Tearful Ons Jabeur retires from Wimbledon match due to breathing difficulties while Emma Raducanu marches on
Having been in clear distress, she managed to play on in scorching temperatures before withdrawing while trailing 7-6 (5) 2-0 to Bulgarian world number 111 Tomova.
Jabeur, who was beaten in the 2022 and 2023 finals at SW19, has plummeted to 59 in the rankings amid ongoing fitness setbacks.
A shoulder issue led to a premature end to her 2024 season and, just three months into her return, she hobbled off court in tears at this year's Miami Open after suffering a leg strain.
Tournament organisers later confirmed the Tunisian had experienced breathing issues.
'I wasn't expecting not to feel good, I've been practising pretty well the last few days but I guess these things happen and I'm pretty sad,' said Jabeur.
'It doesn't really help me with my confidence. I keep pushing myself, even though it was a very tough season for me, so I hope I can feel better and see what's going to happen.'
World number one Aryna Sabalenka eased into the second round by defeating Canadian grand slam debutant Carson Branstine in straight sets.
The three-time major winner cruised through the opening set on Court One before securing a decisive break in game 11 of a closer second en route to a 6-1 7-5 success.
Belarusian Sabalenka, who missed last year's championship due to a shoulder injury and has never been past the semi-finals, could meet British number one Emma Raducanu in round three.
ADVERTISEMENT
Learn more
'I'm super happy to be back, to be healthy and to compete at this beautiful tournament,' she said in her on-court interview.
'I was really depressed last year that I couldn't feel this atmosphere and I'm super happy with the performance. I feel like I'm in a good place.'
Marketa Vondrousova – the 2023 champion – set up a second-round clash with home favourite Raducanu by defeating American McCartney Kessler.
The 26-year-old Czech backed up her recent success at the Berlin Open with a 6-1 7-6 (3) victory over the 32nd seed, who won in Nottingham this summer.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys avoided an upset by coming from a set down to scrape past Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
The 30-year-old American sixth seed prevailed 6-7 (4) 7-5 7-5.
Last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini also survived a scare, coming from a set down to defeat Latvian world number 402 Anastasija Sevastova 2-6 6-3 6-2.
Four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka overcame Australia's Talia Gibson 6-4 7-6 (4), while Lulu Sun, who knocked out Raducanu in round four last year, lost 6-4 6-4 to Marie Bouzkova.
Fourteenth seed Elina Svitolina won 6-3 6-1 against Hungarian Anna Bondar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Coco Gauff's opponent is glamorous music star and model, 25, who must overcome allergy to GRASS to cause Wimbledon shock
COCO GAUFF is set to open her Wimbledon 2025 campaign against Ukrainian star Dayana Yastremska. The American is flying high following her recent Roland Garros triumph, but may not have it all her own way on Centre Court this afternoon. 10 Dayana Yastremska is set to take on Coco Gauff Credit: Getty 10 The Ukrainian has built a huge Instagram following Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay 10 Gauff is set to launch her Wimbledon campaign this evening Credit: EPA Yastremska, 25, is No42 in the rankings - but that barely scratches the surface of her incredible story. The Odesa-born ace burst onto the scene as a teenager, and has built a huge 216,000-strong Instagram following. Having recently reached the Nottingham final, Yastremska has shown a keen ability to play well on grass... despite being allergic to the green stuff! During her Nottingham run, the 5ft 7in star said: "I really love playing on grass, even though I think I have a bit of an allergy to grass! READ MORE WIMBLEDON "I'm very excited, and I was proud of myself. In general everything worked pretty well." Yastremska, who has plenty of In February 2022, the tennis star was forced to Having been as high as No21 in the world, Yastremska had been attempting to rebuild her ranking at the time following a doping scare. Most read in Tennis 10 Wimbledon 2025 LIVE - In 2021 she was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance - but six months later she was allowed to play again after an independent tribunal ruled that there had been a contamination. As she fled war, Yastremska posted an emotional picture of herself alongside sister Ivanna, captioning it: "After spending two nights in the underground parking, my parents made a decision at any cost to send me and my little sister out of Ukraine. Coco Gauff is blown away by attention at basketball game in New York "Mom, Dad, we love you very much, take care of yourself!!! I love you my country! Ukrainians take care of your lives." Yastremska has since served as an inspiration on tour, defying the immense difficulties back home to rebuild her career. Last year she reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open as a qualifier, while this year she has reached finals in Linz and Nottingham. Off court, Yastremska keeps herself busy with plenty of hobbies. 10 Yastremska has more than 200,000 Instagram followers Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay 10 The world No42 loves to travel around the world Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay 10 Yastremska has plenty of fans around the world Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay The Yonex athlete has posted glamorous modelling shots on Instagram, while she also released two singles in 2020. Entitled Thousands of Me and Favourite Track, Yastremska used her time off during the Covid-19 pandemic to channel her passion for music. Yastremska also loves to travel, a handy trait for a player on the WTA Tour. She has posted several pictures of herself at various tourist hot-spots, including Rome's Trevi Fountain, Miami Zoo and Monte Carlo. Yastremska and Gauff have so far met three times, with the reigning Roland Garros champion having won each match. The Ukrainian did win a 6-0 set against the American in Madrid earlier this year, however, with Gauff eventually coming back to win a war of attrition on her way to the final. 10 Yastremska loves to visit tourist attractions like the Trevi Fountain Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay 10 The Ukrainian is a keen football fan Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay 10 Yastremska models for tennis brand Yonex Credit: Instagram / @dayana_yastremskay
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
John McEnroe interrupts brother Patrick on Wimbledon broadcast to make major personal announcement live on ESPN
JOHN McEnroe cut off brother Patrick in the broadcast booth to make a personal announcement. The brothers were on commentary for Tuesday's opening game on No. 1 Court. 2 John McEnroe (right) interrupted Patrick McEnroe (left) to wish him a happy birthday Credit: ESPN 2 The pair were calling Jannik Sinner's game on No. 1 Court Credit: AFP John and Patrick were paired together to see No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner take on fellow Italian Luca Nardi. The pair popped up on ESPN at 8 am ET when the players were walking onto court at 1 pm in London. Patrick tried to get brother John's thoughts on the match coming up. But he was told, "Sometimes there's more important things than first-round matches at Wimbledon." Patrick laughed and seemingly knew where the conversation was headed. "It happens to be my younger brother's birthday," John said. He then turned to Patrick in the booth and wished him a happy birthday. Patrick celebrated his 59th birthday on Tuesday, July 1. Most read in Sport "Appreciate that man, closing in on you," the younger McEnroe said. "Nothing better than being here with you on my birthday." Distraught Wimbledon star feared 'dangerous' fan had knife and demanded they were kicked out John is seven years Patrick's senior and splits his time at Wimbledon between ESPN and working for BBC's UK coverage. Patrick won 16 doubles titles with his brother John during his playing career. But his only slam victory was with Jim Grabb at the 1989 French Open. Patrick's only singles title was at the 1995 Sydney Outdoor Championships. He achieved a career highest singles ranking of 28 and doubles of three. ESPN holds the rights to Wimbledon in the United States. The network signed a new deal worth a reported $400 million to take them through 2035. This year's singles finals have been pushed back to a 4 pm local time start from 2 pm. Read more on the Irish Sun The move means a more favorable start time of 11 am ET for American viewers. And it also pushed the finals towards prime time in the United Kingdom.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘They are crazy' – Distraught Wimbledon star feared ‘dangerous' fan had knife and demanded they were kicked out
A WIMBLEDON star feared a 'crazy' fan had a knife courtside – before losing in 45 minutes without winning a game. World No33 Yulia Putintseva halted her first-round clash on Monday to report the spectator to the umpire. 5 Yulia Putintseva demanded Wimbledon ejected a fan from the stands Credit: BBC 5 The chair umpire spoke to the security midway through the first set Credit: BBC Bystanders said the man had been attempting to talk to Putintseva, 30, during her serve at the start of her match against American Amanda Anisimova on Court 15. She said: 'Can you take him out because maybe he has a knife? I am not going to continue playing until he leaves. 'These people are dangerous, they are crazy.' Play resumed after the chair umpire consulted security personnel, but it was unclear if any action was taken against them. READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON It is understood that the spectator was not carrying a knife and would have been searched for weapons by ground security when entering. A visibly emotional Putintseva, ranked 33rd in the world, lost 6-0, 6-0 in a match lasting only 44 minutes. She won just 21 points and made 14 unforced errors in a dire showing against the No13 seed. The Russian-born player also hit just one winner and, while 5-0 down in the second set, Most read in Tennis Pushed on the fan incident, Wimbledon head of operations Michelle Dite told SunSport: 'We've been very upfront about this, that if the players have got any concerns, if they feel that there's something that doesn't feel quite right, they absolutely should bring it to light. 'We would rather know about these things. Former Wimbledon finalist leaves court in tears just 26 minutes into opening match 'So in terms of those conversations, protocols were followed, and the matter was dealt with." Ms Dite added it was not a stalking-related incident. She went on: 'There was an issue raised by one of the players. "We want to create the best possible theatre for them to come and do their thing. 5 Wimbledon 2025 LIVE - "One of the players had some concerns, they went and spoke to the umpire, we checked it all out with security.' Wimbledon bosses played down the incident, including Putintseva's 'knife' remark. A spokesman insisted: 'Security was in the area. The issue was dealt with.' Russian-born Putintseva previously Fellow player 5 Putintseva broke down in tears at 5-0 in the second set Credit: BBC 5 She was involved in a spat with Maria Sakkari at a warm-up tournament Credit: Sky Sports Tennis
