Latest news with #QueensClub
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tatjana Maria crowned queen of Queen's as women's tournament celebrates triumphant return
Fifty-two years ago, Olga Morozova became the last woman to lift the Queen's trophy. Her stint as defending champion lasted until Tatjana Maria lifted an enormous new trophy – the old one lost to the mists of time – on Sunday. It crowned a week in which the traditions of one of the game's most hallowed tournaments merged with the contemporary drive to push women's sport to even greater heights. This time a year ago, there was outrage from some quarters at the thought that women would return to Queen's after half a century's absence. Members of the prestigious west London club objected to their facilities being taken out of action for even longer than usual; there were concerns over wear on the grass ahead of the men's event. A bloc of Queen's members even attempted to force the board to resign over the concept of dragging the tournament into the 21st century. Advertisement If that felt hideously backwards last year, it appears even more near-sighted today, after a triumphant week for the rejuvenated women's event. (Even the British weather largely cooperated, barring a couple of rain delays early on.) And it felt fitting that the tournament's debut would have two trailblazers, in different ways, in the final. The surprise package of the week has been qualifier Maria. A 37-year-old veteran of the tour, she took two breaks from the game to have daughters Charlotte, 11, and Cecilia, four, who accompany her – along with her coach-husband Charles-Edouard – to every tournament. Maria topped off a fairytale run by becoming the oldest WTA 500 champion (Getty) The German reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2022 but hasn't found the same level since, enduring a nine-match losing streak before coming to Queen's. 'It's the perfect example to never give up and always keep going, because I'm still here and living this dream,' she said on Friday. It certainly is. Advertisement On the other side of the net was 23-year-old Amanda Anisimova, a former teenage prodigy, who showcased her incredible potential with a run to the French Open semi-finals aged just 17. Tennis abounds with cautionary tales of young stars who burn brightly and then burn out. Anisimova, struggling with the stress of life on tour, took a break in 2023 to look after her mental health and rediscover who she was. Taking a step back worked wonders, and the American has reached new heights since her return, winning her maiden WTA 1000 title earlier this year and moving up to a career-high ranking of 15th. World No 86 Maria was the underdog by ranking going into this final. Then again, she has been in every match she has played this week, but her guile and experience have seen her through. The low bounce of grass perfectly suits her crafty, unconventional game, built on a slice that has been confounding the world's best players all week. Maria was surrounded by her family, who accompany her on the tour, after her victory (Getty) Having dispatched 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the quarter- and semi-finals, respectively, she rapidly got on top of Anisimova, a player with a similar power-hitting style. Maria denied Anisimova any rhythm, taking all the pace off the ball, and earned a chance to break early with a crunching topspin forehand. She took it and raced to a 4-1 lead inside 15 minutes, with Anisimova already baffled at how to deal with this most bamboozling of opponents. Advertisement The young American's formidable groundstrokes helped get her back on serve, but she could not build any momentum, and Maria immediately broke back, holding to love to seal the first set. The German – now the oldest WTA 500 finalist, and oldest champion – broke at the start of the second, her ability to mix slice and spin with a deft touch at the net continuing to get the better of her big-hitting opponent. One point, on Maria's serve at 2-1, summed up the match: Anisimova fired down smash after smash, only for Maria to dig each one out at the baseline, before the American eventually hit long. She looked on the verge of tears. Maria held after a mammoth 20-point game, then broke again, picking up a backhand volley that was mere millimetres away from bouncing twice to seal it. Anisimova reduced her deficit to just one break and stuck with the German in the latter stages of the set, but there was no getting past an inspired Maria. The American blasted a forehand wide on championship point, and Maria sealed the biggest singles title of her career, 6-3, 6-4. 'I wouldn't be surprised to see you in the Wimbledon final,' Anisimova said afterwards, jokingly adding, 'I think that bigger champagne bottle is for me, because I need it more.' Anisimova struggled to get any rhythm against a crafty opponent (Getty for LTA) Maria, whose speed and agility on the court belied her age, jumped for joy and raced to celebrate with her family – although her four-year-old may have missed the moment of her mother's biggest triumph, sleeping peacefully in the player's box. 'Queen of Queens', the 37-year-old wrote on the camera lens. Advertisement Both players thanked the appreciative crowds, Anisimova adding, 'For you to come out and support women's tennis so much, it means a lot'. The crowd has certainly got behind the new tournament: around 80 per cent of tickets were sold ahead of the first day's action, with the Andy Murray Arena filled to bursting on quarter-finals day on Friday, even before Emma Raducanu – third on the schedule – took to the court. Semi-finals day on Saturday sold out. The response from the players, too, has been resoundingly positive. Second seed Keys, one of the most high-profile women to feature, said after her quarter-final win on Friday that 'I think it's the best 500 that I have played'. She noted that the fact that it had already attracted such a competitive field in its first year – including six grand slam champions and three of the current top 10, despite taking place immediately after the French Open – made it a 'pretty high-level 500 right away'. Packed crowds attended each day of the inaugural women's event (Getty for LTA) Heather Watson, a veteran of British tennis, went further: 'I think it's huge for tennis in this country.' Katie Boulter, whose battle with Raducanu for the British No 1 spot has taken centre stage this week, said, 'Queen's is everything that I kind of dreamt it would be. I feel like it's a moment for women's tennis and women's sport in general right now.' Both Boulter and Maria called it a 'privilege' to play here. Advertisement At times, the tournament proved unable to handle the scale of demand. The doubles partnership between Boulter and Raducanu proved such an attraction that punters queued for over an hour to access their first-round match. Warned that once they were let in, they would be unable to leave, fans opted against loo breaks and refills of Pimm's in favour of watching British tennis's two biggest stars. Their matches would likely have filled the 7,700-capacity Andy Murray Arena too, but due to the tournament's contractual obligations with the WTA, which prioritises singles matches on main courts, 'Boultercanu' were stuck on the standing-room-only Court 1. A thousand fans crammed in to cheer them on. Unlike the majority of mixed tournaments, Queen's is running its women's and men's events on separate weeks. That has meant that the thousands of spectators descending on west London each day have turned up in their masses solely to watch women's tennis. Those punters have had their faith repaid. Perhaps in the future the two tournaments will integrate fully, although Keys quipped: 'I like when we don't have to share with the boys.' For now, the spotlight has been solely on the women; they have made sure it has been a blinding success.
IOL News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Week one wipeout at Wimbledon
A recurring observation on walking into Wimbledon, together with throngs of equally appreciate locals, is the weight of expectation the British press loads on their lineup of top seeds, to whom pages are devoted, to the exclusion of even Defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz and World No 1, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz enters the equation, less as a prospective third-time trophy holder and more as a potential romantic partner for British No 1, Emma Raducanu. Former British No 1, Katie Boulter described as the 'A1 quintessential Wimbledon player', garners less attention, possibly because her fiancée is Australian No 1, Alex De Minaur and Wimbledon has never been a happy hunting ground-on Court ie. Meanwhile British No 1, Jack Draper, has been touted as the Brit most likely to win this event. So have they and their British counterparts lived up to those lengthy headlines? Boulter, who beat Raducanu on her way to winning the Nottingham trophy last year, suffered another meltdown from a set up, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, to lucky loser, No 101, Soiana Sierra, to match her recent Queens Club collapse. 'I might have to accept my moment here( at Wimbledon) may not come.' Indeed not Katie. Meanwhile daughter of a British Kebab shop owner, Sonay Kartal, in shorts & a top quietly continued her 'unfussy progress' into Round Three, convincingly beating Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, 6-2, 6-2. As for Raducanu, in the unhappy interim, since her unheralded US Open triumph, we've become conditioned to a hard luck litany of endless injuries, the revolving door of coaches, etc. However walking onto Centre Court, in her Second Round match against unlikely 2023 Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova, something flipped in her mind, together with the sparkling coin, at the toss. Raducanu's 6-3, 6-3, demolition of the Czech, was one of her best, since she conquered Flushing Meadow. She appeared to be back on a magic carpet ride, yet her real test lay against No 1, Aryna Sabalenka. So too did former British No 2, Dan Evans' glittering swan song come to a grinding halt, as he butted heads with seven-time Wimbledon champion, Novak Djokovic and lost valiantly in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 to the maestro, in front of a Royal Box, dripping with other Olympic champions. British No 1, Draper, oddly on Court 1, was up against big serving Marin Cilic: Given the Croatian is an out of form veteran, British expectations were sky high. Yet underdogs tend to be dangerous in big arenas. Cilic and his big serve and powerful forehand were on song, as he raced to a two-set lead. To Draper's credit, he clawed back the third, adopting a more aggressive approach, as former No 1, John McEnroe, suggested he should, only to fall, 6-4, 6-3,1-6,6-4. Thus ironically with the exception of former British No 1, Cameron Norrie, still keeping the Union Jack aloft on the Mens side of the Draw, Britain's collective 'Great Expectations' have suffered a Dickensian it is not only the Brits, who have suffered tragedies, during this eventful week one in SW 7. The Greeks are mourning the demise of their beloved No 1, Stefanos Tsitsipas, the first big name to fall, after retiring at two sets down in his opener versus French qualifier, Valentin Roger, owing to a lingering back problem. The problem lies more in the head and his subsequent breakup with Spanish No 1, Paula Badosa is probably a wise move. The Americans were hit with the proverbial double whammy, when both No 1s Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff crashed out prematurely, beaten respectively by Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Ukrainian, Dayana Yastremska. The Big Three, cruising through to week two, under the radar, remain: Alcaraz, Sinner & Djokovic.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Carlos Alcaraz bashed for ‘bizarre' and ‘careless' performance in Wimbledon opener, told to get his act together
Carlos Alcaraz survived a massive early scare in his attempt to complete a hat-trick of titles at Wimbledon, as he managed to pull through in the deciding set of a five-set encounter against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in his first round matchup on Centre Court. Despite winning the Queens Club tournament and on the back of the French Open as well, Alcaraz was uncharacteristically sloppy and loose — a fact that earned him harsh criticism from many corners. Carlos Alcaraz reacts in disbelief after losing a point vs Fabio Fognini.(REUTERS) The 2023 and 2024 champion was lambasted by former British world number one and Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman. Speaking on BBC One, Henman didn't hold back on his assessment of a poor performance from Alcaraz that saw him drop sets two and four to be drawn into an extended battle. 'I am so surprised at the poor execution and surprised at his reactions. He is missing shots that I cannot believe he is missing. It is certainly a concern for his coaching team. He has been pretty careless. He has set up points and, time and time again, made unforced errors,' said Henman. Alcaraz uncharacteristically hit more unforced errors than winners, a rarity for a player who is usually able to show off his power without missing too many groundstrokes. 62 unforced errors across five sets came off Alcaraz's racquet. "He keeps making life difficult for himself. Alcaraz is just making some easy misses here, it has been a very bizarre performance from him,' said a completely bewildered Henman. 'I do not think I have ever seen him so out of sorts. It certainly was not meant to go like this. I have never seen Carlos Alcaraz look this out of sorts on such a big stage.' Alcaraz faces lowest-ranked player in the draw in round 2 Ultimately, Alcaraz had too much in the tank for Fognini, who at 38 years old is on his farewell tour with retirement planned for later this season, and who had no tour level wins since October 2024 heading into this match. Despite the 6-2 score in the decider, Alcaraz needed the Italian's momentum to be sapped by a couple of breaks in the final set. Henman indicated that Alcaraz not being able to consistently land his first serves affected him in this match: he finished with a mark of 58%, a disappointing number give the standards he is expected to uphold. "Carlos has set the bar for his performances so high because his form has been absolutely sensational. But his first serve percentage has been rather low in this game. It has been around 50 per cent, so Fabio Fognini has been getting plenty of chances to attack the second serve,' he explained. Fortunately for Alcaraz, he will have time to get used to the Wimbledon grass as he is served up a very manageable second round encounter against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who lies outside the top 700 in the ATP rankings.
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu drops a subtle nod to her rumoured romance with Carlos Alcaraz - after pair were spotted 'laughing and joking together'
Emma Raducanu dropped a subtle nod to her rumoured romance with French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday. With the pair gearing up to compete as partners at the US Open in August, rumours that their relationship may go beyond the tennis court first began swirling earlier this month. Emma, 22, was reportedly seen cheering the Spaniard, also 22, on at the Queens Club Championship before gushing about Carlos being 'a positive light to be around' in an interview on Monday. Insiders even claimed that their close bond was 'the talk of Queens' leaving supporters questioning what exactly is going on between the adored tennis stars. In what may be a calculated hint at the her possible romance with Carlos, Emma sported a purple training top while practicing at the Eastbourne Open on Wednesday - a colour which has become synonymous with the Spaniard. Alcaraz has sported the colour on a number of occasions both on and off the court in the past, including just last week during an interview. And clad in the very same colour, Emma was pictured on the practice court preparing for her second round tie against Maya Joint of Australia later in the day. While Raducanu competed at Eastbourne Park, Alcaraz was back in London at the All England Lawn Tennis club ramping up his preparation for Wimbledon, which is now just days away. He seemed in great spirits amid Raducanu speculation, with the star snapped cracking a beaming smile as he arrived in a white Nike training top. It comes after, according to The Sun, Carlos was sighted visiting Emma's London hotel on multiple occasions last week after she supported him at Queens. A source told the publication: 'He was apparently seen at her hotel last week and on Thursday and Saturday, when Emma went to support him, Emma's car arrived just minutes after Carlos got to Queens with his team. 'Inside they were seen laughing and joking with one another. They seem very happy and relaxed with each other.' Another insider added: 'It wasn't just the tennis lot who were talking about it. People who worked for the BBC and other broadcasters were all gossiping about it. The duo will compete together as doubles partners later this year at the US Open after sparking up a friendship in 2021 'The only love being talked about was about Emma and Carlos.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Emma and Carlos for comment. In an interview ahead of the beginning of the Eastbourne Open on Monday, Emma revealed her and Carlos first struck up a friendship in 2021 at Wimbledon. 'He's so nice, very happy, amazing values and just a really positive light to be around,' she told the Mail. 'I've known him for years. Wimbledon 2021 was the first time I started getting to know him. He was always playing the day before me, I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win and get myself into that position too. 'It was really cool to go through that tournament together and then I kept going through the US Open, we were staying in touch for the whole time and, yeah, it's nice. 'We have a good relationship still. He's obviously overtaken me a lot, but it's nice that we have that from a while ago.' The Mail had previously shared how Emma also has a close friendship with fellow teen tennis ace Benjamin Heynold. He and Emma have known each other since the age of six and have represented Team GB together. Heynold, 24, is a student at the the University of North Carolina in the US and friends suggest that his long friendship with Emma may have turned to romance. Raducanu split up with her Harrow-educated boyfriend, Carlo Agostinelli, last year. Agostinelli, a former head boy of pricey private school Harrow, is the son of tycoon Robert Agostinelli, the co-founder and chairman of private equity firm Rhone Group. The tennis star's year-long whirlwind romance with him was said to have been her most serious relationship yet. She previously revealed that she wasn't allowed to date while growing up in Bromley, South East London, which made her resent her strict her parents, Ion and Renee Raducanu. 'My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training,' she told The Times. 'When I was younger I wasn't even allowed to hang out with my girl friends. 'A lot of the time I was very resentful. But it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company, which is also a big strength.'
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'Coy' Emma Raducanu's 'gaze softened' while praising Carlos Alcaraz - as body language expert says romance may be brewing courtside
Emma Raducanu 's 'coy smile' and 'hair-preen gestures' while talking about her new doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz certainly suggest a r omance is brewing courtside, a body language expert has said. Last week, it was announced that Emma and Carlos, both 22, will team up for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event in August. Emma was later spotted cheering for the Spaniard at the Queen's Club Championship on Thursday and Saturday - the day before he won the competition after beating Jiri Lehecka. The Sun reported their friendship was the 'talk of Queens' as Emma and Carlos's chemistry left spectators convinced 'there is something going on between them'. Speaking in Eastbourne ahead of her first-round match against Ann Li on Sunday, Emma gushed about her 'genuine connection' with the two-time Wimbledon champ in an interview that did little to quash the romance rumours, according to body language expert Judi James. She told FEMAIL that Emma's nervous demeanour and 'sweetly-suppressed, coy-looking smiles' while praising Carlos certainly points to a new tennis love match. 'The fans love a whiff of a romance and it has to be said that her body language might be a bit of a thirst-trap for audiences starved of a love-all relationship since Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert hooked up back in the Seventies,' Judi said, referring to the American former tennis players, whose 'fairytale romance' also began at the Queen's Club. Judi noted how Emma's features 'softened' and 'gaze became evasive' as she reflected on her friendship with Carlos, who is the 'red-hot favourite' to win Wimbledon after his Queen's Club victory. She added that Emma appeared to 'stall for time' by repeating the interviewer's question about Carlos but 'the way the coy smile spread across her face as she rattled off their history together' - coupled with the way she played with her hair - was akin to a 'fan-girl reaction'. Meanwhile, her body language while watching Carlos play at Queens 'made her look more like a fan' than a colleague, Judi continued. 'It wasn't quite the kind of intense fangirl displays we get from Taylor Swift as she watches Travis out there on the field but there was some pouting and posing plus some giggling and whispering to her friends,' she highlighted. Judi said she also noticed the 'kind of overkill laugh you do when you're young and trying to attract a boy's attention'. When asked about her new mixed doubles partner on Monday, Emma revealed she became friends with Carlos during her dream debut run at Wimbledon in 2021, saying the five-time Grand Slam champion is 'just a really positive light to be around'. 'He's so nice, very happy, amazing values and just a really positive light to be around,' Emma praised Carlos. 'I've known him for years. Wimbledon 2021 was the first time I started getting to know him. He was always playing the day before me, I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win and get myself into that position too. 'It was really cool to go through that tournament together and then I kept going through the US Open, we were staying in touch for the whole time and, yeah, it's nice.' When it was put to Emma that tennis fans believe she and Carlos are destined for each other, the tennis star brushed off the rumours by saying: 'I'm glad the internet is having fun and we're providing entertainment for everyone.' Speaking to MailOnline, meanwhile, Carlos shared that Emma made him wait before agreeing to team up for the US Open, before she quipped: 'Gotta keep them on their toes!' She later conceded she was alway 'going to say yes' but had to 'go through the formality of speaking to my coach'. Carlos and Emma's alleged relationship was all anyone could talk about at Queen's Club, sources told The Sun. One person claimed they arrived at the event within minutes of each other and that Carlos was 'seen at her hotel last week'. Another insider added: 'It wasn't just the tennis lot who were talking about it. People who worked for the BBC and other broadcasters were all gossiping about it. 'The only love being talked about was about Emma and Carlos.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz for comment. Emma was previously dating Carlo Agostinelli and split up with her Harrow-educated boyfriend last year. Agostinelli, a former head boy of pricey private school Harrow, is the son of tycoon Robert Agostinelli, the co-founder and chairman of private equity firm Rhone Group. The tennis star's year-long whirlwind romance with him was said to have been her most serious relationship yet. She previously revealed that she wasn't allowed to date while growing up in Bromley, South East London, which made her resent her strict her parents, Ion and Renee Raducanu. 'My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training,' she told The Times. 'When I was younger I wasn't even allowed to hang out with my girl friends. 'A lot of the time I was very resentful. But it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company, which is also a big strength.'
