tag

World number one Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday voiced her support for a proposal to make women's matches best-of-five sets during the later stages of Grand Slam tournaments.Speaking ahead of this week's ATP-WTA tournament in Indian Wells, the hard-hitting Sabalenka said she believed switching to five sets would benefit her game."Yeah, let's do that," the four-time Grand Slam singles champion said when asked about the idea, which was floated by incoming US Tennis Association chief Craig Tiley at the Australian Open earlier this year."I feel like I would have probably more Grand Slams," Sabalenka added. "Physically I'm really strong, and I'm pretty confident that my body can handle that. So let's do it."Tiley, the former head of the Australian Open who last week was named as the new USTA chief, told the New York Times in an interview last month that switching to five sets from the quarter-finals onwards at Grand Slams should be discussed."All the research shows interest grows as the match goes on," Tiley said. "As a sport, we need to evolve."But while Sabalenka backed the move, other women players were more circumspect."I mean, it probably would favor me, because I'm physically up there with the best, but I mean, I probably wouldn't want to see that happen," reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff told reporters."And if it were to happen, I would prefer it to be the whole tournament, not just the quarters. I think changing the format in the middle of the tournament defeats the purpose of the playing field."Six-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Iga Swiatek was firmly against the idea, and questioned the suggestion it would boost audiences."I think honestly it's a weird approach in the world where everything is becoming faster, you know," Swiatek said. "So I don't know if the audience honestly would like that."Also, I don't know if we would be able to keep the quality for five sets. Well, that's a fact, like, men are more physically strong and they can handle it for sure better."Swiatek said the physical demands would also force players to adjust their schedules, potentially leading to them playing fewer tournaments."We have never practiced in a way to prepare for that, so we would need to change, I think, our whole calendar, because the Grand Slams would be so tough that I don't think we would have honestly time to prepare for any other tournaments," she said."I think it would change a lot. I don't think it would change anything for good."World number five Jessica Pegula echoed Swiatek's remarks, stating while five sets were well within the physical capabilities of women, a switch could be counter-productive."I think we have amazing female athletes that honestly I think we could do that," the American said. "I don't think it's the fact that we can't; I just don't necessarily think that we should."On that aspect, I don't even know how you would schedule tournaments. We'd have to add weeks. We can't even get through the schedule now. So I'm not really sure for like a fan experience how that would really work." 

Amanda Anisimova ended a tearful Mirra Andreeva's Dubai title defence Thursday with a comeback 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory in the quarter-finals.The second-seeded American trailed the fifth seed Russian Andreeva by a set and a break before rallying back to complete a two-hour 38-minute win.She thereby booked a place in the semi-finals of a WTA 1000 event for the fourth time in her career."I was almost in tears there at the end," Anisimova said."It made me emotional seeing her like that. I feel we both won today," she added.Anisimova now gets a rematch with fellow American Jessica Pegula.Two breaks gave Andreeva a one-set lead and the defending champion leapt to a 2-0 advantage in the second set before Anisimova retaliated and clinched the next five games.Anisimova got broken serving for the second set and it was Andreeva's turn to fight back as she took three games in a row to level for 5-all.She broke again to take the quarter-final clash into a deciding set.Anisimova served for the match at 5-3 in the decider but Andreeva kept peppering her with slices and lobs to stay alive in the duel and soon drew level.It was Andreeva's turn to serve for the victory but she couldn't close at 6-5 and the contest fittingly went to a deciding tiebreak.Anisimova upped her level to take the breaker and hugged a sobbing Andreeva at the net, telling her she was "amazing".Andreeva particularly struggled on her second serve, winning just 37 per cent of her points behind it and double-faulting seven times.Earlier on centre court, Pegula advanced to a seventh consecutive tour-level semi-final - dating back to the 2025 US Open - with a hard-fought 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 performance against last year's runner-up Clara Tauson.The 31-year-old American has stepped up her game following sub-par results in Montreal and Cincinnati last summer and has since been a serious threat in the latter stages of every tournament she has played."My coaches and I worked on a lot of stuff to get my game back, to emphasise what I do really well, get back to the true roots of my game, just make that even better and more efficient," explained Pegula, who hit 36 winners and just 26 unforced errors against Tauson."I think I've been serving a lot better. Physically been feeling good. Moving better again."There's a lot of things. But honestly, I've been working on my game a lot. I think I've become a better player over the last six months."In the first meeting between the pair, Pegula and Tauson split the first two sets and were neck and neck in the decider until the American claimed a crucial break in the seventh game.Pegula closed out the victory two games later to punch her ticket to the second Dubai semi-final of her career, and first since 2023.In the night-session quarter-finals, third-seeded Coco Gauff will take on Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala before two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina faces Croatian lucky loser Antonia Ruzic. 

Fourth seed Coco Gauff made an early exit from the WTA 1000 Qatar Open in Doha Tuesday after falling 6-4, 6-2 to Italian lucky loser Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round. Gauff’s departure was part of a string of upsets, with sixth seed Jasmine Paolini and eighth-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova also crashing out of the tournament at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.Amid the surprises, however, two title contenders marched on with authority. World No 1 and top seed Iga Swiatek showed her class with a dominant display, while newly crowned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina continued her strong run of form, both sealing comfortable victories to book their places in the last 16.American Gauff, who received a first-round bye, was also knocked out of the tournament in her opening match last year. The reigning French Open champion lost in an exhausting 5-7, 6-7 doubles match with Canadian Victoria Mboko on Monday, and her fatigue showed against the Italian as Gauff lost in just over 90 minutes.Cocciaretto will face Ann Li in the next round after only the third victory of her career against a top-10 ranked opponent. The world number 57 said she was inspired by her friend and skier Sofia Goggia, who took bronze in the women's downhill event at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the weekend."We always send messages and FaceTime to talk about our sports and how you manage some things," she said of Goggia. "She gives me a lot of advice... I love how they (skiers) approach the sport. They have fear of nothing. They're focused a lot and they put themselves after everything."Former world number three Maria Sakkari saw off Paolini, also 6-4, 6-2, to set up a last-16 tie with Varvara Gracheva. Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was another 6-4, 6-2 winner over Alexandrova.Swiatek dropped just eight points in the first set as she brushed aside Indonesia's Janice Tjen 6-0, 6-3 in her first match since losing in the Australian Open last eight to Rybakina. The six-time Grand Slam winner will play Daria Kasatkina for a place in the quarter-finals.She has won her last six meetings with the Russian-born Australian without dropping a set. "She can come to the match feeling that she has nothing to lose," said Swiatek of facing Kasatkina. "There are different ways the match can go, and I wouldn't say that focusing on the last results gives a lot. I'd rather stay ready for the challenge and not really think about the previous ones."Rybakina continued her fine form with a 6-2, 6-4 success against Wang Xinyu and will next face another Chinese player in Zheng Qinwen. World number three Rybakina has not played Zheng since a group-stage loss at the 2024 WTA Finals. Reigning Olympic gold medalist and world No 26 Zheng beat American upstart Alycia Parks, ranked No 77, in a gripping last 32 encounter.Rybakina is playing some of the best tennis of her career and the first set was more of the same as she took it for the loss of just two games. But Rybakina was made to work by the world No 227, who surprisingly broke at 2-2 in the second set, but was eventually pegged back by Rybakina at 4-4, allowing the Kazakh to eventually secure her safe passage into the next round with another break of serve shortly after.Australian Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina and rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko also reached the third round. 

Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have made history as the first mothers ranked inside the WTA Tour’s top 10 at the same time, with the governing body hailing it as “an incredible moment for women’s sport”. Switzerland’s Bencic returned to the top 10 in January for the first time since stepping away from the court in September 2023 to give birth to daughter Bella. In the latest rankings released on Monday she was joined by Svitolina, mother of Skai, after the Ukrainian’s run to the semi-finals at the Australian Open last week. The WTA has made efforts in recent years to help players maintain their professional careers and become parents with its Family Focus Program. It includes ranking protection during pregnancy, postpartum support with a return to play and paid maternity leave. “Two mothers ranked inside the WTA’s Top 10 rankings for the first time is an incredible moment for tennis and for women’s sport,” said WTA chief executive Portia Archer. “Not only does this highlight the exceptional achievements of Belinda and Elina, it reaffirms the WTA’s commitment to creating an environment where mothers can continue to compete and succeed, at the very highest level of sport - or any profession.” Bencic and Svitolina both took advantage of the Special Ranking Rule for returning mothers. “Coming back to the WTA Top 10 one year after returning to competition after maternity leave is something I am incredibly proud of,” said Bencic, ranked nine. “Very few people know or have experienced how difficult that journey is, but my family, my team and I have put all of our energy, work and dedication into it to accomplish this goal.”Tenth-ranked Svitolina added: “It’s a dream to return to the WTA Top 10. “Doing it as a mother means so much to me. I’m proud of my fight and resilience.” Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek retained their spots as world numbers one and two in the rankings, with newly-crowned Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina jumping two places to three. Amanada Anisimova, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Jasmine Paolini fill out four to eight respectively. 

Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko finished last year ranked 350th in the world but she is now just outside the top 20 and determined to move "onwards and upwards" next season.The 19-year-old won her first WTA title at her home Canadian Open in August, beating top seed Coco Gauff in the last 16 before downing former world number one Naomi Osaka in the final.Mboko is competing at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week and started her campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 win over compatriot Bianca Andreescu on Tuesday.Mboko, now ranked 23 in the world, said her breakthrough year had been "crazy"."I can look back and at least feel good about what I've been able to do," the teenager said."I would have never thought at all that I'd be where I am today."It's just building onwards and upwards, and hopefully for next year I can build some sort of momentum and keep it very positive within myself," she added.Mboko went through a slump after winning the title in Montreal, losing in the first round at her next four tournaments without even taking a set.Her first-round win in Tokyo ended that run and she said she "didn't really feel any doubts" that she would turn it around."I always look on the positive side of things and I think going into the match I just wanted to be very happy with the way I play and stay true to how I'm supposed to play," she said."It does feel a little bit of a relief though, to kind of get that out of the way and try to build momentum on it."Mboko was back on court two hours after her singles win over Andreescu, partnering with her beaten opponent to progress to the women's doubles quarter-finals.Mboko said she was learning from Andreescu, who won the 2019 US Open but has struggled badly with injuries and form and is now ranked 172nd."She's experienced so many of the same things that I've experienced this year," Mboko said of Andreescu, whose three career titles all came in 2019."It can be difficult a little bit, trying to bounce back and trying to find your way after having a big result like that.""Her being here helps me, when I talk with her sometimes it helps me find a little bit of peace of mind," she added.Mboko was born in the United States to parents fleeing political turmoil in the Democratic Republic of Congo, before settling in Toronto.She is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom play tennis.She says she does not watch much tennis in her spare time, "unless I'm really trying to learn something".She is more interested in her hometown Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, who booked their place at the World Series for the first time in 32 years earlier in the day."It's amazing, I love it," she said."I'm not really a baseball enthusiast but I only follow the Blue Jays for a reason."I'm just cheering from afar as much as I can."

Elena Rybakina powered into the Ningbo Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday that keeps her chances alive of qualifying for the WTA Finals.Paolini could have secured her ticket to next month's season finale in Riyadh with success on Saturday.But the Italian's defeat means the battle for the last two spots will be settled at next week's Pan-Pacific Open in Tokyo, with Mirra Andreeva also still in contention."I knew the match was going to be very tough," said Rybakina, who improved her head-to-head record against Paolini to 3-3."Jasmine has played really well this season and she's a really tough opponent, so I knew I would need to bring my best."I'm happy I stayed focused until the end and won it in straight sets."Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina entered the semi-finals having lost her last two meetings with Paolini but utilised her big serve and powerful groundstrokes to win in 90 minutes.Rybakina fired 30 winners, including 10 aces, and saved all seven break points she faced to reach her second final of the season, where she will face fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.Alexandrova is celebrating her top-10 debut this week and moved into her fourth final of the year with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fellow Russian Diana Shnaider.In a rematch of the Monterrey final won by Shnaider earlier this season, Alexandrova benefited from 40 unforced errors from her opponent throughout the 92-minute showdown."I'm really happy with the result, being here in the final. I think it was a super difficult match today," said Alexandrova, who is through to the 13th WTA final of her career."I have no expectations. I will go on the court tomorrow and enjoy the atmosphere and the match."I will try to do my best because she is a great player and has a really tough serve, so it will be super difficult against her."

Italian second seed Jasmine Paolini kept her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals alive with a gritty comeback win over Belinda Bencic, beating Switzerland's Tokyo Olympic gold medallist 5-7 7-5 6-3 in the Ningbo Open quarter-finals on Friday.Paolini will face third-seed Elena Rybakina in the semis, after the Russian-born Kazakh took less than an hour to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-0 later in the day.Twice Grand Slam finalist Paolini needs a win over Rybakina in the last four to qualify for next month's WTA Finals in Riyadh.The contest against Bencic at the WTA 500 hardcourt tournament, which lasted a marathon three hours and 22 minutes, marked the longest match of Paolini's season.Bencic, 28, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was unable to close it out. Her momentum was further interrupted in the deciding set when she took a medical time-out due to a thigh issue while trailing 4-3."One of the toughest I ever played, honestly," Paolini, who was the runner-up at last year's French Open and Wimbledon, said. "Belinda, she's an amazing player and a very good person. Today she deserved to win as well, so it was really tough."I'm happy I stayed there, because at the beginning I had too many mistakes. I couldn't find my best tennis, but then I just tried to stay there every point and turn the match somehow."Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have all qualified for the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour in Riyadh, with two spots still up for grabs.Rybakina eases past TomljanovicRybakina also remained in contention for a place at the WTA Finals, as she landed seven aces while a struggling Tomljanovic made nine double faults.Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina has now won 50 matches on the tour this year and qualified for seven semi-finals."Of course it would be nice to qualify (for the WTA Finals). But I know for this I still need to win a lot of matches. Not only here, but also next week," Rybakina said."Today I think I served well. It’s not easy to play Ajla. Today a lot of things went my way. Also some lines which I caught. Overall, happy I won in straight sets. Looking forward to tomorrow."Fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova brushed aside American McCartney Kessler 6-3 6-3 to set up a last-four clash with fellow Russian and seventh seed Diana Shnaider, who beat local favourite Zhu Lin 2-6 6-3 6-1 later on Friday.