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Emma Raducanu has revealed her brief partnership with coach Mark Petchey may now be over after her battling performance against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Petchey made a huge impact in Raducanu’s set-up after coming into the team during the Miami Open, where she reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament.

Her performance in the 7-6(6), 6-4 defeat against Sabalenka highlights the strides forward she has taken with Petchey on her team, but their temporary agreement has now come to an end.

Petchey’s commitment to his broadcasting career means he is not willing to travel full-time with Raducanu and while he would not say this publicly, committing fully to a player who has changed coaches time and again since her 2021 US Open win might not be the best career move.

Now Raducanu has confirmed she does not know if she will work with Petchey again, even though she has clearly enjoyed having the former British Davis Cup player in her camp.

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“He obviously has his commentating commitments. He agreed to kind of help me until the end of Wimbledon and then we kind of see from there because he gave up some work to work with me here, which I really appreciate and I’m grateful for,” she said.

“That’s a conversation that we need to have after a few days and the dust settles a little bit.”

The huge improvements made on Raducanu’s serve since Petchey came into her set-up were in evidence against Sabalenka, as she maintained a high level of play throughout against the best player in women’s tennis.

In addition to the technical improvements, Petchey has also brought an element of fun and joy back into the Raducanu camp and that has allowed her to clear her mind and play her best tennis once again.

“I cannot predict anything, but I definitely sure that, maybe not in a month, but maybe a bit longer period, but she definitely going to get back in top,” said Sabalenka as she spoke about Raducanu in her Wimbledon press conference.

“She’s fighting. She’s playing much better. She’s more consistent. I can see that mentally she’s healthy. I think that’s really important. Yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s getting there.”

Raducanu has to take so much confidence from her display against Sabalenka, as recent clashes against the best players in the game have been one-sided defeats.

“It does give me confidence because I think the problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top,” said Raducanu.

“Having a match like that where I had chances in both sets, it does give me confidence. At the same time, it’s very difficult to take right now.

“It gives me confidence that I’m not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament. I think before previously when I was playing those top-5 players, it was pretty convincing, the loss.

“To really push Aryna to the top, it gives me confidence. But at the same time, like, I feel like grass for me is a great surface. It’s a bit of a leveller in that sense. So I think taking it onto a different surface, where it’s a lot more lively in America, is another challenge in itself.

“Positives were that I was toe to toe with her. Before the match, I actually went into this match feeling more confident than in previous matches against the top, but I think there is a big difference in the first serve.

“I think that’s something that I need to improve on. I don’t know. I’m, like, always quite critical, so I probably will just, like, right now come off and tell you all the things that I could do better. I think the good things,

“I took my chances when it was there. I didn’t execute all the time, but I think I returned really well considering she’s got one of the best serves in the game. But yeah, I need to work on my own serve.”

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu slams big Wimbledon problem as she reacts to Aryna Sabalenka defeat

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From the heartbreak of defeat to the joys of career-changing victories, Solana Sierra has experienced the full range of sporting emotions across her landmark Wimbledon campaign.

Last Thursday, Sierra suffered an agonising loss in the final round of Wimbledon qualifying, falling 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to Talia Gibson, despite holding a 5-3 lead in the decider.

However, while Gibson would be beaten by Naomi Osaka in the opening round of the main draw, Lady Luck was on Sierra’s side.

The withdrawal of Greet Minnen saw the Argentinian enter the draw as a lucky loser and, just 15 minutes after finding out she would play, defeated Olivia Gadecki to pick up her first main draw SW19 win.

That was followed by a three-set triumph over home favourite Katie Boulter – out on Court 1 no less – before another gritty three-set win over Cristina Busca on Friday.

After losing a lopsided second set and being broken early in the decider, her hopes looked over.

But an extraordinary surge for the 21-year-old saw her retake complete control, battling her way to a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 triumph on Court 12.

“It was really tough,” said Sierra in her post-match press conference.

“I started really well in the first set and she started to play really well. I think we had a great level.

“In the second set, I didn’t play too good, but she was playing good also. But, I think the key was to stay positive and fight for every point. That’s what I did in the third set.

“There was just a lot of happiness [after the match], with my team, my mum was there also, so it was very emotional.

“Last year, I played all the qualies of the Grand Slams. I think it was a really great experience, but this year I have another mentality, that I believe more in myself, and believe that I can do better in the bigger tournaments and the Grand Slams.”

Before Wimbledon, Sierra had never won a Grand Slam match, though she is now the first lucky loser in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the women’s singles event.

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Her extended run continues a crazy week for the 21-year-old, who has had to move apartments four times during her time in London, including after her win versus Boulter in the second round.

It is not exactly a living situation the tournament’s leading players would relate to, many of whom have been renting the same Wimbledon houses for several years.

But it hasn’t seemed to deter Sierra, who appears to be taking things on the chin.

“We changed yesterday [Thursday] again, in the afternoon,” she revealed. “Now, we have until next Thursday, so we have more days to stay!”

Having previously reached a career-high of world No 100 in the WTA Rankings, Sierra is guaranteed to break new ground after Wimbledon.

The Argentine was provisionally up to a new career-high of world No 79 in the live rankings ahead of facing Bucsa, but is now up to a new projected high of world No 65.

All this comes as a huge positive to Sierra, who has previously trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy and looks to the likes of Gabriela Sabatini and David Nalbandian as her idols.

“I always dreamed to do good in the Grand Slams. My dream, of course, is to win one. I will just keep training and fighting for that dream.

“It’s very special. I think I’m not really concentrating on the rankings, but I think it helps to play the bigger tournaments, and not to play qualies in the Grand Slams.

“I’m trying to tell to myself that I belong here, it’s a bit crazy for now. I think my game and my level, it belongs here.”

After a dream run, Sierra has been handed yet another opportunity to potentially progress even further through the draw.

The Argentine will next face veteran Laura Siegemund in the fourth round, after the German stunned sixth seed Madison Keys on Friday afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, the two have not met on court before, though Sierra is preparing herself for another big battle against an opponent who is also looking to reach a first Wimbledon quarter-final.

“It’s going to be really tough,  I know she has really good experience on the tour, so it’s going to be tough, like all the matches.

“I will just try to focus on myself.”

Read Next: Iga Swiatek’s Grand Slam streak as she joins elite company with another Wimbledon match win

The post Who is Solana Sierra? Meet the lucky loser on historic Wimbledon run appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu is the centre of attention once again as she plays in her home Grand Slam at Wimbledon and the British media have been speculating on one regular attendee in her players’ box.

Benjamin Heynold was courtside for her historic US Open win four years ago, with their friendship dating back to their days playing junior tennis together in Britain.

Heynold has been a vocal supporter of Raducanu in her first two matches at Wimbledon and he has also been prominent in her social media posts in recent weeks.

The British No 1 has not commented on her friendship with Heynold, but that has not stopped the tabloid media from speculating on his relationship with the 22-year-old.

Raducanu will always attract this kind of attention as he name and image sells well on websites and with what is left of the print newspaper industry, with the rumours of a romance with Carlos Alcaraz fuelled by the media in recent weeks.

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Alcaraz and Raducanu will team up for the mixed doubles event at the US Open later this year, with Raducanu confirming she is a big fan of her fellow Grand Slam champion.

“I’ve known him for years and actually in Wimbledon 2021, it was like kind of the first time I started getting to know him, and I had a good run there and then also again in the US Open in 2021,” said Raducanu.

“I remember he was always playing the day before me and I was playing like the second day of the round. And I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win and get myself into that position too.

“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.

“I think for all of us, we really kind of value those connections that we had from when we were young because when you become a bit more known or a bit more successful, you just find yourself reverting back to people you knew from a young age because you’re like, that’s a real genuine connection, because it becomes very busy and you have a lot more friends, but the ones that you’ve known for a long time mean a lot more to you.”

There were bizarre stories in recent weeks focusing on sightings of Raducanu and Alcaraz together, but media on site at Wimbledon were aware that the pair were due to take part in an Evian promotion event two days before the Championships, so an appearance together was hardly surprising.

Yet the enduring appeal of Raducanu will ensure speculation and rumours will always hover around her and the stories linking her with her friend Heynold are an extension of that.

READ NEXT: Meet the coaches who fired Oliver Tarvet towards a Wimbledon showdown with Carlos Alcaraz

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Nick Kyrgios believes Jannik Sinner will end up having a better career than Carlos Alcaraz and he has given a bizarre reason for coming to that conclusion.

Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated men’s tennis the past few years as they have shared the last six Grand Slams with the Italian winning two Australian Open titles and the US Open crown last September, while Alcaraz has lifted two French Open trophies and won one Wimbledon since the start of 2024.

Following the recent successful defence of his Roland Garros title, where he came from two sets to love down and saved three match points to beat Sinner, Alcaraz moved to five majors with his close rival, who has been No 1 in the ATP Rankings since June last year, sits on three.

Alcaraz is also the in-form player on the ATP Tour as he has won 20 matches in a row with his last defeat coming in the final of the Barcelona Open in April.

During an episode of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown series, Kyrgios chatted with renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou as they discussed who will have the better career between the two young stars.

The Australian stated: “I’ll say Sinner because Alcaraz loves the girls. He might get distracted, he might party too much. That’s my only thing, Sinner will stay a bit more locked in, I think.”

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A laughing Mouratoglou replied: “Sinner is more consistent in general. It’s more his mentality. If you look at this season, Alcaraz is losing a lot more matches than Sinner, so many more. And you think, he should not. Why [is he losing]?

“But because he is not always there [gestures to his head]. Even during the match, he has ups, downs [and] the other guy is like this [flat lines]. For that reason, yes [I think Sinner will be more successful].

“But at the end, it is going to be all about the big ones and their head-to-head because they are going to face each other in finals a lot.”

Alcaraz leads their rivalry 8-4 as he has won their last four five encounters with Sinner’s last win at the Beijing semi-final in 2023.

Frenchman Mouratoglou, who is also the founder of the UTS, added: “So who is going to win most of the time [in the head-to-head] is going to be the one to have the most titles and if you look at it at the moment, it’s Alcaraz. He has won the last five, five in a row.

“[For that reason] I say Alcaraz, but it is going to be close.”

Australian Kyrgios finished with “Kyrgios on Team Sinner”.

The post Nick Kyrgios’ controversial Carlos Alcaraz comments as Australian states he is ‘on Team Sinner’ appeared first on Tennis365.

On the lawns of the All England Club, Jannik Sinner has made serene progress through his opening two rounds at Wimbledon

After a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 win over Luca Nardi in round one, the Italian was arguably even more impressive in round two on Thursday.

The world No 1 needed just 100 minutes to see off Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 triumph, a flurry of break points in the final game the only trouble he faced out on Centre Court.

Amid a mass exodus of seeded players at Wimbledon, Sinner’s status as the world’s best player has stood out, the 23-year-old one of just two men to reach the third round without dropping a set.

However, while things have been close to perfection on the court, he faces a few more complications off it.

Sinner is undoubtedly a remarkable player, and could easily lift the title next weekend, though it is impossible to escape the fact that he was serving a suspension just two months ago.

The Italian’s three-month suspension, served from February to May, was the culmination of a drawn-out saga involving him, his entourage, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which initially began with two failed drug tests in March 2024.

Sinner managed to appeal against initial provisional suspensions, claiming contamination caused by former physio Giacomo Naldi, an argument that the ITIA ultimately upheld in August 2024.

News of the case emerged just days before his ultimately successful US Open campaign last summer and, until his suspension in February 2025, he remained conclusively the world’s best player.

It was not until WADA appealed the ITIA’s ruling that Sinner re-faced the risk of a ban, and the two opposing parties eventually settled on a three-month suspension, without the need for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, among several players, there has been a public sense of injustice, a feeling among some that the world No 1 was treated rather favourably due to his status.

Whether this is true or not will likely remain a matter of personal opinion, but, compared to the warmer response Sinner had from the media at the Italian Open, his comeback event, and at Roland Garros, he has undeniably faced more pertinent questioning at Wimbledon.

And, that questioning comes at the time a formerly banned player, once critical of the handling of Sinner’s case, has been making his way through the draw.

Kamil Majchrzak is back at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 and is through to the third round at the All England Club, an eye-catching win over Matteo Berrettini the highlight of his campaign.

The Pole was provisionally suspended back in December 2022 after failing drug tests at three different tournaments, claiming an isotonic drink had led to the failed tests.

The ITIA ruled that Majchrzak has “not knowingly or intentionally” committed any wrongdoing, though was handed a 13-month suspension for his violation.

After returning in 2024, he claimed the initial outcome of Sinner’s case was “shocking and extremely painful” at the 2024 US Open, where he was competing in qualifying.

Rightly or wrongly, Sinner was directly asked about Majchrzak’s case after his victory over Vukic on Thursday night.

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He was directly asked whether more help should be provided to lower-ranked players and whether it was more difficult for such players to respond to doping cases.

Sinner offered a rather pragmatic response, in which he insisted that, despite his financial advantage, there had been no different treatment.

“So what I think is that I am in a position where I can take a lawyer or a higher, good lawyer, because I’m in the position,” responded Sinner. “Fortunately, I also have the money what maybe others don’t have.

“But the process I went through, it’s the same. There is no better treatment. Maybe I have good defense in a way because I have good people around, and this is because I’ve earned my money, and now I can do that.

“In the other way, the process like the ITIA works and how fast everything goes, it’s the same. So I know there in the past there have been difficult choices and decisions. This I understand.

“But, yeah, what I can say that my case was controlled not once, but twice, three times, and it always came out that I was innocent.”

When Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol in March 2024, he was ranked third in the world and was fresh off winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

The Italian has won even more titles, and even more prize money, since then, but there is no denying that he was already well-placed to deal with the fallout of his case.

But, in response to a second question on Thursday night, he appeared to claim this was a benefit of his success.

He added: “If this happened to me maybe when I was 18, for example, I didn’t have the money, so maybe I was in the same situation.

“It happened when I earned my money, and then obviously I take the best people I can. It’s the same thing with the best players to have also the whole team for them.

“I have two coaches. Here I don’t have a physio and physical trainer. You can build up everything. It’s the same thing on the other side.”

Sinner will return to court on Friday for his third-round match against Pedro Martinez, another contest he will be expected to win comfortably.

A three-time quarter-finalist and former semi-finalist at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old is comfortable on grass; a fourth Grand Slam title next weekend would be a shock to no one.

But, off the court, it feels like life will remain a little more uncomfortable for him for some time yet.

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Rafa Nadal has led tennis’ tributes to Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota after the Liverpool forward and his brother André Silva were killed in a car accident early on Thursday morning.

The 28-year-old was travelling through Zamora in Spain when a failed tyre caused them to lose control, killing both at the scene. Jota had been heading for Santander to board a ferry back to Liverpool ahead of the club’s return to pre-season training.

The death, which came less than two weeks after Jota’s wedding, shocked the sporting world with tributes extending beyond football.

In tennis, Nadal was among the first to pass on his condolences, describing it as “painful news.”

“What sad and painful news,” Nada tweeted. “All my love, affection, and support to his wife, children, family, and friends during such a difficult time.

“Rest in Peace, Diogo Jota and André Silva.”

Nadal was later joined by his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz who posted on Instagram: “Rest in peace Diogo and Andre. My sincere condolences to your loved ones” alongside a black and white image of the player.

Martina Navratilova also tweeted: “So tragic… RIP Diogo… and Andre”

At Wimbledon, Portuguese player Francisco Cabral was permitted to break the strict dress code and wear a black armband in remembrance.

“I don’t know him personally but I have a friend that knows him, he was a great guy,” Cabral said.

“Very, very sad news, not only in the sports world but in Portugal overall, because he’s such an idol, such an icon, such a good person.

“I got the news when I was driving to Wimbledon. I just wish all the best for his family. I know they have good people around them so I hope they can get through it.

“I know what he’s been through, what he conquered through his career and through his life. So he’s just very inspiring for me.”

Football manager Jürgen Klopp, who signed Jota to Liverpool in 2020 said “Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much!”

Cristiano Ronaldo, Jota’s teammate with Portugal, said: “Doesn’t make any sense. Just now we were together in the national team, just now you were married.”

“To your family, your wife, and your children, I send my condolences and wish them all the strength in the world.

“I know you’ll always be with them. Rest in Peace, Diogo and André. We’ll all miss you.”

A Liverpool statement read: “Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

“The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre.

“Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”

 

 

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Novak Djokovic revealed he does not spend time reflecting on his incredible tennis journey as he reached more milestones with his latest Wimbledon win.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner dismantled world No 154 Dan Evans 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Centre Court.

The Serbian struck a sublime 46 winners to just 14 unforced errors and won 97 points to 52. At the age of 38 years and 39 days, Djokovic is the youngest player to win a 6-0 set at Wimbledon since Jimmy Connors in 1991.

Djokovic broke the 35-year-old Brit six times and saved the only two break pointe he faced, which were in the final game of the match as he sealed victory with a third set bagel.

“A Brit in Britain is never easy to face,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. Dan Evans can be causing a lot of trouble if you are not on your game, which I think I was from the beginning to be honest.

“I knew exactly what I needed to do and I executed it perfectly. Sometimes you have these kinds of days where everything goes your way.”

The Serbian then reacted to winning his 99th match at Wimbledon: “It means that I have been playing for quite a long time! I still enjoy and this sport has given me so much,”

“Wimbledon still stays the most special tournament in my heart and the one that I always dreamed of winning when I was a kid. Any history made here is very special for me.”

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Djokovic expressed his desire to reflect on everything he has experienced in his career with his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal once he retires.

“I don’t pause to reflect,” the world No 6 admitted.

“I don’t have time. Being on the highest level on professional tennis requires a lot of dedication.

“I don’t play as much as I did before, but the weeks I don’t play, I play at home with my kids. I don’t reflect fully on everything I have been through.

“I would like to but I think that will come when I set the racquet aside and then sip Margaritas on the beach with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything.”

Djokovic is second on the Wimbledon Open Era men’s singles win list, with Federer top on 105.

The Serb is just one win away from equalling the Swiss’ record for the most wins at the All England Club after turning 30 (46 wins).

The former world No 1 is through to the third round at Wimbledon for the 19th time in 20 appearances. Djokovic will face world No 49 and fellow countryman Miomir Kecmanovic next.

READ NEXT: How to beat Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios reveals key as he sends Novak Djokovic message

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The world of tennis has been talking about mental health after Alexander Zverev made a frank confession following his early Wimbledon defeat.

A first-round exit to Arthur Rinderknech prompted Zverev to reveal he had been struggling with his mental health and suggested he may need the help of a threapist.

That topic has been put to other players at the British slam with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka all weighing in.

Alcaraz, who is eyeing his third consecutive Wimbledon title, said the key to his mental preparation was to focus on enjoying the sport rather than the pressure of winning.

“I’ve felt down a lot of times on the court and in tournaments,” Alcaraz said when Zverev’s comments were put to him.

“I’m just really happy to have found the right path again and such good joy on the court. For me, it is not about winning or losing. For me it’s about having fun playing tennis, have fun stepping on court. Not thinking about the result. It’s just living the moment.”

Raducanu, who has weathered her fair share of negative press, said she has to ignore the results side of the sport and try to find progress.

“It’s a mentally very challenging sport. I think for me, what I’ve found, is trying to surround yourself with good people.. trying to win the day.. trying to focus on the process as much as possible.

“I think the results, it’s really difficult to kind of take your joy from the results. Because it’s so up and down. It’s a rollercoaster.”

Therapists working with athletes is nothing new and indeed, women’s world No. 1 Sabalenka revealed she spent five years working with one.

“I had a therapist for like five years,” she said. “I stopped working [with them] maybe in 2022.

“It’s actually crazy to hear from someone like Alexander because he surrounded himself with the family. I think it’s really important to talk openly about whatever you’re dealing with. Especially if you have your family, you can say whatever you feel to your family.

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“Me, with my team, we always talk a lot. That’s why I don’t need a therapist. I have my team. We talk about whatever. I know they’re not gonna judge me. They’re not gonna blame me. They’re just gonna accept it and we’re gonna work through. This is the best advice I can give to Sascha [Zverev]”

Andrey Rublev said these problems are not unique to tennis and that bad results or the sport can just be “the trigger point.”

“To be honest, it has nothing to do with tennis,” the 27-year-old said. “It’s about the same thing. It’s just that you can find excuses like you’re exhausted or mentally tired of playing non-stop, non-stop, but it has nothing to do with tennis.

“In the end, tennis is just the trigger point. It’s something inside you that you have to deal with.”

Read next: How to beat Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon: Nick Kyrgios reveals key as he sends Novak Djokovic message

The post Alcaraz and Raducanu respond to Alexander Zverev’s concerning mental health confession appeared first on Tennis365.

John McEnroe said he was shocked at the “physical specimen” Jack Draper had become having first met the British player when the latter was 14.

Draper is having an excellent 2025 so far and having won Indian Wells, the 23-year-old is looking to become the first Briton since Andy Murray to win Wimbledon.

As for his chances, three-time Wimbledon champion McEnroe believed Draper was definitely in contention.

“I’m very impressed with Jack Draper,” McEnroe said in his role as a commentator for the BBC. “I knew that he had a lot of talent. I didn’t realise he was that good an athlete. He’s really developed into a force. He is seeded four, he’s four in the world so to me, he’s the fourth favourite, without a doubt.

“And I think on this surface, he could play against anybody. Sinner’s not quite as comfortable on this surface as he is on the other surfaces.

“With Alcaraz, it would certainly be exciting if those two played. So he’s absolutely put himself in the mix which is going to add to the pressure.

“He doesn’t have to deal with those guys until the semis. That’s all you can ask for. I think he’s getting very close. I don’t think that he’s lacking anything in his game. There’s nothing he can’t do.”

McEnroe went on to state the one aspect he was most surprised by with Draper’s physicality vastly improving since the two first met.

“He was 14,” McEnroe recalled of their first encounter.. “He was like 5ft 1. The guy was tiny, so he had to work on everything, as all 14-year-olds do.

“He obviously had a lot of talent, you could see that. But I wasn’t quite sure why he was even there to be honest.

“And I’m still not 100% sure. I believe his dad was running the British LTA so it seemed like he was at least going to be taken care of, obviously.

“So that part seemed to be a non-issue. I’m not sure how tall his mum is, or exactly how tall his dad is. I didn’t see that happening where now it’s: ‘Oh, my God, Jesus Christ, this guy’s a physical specimen’.”

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But to win the tournament, Draper was told he must have “a little bit of luck” but also overcome the “nerves issue” that has troubled him in the past.

“It comes down to belief at a certain point, a little bit of luck. and also the nerves issue that’s been somewhat of an issue with him,” McEnroe said.

“He’s talked about it. The expectations are going to be way higher than they’ve ever been. So how is he going to handle that?

“And so that’s going to be a factor coming in. I took a look at the forecast. Looked like it’d be pretty warm, not super hot. So that could be fine. But at a certain point that could be a factor if it turns out to be really hot.”

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