Latest news with #tennis
Fox News
an hour ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Tennis great Venus Williams wins DC Open match for first singles victory since 2023
Venus Williams was all smiles after her first-round victory at the D.C. Open on Tuesday. The 45-year-old tennis star made an unexpected return to the tennis court this week, 16 months after her last professional competition. With a dominant win over American Peyton Stearns, she became the oldest woman since Martina Navratilova to win a singles match. Navratilova did it in 2004 at the age of 47. "It is not easy to come off after all that time and play the perfect match and all the players in the WTA are playing amazing – Peyton played so well. I felt like I was trying to slow myself down – we were going faster and faster and faster," Williams said after the 6-3, 6-4 victory. "It's just about putting it all together. You can still play a good match and lose the match. I wanted to play a good match and win the match. It's so rewarding to come back after layoff and injuries – and you know, I didn't have to come back to play as well." Williams entered the D.C. Open with a wild card invitation. She opened the tournament with a doubles victory on Monday and followed the win with another dominant performance on Tuesday. Williams' last official singles match was at the Miami Open in March 2024. Her last singles victory was at the Cincinnati Open in August 2023. She advanced to the second round, where she will face the No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech on Thursday. Her second round doubles match is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Williams said Tuesday that she decided to return to tennis at the encouragement of her team and family – she even noted that she was interested in returning because of her health insurance. But her comeback has already earned her a potential spot in the U.S. Open in New York this summer. She is paired with Reilly Opelka as one of the 25 entries for the Grand Slam in mixed doubles. Only 16 duos will make the field.
CBC
2 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Gabriel Diallo to face 4th seed Ben Shelton in Citi Open 3rd round after straight-sets win
Social Sharing Montreal's Gabriel Diallo advanced to the third round of the Citi Open hard-court tennis tournament with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Hungary's Fabian Marozsan on Tuesday in Washington. Diallo, who had a first-round bye as the 15th seed in Washington, had 10 aces and broke Marozsan twice on seven chances. Marozsan, who committed six double faults, failed to convert the only chance he had to break Diallo's serve. Diallo improved to 2-0 against Marozsan, with his other win coming earlier this year in a Davis Cup qualifier. Diallo will play on Thursday against the fourth-seeded Ben Shelton, who beat wild card Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-4 in an all-American matchup on Tuesday. Diallo, who entered the tournament with a career-high world ranking of No. 35, is seeded 30th at the men's National Bank Open in Toronto. The Masters-level event starts with qualifying on Saturday. WATCH | Diallo edged by No. 5 Fritz in Wimbledon 2nd round: Montreal's Gabriel Diallo drops 5-set heartbreaker at Wimbledon 21 days ago The Canadian could not get past American Taylor Fritz in a back-and-forth five-set marathon match.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Fears for Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz partnership as US Open already hit by high-profile withdrawals
FEARS over Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz's partnership are on the rise after the US Open was hit by high-profile withdrawals. Raducanu and Alcaraz were among the teams announced for the new format of the mixed doubles event in New York in August. 4 The pair, who have both won the US Open singles, were then linked romantically but they insisted they are simply just "good friends". Raducanu even watched Alcaraz at Queen's and Wimbledon either side of them teaming up for an Evian commercial. However, several other partnerships have already pulled out of the controversial event. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa initially entered. But they have since removed themselves from the entrant list. That comes amid reports the tennis couple have split up for good. Then Jack Draper and Zheng Qinwen also revoked their entry as they both battle injuries. British No1 Draper admitted at Wimbledon that he "thinks it was me who messaged" his partner - all but revealing it was all done by his agency IMG. Other pairings such as Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro and Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic remain on the entry list. But there are worries over Raducanu and Alcaraz. Emma Raducanu jokes 'I wouldn't know about heartbreak' after Olivia Rodrigo watches her Wimbledon win Tennis fans are desperate to see 'Radalcaraz' in action together. However, there is a chance they may follow suit and withdraw - to give themselves the best chance of success in the singles. Also, the British-Spanish duo may not actually qualify. Only the top eight pairs by singles ranking are guaranteed to get in. However, US Open chiefs would surely give Raducanu and Alcaraz one of the eight wildcard spots. 4 Eleven new teams have put their names forward to play in the innovative competition, taking the total entries up to 25 - with 16 getting in. Among them are engaged couple Katie Boulter and Alex De Minaur plus Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune, veteran Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka and doubles world No1s Katerina Siniakova and Marcelo Arevalo. Siniakova has 11 Grand Slam titles - including all four in women's doubles and the Wimbledon 2025 mixed doubles crown. The Czech doubles specialist blasted the rejigged tournament, which will be staged the week before the singles action gets underway with $1million up for grabs for the winners and a 'fast four' format with shorter sets. Siniakova, who is reliant on a wildcard, said: "When two world No. 1s in doubles don't get into the tournament, there's probably nothing more to say about it. 'I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if I won't get it, actually. I will just keep it like this.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner rehires coach he fired for purchasing nasal spray that led to three-month doping ban
has reappointed Umberto Ferrara, the fitness coach who was inadvertently involved in his three-month doping ban. In March 2024, Sinner, 23, who is world No 1, twice tested positive for a trace amount of anabolic steroid. The case didn't reach the public light until August 2024 in the build-up to the US Open, a tournament Sinner won. The Italian was originally completely cleared given his defence that he had 'no fault or negligence' and was accidentally exposed to the banned substance Clostebol, due to a massage from Giacomo Naldi, who was his physio at the time. It was claimed by Sinner that Ferrara had purchased a product in Italy and gave it to the physio to treat a cut on his hand. The massage on Sinner subsequently took place when Naldi wasn't wearing gloves. As a result of the situation, Sinner fired Ferrara and Naldi, but almost a year later the 23-year-old will be reunited with the fitness supremo. In a statement, Sinner's team said: 'Jannik Sinner has reappointed Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach with immediate effect. 'The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open. 'Umberto has played an important role in Jannik's development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.' Speaking at the time of Ferrara and Naldi's departures last year, Sinner had paid tribute to them, while he also shared some criticism. 'I want to start with [saying] that they have been a huge part for my career,' Sinner said. 'We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me. 'Now, because of these mistakes, I'm not feeling that confident to continue with them. 'I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air.' The decision to rehire Ferrara comes after Sinner recently moved on fitness coach Marco Panichi and physio Ulises from his team. Sinner with Giacomo Naldi (L) and Ferrara (second L) after winning the Australian Open in 2024 Meanwhile, last year, after Sinner had been initially cleared, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the decision made by the independent tribunal. In February 2025, it was then announced that while the positive drugs tests came due to inadvertent contamination, Sinner was to serve a three-month suspension. The process and punishment has proven to be controversial in some quarters, with several current and former players critical of what occured. The three-month ban ended just before the Italian Open in May of this year and Sinner went on to reach the final of the French Open, before he won Wimbledon. Sinner will be back in action at the Cincinnati Open next month as he looks to defends his US Open title.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venus Williams confirms engagement to Andrea Preti after historic tennis victory
Venus Williams is a soon-to-be bride. The 45-year-old tennis star confirmed her engagement to actor Andrea Preti during an interview Tuesday after her first tennis singles match in a year. During the post-game conversation, Rennae Stubbs called Williams a 'newly engaged woman,' and the athlete smiled in response. 'Yes, my fiancé is here,' she said, prompting applause from the crowd. She then described how Preti, with whom she had been romantically linked for a year, has made a difference in her life. 'And he really encouraged me to keep playing,' Williams continued. 'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill.' The Grand Slam champion then acknowledged how difficult it can be to play tennis, given the immense training she has to do. 'You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like it's a nine to five except you're running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying, and then you repeat it the next time,' she quipped. She added about her fiancé: 'So he encouraged me to get through this, and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play.' During a match-up at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night, Williams beat Peyton Stearns by a 6-3, 6-4 score. She then became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis. This was also the first singles match Williams has won since 2023. Off the court, Williams and Preti were first romantically linked in July 2024, after they were spotted on a boat in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. While the pair has kept their relationship out of the spotlight, they were rumored to be engaged in February. At the time, photos obtained by People showed Williams wearing a sparkling diamond ring on her left hand during a tennis practice session. Fuel was added to the fire later that month when Preti and Williams attended a show during Milan Fashion Week, with the tennis star once again wearing a diamond ring on her left ring finger. Venus Williams on her fiancées support after getting 1st singles win since 2023'My fiancée is here. He really encouraged me to keep playing. Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? It's 9 to 5 except you're running the whole time' 😭😭😭😭 — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 23, 2025 Williams' recent tennis win came weeks after she revealed her struggle with a medical condition that left her with debilitating symptoms. Speaking to NBC News Correspondent Zinhle Essamuah on Today earlier this month, Williams detailed her ongoing struggle with benign tumors in the uterus known as fibroids. The condition can cause symptoms like 'extreme pain,' as Williams described. 'You know, getting so much in pain that maybe you throw up,' she said 'Or you can't get off the ground… I missed practices because of that. Just, you know, hugging the toilet.' She initially believed her symptoms were related to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease she's lived with for years. After seeing an ad online for a fibroids clinic, Williams did some research, realizing her experience wasn't normal as so many doctors led her to believe. She underwent a myomectomy — a procedure that removes the fibroids while keeping the uterus intact — a year ago under the care of a doctor from NYU's Langone Health's Center for Fibroid Care. With July being Fibroid Awareness Month, Williams felt the need to share her story. 'You can be denied the best health care no matter who you are. And that you have to be your own advocate,' Williams said. 'Hopefully, someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way.''
