Archive of posts tagged the 2021 US Open

Medvedev Overheats and Poor Stretch Continues in Cincinnati

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By Chris Oddo | Monday August 11, 2025

What happened to Daniil Medvedev? Remember the former World No.1, the guy who stood tall against the Big Three and racked up titles on hard courts like they were going out of style? Has anyone seen that guy?

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There would not be a sighting in Cincinnati, where Medvedev appeared as a shell of his former self as he wilted in defeat to Australia’s Adam Walton on Sunday, 6-7 6-4 6-1.

It’s just odd to see the former juggernaut at No.15 in the world, carrying a record of 26-17 for the season. One of the most captivating, personable players on the ATP Tour, who earned his nickname the “slim reaper” thanks to his wiry frame and uncanny ability to outlast players with his trademark accuracy and resiliency, is only 29 years old. It’s not like he’s Kei Nishikori at 35 and on the way out, or Gael Monfils at 38.

Medvedev is 1-3 at the Grand Slams in 2025, and 11-7 at the Masters events. This is a player who won more than 60 matches in 2021 and 2023, and reached six major finals between 2019 and 2024. But he’s gone 12-20 against the Top-20 since the start of 2024, so his lack of success against the elite no longer comes as surprise.

Medvedev was a few games from winning yesterday’s match with Walton, but the extreme heat zapped him. He was suffering during courtside changeovers, dunking his head in a water cooler and sitting beneath an ice pack. On court he had nothing to give in the deciding set. It happens, but it shouldn’t. No excuses, this is the type of difficulty he has pushed through in previous years, as he became one of the best hard court players in tennis.

The 2021 US Open champion will head to the US Open next, where he is 33-7 lifetime. If a dose of New York energy can’t bring his game to life, we should all be worried.

Emma Raducanu admits she is not targeting Slams e WTA 1000 titles at the moment

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Cincinnati

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.

Cincinnati: Emma Raducanu routinely wins, now set for difficult Aryna Sabalenka test

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2023 Wimbledon

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.

Leylah Fernandez issues latest dating update: Stalked him a bit and had a date

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Broadcasting (NEC)

Leylah Fernandez reveals she has had two dates with "a nice guy" and a love relationship is definitely a realistic option since they are "keeping in contact."

Just before kicking off her triumphant Washington, the 22-year-old said she wanted to have her first-ever date in Montreal and encouraged interested individuals to reach out to her. At the Canadian Open, the local star lost in the first round so she had lots of time to go out on a date.

After arriving at Cincinnati, Tennis Channel caught up with Fernandez. To no one's surprise, the 2021 US Open finalist was asked to issue an update on the dating matter. The world No. 24 proceeded to reveal that a couple of international guys were interested in flying out to Montreal to meet, but she didn't want that. Instead, she waited and hoped that a local would appear.

Fernandez: His first message caught my attention… Stalked him a bit and he's real

"So I was giving it one more day, and then I stumbled upon him, and his message kind of caught my attention," the 22-year-old said on Tennis Channel.

"When I asked him, 'Did you even see my video?' And he's like, 'No, I didn't.' His first message just kind of caught my attention, and then afterwards I stalked him to make sure that he's real. He's a real person, seemed like a nice guy, and then got a couple opinions from family, team members, to make sure that they were okay with it. There's been a second date, and we're keeping in contact, so we'll see."

During Washington, Fernandez jokingly but also seriously told guys not to be afraid of her dad because it wasn't true that he was "unwelcoming." Evidently, the Canadian's date passed the dad test and everything has gone well so far. 

Emma Raducanu makes it crystal clear what she wants from Rafael Nadal's ex-coach

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Aryna Sabalenka

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.

Alexander Zverev shares Daniil Medvedev is his 'most annoying rival' in hilarious way

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Alexander Zverev

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.

Leylah Fernandez shares what she considers 'a red flag' ahead of her first date

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Anna Kalinskaya

Leylah Fernandez is revealing what she considers a red flag ahead of her first date and that's seeing a person using "a lot of slang."

10 days ago, the 2021 US Open champion candidly admitted to never being on a date and asked potential suitors to slide into her Instagram DM for a potential date in Montreal. While competing in Washington, the 22-year-old funnily told interested individuals to feel safe to reach out to her because it was not true that her father/coach Jorge was "unwelcoming."

After winning the WTA 500 tournament in Washington, Fernandez arrived in Montreal – the place where she should have her first date. During an appearance on Tennis Channel, the panel touched on the subject and asked the Canadian to reveal what she would consider a red flag in a date.

"I think the No. 1 red flag for me is… There's a lot of slang in the message. For me, it's not very… I don't like to say proper but it's not easy to understand," Fernandez said.

Fernandez confirmed that she found herself a date

After beating Anna Kalinskaya in the Washington final, the world No. 24 shared that she had found herself a date for Montreal. However, she also added that since she would arrive late to Montreal, she would likely push back the date. 

"Honestly, I told my date that we might have to push it back a little bit because I'm still in DC. So, hopefully, maybe at the end of Montreal, I get to have that date finally, but we've been talking and keeping in touch to hopefully schedule it at the end of Montreal before going to Cincy," Fernandez said.

Since the 22-year-old lost in the Montreal first round on Tuesday, her date might come in the next day or so.

Emma Raducanu rewarded for great Washington run with her best ranking since 2022

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Anna Kalinskaya

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.

Watch: Daniil Medvedev hurles racket, destroys bottle after losing epic match point

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Alex de Minaur

Daniil Medvedev had a very hard time accepting a Washington quarterfinal loss as the former world No. 1 hurled his racket and then also violently hit a metal water bottle against the court moments after his defeat.

With French lucky loser Corentin Moutet up 5-4 up in the third set and Medvedev serving to stay in the match, the No. 8 seed sprayed three double faults. After saving two match points, the Russian faced a third – and it was one of the most insane match points you will ever see as it pretty much featured everything and several stunning shots and escaped. Unfortunately for the 2021 US Open champion, it was the Frenchman who took the point and completed a 1-6 6-4 6-4 upset win.

It wasn't shown on the video above but Medvedev threw his racket after losing the match. Then, when he came to his chair, he further took out his frustration on a water bottle.

Medvedev's title drought continues

Had Medvedev defeated Moutet, he would have played Alex de Minaur in the Washington semifinal and come two wins away from finally winning his first ATP title since 2023 May. When the Russian claimed the 2023 Rome Masters title, he improved to 20 titles. Since then, he hasn't lifted a title.

This year, Medvedev came close to winning a title on a few occasions – his best chance came in Halle last month, where he finished as runner-up to Alexander Bublik. The Russian former world No. 1 was also a semifinalist at the Indian Wells Masters and Montpellier.

Medvedev now turns his focus to next week's Toronto Masters, where he has a first-round bye.

Washington: Emma Raducanu recovers from deficit in each set to reach semfinal

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Anna Kalinskaya

Emma Raducanu made her first semifinal of the year but it came all but an easy way after the British tennis star came from a break down in each set to beat Maria Sakkari 6-4 7-5 in the Washington quarterfinal.

Playing against former world No. 3 Sakkari, Raducanu made a slow start and lost the opening two games. But with three breaks in the remainder of the first set, the 2021 US Open champion managed to overturn the deficit and bag the opener.

After blowing a break in the first set, Sakkari also claimed a break in the sixth game of the second set and went on to open a 5-2 lead. But just when it seemed that their match would go three sets, the British tennis star won the next five games in a row to overturn the deficit once again and complete a two-set win.

In the Washington semifinal, Raducanu will battle against either No. 4 seed Clara Tauson or Anna Kalinskaya.

What Raducanu admitted after beating Sakkari?

After getting the job done against Sakkari in two sets, the 2021 US Open winner admitted that she didn't feel well at all after falling down by a break in the second set and that she just hoped the match wouldn't go three sets.

“I think you get to a point where you’re so tired that you don’t really know what you’re doing anymore, and I think maybe that helped. I just really had to be smooth and conserve energy. I was also thinking if this goes to three sets, I don't know how I’m going to do it. So just happy I toughed it out," the 22-year-old admitted after beating Sakkari.

For Raducanu, this is her first Washington semifinal. In her first two Washington appearances that came in 2022 and 2024, the Briton concluded her run in the quarterfinal.