Archive of posts tagged tennis

Magic & Misery: Wild Card Mboko Stuns Osaka to win Maiden Title in Montreal

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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 7, 2025
Photo credit: Omnium Banque Nationale Facebook

A diving Victoria Mboko hurled herself at the ball, flicking a flying reply unleashing a resounding roar from Montreal fans.

The Canadian wild card crashed to the court chasing a dropper in wrapping a wild ride. Mboko scored a stunning 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over a detached Naomi Osaka to capture her maiden championship in a fairy-tale finish to the Omnium Banque Nationale Open.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

The 18-year-old Mboko took home fans on a thrill ride that was unpredictable, unruly and downright ugly at times as former world No. 1 Osaka mentally unraveled in the face of the teenager’s fierce competitiveness, roaring crowd support and her own self-sabotage.

It ended with a crash landing and will go down as a historic flight. Mboko is the second-youngest woman in WTA history to defeat four Grand Slam champion—Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Osaka—en route to a championship. Only legendary Serena Williams, who was a 17-year-old dynamo clad in canary-colored Puma dress when she knocked off four major champions, including world No. 1 Martina Hingis to win the 1999 US Open, was younger.

The explosive Mboko is the third wild card to win a WTA 1000 championship following soon-to-be Hall of Famer Maria Sharapova (2011 Cincinnati) and compatriot Bianca Andreescu (2019 Indian Wells). Playing with a sore wrist she sustained falling to the court in her semifinal win over Rybakina, Mboko refused to let pain or pressure slow her roll.

“It feels unbelievable right now. I mean, words cannot really describe how today
went,” Mboko told the media in Montreal. “Today was such an eventful day actually. I woke up this morning, and I actually had my wrist a little bit swollen from yesterday’s fall, and we quickly went to the
hospital actually to do an MRI and an X-ray before I came to the courts to practice today.

“So once we got the green light that nothing too serious was going on in the wrist, I came here and practiced real fast and prepared for my match. So I think today regarding all
the events that I did, it feels a lot sweeter.”

World No. 85 Mboko, who was ranked No. 358 a year ago, is the second-lowest ranked woman to win a WTA 1000 title after No. 133 Kim Clijsters, who won the 2005 Indian Wells championship.

In the end, the net divided an immense emotional expanse between four-time major champion Osaka and first-time finalist Mboko. 

The teenager played with more poise and deeper desire than a disconsolate Osaka, who incurred a code violation for belting a ball into the stands, appeared annoyed by her opponent toweling off as she was set to serve and looked vacant at the very end. 

A determined Mboko flew through the final five games dropping to her knees in exhilaration after earning a two hour, four-minute triumph.

Truth be told it was a bizarre final popping with some brilliant shot-making from both and periods where neither woman could seem to keep the ball between the lines for sustained stretches. Mboko overcame 13 double faults and a 27 percent second-serve percentage, while Osaka often had her opponent on defense only to sail the kill shot in several instances.  Mboko converted seven of eight break points and applied her speed and determination to extend points and her knack for the down the line strike to exterminate them.

At times, this final was like watching virtuoso musicians hit pitch perfect high notes then shriek through stretches of atonal music.

Yet, Mboko showed her grit, guts and star power riding a wave of support that overwhelmed Osaka into fretful frustration. 

At the outset, Osaka delivered a dose of forehand medicine to Mboko that she received from Liudmila Samsonova in round two. 

In her 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3 comeback conquest of 13th-seeded Samsonova, Osaka was getting beaten repeatedly in crosscourt exchanges for a set and a half. The Japanese was sometimes taking one big step rather than the short, precise preparation steps to give herself ideal spacing between her body and the ball.

Tonight, Osaka came out straddling the baseline ripping crosscourt forehands basically telling the teenager: let’s see if you can hang and bang in crosscourt forehand fireworks. 

Showing the shotmaking that made her a two-time US Open champion, Osaka fired a forehand down the line streaking to a 4-1 lead. Whipping forehands with menacing intent, Osaka broke again to take the opener in 37 minutes.

The world No. 49 seemed to be in control, but soon Mboko’s speed and persistence and the crowd’s growing participation spooked Osaka into strange and sour places. 

Facing a red-hot, fearless opponent, thousands of screaming Canadian fans and the prospect of winning her biggest title in four years all amped up the angst Osaka was feeling. That’s completely understandable. 

Still, if you’re as experienced as Osaka you cannot be wishing balls out as she did a couple of times pointing to marks she thought were wide on balls that actually landed inside the sideline. You’ve got to play the actual call and not the call you hope to hear—yet it showed the nerves the Japanese superstar was feeling even up a set.

When Osaka dropped serve for the second straight time to fall behind 1-2 in the second set she dropped her blue Yonex stick to the court in a visible show of frustration.

Across the net, the 18-year-old Mboko meant business. After blowing a 40-15 lead and double-faulting back the break in the fourth game, Mboko blasted a big return to break again for 3-2—the sixth straight break of this hard-hitting final.

Shaking off a double fault, Mboko geared into groove drawing a wild forehand error to hold at 30 for 4-2—the first hold since Osaka went up 5-2 in the opening set.

A rattled Osaka was staring up at the sky as if searching for answers from above, while Mboko raced through a love break extending her lead to 5-2. 

Cutting a forlorn figure as she paced near the back wall, Osaka looked dejected. Then Mboko threw her a life line. 

The teenager totally lost her serve motion spit up three double faults and watched Osaka rope a return down the line to break back in the eighth game. Osaka whipped the wide serve stamping her first hold of the set for 4-5 and shifting pressure back on Mboko’s shoulders.

After asking her coaching box for advice on serve, Mboko took pace off the serve. That approach worked as she rallied from 15-30 down winning three points in a row to snatch a jittery and wild second set and force a decider after 82 minutes of play.

“Naomi came out playing really great tennis,” Mboko said. “I think she always had that aggressive kind of
game style, and I knew she was that good of a player. When I lost the first set, I kind of told myself to regroup a little bit and start fresh. I knew she was going to — going into the second set, I knew she was going to also keep playing aggressive, so I kind of had to rely on my
defending skills most of the match.

“Since she hits such a powerful ball, it was really hard for me to kind of replicate what she was putting in through. But I think at the end of the day I just did everything I possibly could to pull through the match, and thankfully I came out for the win.”

Despite dumping 12 double faults through two sets, the wild card was one set from her first career title. Osaka left the court to reset before the decider. 

In retrospect that break was a big mistake as Mboko spent the down time hitting practice serves and finding her groove while Osaka was trying to set her mind back on track.

Just when you thought a crazy final couldn’t possibly get more unstable, it did. Both women double faulted away breaks to start the final set. Osaka squandered a 30-15 lead, then belted a ball into the stands, incurring a code violation warning for ball abuse as Mboko converted her sixth break edging ahead 2-1.

Throughout this magical Montreal run, Mboko’s poise under pressure, creativity on the run and sheer resilience have been her super-powers. She showed all of that in a draining fourth game. 

Dripping sweat, Mboko fought off four break points in a dramatic six-deuce game dabbing a dropper to hold for 3-1 as the entire stadium seemed to rise to its collective feet roaring.

If you’ve watched Osaka win any of her four Grand Slams you know she can be a premier power player with a knack for the devastating first strike. 

This final reinforced the fact for all her wondrous gifts as a ball striker, Osaka’s aversion to the net remains a vulnerability. Time and time again, Osaka had the teenager on the move in the fifth game, but stubbornly remained stuck to the baseline trying to squeeze shots closer to the lines. In the end she hit herself into oblivion as Mboko broke a seventh time for 4-1.

Mentally, Mboko was soaring on this magical flight and Osaka was grounded in misery.

When Osaka tapped a casual drop shot, a soaring Mboko raced forward went full dive and crashed to the court flicking a forehand and losing her Wilson racquet in the process. The chair umpire called for a replay to make sure Mboko got it on one bounce, but Osaka, who looked like she just wanted to get off the court, didn’t even wait and played through that request.

“In that game I was, like, Oh, I’m super close. At that point I had the fighting mentality,” Mboko said. “I
just wanted to run and put as many balls back in the court as possible. I wanted it so badly that I think falling was a little bit worth it.

“I mean, in that situation I wanted to just stay in there with her. Naomi was playing such aggressive, and she was hitting some pretty clean shots. So I wanted to run and retrieve everything that even didn’t seem possible.”

Mboko completed a magical run dropping to her knees as Osaka came around the net to offer congratulations. Back in 2018, Osaka overcame legendary Serena Williams and 23,000 screaming American fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium to win the US Open in a moment she called “bittersweet”.

Tonight, it felt like a bit of a role reversal with Mboko riding the wave of Canadian crowd support and Osaka looking positively muted by the end. 

This victory vaults Mboko past compatriot and Washington, DC champion Leylah Fernandez to No. 25 as the highest-ranked Canadian woman. Mboko said afterward she will skip Cincinnati to rest her sore wrist and prepare for the US Open. Despite the disappointing finish, Osaka rises to No. 24 in the rankings.

There’s a lot to like about Mboko’s game and her commitment to the cause and based on what we saw tonight both women will be dangerous threats at this month’s US Open.

Ben Goes Big: Shelton Becomes Youngest American Masters Champion in 22 Years

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By Chris Oddo | Thursday August 7, 2025

Blood, sweat, tears and – finally – triumph. Ben Shelton gave it all in Toronto and took home the hardware as the youngest American to win a Masters title since Andy Roddick in 2004, defeating Karen Khachanov 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) in two hours and 47 minutes.

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Shelton is the first American man to win the title in Canada since Roddick in 2003, and he will rise to a career-high ranking of No.6.

“I feel so blessed,” Shelton said. “Just to have opportunities like this. The joy that I feel today isn’t just because of the win. It’s because of the people that I get to spend every day with.”

It was a hard-hitting tussle with Khachanov, the pair’s second career meeting which saw Khachanov jump out in front on the strength of a solid first-set tiebreak.

But Shelton would not be denied. The 22-year-old American answered back, going unbroken in sets two and three and winning four of the final five points in the deciding set tiebreak to earn his third and biggest ATP title.

Shelton defeated No. 8-seeded Alex de Minaur and No. 4-seeded Taylor Fritz to advance to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final, and survived third-set tiebreaks to defeat Brandon Nakashima and Flavio Cobolli earlier in the tournament.

When the victory was clinched, Shelton made his way to the crowd to share the moment with his coach and father Bryan. His coach encouraged him to step into the court and take balls earlier against Khachanov, and the strategy paid dividends.

“I love the way that he coaches me,” Shelton said. “He usually leaves stuff up to me. He gives me a lot of suggestions. He knows me better than anyone in the world, so he’s well qualified to give me those suggestions.”

Khachanov went more than six years between Masters finals, a record, but could not summon the magic that he displayed when winning the Paris title in 2018.

Still, he will rise to No.12 in the rankings after a strong effort that saw him save a match point while knocking off top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semis.

“Definitely still it’s a positive, great tournament, great run,” he said. “I had some great battles, great wins against top guys. So that’s why I give credit to myself for doing that, and that’s it.

“I mean, you can win, you can lose, so you just try to regroup and be ready for the next tournament, it’s another Masters 1000, and then it’s a Grand Slam. So this is tennis, so sometimes you have to regroup quickly and be fit, be ready for the next match.”

Coco Gauff drops hilarious line after winning Montreal doubles title

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Alexandra Eala

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 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.

KK Pop: Khachanov Saves Match Points, Edges Zverev To Reach Toronto Final

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By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Photo credit: National Bank Open by Rogers Facebook

A titanic tiebreak tug of war culminated with Karen Khachanov making the pivotal pull. 

Khachanov denied match point in the 12th game edging top-seeded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) in a near three-hour thriller to advance to his second career ATP Masters 1000 final in Toronto tonight.

Alexander Zverev

The 16th-ranked Russian reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final since he stunned Novak Djokovic to capture the 2018 Paris Masters Indoors.

Khachanov will face the winner of tonight’s all-American semifinal between second-seeded Taylor Fritz and fourth-seeded Ben Shelton in tomorrow’s final.

Tonight’s opening semifinal was a rematch of the 2021 Olympic gold-medal match that saw Zverev prevail 6-3, 6-1. 

Though Khachanov took the court armed with an ignominious 2-21 record vs. Top 3-ranked opponents, he showed major mettle at crunch time—and was aided by a fortunate bounce off the net that kept him in this tight test.

“Generally I think today also I didn’t feel my best on the court, didn’t play my best tennis,” Zverev said. “Also, the first set was terrible, so I kind of gave him a head start, and he’s too good to not use that.

“So, yeah, I still had match point, so it’s upsetting that I lost this match. But that’s the way it is, we move on, I go to Cincinnati and try to do better.”

Serving down match point at 5-6 in the decider, Khachanov challenged Zverev’s vaunted backhand. The German lined up his two-hander and lashed a liner that had match-ending winner written all over it. 

The return crashed into the top of the tape, hung in the air for a split second then dripped back onto Zverev’s side of the net as Khachanov breathed a sigh of relief.

That reprieve emboldened the Russian, who ripped a forehand down the line holding to force the decisive tiebreaker. 

When Zverev zapped a swinging forehand volley winner he was up 3-1 in the tiebreaker and seemingly in command. 

Khachanov had other ideas.

The 11th-seeded Khachanov tore through five points in a row coaxing a couple of backhand errors and knocking off a high forehand volley. Zverev’s two-handed backhand is one of the best in the sport, but he netted that trusty weapon to face three match points at 6-3.

On his second match point, Khachanov cranked the wide serve closing a two hour, 52-minute battle. 

It was Khachanov’s first Top 10 win of the season, his first win over Zverev since the 2019 Montreal and sends him into his first final of the year.

In the opening set, Zverev more than doubled Khachanov’s winner total—11 to 5—but Khachanov cashed in on the lone break point of the set and that made all the difference. Khachanov converted the lone break point of the set for 3-1 and consolidated for 4-1. The bearded Russian converted his third set point for a one-set lead.

On the fast Toronto court, neither man was severely stressed on serve in the second set until the final game when Khachanov played a horrific game and Zverev broke to snatch the set and forced a decider.

This match marked the eighth time in the tournament a match was decided in the final-set tiebreaker.

Carlos Alcaraz reflects on Wimbledon loss to Jannik Sinner: 'I left the court happy'

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All England Club

World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will chase his first Cincinnati crown. The 22-year-old hit the practice court in Ohio with his trademark energy and perspective, leaving the recent setback behind and chasing new titles.

The five-time Major champion reflected on a key moment from earlier this summer – his first loss in a Major final at Wimbledon to Jannik Sinner. After winning the first five Major finals, Carlos ended on the losing side for the first time. 

Jannik lost the opener but earned a well-deserved 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory, avenging the Roland Garros heartbreak. Despite the defeat, the Spaniard found reasons to leave the court with pride and joy.

Alcaraz entered the final with a 5-0 score in the title match, a remarkable feat for any player. However, he acknowledged the fact he had to lose a Major final at some point, like every other player.

As he walked off Centre Court without his third consecutive Wimbledon trophy, the 22-year-old felt pride instead of frustration. The Spaniard recognized the need for improvement but described his defeat as part of a natural progression.

The setback has not dampened Alcaraz's drive. Instead, with a grounded mind and a growing hunger to evolve and become one of the ultimate tennis champions, he is focused on what lies ahead.

Carlos Alcaraz, Wimbledon 2025

Carlos Alcaraz, Wimbledon 2025© Facebook – Wimbledon

 

His next goal? Cincinnati and US Open titles and the ATP throne taken away from Jannik Sinner! The hard-court season unfolds, and Carlos brings with him the lessons from the All England Club. 

They are not a burden but fuel for the journey forward. After performing a miraculous escape in Paris, the Spaniard could not provide similar performance in London. 

He claimed the opener before Sinner bounced back and claimed the next three sets with a single break in each, outplaying his greatest rival and providing his first loss in Major finals.

Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz, Wimbledon 2025

Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz, 2025© Stream screenshot

 

"I want to win every final I play, especially at Majors. I lost to Jannik at Wimbledon, but left the court happy and proud. I smiled and thought that I had to lose a Major final at some point, like everyone else.

I have to make many improvements from the title match in London, but I felt good right after the match. I had to be grateful for everything I have achieved, and reaching the Wimbledon final is always great.

I lost it, but I still felt proud and happy with everything I did," Carlos Alcaraz said. 

Venus Williams had hilarious explanation for playing pro tennis at 45

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Cincinnati

Venus Williams is keeping it light at the start of Cincinnati as the 45-year-old jokes she is still playing tennis because it does well for her body "figure."

As you probably know, the seven-time Grand Slam champion pleasantly surprised the tennis community when she accepted a late wildcard into the WTA 500 tournament in Washington. And the former world No. 1 made some noise in the United States capital, defeating Peyton Stearns in her first match in 16 months, for her first win since 2023. 

After a solid Washington round-of-16 outing, Williams also received a main draw wildcard into this week's WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. In her pre-tournament presser, the American tennis icon was asked to address playing pro tennis in her mid-forties and she didn't disappoint with her answer

“It’s obviously no secret that you get great legs and great arms from playing tennis. So, I figured I’d at least keep my figure if that’s the very least we do!" the 45-year-old joked.

Williams then got serious and explained what really allowed her to play at 45

Williams may not have played much over the last couple of years. However, she always remained active, from hitting balls on the practice to doing regular gym exercises.

"I never stopped hitting the ball, even when I was away—not as intensely as you would if you were replaying playing tournaments, but still going out there. When I was on the court, I was always working on my game. I didn’t just let it all fall apart. Even if it was just a half hour, I still wanted to get something out of it," the former world No. 1 explained.

Meanwhile, in the Cincinnati first round, Williams will take on world No. 51 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro – the two have no previous meetings.

Heading into the match, Bouzas Maneiro is playing some of the tennis of her life and she is coming off a quarterfinal showing in Montreal. 

Williams probably enters the match as the underdog but there is no doubt that will put up a big fight, just as she did in Washington.

Major update on Jannik Sinner's debut in Cincinnati

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Alexander Zverev

Jannik Sinner will be back in action at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 these days, where he will try to defend the title won a year ago thanks to an amazing run. The world No.1 will play his first official tournament since his extraordinary triumph at the Wimbledon Championships just under a month ago, having decided to skip the 'Canadian Open' in Toronto so as not to overload his body ahead of the US Open.

This segment of the season is very suitable for the game of the Italian ace, who will be called upon to defend 3000 points between Cincinnati and New York. If he wants to maintain the top position in the ATP rankings until the end of the year, the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria needs to achieve brilliant results in the coming month and will have to hope that his top rival Carlos Alcaraz is not at the top of his shape.

The Italian and the Spaniard faced each other in the final at both Roland Garros and the Wimbledon Championships, which is why fans hope to be able to witness a new chapter of their spectacular rivalry already in Flushing Meadows.

New details on Sinner's debut

Meanwhile, the exact date of Jannik's debut in Ohio has finally been revealed. The four-time Grand Slam champion – who can benefit from a first-round bye – will make his debut in this tournament on Saturday, August 9 against Kopriva or a player from the qualifiers.

Sinner's potential path in Cincinnati doesn't look too tough, having avoided very dangerous rivals like Ben Shelton, Alexei Popyrin and Alexander Zverev along his run.

In his press conference, the world number 1 confessed that he is looking forward to getting back into action: "My elbow is fine and I can't wait to play my first match here. I got some rest after Wimbledon and spent the holidays together with my friends and family. Then I started practicing again and I hope to play my best tennis on hard courts, especially at the US Open."

Jannik Sinner revives Wimbledon glory: 'Even I was surprised by my level'

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All England Club

World no. 1 Jannik Sinner is preparing for the title defense at the Cincinnati Masters. The Italian heads to Cincinnati following a historic triumph at Wimbledon, becoming the first player from his country with a trophy at the All England Club. 

Sinner is preparing for the North American hard-court swing with renewed motivation, hoping to defend the ATP throne from Carlos Alcaraz. As was expected, the 23-year-old enjoyed his break from tennis after conquering Wimbledon. 

The world's best player spoke about the emotional high of the final against Alcaraz and acknowledged that the experience felt very different to his other Major finals.

Five weeks earlier, Jannik squandered three match points against Carlos in that epic Roland Garros final, suffering a heartbreaking 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 defeat in five hours and 29 minutes.  

The Italian recovered and made a fresh start at the All England Club. He survived a major scare in the fourth round against Grigor Dimitrov and entered the last four with a win over Ben Shelton.

Sinner outplayed the seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets and arranged his first Wimbledon title clash against Alcaraz. The Spaniard took the opener, but the Italian kept his composure and provided a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory in three hours and four minutes.

Jannik Sinner, Cincinnati 2025

Jannik Sinner, Cincinnati 2025© X – Cincinnati Open

 

Jannik experienced different sensations from his previous Major finals, especially after what happened in Paris. The four-time Major winner revealed he was surprised with the level he produced, especially against his greatest rivals in the latter stages.

The first-time Wimbledon champion took a couple of days off the court, spending quality time with family and friends. Sinner then returned to Monte Carlo and started his preparations for Cincinnati and the US Open. 

The Italian has to defend both titles and 3000 ATP points. The pressure is there, but Jannik looks recharged and eager to build on his incredible season and add more silverware to his growing collection. 

Jannik Sinner, Wimbledon 2025

Jannik Sinner, 2025© Stream screenshot

 

Will anyone stop him? Only time will tell in the next five weeks.

"The final at Wimbledon provided a different sensation because of what happened a month earlier at Roland Garros. Bouncing back in London and performing at that level surprised me, too.

I was thrilled to spend some time off the court after London and see my family and friends. After spending time with important people around me, I returned to the practice court and gave my best to prepare for the US swing, an important part of the season.

Winning Wimbledon felt very special," Jannik Sinner said.

Emotional Tauson Tops Keys, Dedicates Win to Grandfather

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By Chris Oddo | Tuesday August 5, 2025

Clara Tauson was a woman on a mission on Tuesday in Montreal. Two days after notching her second Top-5 win of 2025 over Iga Swiatek, she reeled in her fourth Top-10 triumph of the season by defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys, 6-1, 6-4.

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It was an emotional victory for the 22-year-old Dane, who told the crowd that she was dedicating the victory to her grandfather, who recently passed way.

“I’m still in shock,” she said, breaking into tears. “Two days ago my grandfather, unfortunately, passed away. I really wanted to win for him today.

“I was told the day after I beat Iga, yesterday, so I really wanted to come out and show my best tennis for him, and hopefully he’s watching.”

Broadcasting (NEC)

Tauson will face either Naomi Osaka or Elina Svitolina in the semifinals.

She was out of the gates fast against sixth-seeded Keys, converting two breaks of serve to claim the opening set in under 30 minutes. Tauson made a break in the first game of set two hold up, saving a break point while serving at 4-3 before closing the match out in one hour and 13 minutes.

Tauson saved all three break points she faced and won each of her nine service games to improve to 32-15 on the season. She reaches her seventh career WTA semifinal, all of which have come on hard courts.

With the win Tauson is up to a career-high No.15 in the live rankings.

Fritz Fires Past Rublev Into Fifth Semifinal of Season in Toronto

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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Photo credit: National Bank Open by Rogers Facebook

Demonstrative displays aren’t typically part of Taylor Fritz’s arsenal.

Tonight, Fritz fired the exclamation point to punctuate a declarative victory. 

On match point, Fritz slammed his 20th ace completing a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over Andrey Rublev to power into his fifth semifinal of the season at the National Bank Open in Toronto.

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The second-seeded Fritz posted his 20th hard-court win of the season—he’s the third man to do it—advancing to his 38th career semifinal.

“I would say tonight I felt the best about my game, just striking the ball-wise,” Fritz said. “I feel like all week it’s kind of been flying, tough to control, easy to miss the ball.

“It’s not just me, just watching any of the other matches, I can seeing people are hitting the ball a lot softer than they normally do, they’re playing a lot safer, people are making more mistakes. I think conditions here, it’s just tough in general to play.

“Tonight for sure it was the most I felt like I could control the ball, and also kind of go after it and feel like I was confident in where it was going. That’s obviously a good thing going into the semis.”

Wimbledon semifinalist Fritz will face fourth-seeded compatriot Ben Shelton for a spot in the final. Shelton slammed 11 aces defeating ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 in tonight’s second quarterfinal. Fritz, who is 1-0 against Shelton, is bidding for his first hard-court final since he beat de Minaur and Alexander Zverev in succession to reach the ATP Finals title match in Turin last November.

“I feel like when we played the first time his serve was still huge,” Fritz said of Shelton. “I mean, maybe the spots are better. His serve was really good when I played him, whenever it was, like two, three
years ago, I’m not sure.”

Bursting out of the blocks quickly, Fritz flew eight points in a row surging to a 3-0 lead against the 2024 Canadian Open finalist. 

The 27-year-old Fritz was cracking the ball with depth off both wings, punished the Rublev two-handed backhand and even carved some timely drop shots seizing a one-set lead. Fritz served 70 percent and won 17 of 23 first-serve points in the opening set. 

“He’s one of the best players. He get great results,” Rublev said of Fritz. “Wimbledon semifinal, great match against Alcaraz. Now the tournament after Wimbledon he’s in semifinal.

“I know he have a great level, but here it’s tough to serve against. Here there is no tennis at all. But, in general, he had unbelievable level. He have tough matches against top players, and he’s beating most of the players.”

On the fast Toronto court, Fritz was nearly flawless on serve at the start of the second set. The 6’5” American tore through 16 of his first 17 service points, stamping three love holds in a row, at the start of the second set. Fritz broke for 5-4. 

The second seed’s only real stumble came when he served for the semifinal at 5-4. Despite successive aces that helped him earn match point, Fritz missed his normally reliable backhand. 

Rublev saved a match point then exploited a double fault and netted backhand breaking to level the second set at 5-all.

A frustrated Fritz dropped his Head racquet to the court and screamed at his box in his only show of angst of the evening.

The Rublev forehand remains one of the biggest in the game, but the Russian’s biggest weapon betrayed him early in the tiebreaker. Rublev missed two forehands in the first three points as Fritz took a 3-0 lead. 

Launching a 137 mph missile down the middle, Fritz went up 5-2. Though Rublev ripped a diagonal forehand to close to 4-5 he missed a mind-numbing forehand into net to hand the American a second match point. 

This time, Fritz made no mistake cracking his 20th ace of the night to seal his 20th hard-court win of the year.

Osaka Continues Torrid Tennis, Reaching First Semifinal in Canada

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By Chris Oddo | Tuesday August 5, 2025

New coach, new vibes?

Naomi Osaka is finding her best tennis in her first tournament with new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski. The four-time major champion defeated Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday night in Montreal, notching five consecutive wins for the first time since 2022, and setting a semifinal with 22-year-old Dane Clara Tauson.

It was a dominant performance from Osaka, who reached the last four in Canada for the first time in her career in her sixth career appearance in Canada.

“I think for me I’m just having a lot of fun playing and I’m really glad to be here,” said the 27-year-old former World No.1. “It’s been seven years.”

Osaka broke serve five times from seven opportunities, kept her error count far lower than Svitolina and won 83 percent of her first-serve points to improve to 21-11 on the season.

“I’m really happy,” she told reporters. I”m also really excited. I don’t know. It’s kind of interesting, because I told people this before, but like, obviously after Wimbledon, I was really disappointed. Then I just kind of let go of my expectations, and now we’re here. So I find it kind of ironic, but I’m happy about it.”

With her win Osaka rises to No.29 in the WTA live rankings, which means she will be seeded at the US Open.

Elina Svitolina reveals vile abuse, death threats she received after Montreal loss

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AI-based technologies

Elina Svitolina took to social media to share some absolutely disgusting and horrifying messages she received following her Montreal quarterfinal exit.

After not losing a single set through her opening three Montreal matches, the 10th-seeded Ukrainian didn't play her best against an inspired Naomi Osaka, who claimed a routine 6-2 6-2 win.

Shortly after the loss, Svitolina was flooded by negative and abusive messages – presumably from angry bettors. In a series of screenshots she took and posted on her Instagram Story, the Ukrainian revealed that the was insulted as a player – woman – her marriage to Gael Monfils was also mentioned – and she even received death threats.

Svitolina's message to the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete

The 30-year-old Ukrainian, who became a mother for the first time in late 2022, had a strong message for the social media abusers, telling them: “To all the bettors: I'm a mom before I'm an athlete. The way you talk to women – to mothers – is SHAMEFUL. If your moms saw your messages, they'd be disgusted…”

Unfortunately, social media abuse isn't anything new in the tennis world. Over the last several years, there have been numerous cases of a player losing the match and then seeing their DM flooded with vile messages. 

Certain tournaments have started using AI-based technologies to filter out negative and abusive messages. But that's still in its early stages and players are still widely exposed to social media abuse. 

Raducanu Hires Francisco Roig as New Coach

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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Photo credit: Mubadala Citi DC Open Facebook

Emma Raducanu has hired Franciso Roig in an effort to continue a renaissance season.

The 2021 US Open champion has hired Rafael Nadal’s former coach through the end of the 2025 season, PA News Agency reports.

2017 US Open

The 57-year-old Spaniard was a long-time coaching member of Nadal’s team, later coached Matteo Berrettini and has experience coaching on the WTA Tour as well. Roig, who reached a career-high rank of No. 60 on the ATP Tour, also coached 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Roig succeeds Mark Petchey, who had been coaching Raducanu on an informal basis since the Miami Open. Tennis Channel analyst had agreed to work with Raducanu through the end of the grass-court season, but could not commit to coaching her full time because of his television commentary obligations.

Working with Petchey, who previously coached Andy Murray, Raducanu registered some of her best results in years.

The 22-year-old Raducanu reached quarterfinals at Miami and Queen’s Club and was a semifinalist in Washington, DC. Working with Petchey, Raducanu applied her athleticism and found the joy in her tennis.

The 33rd-ranked Raducanu has defeated former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka and Marketa Vondrusova in recent months and led world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka by a break in both sets before bowing 7-6(6), 6-4 in the Wimbledon third round.

After that match, Raducanu said she hoped to continue working with Petchey, but understood his position.

“Yeah, it’s very difficult. He obviously also has his commentating commitments,” Raducanu said at Wimbledon. “He agreed to kind of help me until the end of Wimbledon and then we kind of see from there because he gave up some work to work with me here, which I really appreciate and I’m grateful for.”

The challenge Roig faces is encouraging Raducanu to continue to apply her athleticism, all-court skills and versatility, particularly against big hitters, who can overpower her. Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova crushed Raducanu 6-2, 6-1 in Montreal playing bold first-strike tennis.

Still, Raducanu should be encouraged with the strides she made working with Petchey that prompted No. 1 Sabalenka to make a bold assertion about the Briton.

“I cannot predict anything, but I definitely sure that, maybe not in a month, but maybe a bit longer period, but she definitely going to get back in top,” Sabalenka said after her Wimbledon win over Raducanu. “She’s fighting. She’s playing much better.

“She’s more consistent. I can see that mentally she’s healthy. I think that’s really important. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s getting there.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas writes a message on X during his huge crisis

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Apostolos

Stefanos Tsitsipas is certainly going through the worst moment of his career and his crisis has not found any solution for the moment, despite the fact that the Greek ace has made several attempts to return to play his best tennis.

The other players have improved and know his weaknesses, while the former world number 3 has lost all his certainties and has moved far away from the top positions of the ATP rankings. Fans and insiders were very curious when he started collaborating with Goran Ivanisevic, a tennis legend who had worked with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the past. Everyone thought that the former Croatian champion was the right person to bring 'Tsitsi' back on the right path, but their partnership ended after just two tournaments (Halle and Wimbledon, in which he achieved disastrous results).

For this reason, the winner of the 2019 ATP Finals has chosen to return to work together with his father Apostolos (from whom he had separated about a year ago). Their first tournament together did not go in the best possible way, considering that the champion from Athens was immediately eliminated at the Toronto Masters 1000.

Tsitsipas' message

Stefanos only has the Cincinnati Masters 1000 available to regain some confidence in view of the US Open – the last Major of the season – in which he has never achieved results worthy of his talent.

Meanwhile, the former Top 5 player – who also ended his love-story with his colleague Paula Badosa – wrote a post on his official X profile reflecting on how tennis is a complicated sport.

“Tennis is beautiful not because it’s graceful, but because it’s brutal. It shows you at your weakest, sweating, failing, breathing hard, asking questions you don’t have answers to. And in all that, you find something worth holding onto. Something that keeps you stepping back to the baseline” – he wrote.

A player with Tsitsipas' talent certainly deserves a better position in the ATP rankings, but he must first resolve his inner conflicts.

Novak Djokovic recalls his amazing triumph at the Paris Olympics one year on

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Alexander Zverev

Exactly one year ago, Novak Djokovic achieved the last huge feat of his career by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics against all odds. Everyone knows how much the Serbian legend has always loved representing his country, but he had never expressed his best tennis at the Games in previous editions, suffering some of the most painful defeats of his entire career.

The former world No. 1 had left the court in tears after being beaten by Juan Martin del Potro at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, in what Nole has always defined as one of the most atrocious disappointments he has experienced as a professional tennis player.

Almost all fans and insiders believed that Novak would have his last chance to reach this milestone in Tokyo in 2021, after the Olympics had been postponed by a year due to the pandemic.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was the top favorite in Japan, considering that he was virtually unbeatable that season having won the first three Majors of the year. Djokovic reached the semifinals in Tokyo without any effort, but his perfect mechanism jammed in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev when he was ahead by a set and a break. He suffered a shocking comeback and everyone thought that his dream had now been shattered.

Djokovic on his amazing run in Paris

The 38-year-old from Belgrade was not the top favorite in Paris last year, on a surface much more suited to the game than Carlos Alcaraz (who had won Roland Garros on those same courts a short time earlier). The former world No.1 had an exceptional run, enhanced by an impeccable performance against Carlitos in the final.

Exactly one year after that magical triumph, Djokovic expressed his feelings: “Oh my gosh, I’ve watched this video probably one million times. Not recently, now I’ve made a little break, but now you’re inspiring me to watch it again and again. It just stands out as probably the highlight of my career, considering the amount of time and years that I waited for that — or haven’t waited — I worked for it.

But the heartbreaking losses in the previous four Olympic Games that I played, unable to make that final step and reach the finals and fight for gold. It was the only big accolade that I missed, that I haven’t achieved in my career, and then coming at the age of 37, it is something very unique, unforgettable.

Former ATP ace makes surprising comparison to describe Jannik Sinner

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Cincinnati

Jannik Sinner is ready to return to action at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, a tournament where he had triumphed in 2024 without playing his best tennis. The world number 1 was not at the top of his shape in Ohio a year ago, also due to the imminent ITIA ruling relating to his doping case. For this reason, the Italian ace had more difficulty than expected during his run, but he was able to raise his level in the decisive moments and lifted the trophy by beating local idol Frances Tiafoe in the final.

After winning his first Wimbledon title last month, the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria went on holiday to Sardinia and preferred to skip the Toronto Masters 1000 (where he had triumphed two years ago starting his rise). The four-time Grand Slam champion – who has also decided to reinstate Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach – has already arrived in Ohio and immediately started practicing to get used to the conditions.

Jannik wants to defend the title he won there last season and above all he wants to gain confidence in view of the US Open, which will start on August 24 in New York. As everyone knows, most of the top players will also play mixed doubles in this edition and Sinner will join forces with Emma Navarro.

Sanguinetti opens up on Sinner 

In a recent interview with 'SuperTennis', former ATP ace Davide Sanguinetti expressed his honest opinion on Sinner's current status: "He is a war machine who stops at nothing, he knows what his goals are and gives his best to achieve them. It must also be added that players are very professional nowadays and take care of every detail, whereas in my time we traveled almost alone.

Jannik deserves to be thanked because he has contributed more than anyone else to the growth of Italian tennis, everyone knows him in Italy and wants to become like him."

The world No.1 will have a first-round bye in Cincinnati and will make his debut directly in the second round.

Tennis Channel and ITF Extend Media Rights Agreement

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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 4, 2025
Photo credit: Matt McNulty/Getty for ITF

Tennis Channel will remain your television ticket to Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competition.

Under the new multi-year agreement, Tennis Channel will remain the exclusive U.S. home for both tournaments continuing a relationship that began in 2009, TC and the ITF said in a joint announcement issued today.

Austria

The extension runs through 2027 for the Billie Jean King Cup and 2028 for the Davis Cup.

“The extension also marks a significant expansion of Tennis Channel’s international reach, with rights to broadcast in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,” TC announced.  “Additionally, rights for the Billie Jean King Cup have been secured in Spain – a new and important market where interest in women’s tennis continues to see strong growth.”

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be contested in Shenzhen, China, September 16-21st. The Davis Cup Final 8 is set for Bologna, Italy, November 18-23rd.

“For many years Tennis Channel has helped bring the World Cup of Tennis to millions of people around the world and this extension is great news for both Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup,” ITF President David Haggerty said. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside Tennis Channel to continue this growth for years to come.”

How Alex de Minaur Shook Off Mid-Season Fatigue, Burnout

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By Chris Oddo | Monday August 4, 2025

After crashing out of this year’s French Open Alex de Minaur – the seemingly indefatigable Aussie who plays tennis like the energizer bunny – cited burnout as one of the biggest contributing factors to his on court struggles.

“For the last three, four years I’ve had two days off after the Davis Cup and I’ve gone straight into preseason, straight into the new season again,” he said after falling to Alexander Bublik in five sets in the second round in Paris.

Tennis Express player gear
Tennis Express player gear

“Once you start, you don’t finish until Nov. 24. So it’s never ending. The way [the season] is structured … I had to deal with that. I’m still dealing with that right now.”

Two months later, the 26-year-old Aussie is looking recharged, even if he is at a lower ranking. That’s became De Minaur skipped out on his ‘s-Hertogenbosch title defense in order to prioritize his mental and physical health over chasing ranking points.

This week in Toronto he rides an eight-match winning streak into the quarterfinals.

“I took some time off, I didn’t play some tournaments. I knew I had to kind of shift my mindset a little bit, because what I was feeling, what I was dealing with every single day, was not sustainable, and was the reason for my burnout,” De Minaur said earlier this week.

“So, I decided not to try and defend the title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, even though I knew it would affect my seeding at Wimbledon. And that for me was the first step, forgetting about my ranking and just worrying about myself a little bit more.”

De Minaur and many other players – from Casper Ruud to Alexander Zverev to Iga Swiatek – have expressed worry about the demands of the current tour schedule, and the smart ones are learning to take matters into their own hands.

“I managed to have a great balance,” De Minaur said. “I’ve had a lot of talks off the court to make sure I am in this right mindset. Now I’m prioritizing myself, and I know that I’m a good enough player, I know I’m a top-10 player, even if I’m not, I wasn’t in that ranking a couple weeks ago.

“If I show up, and I’m mentally ready and physically ready, I know I can provide that tennis. The last couple weeks have been an example of that, so very proud.”

Clara Tauson gets very honest on how she feels about Caroline Wozniacki comparisons

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Caroline Dawson

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.

Alexei Popyrin warns Alexander Zverev ahead of their clash in Toronto

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Alexander Zverev

Alexei Popyrin has a very special feeling with the Canadian Open, which takes place in Toronto in this edition. The Australian ace surprised the world in Montreal last season, when he won the first Masters 1000 title of his career by beating Russian star Andrey Rublev in the final.

There is no doubt that the numerous absences among the top players have facilitated Alexei's run again this year, but it must be admitted that he is managing the pressure well and has reached the quarterfinals with full merit. The defending champion defeated both former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev and young Danish star Holger Rune, demonstrating remarkable mental strength even when the situation was not good for him.

Popyrin will face Zverev

His next opponent will be No.1 seed Alexander Zverev, who will compete for a spot in the semifinals in Ontario. The German champion has enormous pressure in this tournament, because most fans and insiders expect him to lift the trophy given the absences of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

However, Sascha will need to play his best tennis if he wants to defeat Popyrin in this tournament. During his last press conference, the Australian player confessed that he feels really comfortable in Canada: "I feel like I can play my best tennis here, even if at the beginning of the tournament I was quite nervous because I knew I had to defend the title I won last year. I'm playing without pressure now and my level is very high, which is why I'll face the next match with serenity and confidence.

I completely forgot about having to defend 1000 points, I just want to play and have fun. The conditions are favorable for my game, because the court is quite fast and gets even faster when it's hot. During the day it's harder to control the ball, but in the evening everything is perfect."

The match between Popyrin and Zverev could be very uncertain than expected.

De Minaur Runs Down Tiafoe to Surge Into Toronto Quarterfinals

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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 3, 2025
Photo credit: Tennis TV 

Sounds of squealing sneakers reverberated around the Toronto court. 

Alex de Minaur barely spoke a word during the decisive set today, but his Asic shoes wouldn’t shut up.

Bursting off the baseline with deep desire, de Minaur ran down drop shots to score the key break fending off Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to roar into his seventh quarterfinal of the season at the ATP 1000 National Bank Open. 

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

A week after de Minaur denied three championship points to out-duel Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Washington, DC final and capture his 10th career title, he lived up to his “Speed Demon” nickname scoring his seventh straight win. 

“There’s a lot of quick movers out there. Maybe this year I haven’t had to rely on it as much because I’m focusing on trying to be a little bit more aggressive,” de Minaur said. “Course, you know, there’s still plenty of hours that have been put on in the gym, off the court, to make sure that my footwork and speed is what it is.

“I like to think that it helps in defending and retrieving, but also it helps me in taking time away from my opponents. I’m using it to my advantage to get to the net very quickly and kind of anticipate the next shot. So it’s not only for defensive use, I’m also trying to use it in an aggressive nature as well.”

It’s a historic victory for de Minaur—his 212th career hard court triumph equals two-time US Open champion Patrick Rafter for second on the Australian all-time list in the Open Era trailing only his Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, who was 372-158 lifetime on his favored hard courts.

The ninth-seeded de Minaur will face either world No. 7 Ben Shelton or 17th-ranked Wimbledon quarterfinalist Flavio Cobolli for a semifinal spot. De Minaur is 2-0 lifetime against the 23-year-old Cobolli and has yet to face Shelton in a pro match. 

Bouncing on his toes behind the baseline, de Minaur exuded more energy, clarity and consistency at the start today.

Tiafoe dragged a forehand wide and scattered a slice backhand gifting the Aussie the opening-game break. 

A sound de Minaur rolled through 12 of the next 15 points, bleeding forehand errors from Tiafoe for a second straight break then holding at 15 to lead 4-0 after just 16 minutes of play. 

Though Tiafoe earned a couple of break points in the sixth game, he couldn’t find the court on either break point. De Minaur drew a pair of forehand return errors extending his lead to 5-1. 

The ninth-seeded Aussie served out the 37-minute opener at 15. 

Elevating his first serve percentage from 39 percent to 59 percent in the second set, Tiafoe played more proactive tennis in the second. 

The pair combined for four consecutive breaks to start the second set. 

At 4-all, 30-40, Tiafoe fought off a break point then dug in to win the longest game of the set edging ahead 5-4. 

Though de Minaur went up 30-love in the ensuing game, Tiafoe would not be denied. Ripping a forehand down the line and attacking at the right time, Tiafoe earned set point. The man from Maryland rattled out a framed forehand from his opponent snatching the second set with a raised fist. 

After about a seven-minute bathroom break, Tiafoe returned revitalized in tearing through 12 of the first 14 points on serve to stake a 3-2 lead.

Tiafoe held double break point for a potential 4-2 lead, but de Minaur saved the first forcing a forehand miss. On the second break point,  the pair produced one of the most dazzling points of the day.  A 15-shot rally saw the Aussie nudge a half volley that Tiafoe ran down and poked a pass crosscourt. De Minaur recovered a ball behind him and hit a forehand into the open court to save the second break point. An ace down the T helped de Minaur level at 3-all.

Tiafoe was snapping the slice serve down the T as he stamped his second love hold of the set for 4-3. 

Deadlocked at 4-all, Tiafoe showed the good, the bad and the downright crazy of his game. The good was three aces in the game. The bad was Foe’s stubborn insistence on continuing to play the drop shot against one of the sport’s fastest players. And the crazy was even after seeing de Minaur make those running retrievals and seeing the Aussie was hovering right near the baseline, Tiafoe kept indulging his drop-shot fixation.

At one point, de Minaur careened corner to corner like an ambulance driver answering a 911 call as he hit a full-stretch forehand followed by a running backhand then read the dropper and scrambled forward to retrieve prompting Tiafoe to push a half volley into net. 

“It’s kind of, it’s part of my DNA, right, never to let a point go, no matter what position in the rally I’m in,” de Minaur said. “Yeah, today was a crucial example of what it can mean if you make that extra point, right.

It was a huge moment, it gave me a break point, and even though I wasn’t able to convert it, it really did send a message that I wanted that game. Yeah, I mean, I don’t have the biggest weapons out here, but one thing I can rely on is my legs.”

You’d think after seeing the Speed Demon pull off that spectacular series of running gets, the last shot on Tiafoe’s mind would be the dropper. 

Well think again.

Inexplicably, a couple of points later, Tiafoe tapped a dropper that sat up, de Minaur easily ran it down and shoveled a forehand pass breaking for 5-4.

Still, de Minaur needed a bit of luck to end it hitting a net-cord winner for 30-5. The slider serve brought the Aussie match point and de Minaur closed on another forehand error from Tiafoe, whose forehand failed him at the wrong times today. 

A terrific battle that included chair umpire Mo Lahyani advising a parent in the crowd to “please give that baby some love” in response to a crying child ended with a well-earned ovation after two hours, 24 minutes. De Minaur raised his record to 37-13 on the season, he is No. 3 on the Tour for most victories in 2025.

“Tunnel vision,” de Minaur wrote on the court-side camera, summing up another gritty win for the 2025 ATP hard-court win leader.

De Minaur: Making Case to USTA for US Open Mixed Wild Card With Boulter

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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 3, 2025
Photo credit: Katie Boulter Instagram

The couple that plays together stays together.

Alex de Minaur calls playing mixed doubles with fiancé Katie Boulter at Wimbledon one his career highlights.

That’s one reason why the Washington, D.C. champion is making the case to the USTA for a wild card for he and Boulter into this month’s US Open Mixed Doubles.

Alex de Minaur

“Yeah, a hundred percent. I mean, look, I think we’re doing our best to put a really good case forward to hopefully get that wild card,” de Minaur told the media in Toronto today after edging Frances Tiafoe for his seventh straight win. “Yeah, I mean, one of the most enjoyable moments I’ve had on a tennis court was playing Wimbledon mixed doubles with her.”

The USTA released the current roster of teams for the new US Open Mixed doubles tournament, which will be staged for the first time during fan week, the week before singles main-draw play begins.

Here’s a look at the teams currently set to play:

Frances Tiafoe

There are currently two open spots remaining and de Minaur is hoping he and Boulter will be given a wild card to fill one of them.

“It was pretty damn cool [to play with Boulter], so I would love to go back and, yeah, play again,” de Minaur said today. “And to play such an exciting event with the world’s best tennis players would be pretty cool. So hopefully they give us a chance to do that, and I don’t know, I mean, yeah, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

 

Tauson Stuns Swiatek in Stirring Montreal Win

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By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 3, 2025
Photo credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty

A crackling Clara Tauson drive sent Iga Swiatek sprawling into a split behind the baseline. 

Dictating with her serve, Tauson displaced the powerful Pole with deep drives stunning Swiatek 7-6(1), 6-3 to score one of her biggest career wins in Montreal.

Australian Open

It’s been a tournament of upsets and we’ve seen two of the biggest in the last two days. 

Canadian wild card Victoria Mboko shocked top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 last night. 

Tonight, Tauson sent the second-seeded Swiatek packing to set up an appealing quarterfinal clash vs. Australian Open champion Madison Keys. 

Earlier, the sixth-seeded Keys saved a pair of match points conquering Karolina Muchova, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, to book a quarterfinal spot at the Omnium Banque Nationale quarterfinals. 

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A calm Tauson denied seven of nine break points snapping Swiatek’s nine-match winning streak with a superb display of power-based baseline tennis. Apart from a sloppy tiebreaker, Swiatek did not play poorly, Tauson just took it to her when it mattered most.

The 16th-seeded Tauson handed the Wimbledon winner her first defeat since she fell to Jessica Pegula in the Bad Homburg grass-court final in June. 

One of the WTA Tour’s most commanding servers, Tauson showed tonight she’s much more than a big server. Tauson dotted all areas of the service box to set up her fierce forehand, hit her two-handed backhand with bold intent and while she’s not nearly as quick around the court as the speedy Swiatek, the 22-year-old Dane anticipated the direction of the Pole’s shots and often beat her to the punch. Perhaps that’s because Tauson faced Swiatek at Wimbledon, falling in straight sets at the round of 16 last month. 

Tonight, Tauson broke in the third game then backed up the break with a love hold for 3-1.

Though Swiatek earned double break point in the sixth game, Tauson dug in with defiance and fought off four break points during a punishing 14-point game. Tauson held firm for 4-2. 

Two games later, the six-time Grand Slam champion earned triple break point. Swiatek was on the verge of breaking again only to see Tauson tame the threat with a five-point surge to hold for 5-3. 

Cruising through her own service games, Swiatek threw down a strong hold at 15 for 4-5 then tightened the screws on Tauson’s serve in the 10th game. 

When the Dane served for the set, Swiatek finally broke through at 15 to level 5-all. 

The tiebreaker was even after two points when Tauson lifted her level racing through six points in a row seizing a one-set lead. 

A tough Tauson saved seven of eight break points in that opening set and repeatedly hurt her opponent with the wide serve.

Swiatek would have been wise to drop back a bit deeper behind the baseline to give herself more time on the return—and at least give Tauson a different sightline on serve. 

Catching her toss a few times, Tauson was decisive on serving direction as she won eight of the first 10 points on her serve in the second set. Belting deep drives, Tauson broke at 15 for a 3-1 second-set lead. 

Tauson slashed successive aces sealing a 7-6, 4-1 lead after one hour, 33 minutes of play. 

The six-time Grand Slam champion made a push holding in the sixth game then scoring her second break to cut the gap to 3-4. 

Unfazed, Tauson continued torching first strikes and exploited the Pole’s fifth double fault to break back for 5-3. 

Serving for one of her biggest career wins, Tauson did not flinch and when Swiatek netted a final backhand, Tauson broke into the wide smile to cap a well-deserved win.

Alexander Zverev confesses he once retired match because he couldn't beat his brother

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Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev, 28, issued one very honest confession while speaking with a couple of former American tennis stars, revealing that he retired against Mischa Zverev in the 2014 Houston qualifying only because he "could not beat" his brother.

Mischa, a former world No. 25, thrashed his brother 6-0 6-1 when they met in the 2012 Dallas Challenger qualifying. Two years later – just before Alexander's 17th birthday – they clashed in the Houston qualifying first round. This time, it was a much more contested battle as a 16-year-old Alexander took a set off his brother. But with Mischa leading 7-5 4-6 3-2, the younger of the two brothers got overwhelmed – went to the net – and shook his brother's hand.

Alexander Zverev: I just couldn't beat my brother so I pulled out

"We actually played one more time in Houston, but we played in qualies in 2014. And I actually, don't know if people know that, he (Mischa) knows that, we played a very long three-set match. We played for like, three hours, and then it was like 3-2 in the third set. I think I was up 3-2 in the third set with a break, and I felt so bad that I pulled out. Yeah, I pulled out, I couldn't beat him. I just couldn't do it," the three-time Grand Slam runner-up confessed on the Nothing Major Show.

Four years after their Houston meeting, the Zverev brothers met again. At the time of their third meeting, Alexander had already become one of the best in the game and he ended up beating his older brother 6-3 7-5 in the 2018 Washington first round.

Mischa, who is 10 years older than his brother, officially retired from pro tennis in 2023 but he barely played across the 2021 and 2022 seasons since he joined his brother's team years ago.

The Zverev brothers evidently have a great relationship, but still you rarely see a player admitting that they just couldn't beat the rival standing on the other side of the net. 

Knockout Night: Mboko Sweeps Top-Seeded Gauff to Roar Into Montreal Quarterfinals

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By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 2, 2025
Photo credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty 

Victoria Mboko expected a tough fight from Coco Gauff. 

Before an electric home crowd, the Canadian teenager delivered a knockout. 

Eighteen-year-old Mboko repeatedly beat Gauff to the punch toppling the top-seeded American 6-1, 6-4 to score her biggest career win and roar into the Montreal quarterfinals. 

“It was one of the biggest matches I could have played so far in my career. So far I feel really happy with how it went,” Mboko told the media in Montreal. “Playing Coco is obviously never easy. She’s No. 2 in the world, and it’s been such a great opportunity for me to play against someone like her. I was just happy I kept my composure today and I pulled it through.”

Auckland

A dynamic Mboko broke at 15 in the first and last games and spent much of the match playing off the front foot staying one step ahead of the two-time Grand Slam champion. 

“I mean, it is tough. I knew she would come in with a lot of confidence, and she’s won her
first couple of rounds easily,” Gauff said. “Honestly, I haven’t played the best this tournament, so I
knew that it would be tough.

“I don’t know, I just felt like I could do better today, but I also knew that if I took my foot off the gas a little bit, that she would take advantage of those moments, and she did.”

It was Mboko’s first career Top 10 win and she displayed both power and poise pulling it off.

Mboko, who swept former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in round two, made history as the third Canadian teenager to beat multiple Grand Slam champions at a single event. The explosive Mboko joins Bianca Andreescu (Auckland, Indian Wells and US Open in 2019) and Leylah Fernandez (2021 US Open) in achieving that impressive feat. 

When things got tight tonight at 4-all in the second set, Mboko did not crack and continued driving the ball deeper than the two-time Grand Slam champion in avenging a three-set loss to Gauff in Rome.

“Honestly, I don’t think she played much different. I think it’s two different surfaces, and I felt like my
level was a little bit higher in Rome, so I think the matchup was better,” Gauff said. “But still, I knew in Rome when I played her, it would be a tough match, and it was.

“I knew today it would be hard, and she’s playing, like, high-level tennis. Yeah, I think that’s what showed today. I think she was the better player today.”

Reigning Roland Garros champion 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. In round two, Gauff clanked 14 double faults fending off Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. 

Today, Gauff hit just six double faults—one more than the Canadian wild card—but Mboko often handcuffed the top seed slashing returns right back through the middle. Mboko converted all four of her break point chances and frequently controlled the forehand to forehand exchanges. 

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Gauff skipped Washington, DC to spend time in the Florida heat working on her serve. That shot was suspect in Montreal this week revealing her service game is still very much a work in progress as she heads to Cincinnati before the start of the US Open later this month. 

This match was a rematch of the Rome second round in May when Gauff rallied for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win. 

On the faster Montreal court, Mboko showed she’s one of the few women who can run with the speedy Gauff as she prevailed in some of the crackling crosscourt running rallies. 

Reflecting on that Rome defeat helped Mboko remain focused throughout the second set.

“Yeah, I was actually really thinking about it a lot during the match, especially after I won the
first set. I kind of had flashbacks to when I played her in Rome a little bit,” Mboko said. “I just remember when she kind of came out playing even better and stepped it up a bit better when I played her in
Europe, I was thinking about that.

“I kind of wanted to step my game up a little bit more and make sure I matched whatever she was producing, and I wanted to stay right there with her.”

Taking the ball earlier than Gauff at times Mboko burned the world No. 2 blasting drives down the line. 

Deadlocked at 4-all in the second set, Mboko cracked a backhand drive down the line then flashed a clenched fist toward her box holding at 30 for 5-4. 

Serving to extend the match, Gauff was down double match point when she hit the slider serve wide. On the full stretch, Mboko flicked a forehand return back into play. Gauff got up to the ball but tried to play a short slice and found the net instead. 

Clad head-to-toe in blue Wilson apparel, Mboko tossed her racquet aside and covered her face with her hands in an eruption of emotion as Montreal fans exploded with cheers.

Gauff was gracious in defeat crediting the teenager with outplaying her.

“She’s very athletic. She’s a great ball striker, and she seems pretty positive out there on the
court, doesn’t get really too negative,” Gauff said. “I mean, I don’t know her too well, but I’ve gotten to talk to her a little bit over the course since Rome. I think she has a great support system around her, and I think that’s important when you’re young and on tour.

“Yeah, hopefully we have many more battles, and I look forward to playing her again in the future.”

Mboko is the first Canadian teenager to reach the quarterfinals since Andreescu won the title in 2019—and based on this performance she’s poised to do even more damage in this North American summer hard court season.