think that when you hear from some of those spokespeople at these groups. I'm good where I am and I'll keep fighting the fight."
In an interview with Kara Swisher of New York Magazine's Intelligencer, Navratilova was asked why her position changed on transgender athletes competing in women's sports. Navratilova supported transgender tennis player Dr. Renee Richards playing the WTA Tour in her era. The pair are good friends and Richards later coached Navratilova.
Navratilova asserts she believes trans women will eventually dominate women's sports and says her stance is about creating a level playing field for women rather than excluding and discriminating against trans athletes.
"This is not against trans athletes. This is against male bodies competing as women, if they identify as women," Navratilova told Kara Swisher. "Many sports don’t even have any mitigation, any allowance for lowering the testosterone level, et cetera.
"But what has been proven, even when you do take those testosterone blockers or hormone therapy, even after 15 years, male bodies still retain physical advantage over women athletes.
"So we are not against trans athletes. We are for women athletes to compete in as level a playing field as possible. Which means the males, who now identify as women, should compete in a male category. And women who identify as men but don’t take testosterone can compete as women. Because there is still no advantage physically over other women athletes. That’s all that’s about."
Bublik on Shock Roland-Garros Win – “Sometimes in Life There’s Only One Chance.”
Alexander Bublik after surprising the tennis world, spoke with candor on reaching the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time.
By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Monday, June 2, 2025
Photo Source: Roland-Garros Facebook
The mercurial, crowd-pleasing talents of Alexander Bublik has now earned him worldwide attention after his shock four-set upset win over No. 5 seed Jack Draper to reach the Roland-Garros quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
Bublik, 27, celebrated his unexpected 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory with tears in his eyes as he became the first Kazakhstani man to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in history.
All the emotions 🥹
Savour the moment, Bublik 🙌@rolandgarros #RolandGarros
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) June 2, 2025
"Sometimes in life there's only one chance, and I had a feeling that that was mine, and I couldn't let it slip," Bublik said in an on-court interview, after an extended standing ovation from the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd. "Standing here, it's the best moment of my life, period."
The final game of the match proved pivotal in more ways than one. Draper, still down a service break at 5-4, forced Rublev to serve for the match. Draper battled and held two break points, only to lose out on both. Rublev eventually closed out the game, and the match.
But Rublev admitted later on TNT Sports, if he had lost that game, he would likely have lost the motivation to try and win the match from there.
“I said to myself, if I'm losing that break, it's 7-5 6-2 max (in favor of Draper)," Bublik said. "I'm not gonna fight, because if you have this chance to make your first ever quarterfinal and you blow it. It's your fault. That's how I see it.”
Bublik, known for his unorthodox playing style, including underhand serves and trick shots, and rather cavalier personality, both on and off the court was not expected to be in the mix this fortnight in Paris. Though he’s reached a career high World No. 17, he’s currently ranked at No. 62.
Despite winning four ATP Tour titles in his career, 2025 has been a rough season so far. Before Paris, Bublik was 7-13 on the year.
Yet Bublik must have felt something good was coming for him in Paris after he earned a two sets from behind victory over No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur earlier in the second round. Bublik admitted he contemplated quitting tennis earlier this season after falling to the low 80s ranking wise.
While he previously complained about the clay court swing being too long, this year, he realized he needed to make an effort on the dirt to boost his ranking.
“I was eighty in the world. I was talking to my coach I want to quit tennis because I’m eighty in the world. It feels disgraceful for me,” Bublik said. “So I just said to myself, you have a gift, you gotta use your chances. If I have one, I'm gonna use it.
"I'm just gonna fight. I'm gonna try to play on clay and see how it goes and it worked like this, Because I had no room, you know, to cry. Because if you have room to cry, I always would take the cry, you know.”
Bublik added, “But when you have no options then it's that's how it works.”
Many tennis observers have questioned Bublik’s efforts on-court and off court throughout his career.
While Bublik confirmed he works hard off the court, he’s the first to admit that he prefers a “work/life” balance that includes his family. He can only speak for himself when it comes to determining what’s best for his life and career.
“There is no way around hard work. Don't get me wrong,” Bublik said in his post-match press conference. “I work hard, but on my terms, you know. I do what I'm capable of doing with my body, but I will not push through a knee injury in order to have, you know, a certain chance to win a certain match. So for me, there is no way around hard work. I have been working very hard, and I do work very hard."
Bublik, a proud father, added on TNT he tries to put tennis into perspective
“Tennis is fifty percent of my life, you know I have other part of being a dad, being a friend, which is have the same importance for me as being a tennis player," Bublik said. "So in this percent that I have as a professional athlete, I have to do maximum what my body is capable of.
"I'm not going to put my health on the line. I'm not going to be fighting through injuries. You know, if I have pain, I resign. I say thank you very much. I'm not going there.
"Because I prioritize my health a lot. And if you tell me, Sasha, you gonna win a Slam. But you can't walk at forty. I'm not going to take this. So then I have to work with the tools I have.”
Bublik next faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals.