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Aryna Sabalenka’s reign as the WTA world No 1 continues after the Belarusian’s hugely impressive run to her second straight US Open title in New York.

Sabalenka’s position as the world No 1 was under threat heading into the final Grand Slam event of the season, with both Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff in striking distance.

However, the 27-year-old’s successful title defence — and fourth major singles title overall — will keep her at No 1 for a 55th week.

The Belarusian remains on 11,225 points, with world No 2 Swiatek remaining on 7,933 points, and world No 3 Gauff staying on 7,874 points this week.

Much like Sabalenka, Swiatek and Gauff achieved the exact same US Open results as they did in 2024, losing in the last eight and round of 16, respectively.

However, there is a new world No 4 behind them, with US Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova soaring to a career-high ranking.

After reaching her second straight Slam final, the 24-year-old rises five places from world No 9, eclipsing her previous career-high ranking of seventh achieved back in July.

Mirra Andreeva and Madison Keys remain as the world No 5 and 6 despite their early US Open exits, though Jessica Pegula drops three places to world No 7 after failing to match last year’s run to the final.

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Zheng Qinwen drops two places to world No 9 after the injured star failed to defend her quarter-final points, with Jasmine Paolini remaining eighth, and Elena Rybakina remaining 10th.

Outside the top 10, there is a significant surge for US Open semi-finalist and former world No 1 Osaka, who is now the world No 14 — her highest ranking since January 2022.

However, there is bad news for Emma Navarro, who has fallen seven places to world No 18 after her round-three exit saw her fail to defend her 2024 semi-final points at her home major.

After pulling out of the tournament, 2024 quarter-finalist Paula Badosa also drops four spots to world No 20 amid her ongoing injury struggles.

Though she had to withdraw from her quarter-final versus Sabalenka due to injury, Marketa Vondrousova is up 24 places to world No 36, while compatriot Barbora Krejcikova moves up 22 places to world No 40 after her own quarter-final finish.

Outside of the US Open, there has been a significant surge for Alex Eala, thanks to her triumph at the WTA 125 event in Guadalajara.

The Filipina is up 14 places to world No 61, just five spots off her previous career high.

WTA Rankings Top 20 — September 8, 2025

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,225
2) Iga Swiatek, 7,933
3) Coco Gauff, 7,874
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,159 (+5)
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,793
6) Madison Keys, 4,579
7) Jessica Pegula, 4,383 (-3)
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,006
9) Zheng Qinwen, 4,003 (-2)
10) Elena Rybakina, 3,833
11) Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3,026 (+1)
12) Clara Tauson, 2,721 (+2)
13) Elina Svitolina, 2,606 (+2)
14) Naomi Osaka, 2,489 (+10)
15) Karolina Muchova, 2,488 (-2)
16) Daria Kasatkina, 2,421 (+2)
17) Belinda Bencic, 2,335 (+2)
18) Emma Navarro, 2,310 (-7)
19) Diana Shnaider, 2,246 (-2)
20) Paula Badosa, 2,134 (-4)

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Jannik Sinner set tongues wagging as he revealed prior to the US Open that he was in a new relationship, with the Italian media inevitably inquisitive as they tried to identify the mystery girl.

A year ago, Sinner was in a relationship with fellow tennis player Anna Kalinskaya and she joined him on court after he won the US Open title for the first time, beating Taylor Fritz in the final.

That relationship came to an end earlier this year and when Sinner was asked by Corriere Della Sera if he had a new girlfriend, he offered up a rare nugget of information about his personal life.

“Yes, but we don’t talk about our private life,” he stated.

Sinner has been linked with a string of potential girlfriends in recent weeks, but the story went to the next level when TV viewers spotting Sinner looking at his phone following his win against Denis Shapovalov in the fourth round of the US Open.

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It appeared that Sinner had an image of Danish model Laila Hasanovic as his phone wallpaper and that did not come as a surprise, as he has been linked with her in recent weeks.

Sinner took a trip to Copenhagen last month and when asked whether that was to visit Hasanovic, he offered this polite steer to his inquisitor.

“No, no, there was no girl,” he responded. “I had just some business with a couple of photo shoots there. That’s it. Nothing else.”

Hasanovic has dated a sportsman previously, as she was in a relationship with Formula One driver Mick Schumacher, but there has yet to be any confirmation that she is dating Sinner.

This story took a twist when American model and influencer Brooks Nader was in attendance at the US Open, sparking rumours that she could be the mystery girl in Sinner’s life.

Nader was appearing on Jimmy Kimmel’s US chat show when he asked her probing questions about Sinner.

“Are you dating Italian tennis superstar Jannik Sinner?” began Kimmel.

“Is this, like, an interrogation? I’m so scared right now!” responded Nader.

Kimmel snapped back: “It is, and you’re under oath.”

Nader went on to offer a hint that she may be dating a tennis player, but not Sinner.

“You’re close. You’re warm,” she stated.

“Oh, I see. It’s somebody else?” asked Kimmel.

“You’re warm… we weren’t at that match.”

Nader was in attendance of a Carlos Alcaraz match at the US Open, but there are no suggestions that she is dating the 22-year-old Spaniard.

The next twist in the Sinner romance mystery may be the appearance of his new girlfriend in the players’ box at a tournament some time soon.

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will never be short of money after a stunning start to their careers in tennis and now the two best players in the world are set to join an elite club of players who have broken through the $50m barrier in prize money.

With prize money rising at a rapid rate, the historical list counting the income of ATP Tour players looks increasingly insignificant if you want to use it as a gauge to judge who the best players of all-time might be.

For now, the ‘Big 3’ of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer hold the top three positions in the prize money list, with Andy Murray sitting in fourth position.

Yet with a massive $5m now up for grabs for the winners of the US Open, the icons leading the money list in tennis may soon lose their place in those positions by the fast approaching Alcaraz and Sinner.

The top two players in the men’s game have won the last seven Grand Slam singles titles between them and that run will continue as they compete in the US Open final in New York.

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The winner of the match will crash through that eye-watering $50m prize money barrier and it is safe to assume both will soon be eyeing up the $100m mark in prize money is they continue to dominate the men’s game.

The US Open is leading the way with prize money increases, with the men’s and women’s singles runner-up prize increasing by 39%, with beaten finalists set to receive $2.5m in winnings.

Alcaraz has made it clear that he is not motivated by the cash for more and more cash, but he did concede his appearance at last year’s Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia was motivated by the massive money on offer for the exhibition.

“I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money,” said Alcaraz.

“I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.

“The money in Saudi Arabia is the most, highest prize money ever in history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”

Alcaraz’s staggering prize money earnings are topped up by an increasingly lucrative range of sponsors, with Nike, Rolex, BMW, Babolat, Calvin Klein, Evian and Louis Vuitton long-standing partners for the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, Sinner has lucrative sponsorship agreements with Nike, Gucci, Rolex, Lavazza, and Head, which were not impacted after he was banned for three-months earlier this year after he posted a positive drug test.

The money looks set to roll in for Alcaraz and Sinner, with the winner of the US Open final set to leap up the all-time prize money list and become only the sixth player in history to win over $50m.

All-time prize money winners

1. Novak Djokovic, $188,934,053

2. Rafael Nadal $134,946,100

3. Roger Federer $130,594

4. Andy Murray $64,687,542

5. Alexander Zverev $54,455,659

6. Carlos Alcaraz $48,486,628

7. Daniil Medvedev $46,936,309

8. Jannik Sinner $46,279,987

9. Pete Sampras $43,280,489

10. Stan Wawrinka $37,634,708

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz set to crash through prize money barrier quicker than any player in tennis history

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The US Open is one of the biggest events for celebrity spotting on both the tennis and sporting calendars, so it comes as no surprise to regularly see so many big names in the stands of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

However, in Sunday’s 2025 US Open men’s singles final between world No 1 Jannik Sinner and world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz, no famous face present will be more recognisable — or perhaps more controversial — than President Donald Trump.

The presence of the POTUS has got everyone talking in the build-up to the highly anticipated final between the world’s two best players, but why will he be there — and what do both Alcaraz and Sinner think about it?

Here, we take a look.

Does Donald Trump like tennis?

Though President Trump may be most famous for his love of golf, he is also a big tennis fan and has regularly appeared in the stands at the US Open over the past four decades.

A native of New York, he appears to have first started appearing at the tournament regularly during the late 1980s, when he first surged into public prominence.

Trump then made regular appearances at the tournament for the best part of three decades, though this will mark his first appearance at the tournament since 2015.

Amid his first Presidential campaign, he was widely booed when he was shown on camera during the 2015 women’s singles quarter-final between Venus and Serena Williams.

That remains his last appearance until Sunday, and — controversially — it has emerged that broadcasters have been instructed to mute any potential disruptions or protests should he be shown on the screen inside Ashe.

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Why is he at the final?

When it first emerged that Trump would be present at the final, one big question emerged: who had invited him?

And, as first reported by Ben Rothenberg in Bounces, it is Rolex that has invited him to sit in their sponsor box inside the stadium.

Rolex is a brand perhaps more synonymous with tennis than any other, with several of the sport’s biggest names, including Alcaraz, sponsored by the brand.

They also have significant relationships with all four Grand Slam tournaments, and the move to invite Trump suggests they are keen to keep POTUS well connected to both them and the sport.

What do Alcaraz and Sinner think?

With news of Trump’s presence emerging before Friday’s semi-finals, the winners of the two matches were always likely to be asked about his attendance.

And, after his straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic during the first semi-final, 2022 US Open champion Alcaraz offered a diplomatic assessment of the situation.

He said: “I think that it is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match.

“For me, playing in front of him … I will try not to think about it. I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it, but I think attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have the president at the final.

“It’s great for tennis. But on Sunday, my job is to play my best tennis and not let anything else get in the way.”

Sinner was not asked about Trump’s presence during the English part of his press conference, but reportedly offered a similar answer when asked by Italian media.

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Aryna Sabalenka is the US Open champion all over again and this victory is her most lucrative yet.

The 2024 champion defended her title in impressive fashion with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win against Amanda Anisimova, as the Belarusian finally ended her wait for a Grand Slam title in 2025 after a series of near misses.

She reached the final at the Australian Open and French Open before coming up short on both occasions.

She then lost against Anisimova in the Wimbledon semi-finals, but she gained sweet revenge for that painful defeat on grass courts by securing a win that allowed her to seal a fourth Grand Slam title.

The record-breaking prize money on offer at this year’s US Open ensured this was the most lucrative match in women’s tennis history, with Sabalenka taking home the huge $5m cash windfall.

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That represents a huge 100 per cent increase on the $2.5m Emma Raducanu won when she lifted the US Open just four years ago, with the rapid rise in prize money highlighting how lucrative top level tennis has become.

Anisimova may not see too many silver linings in her defeat in front of a packed crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but she may feel a little better when she takes a peek at her bank account and sees the huge $2.5m runners-up prize boosting her fortune.

Those figures will be heavily taxed, but they represent a stunning reward for the two players who battled so hard to reach the US Open final.

Ranking points are almost as valuable as money for players at the top of the game and Sabalenka will welcome the 2,000 points that will be added to her total on Monday morning after this big win.

That restores the total that dropped off her ranking from last year’s success and cements Sabalenka’s commanding lead at the top of the WTA Rankings.

The 1,300 ranking points added to the total of Anisimova will also give her boost as she looks to secure qualification to the lucrative WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

“For a match that was 6-3, 7-6, there were a lot of momentum changes within the match,” said tennis legend Marina Navratilova, as she summed up a fine final on Sky Sports.

“Aryna Sabalenka showed just what a champion she is, because she had a lot of pressure on her – she lost finals at the Australian Open and French Open.

“Amanda Anisimova has got to keep her head up high. She held her own here today and is now in the conversation at all of the majors.

“Sabalenka just had a little bit more firepower and composure. Feeling the pressure, she did not falter. She held her nerve brilliantly in the tiebreaker.”

Anisimova will be up to a career high No 4 in the WTA Rankings when they are updated on Monday, while Sabalenka has a big lead over her nearest rival Iga Swiatek after her second US Open triumph.

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The post How much money and ranking points did Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova earn at the US Open? appeared first on Tennis365.

It may seem as if we are in the midst of a compelling rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but the reality of the era were are about to enter may be confirmed in the US Open final.

Sinner and Alcaraz will go head-to-head in a third successive Grand Slam, with the scores tied at 1-1 between the best players in the men’s game.

Alcaraz’s memorable win at the French Open was backed up by a convincing win for Sinner in the Wimbledon final and now the final act of the Grand Slam year will define who comes out on top in this high-class duel.

Yet while Alcaraz appears to be the only player to seriously threaten world No 1 Sinner, a big win for the Italian in New York could cement his status as the undisputed king of the men’s game.

Here’s your Tennis365 guide to what to expect at this year’s US Open final:

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SINNER RAISES THE BAR

Has there ever been a more dominant hard court player than Sinner?

Novak Djokovic fans will quickly point to the dominance of their man when he was in his prime and Roger Federer was also tough to beat on this surface when he was dominating at the top of the world rankings, yet Sinner seems to have taken the sport to a new level the slick courts.

Alcaraz was the last player to beat him on a hard court in China last October and since then, he had taken his aura to a new dimension.

Sinner strikes the ball harder than any player we have ever seen on a hard court and the lack of mistakes he throws into his game makes him almost impossible to beat.

Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime have taken Sinner out of his comfort zone at times in their clashes at this year’s US Open, but Sinner has roared back and landed the knock-out blows that matters.

Beating Alcaraz is his biggest challenge, as the Spaniard is quick enough to get to his shots and return them with interest, but Sinner looks primed to run through Alcaraz if he plays at anywhere near his top level on Sunday.

WHAT ALCARZ NEEDS TO DO

Staying with Sinner is crucial to any gameplan to beat him as the Italian is impossible to stop when he gets up a head of steam.

Alcaraz highlighted this approach in the French Open final, as he looked beaten for most of the fourth set and somehow found a way to save match points and get over the winning line.

The Spaniard need to try and take this match into a fifth set if he falls behind early, as he has come out on top in a lot of matches with Sinner when they have been long and gruelling contests.

TENNIS365 VERDICT

We are at the start of an era of dominance from Sinner and he will confirm as much in this US Open final.

Alcaraz is the only player in the world who troubles him, but if he had taken one of those match points in the French Open final, the Italian would now be closing in on a calendar Grand Slam.

Alcaraz will have all the support of the New York crowd and that may help to inspire him to reach the heights he needs to find to trouble Sinner, but this match will be in the hands of the ruthless defending champion.

Sinner will remain as world No 1 if he wins the final against Alcaraz, but the Spaniard will be back at the top of the rankings if he prevails in New York and that’s another motivating factor that will ensure the king of hard courts does not buckle.

Alcaraz may win a set, but this US Open will be won in four by Sinner and if he finishes 2025 with three Grand Slams out of four in his collection, the world No 1 will confirm he is pulling away from all his rivals, including the world No 2.

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The post Jannik Sinner to storm to US Open victory as Carlos Alcaraz is handed a knock-out blow – final analysis appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s 2025 US Open campaign concluded with a semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz, and tennis coaching legend Rick Macci has given his take on the great Serb’s future in the sport.

The tennis icon was beaten 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 by Alcaraz, the world No 2 and a five-time Grand Slam champion. In the first two sets, Djokovic competed well with the 22-year-old Spaniard, but he faded physically after losing the second on a tiebreak.

In 2025, Djokovic reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments — a remarkable achievement given he turned 38 in May.

While this feat of longevity only adds to Djokovic’s unmatched legacy, he was unable to win a set in any of these semi-final matches, with physical limitations a consistent theme.

Prior to his defeat to Alcaraz in New York, Djokovic suffered straight-set losses to Jannik Sinner in the last four at Wimbledon and the French Open. At the Australian Open, Djokovic was forced to retire after losing a gruelling first set in his semi-final with Alexander Zverev due to a hamstring injury sustained in his quarter-final win over Alcaraz.

The Serbian won his 24th and most recent Grand Slam title two years ago at the 2023 US Open. His two titles since the start of 2024 came at last year’s Paris Olympics and the 2025 Geneva Open.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Macci revealed why he does not think retirement is around the corner for Djokovic.

“I think he’ll keep playing simply because, once again, kind of like Venus [Williams] — but obviously it’s different – he just loves the competition,” said the American.

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“Why would you want to put your body through that, get up every day, he has a family… you’re not doing it for a paycheck! He just loves the competition. And I think if he feels he can win, okay, he’ll continue to play.

“Now, Roland Garros, I don’t know. I just think because the rallies are longer, you gotta bring your breakfast, lunch and dinner on red clay. It’s a little different situation. Grass, to me, was his best shot.

“But yeah, I think he’ll keep playing because he loves the competition. But, the minute he doesn’t play the Grand Slams; game, set, match — he’ll call it a career.

“But as long as he still loves it and he feels he has a chance, he’s gonna go for it. And never, ever, ever underestimate the heart of a champion.”

Macci, who coached Venus and Serena Williams during their childhood, argued that the only way for Djokovic to win another major would involve luck with the draw and the health of Alcaraz and Sinner.

“I think the only way he could win a Slam… it’s not gonna happen on clay, it’s just too physical, three out of five, I just think it’s too much on the body,” Macci assessed.

“And if the draw would break correctly, I know that happens with anybody, but let’s face it, if the draw broke correctly, if Alcaraz or Sinner got hurt, or you got a couple of walkovers… if things broke for him, absolutely [Djokovic could win].”

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The post Why Novak Djokovic will ‘keep playing’ after US Open, according to Serena Williams’ ex-coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s decision to walk away from representing her nation in the Billie Jean King Cup finals has sent shockwaves through British tennis.

Raducanu has decided that chasing ranking points is a bigger priority than playing for her country and that is as much a reflection of the fading significance of the women’s World Cup of tennis as it is a lack of patriotism from the 2021 US Open champion.

Her decision probably ends Great Britain’s hopes of success in the competition that is being staged in China later this month, with their quarter-final match against Japan now likely to be contested by the out-of-form Katie Boulter and British No 3 Sonay Kartal.

If Raducanu had pulled out of the event to prioritise a training block or deal with injury concerns, Great Britain team captain Anne Keothavong would have accepted her absence as an unfortunate turn of events.

Yet the Keothavong and the British team that will be flying out to Shenzen for the event featuring eight teams will be disappointed to see their star performer opting to play in the WTA 500 Korea Open in Seoul that week instead.

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From a professional perspective, it may be the right decision, as the ranking points Raducanu could collect in Seoul may fire her up into the top 30 in the world and secure her a seeded position in the Australian Open in January.

Yet the optics of this decision are a more than a little awkward, with Raducanu’s team-mates unlikely to be impressed by her decision and British tennis bosses who have given her so much backing through the junior ranks and into the seniors also likely to be disappointed.

The move must also cast huge doubts over Raducanu’s long-term commitment to the Billie Jean King Cup team, with this competition clearly low on her list of priorities.

The International Tennis Federation scheduled the finals of this year’s Billie Jean King Cup at a time of the year when the tennis world is embarking on the Asian swing of the WTA Tour.

Yet one of the most recognisable players in the game has sent out a strong message that winning honours for your nation is less desirable than personal glory and it may now be surprising if Raducanu plays Billie Jean King Cup tennis any time soon.

She will not be the first player to walk away from team events, with many of the game’s biggest stars only playing for their nation when the time is right for them.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all pulled out of Davis Cup matches when they were chasing personal glory and several team captains in the Billie Jean King Cup have been forced to select second-string teams in recent years as big names like Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have opted against playing the competition.

Now Raducanu is the latest big name to sidestep a competition that is fighting to retain its relevance in a modern tennis calendar that is crammed from 10 months of the year.

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Tennis analysts and former players Laura Robson and Ryan Harrison have shared their thoughts on the 2025 US Open women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova.

Sabalenka and Anisimova will face off on Saturday night at Flushing Meadows in what will be their 10th career encounter. Anisimova leads the head-to-head 6-3 and won their last match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a thrilling Wimbledon semi-final in July.

World No 1 Sabalenka, who is the defending champion, is vying for her second US Open crown and fourth Grand Slam title overall. The 27-year-old Belarusian was a runner-up at both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, losing to Madison Keys and Coco Gauff in the finals.

Anisimova, who is ranked ninth, is chasing her maiden major title. The 24-year-old American suffered a brutal 0-6, 0-6 loss to Iga Swiatek in her first Grand Slam final at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.

The pair both prevailed in enthralling three-set semi-finals in New York, with Sabalenka beating Jessica Pegula and Anisimova overcoming Naomi Osaka.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Robson — a former British No 1 — evaluated both players and made her prediction for the final.

“It was four incredible ball strikers [in the semi-finals], and then the two faster players came through, in terms of ball speed,” said the former world No 27.

“They were playing just lights out [tennis], especially Anisimova. I think she’s got the fastest backhand of anyone in the tournament, including the guys still left in the draw.

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“I am kind of expecting Sabalenka to come through this final. You didn’t even ask me for a prediction, but I am leaning that way because of how she handled the situation in the third set against Pegula, saving all those break points, how she saved them as well with some of the best tennis of the entire tournament.

“We saw her regroup in real time, you know, each moment she stepped up. I think mentally, she wants it more than anyone else.

“She has done work on herself since that Wimbledon semi-final and we saw that against Pegula that she just stayed calm. She didn’t let the situation get on top of her and she also didn’t let the crowd affect her in any way, that’s definitely going to play a part in the final.

“Again, we saw her go through the motions and her routines and then just stay cool under pressure so I think, yeah, mentally she looks at the very top of her game.”

Ryan Harrison, who reached a career-high ranking of 40, also weighed in on Anisimova.

“We have seen her smiling in some of the tense moments, which I think is a little bit experience on her, just learning how to manage everything that you are dealing with out there,” said the American.

“I think it’s really important for her to try and have fun out there in the final. You want to get out there and, you know in the Wimbledon final, not to bring that up too much, she looked very tense, she looked like a little shell-shocked, so I think it’s important to see her smiling.

“I think I expect to see her having the crowd behind her. If she gets going quickly early and the crowd becomes a factor and you get that adrenaline rush, she can be a dangerous person to play against.”

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