Alex Eala is set to reach a new rankings milestone after dismantling Dayana Yastremska to reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Eastbourne Open.

The rising Filipina star scored a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over world No 42 Yastremska in just over an hour in the quarter-finals of the grass-court WTA 250 event.

Eala broke in all seven of Yastremska’s service games — three times in the opening set and four times in the second set — as she ran riot on return (winning 68% of return points).

The left-hander has now won five consecutive matches in Eastbourne, including the two she won in qualifying against Zeynep Sonmez and Hailey Baptiste.

Eala destroyed Lucia Bronzetti 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round of the main draw before progressing past Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.

She was up a break in the third set at 0-6, 6-2, 3-2 against Ostapenko when the Latvian was forced to retire through injury.

In the semi-finals, Eala will face world No 111 Varvara Gracheva — a 24-year-old Frenchwoman who received a quarter-final walkover as her scheduled opponent Barbora Krejcikova pulled out.

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With her latest win, Eala has climbed to a projected new career-high ranking of world No 64 in the Live WTA Rankings. Her previous best ranking was 69th.

Having started Eastbourne ranked 74th, Eala has collected 101 points for her run to the semi-finals as a qualifier.

If she were to lift her maiden WTA title on the English South Coast, Eala would be projected to jump to 52nd in the world, while a runner-up finish would see her climb to 56th.

Following her second round win against Ostapenko, Eala spoke about her form on the grass.

“The grass season is not very long, and I haven’t had many [matches] in general, so I’m happy that I’m able to do well.

“I think it’s growing on me, I think it suits my game.”

On the challenge of facing Ostapenko, she added: “I think I was very happy with how I was able to recollect and rebound after that first set. Because she was really dominating me.

“I’m proud of how I was able to find solutions. She retired but I had good chances in the third. I broke her and I was on a roll.

“Although you can never know what could have happened if she continued, but overall I’m happy.”

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The definition of greatness is often subjective, but a handful of tennis legends stand out as the best players to set foot on a grass court.

All the great champions find a way to win on every surface and when it comes to the grass court season, that challenge can be the most demanding.

We only play on this surface for a few weeks each year, the icons who shine on the lush turf hold a special place in the hearts of tennis fans and here, we have built the ultimate grass court player using the best qualities of the game’s ultimate champions.

THE SERVE – Serena Williams and Pete Sampras

A teenage Boris Becker changed the direction of tennis when he broke through and won The Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon for the first time in 1985, with his booming serve bringing a new dimension to the sport. 

Those who followed in his footsteps built on that blueprint and when the grass court champions who boasted the most effective serves are considered, Pete Sampras and Serena Williams have to be in the conversation. 

Sampras dominated at Wimbledon as he won seven titles between 1993 and 2000, while he was also a two-time winner on the Queen’s Club grass courts.

Williams also won seven Wimbledon singles titles and claimed an Olympic gold medal on the Wimbledon grass in 2012, with her power-packed serve at the heart of her aura in a career that included 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

THE FOREHAND – Steffi Graf and Roger Federer

There was unique beauty in the forehands of German great Graf and Swiss maestro Federer.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Graf struck this shot with an elegance and ferocity that intimidated her rivals, with the sound of the ball crunching onto her racket echoing around the great tennis arenas of the world in a career that saw her win 22 Grand Slam singles titles.

If Graf’s forehand resembled a knife slicing through blades of grass, Federer’s has the silky elegance of a master craftsman at work.

His grace on a tennis court somehow appeared to be elevated by the beauty of the green grass courts he loved more than any other, with his forehand winners drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd in every match he played.

THE BACKHAND – Martina Navratilova and Andy Murray

Navratilova had a one-handed backhand that was loaded with pace and always delivered with wondrous accuracy.

One-handed backhands are now a rarity in the women’s game, with the footage of Navratilova winning her nine Wimbledon singles titles and a remarkable 11 wins at the LTA tournament at Eastbourne a permanent reminder of the class she exuded when striking a backhand.

Britain’s Andy Murray also excelled with this shot, as he claimed two Wimbledon titles on grass and five singles titles at The Queen’s Club.

Murray’s ability to stoop low and find what seemed to be impossible angles were at the heart of his triumphs on grass, while his fantastic lob was also a sumptuous option when the ball was fizzed into his backhand. 

WINNING MINDSET – Billie Jean King and Novak Djokovic

These two players overcame so many barriers to achieve greatness that will stand the test of time.

King’s achievements off the court are probably more remarkable than her magnificent accomplishments on it, which included six Wimbledon singles titles and four in the Open Era.

She also changed face of the women’s game forever as she was a prominent figure in the formation of the Women’s Tennis Association and still continues to fight for equality in the sport with passion that has broken down so many barriers.

Djokovic has to overcome his own mission impossible, as he seemed destined to be the outsider in the battle between Federer and his great rival Rafael Nadal when he set his sights on Grand Slam glory.

Not only did Djokovic find a way to match his two great rivals, but he will finish his career with more major titles than both and will look to equal Federer’s all-time record of eight Wimbledon titles this summer.

MOST MATCH WINS ON GRASS – WOMEN

Martina Navratilova (CZE/USA) – 309

Evonne Goolagong (AUS) – 285

Margaret Court (AUS) – 264

Virginia Wade (GBR) – 212

Chris Evert (USA) – 208

MOST MATCH WINS ON GRASS – MEN

Roger Federer (SUI) – 192

Jimmy Connors (USA)- 185

John Newcombe (AUS) – 164

Phil Dent (AUS) – 157

John Alexander (AUS) – 157

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Carlos Alcaraz’s growing collection of sponsors has a new addition, after it was confirmed that the Wimbledon champion has signed a mega-money deal with Evian.

Alcaraz is one of the most attractive players for the world’s leading brands to sign up after a sensational start to his career, with his epic French Open final win against Jannik Sinner earlier this month cementing his status as a sporting superstar.

Now the world No 2 has joined Emma Raducanu, Frances Tiafoe and Arthur Fils as an Evian brand ambassador, as he looks to cash in on his remarkable success on the court at the age of just 22.

“Hydration is an important part of my daily routine and I’m excited to work with a brand that celebrates the joy of feeling youthful and full of life. I hope we can inspire others to prioritise their well-being,” said Alcaraz as his Evian deal was confirmed.

Alcaraz adds Evian to a list of sponsors that includes Nike, Babolat, Rolex, BMW, Calvin Klein, and Louis Vuitton, with the scramble to be a part of his story certain to gather momentum in the years to come.

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With Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal leaving the tennis stage following their retirements and Novak Djokovic set to follow them soon into the tennis afterlife, Alcaraz is now the prized asset for any major brand looking to sign up a tennis star.

His beaming smile and clean-cut personality ensure he will provide a guaranteed boost for any brand, with Evian making a shrewd move by signing up the 22-year-old.

The value of this deal was not disclosed, but it has been suggested that Alcaraz will be offered seven-figure sums for deals of this nature.

Raducanu was also attracting offers of that scale after her 2021 US Open win, but her stock has fallen dramatically over the last four years as she has struggled to replicate the form she showed during that famous run in New York.

There have been suggestions that she has lost some of her big sponsorship deals in recent months, but the press release announcing the Alcaraz deal with Evian confirmed the British star is also still part of their brand ambassador roster.

It means Evian will have a doubles dream team playing together at this year’s US Open, after it was confirmed that Alcaraz and Raducanu will team up in this mixed doubles tournament.

A revamped doubles event at this year’s US Open will see a host of big-name stars playing in a tournament that will take place a week before the singles, with Alcaraz and Raducanu’s double act an eye-catching combination.

“She’s gonna be the boss. I’m super excited about it,” said Alcaraz as he spoke about his doubles match-up with Raducanu. “I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament.

“I’ve known Emma for a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. We are going to enjoy it, for sure.

“I will try to bring my doubles skill. We will try to win, but obviously it’s going to be really, really fun.

“I was thinking that I couldn’t play better unless it was with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.”

Raducanu was also asked about the US Open pairing as she prepared to play at the Eastbourne Open and it was clear that she was excited by the prospect.

“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,” she said.

“And 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 the motivation to win and get myself into that position too.

“And I remember he beat Stef [Tsitsipas] in the third round and it was like a big win, his breakout kind of win on a big stage and it was really cool to kind of, I guess, go through that tournament together and then I kept going through the US Open, but we were staying in touch for the whole time and yeah, it’s nice.

“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.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu romance rumours set to be fuelled over the next few weeks

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Carlos Alcaraz is heading into Wimbledon as the firm favourite to make it three wins in succession at the All England Club, but he might be keen to avoid Belgian veteran David Goffin in the opening rounds.

Goffin is one of the few players in the game who has a winning record against five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, as he has sealed victory in two of his three matches against the young Spaniard.

The most recent of those triumphs was the most surprising of them all, as he beat Alacarz at the Miami Open in March, with Goffin giving Tennis365 an insight into his three wins against the defending Wimbledon champion as he competed at The Boodles exhibition event at Stoke Park.

He started by reflecting on his opening match against Alcaraz four years ago, when he admitted he didn’t know if he had been beaten by a young kid who had a lucky day or a superstar in the making.

“I remember the first match against him and it came during the pandemic in Melbourne the week before the Australian Open in 2021,” said Goffin. “I didn’t know him at the time, but I knew he was good and he had amazing potential.

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“We had no crowd that day, but all the Spanish players came out to see him and I was like ‘what is happening here, everyone wants to see him’.

“He went on to kill me in straight sets and I remember thinking he had just had the best day of his life, or he will be a very special player in the future. I guess we now know what happened next for him.”

After that chastening experience against a teenage Alcaraz in Melbourne, Goffin may have feared the next generation in the men’s game had too much firepower for him to contend with, yet his last two matches against the Spanish star ended in victory.

Goffin beat Alcaraz in straight sets in the Astana Open in 2022 before recording one of the shock wins of this year when he beat the then-four-time Grand Slam champion in a thrilling contest at the Miami Open and admits he may have “got lucky” in the timing of those matches.

“The other two times I played against him may have been at the right moment for me,” continued Goffin.

“In my second match against Alcaraz, he had just won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open and he was maybe a little bit tired towards the end.

“Then I beat him in Miami this year and I played an unbelievable match. It was his first match of the tournament and he was struggling a little with his confidence. That doesn’t appear to be the case any more!

“That’s why I say it was the right moment to beat him, but I also had to play great tennis to beat him.”

Goffin went on to suggest that Alcaraz is the complete player at the age of 22, as he heaped praise on the player who heads into Wimbledon as defending champion and favourite to retain his crown.

“He has everything,” added Goffin. “He has speed, great hands when he comes to the next and, of course, his groundstrokes are amazing. Especially his forehand. He is still young and has a great career in front of him.”

Alcaraz will be keen to get another crack at Goffin soon to ensure the Belgian does not head into tennis retirement with a record that suggests he had the magic formula to beat him.

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Rafael Nadal wasn’t initially adored by tennis fans as many preferred the “most loved player” Roger Federer, but things changed once Novak Djokovic arrived on the scene.

That is the view of former world No 6 Gilles Simon in a wide-ranging interview.

The Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer dominated men’s tennis for the best part of two decades as they shared 66 Grand Slams between them and set numerous other milestones along the way.

Federer initially led the way as he made his major breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2003, but his stranglehold was broken when Nadal arrived in 2005 with his French Open title and they formed the Big Two.

Djokovic – who won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open – then made it the Big Three and he eventually went on to broke several of Federer and Nadal’s records, including the Open Era Grand Slam record as he sits on 24 with Nadal on 22 and Federer 20.

But Djokovic has not always received the love and affection of Federer and Nadal as fans didn’t like the fact that he broke up the original Big Two.

In an interview with RG Media and CLAY, Simon says Nadal was also initially an outcast.

“Remember, Roger was the most loved player, maybe ever. And most fans didn’t like Rafa when he showed up,” the Frenchman said.

“But they started liking him more when Novak came on the scene. I’m 100% sure of it. Rafa became more appreciated once fans started comparing him to Novak instead of Roger.”

He added: “Novak was already better than most when he arrived, but he was still behind Roger and Rafa.

“I don’t think many people believed he’d surpass them — not even Roger and Rafa themselves. So when he started doing it, people didn’t like it. Everyone loved the Roger–Rafa rivalry. They didn’t want a third guy.”

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According to Simon, Djokovic has always been “true to himself” and his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 proved that.

The Serbian was infamously deported from Australia in 2022 after he refused to get inoculated and he subsequently missed several other big events, including the 2023 US Open.

“He was the ‘villain’ early on, but here’s what I admire the most — he’s true to himself. For example, refusing the vaccine even if it meant giving up Slam records. He didn’t fake it,” the 14-time ATP Tour singles title winner said.

“In the beginning, he tried to please everyone, get more attention, and that came off as inauthentic. Eventually, he said: ‘This is who I am. I’m Novak Djokovic. Like me or not—I know who I am.’ That kind of stance earned him respect.”

The Frenchman feels the 24-time Grand Slam winner is finally getting the love he deserves, stating: “When he said he wanted to break Roger’s and Rafa’s records, people thought it was arrogant.

“But now that he’s done it — you have to tip your hat. He’s earned the respect, and now he’s even getting love from fans and the whole tennis world. That wasn’t there in the beginning.”

The post ‘Novak Djokovic refused the vaccine even if it meant giving up Slam records, he didn’t fake it’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Make no bones about it, Emma Raducanu knows how to fight.

Down 5-2, double break in the third and final set of her Eastbourne Open round-two clash versus Maya Joint, the Brit looked to be slumping out of the tournament.

But, while she ultimately went down, she went down swinging, pushing her younger rival to the brink in a pulsating end to this tense and often unpredictable clash.

Raducanu broke Joint twice as the 19-year-old Australian, vastly inexperienced on grass, tried to close out the match – and the same scenario repeated itself when Raducanu broke again at 5-5.

The 2021 US Open champion could not quite pull off what could have been one of her greatest comebacks, but the end of the match did highlight one of her biggest qualities.

She rarely makes herself easy to beat, and she certainly highlighted her growing experience, pressing a less-experienced opponent into making big mistakes at key moments.

However, while her strengths were on display, so were her two key weaknesses.

Raducanu is undoubtedly a skilled grass-courter, but Joint’s weight of shot, particularly her huge and heavy forehand, proved a nightmare to handle at times.

But, while her struggles against big hitters remain one issue, the most pressing concern remains her fitness.

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There were no medical timeouts in this match, but watching courtside at Eastbourne, it was obvious that the Brit was moving uncomfortably at points.

Raducanu has been dealing with an ongoing back spasm for several weeks, the latest in the line of physical issues that have afflicted her since her stunning breakthrough four summers ago.

“I think I’ve just been managing it, like I’ve said,” commented Raducanu, in her post-match press conference.

“I mean, normal fatigue, after playing a long match, but, yeah, hopefully I can recover.

“I still have a few days before Wimbledon, so, yeah, I’m looking forward to kind of recovering and hopefully it’s all good.

“I wouldn’t say it’s like I can’t move. I just say like a lot of athletes, we all carry kind of something that we’re managing and playing through.

“But I’d just say that it’s okay, I can play, and I can still put out some pretty decent tennis in the situation.”

World No 39 Raducanu now has less than one week until her opening match at Wimbledon, where she will be among the star attractions for fans at the All England Club.

The Brit reached the fourth round of the tournament in 2024, just months after skipping the 2023 Championships due to a multitude of injury concerns.

It would be easy to cast doubt on Raducanu’s physical state heading into the tournament, considering her chequered history in recent years.

But it seems Wimbledon fans need not fear a potential withdrawal, with Raducanu perhaps more determined than ever to battle against the best at SW19.

She added: “I am going to rest tomorrow, just take it day by day, get some practice in.

“I think it could be a blessing in disguise, you know, having some rest right now. I think I’m looking forward to heading back and then getting on the grass at Wimbledon.

“I think I will likely step on the court regardless.”

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Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon hopes were dented significantly after falling in the second round of her final warm-up event on Wednesday.

World No 38 Raducanu was toppled 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) by teen star Maya Joint at the Eastbourne Open, the Australian prevailing in two hours and 33 minutes

Raducanu battled back to beat Ann Li in her opening-round match on Tuesday, though concerns were high about the 22-year-old’s physical state, with her ongoing back spasm issue appearing to trouble her.

She was also visibly emotional on-court in the immediate aftermath of her win, and revealed afterwards in her press conference she had received some unspecified “bad news” before taking to court.

Despite that, the seventh seed was a hesitant favourite heading into her clash versus Joint, whom she beat at the Italian Open in May, though the Australian had beaten two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in round one in Eastbourne.

The pair twice traded breaks in a competitive opening set, before Raducanu sealed a crucial third break in the ninth game, ultimately holding with relative comfort to close out the opener.

Things appeared to be heading south after that for the 22-year-old, who was swatted aside in the second set and found herself 5-2, double break down in the decider.

Raducanu fought back and broke Joint twice as the Australian tried to serve out the match, and broke again at 6-5 when her opponent was attempting to serve it out for a third time.

But, ultimately, Joint was able to reach the first grass-court quarter-final of her career, holding her nerve in a tense tiebreak – and gain revenge from Rome.

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“Today was really tough. There were a lot of up and downs, a lot of momentum switches, but I’m really glad I was able to tough it out in the end,” said Joint.

“I definitely remember that match [in Rome], it was a fun match to play, so I was looking forward to today.

“It was a bit different because today’s on grass. We both had to change our game’s a little bit. I’m really glad I was able to win this one.”

Defeat means that Raducanu has contested five grass-court matches heading into Wimbledon, not an insignificant amount heading into the third Grand Slam event of the year.

However, the manner in which she fell to defeat in Eastbourne, coupled with ongoing physical struggles, may be a cause for concern for some.

Raducanu will return to court in the opening round of Wimbledon, with the Brit set to be in action on Monday or Tuesday.

Ranked 38th in the world, the 22-year-old has missed out on a seeding in the draw, meaning her fate is in the hands of the draw gods in terms of who she faces in round one.

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Novak Djokovic is synonymous with breaking records so no surprise he is once again in line to set new milestones at the 2025 edition of Wimbledon.

His list of achievements is already lengthy and there is only one place to start and that is the outright record for most Grand Slam titles won by a man as he secured his 24th major when he won the 2023 US Open.

Djokovic has also won a record 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles, spent an astonishing 428 weeks at No 1 in the ATP Rankings and sits at No 1 for in the list of all-time career prize earnings with a whopping $187m.

Since this is about Wimbledon, let’s add a few more Grand Slam records as he is the only man to win a triple career Grand Slams (win all four Grand Slams at least three times), he has also won three consecutive Grand Slams four times in his career and holds the record for most major match wins with 387 victories.

We could go on and on and on.

But Djokovic will be the first to admit that winning Grand Slams is becoming more difficult each year as his last title was that record-extending US Open trophy in September 2023.

Since then he has appeared in one final, the 2024 Wimbledon Championship match, but lost against Carlos Alcaraz for a second consecutive year at the All England Club.

He also reached the semi-final at three other majors, but Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have taken over as the men to beat at the Grand Slams.

But there are still three big records on the spell for Djokovic every time he makes an appearance at the Grand Slams and he will be looking at three particular records when he takes part in Wimbledon 2025.

Outright Grand Slam Record

Djokovic has held the record for most Grand Slams won by a man since 2023 when he lifted the French Open trophy as he moved ahead of Rafael Nadal (22) while Roger Federer retired with 20.

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He then moved to 24 when he won the US Open later in the year and that saw him tie Margaret Court’s all-time record. Of course, the Australian’s 24 majors were split as 13 were won before the sport turned professional in 1968 and 11 came during the Open Era.

One more title and he will move ahead of Court.

Oldest Grand Slam Men’s Singles Champion

Djokovic was 36 years, three months and six days when he won the 2023 US Open and he currently finds himself third on the list for oldest men’s winners.

Ken Rosewall holds the record as he was 37 years, one month and 24 days when we won the 1972 Australian Open.

Forty-six years after Rosewall’s achievement, Federer won the 2017 Australian Open when he was 36 years, months and seven days.

If Djokovic wins Wimbledon this year, he will be the first 38-year-old man to win a Grand Slam as he celebrated his birthday May 22.

Equalling Federer’s Wimbledon Tally

Djokovic moved to joint-second with Pete Sampras on the list for most Wimbledon titles won in the Open Era when he beat Nick Kyrgios in the 2022 final at the All England Club with Roger Federer holding the record with eight.

His other titles came in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

The Serbian had an opportunity to join Federer on eight in 2023, but he lost the Wimbledon final in five sets against Carlos Alcaraz with the Spaniard also denying him the Calendar Grand Slam.

And Alcaraz again prevented him from equalling Federer’s tally last year.

Will it be third time lucky for Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2025?

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