Latest news with #tennisrivalry
Washington Post
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Oda beats defending champion Hewett to win 2nd Wimbledon title in wheelchair singles
LONDON — Tokito Oda of Japan won his second Wimbledon title by beating his biggest rival and defending champion Alfie Hewett of Britain 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 Sunday in the men's wheelchair singles final. Oda and Hewett have won the last 10 Grand Slam titles between them and this was the seventh time in that span that they met in the final.
France 24
12-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Sinner seeks redemption against Alcaraz in Wimbledon final
The two players have shared seven of the past eight Grand Slams between them, evenly splitting the six on offer since the start of 2024. The sport is relishing a gripping new rivalry as it moves on from the storied era of the "Big Three" of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz is the flashy showman who has stolen the hearts of the Centre Court crowd while world number one Sinner is Djokovic 2.0 -- a ruthlessly efficient operator who rarely misses. Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Alcaraz will start as the marginal favourite on Sunday but knows he has to bring his best to keep Sinner at bay. The Spanish world number two has won eight of his 12 matches against his Italian rival, including the past five. Their most recent clash was in last month's phenomenal five and a half hour French Open final, when Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to defend his clay-court title. The 22-year-old, who has five majors under his belt, is on a career-best winning run of 24 matches and is unbeaten at the All England Club since 2022. But three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner, into his first Wimbledon final, will take heart from the fact that he was the last man to beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, in the fourth round three years ago. The Spaniard, who beat US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals, does not believe his remarkable comeback in Paris gives him the mental edge. "I'm pretty sure he's going to take a lot of things from the French Open final," he said. "He's going to be better physically, he's going to be better mentally. He's going to be prepared to give 100 percent." Both men have shown vulnerabilities during their runs to the final. Alcaraz was taken to five sets in his opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini and has dropped sets in three of his other matches. Sinner, 23, was rock solid for three rounds but had an almighty scare -- and a huge slice of luck -- when his fourth-round opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, retired when leading by two sets. But he swept past US 10th seed Ben Shelton in straight sets and demolished an under-par Djokovic in the semi-finals. Mental edge The Italian top seed played down the lingering impact of his defeat at Roland Garros. "I think if it was to much in my head, I would not be in the situation to play a final again," he said. "I'm very happy to share the court with Carlos once again. It's going to be difficult, I know that. "But I'm looking forward to it. I always try to put myself in these kind of situations that I really love. Sundays at every tournament are very special." Alcaraz is attempting to join an elite club of players in the Open era who have won Wimbledon three years in a row -- Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Federer and Djokovic. But if there is one man who can stop him it is Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, who has made an impressive return from a controversial three-month doping ban in May. The match is too close to call, though seven-time champion Djokovic just gives the edge to Alcaraz. "I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos as a favourite because of the two titles he's won here and the way he's playing and the confidence he has right now," he said. "But it's just a slight advantage because Jannik is hitting the ball extremely well. I think it's going to be, again, a very close match-up like they had in Paris."
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Britain's leading trio have more on the line than just pride at Wimbledon
Britain's leading women will have an extra incentive to perform strongly at Wimbledon over the next fortnight. While motivation for a home grand slam is usually a given, there is a battle at the top of the game in this country which is driving Britain's main trio forward. And, unlike in previous generations, when competition on the court often resulted in strained relations off it, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal are proving that rivalry really can be friendly. After two years as the British number one, Boulter was replaced at the top of the domestic tree earlier this month by Raducanu, the woman she had previously usurped. Going into Eastbourne this week, Raducanu led Boulter by just a handful of points, while Kartal is the newcomer on the block, with her ranking having climbed almost 250 places in a year to 49. 'It's really nice to see the state of British tennis getting better and better every single year,' said Boulter. 'I feel like I'm extremely happy to see great people doing really good things.' On being overtaken by Raducanu, the 28-year-old added: 'Of course, I personally want to be getting my ranking moving in the right direction. I'm very happy for her to be British number one. But, at the same time, it's going to be fun for me to chase her now.' In contrast to her record-breaking emergence at the top of the sport four years ago, Raducanu has been making steady progress since returning at the start of last year from surgery on both wrists and one ankle. Physical frailties remain, and an ongoing issue with a back spasm prompted her to pull out of last week's tournament in Berlin, ending her hopes of a Wimbledon seeding. Raducanu has shown she can pull off big results, twice beating top-10 players on grass last season, but she has the most points to defend having made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. 'I think having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase,' said the 22-year-old, who played doubles with Boulter at Queen's Club. 'Now I'm sure she's going to enjoy that with me. We have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well, she wants to see me do well.' Arriving quickly in the rear-view mirror, meanwhile, is Kartal, who has not looked back since reaching the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier last year, making it three British women in the top 50. The 23-year-old, a former junior rival of Raducanu, also made an impressive debut in the Billie Jean King Cup this year, and Anne Keothavong's side will head to the finals in Shenzhen in September looking to better last year's semi-final run. 'We're all very close and spend a lot of time together when we're at home training,' said Kartal of the triumvirate. 'To have us three all together, I think maybe sometimes it is in the back of our heads but I think that's a good mentality, it makes us push harder in training since you know you've got two of your team-mates that are trying to do the same thing. 'I think it's really good for us to have that rivalry and it's really good for the sport as well. I think we're in a really good place for women's tennis.' While there is currently a gap after Kartal, Wimbledon is a chance for another exciting trio to start making names for themselves. Mimi Xu, 17, and 16-year-olds Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic have all been given wild cards for the women's singles for the first time after success in the junior game. Boulter believes having sparring partners at an early age can accelerate their progress, saying: 'I don't feel like I necessarily had that many people around me when I was coming through so I'm a little bit jealous of them having people to push them constantly. 'I'm looking forward to watching them and seeing them all grow.'
Independent Singapore
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
Rafael Nadal to be 'excited' to have a friendly match against iconic rival Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal would be delighted and excited about the idea of playing against his iconic rival, Roger Federer, in a friendly exhibition match, according to Rafael's former coach and uncle, Toni Nadal. Nadal and Federer had one of the most exciting rivalry matches in tennis history as they fought each other 40 times, including 14 Grand Slam matches. Their last official match was in 2019, in which Federer defeated Nadal in the Wimbledon semi-finals. Moreover, both athletes played several exhibition matches during their careers, especially while they were still playing on the tour. The last one was in 2020 in Cape Town, where they played in front of 51,954 people. Federer then retired from professional tennis in 2022, and Nadal recently retired two years later in 2024. Toni Nadal said that he believes that an exhibition match between the tennis stars will happen soon. He stated that fans might not have to wait long to see their tennis greats share the court once again. ' I imagine he would like to play an exhibition match with Federer soon, to give back a little of what tennis has given him and what tennis has meant to him,' Toni expressed. Furthermore, Toni Nadal also admitted that it would be much more 'special' if Nadal and Federer had a chance to play against another long-time rival, Novak Djokovic. Recently, Djokovic defeated Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the French Open. Toni Nadal also said, 'It would be very special for people to see the three of them playing again. And yes, I think they'll have to do something, because I suppose it will motivate people to see them play again in the future… I think I've been close enough to him to know him a little and know that he would be excited to play Federer.' 'Tennis has been a big part of his life; it has meant a lot to him, and you can't just erase that from one day to the next,' he added. When Toni was asked about when these matches might happen, he did not give an exact date. He stated: 'After these months away from the courts, I think that at some point he will want to get back to training and feel that he is hitting the ball well… I am convinced that he will play again soon, quite soon.' See also Golden gift from Shanti Pereira and Remy Ong to National Museum In this year's French Open, Rafael Nadal was given a special tribute for his legendary contribution to the tournament. In a social media post, the athlete shared, 'I don't know where to start, because after playing on this court for the last 20 years, after enjoying, suffering, winning, losing, and most of all, after being moved every time I've had the chance to be here! (translated)' Nadal added, 'Roland-Garros is unique, not only because he is a fundamental part of the history of tennis, but also thanks to all the people who work there tirelessly, always with a smile, to make this tournament what it is: UNIQUE…. Thank you France 🇫🇷, thank you Paris! (translated)' Netizens flooded Rafael Nadal's social media with messages of admiration and appreciation following his emotional tribute at Roland-Garros. One wrote, 'Thank you for everything, Rafa! You are legend not only in tennis but also in sports. You're an inspiration on and off the court! A tribute to the height of the immense champion that you are.' Another echoed the sentiment, 'It's a testament to how loved and adored Rafa is in the tennis world that his retirement continues to stir so many emotions. We love you Rafa. Thanks for the memories. And dear French People, pure class 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.' In another social media post, Rafael Nadal posted a photo of himself with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray with the caption: 'Thank you guys ☺️… From the bottom of my heart!' Fans warmly embraced the moment. 'Legends. The best rivalries! The finest gentlemen! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ How lucky we are to witness this era of tennis! 🎾' wrote one. Another added, 'The greatest era of men's tennis ❤️.'
