Aryna Sabalenka in action at French Open 2025.© AFP World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round of the French Open on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova. Sabalenka broke Rakhimova five times as she wrapped up victory in an hour to make a convincing start to…
The French Open women’s tournament gets under way this weekend without a clear favourite for the first time in several years, with a clutch of players in strong form and Iga Swiatek enduring an unprecedented slump. Jasmine Paolini became the eighth different player to reach a WTA 1000 final this season at last…
Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his bid for a first Italian Open title by cruising past Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-3 in Rome on Friday. World number three Alcaraz got past Lajovic in one hour and 23 minutes on his return to action following a thigh injury suffered in his Barcelona Open final…
File image of Aryna Sabalenka.© AFP Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Anastasia Potapova and into the third round of the Italian Open with a 6-2, 6-2 victory on Friday. Last year’s beaten finalist and current world number one, Sabalenka swept past Russian Potapova in just over an hour at the Foro Italico. Sabalenka will…
Last year’s runner-up Aryna Sabalenka survived a gritty Marta Kostyuk and an untimely rain interruption to complete a 7-6(7/4), 7-6(9/7) win over the Ukrainian and reach the Madrid Open semi-finals for a fourth time on Wednesday. The top-seeded Sabalenka needed 84 minutes to take the opening set before securing the win in cold,…
World number two Alexander Zverev was taken to the limit by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a gripping Madrid Open third round battle on Sunday, progressing 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0). The Spaniard, roared on by the partisan home crowd, broke in the first and third games to claim the first set with ease….
World number two Alexander Zverev was taken to the limit by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a gripping Madrid Open third round battle on Sunday, progressing 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0). The Spaniard, roared on by the partisan home crowd, broke in the first and third games to claim the first set with ease….
