Category: Articles

Few would have predicted a Canadian Open final between Victoria Mboko and Naomi Osaka before this year’s tournament, though it looks set to be a perfect ending to a fascinating tournament.

World No 85 Mboko has set her home tournament alight in 2025, with the 18-year-old surging up the WTA Rankings as a result of her epic run.

The Canadian has beaten three Grand Slam champions during her breakout run, with notable wins over Coco Gauff in round four and then against ninth seed Elena Rybakina in Wednesday’s semi-final.

While Osaka is at a different stage of her career, this run is also important for the Japanese.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is now just one win away from her first tour-level title since the 2021 Australian Open, and is set to leapfrog back into the top 30 of the WTA Rankings after beating Clara Tauson.

Regardless of how Thursday’s final goes, Mboko and Osaka are currently set to immediately head to the US Midwest for the Cincinnati Open.

Action in Ohio is underway on Thursday, and the turnaround will be tight, though both women have now received a key benefit that could aid their quests.

When are Mboko and Osaka first set to play in Cincinnati?

Though Osaka and Mboko will both rise up the WTA Rankings off their back of their Canadian Open success, that does not translate into the Cincinnati draw.

With the two ranked 49th and 85th before the draw, respectively, both stars were unseeded in the event, meaning they would have to play opening-round matches, most likely on Friday.

In contrast, all 32 seeds, which include beaten Canadian Open semi-finalists Rybakina and Tauson, receive an opening-round bye.

However, thanks to reaching the final, the two have now received an extra advantage.

Despite their unseeded status, Osaka and Mboko have received performance byes heading into Cincinnati, meaning they will not compete until the second round of action.

That means that Mboko, on the top half of the draw, may not have to play until Saturday, while Osaka may be able to rest until Sunday due to being on the bottom half.

The special exemptions that both women have received mean that the draw drops from a 96-player event to 94 players, with two fewer players now entering as lucky losers.

Though they have received byes, neither faces an easy draw in Cincinnati.

Mboko is set to take on 14th seed Diana Shnaider, while Osaka will face 20th seed Linda Noskova.

Tennis News

Who is Naomi Osaka’s latest coach? Iga Swiatek’s former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski

Who is Victoria Mboko’s coach? How former Wimbledon finalist is guiding rising star

Will they actually play?

The lengthy and often controversial nature of the extended WTA 1000 events means that players could face playing a huge chunk of matches this summer, ahead of the US Open.

Because of that, it may ultimately come as no surprise to see one or both of Mboko and Osaka pull out of Cincinnati, even with their performances byes.

Mboko addressed the situation earlier this week, admitting that she was unsure if she would play.

“Well, right now, I mean, I’m entered in, but I’m not sure,” she explained.

“I want to see how I’m going to do here first. It’s still up in the air. Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know.”

Osaka has traditionally been very selective when it comes to her schedule, though she may want to strike while the iron’s hot, with her run coming off the back of a challenging season to date.

Read Next: Who are Victoria Mboko’s parents and siblings? Canadian star’s family inspired her rise

The post Why Canadian Open stars Naomi Osaka and Victoria Mboko have received special Cincinnati Open boost appeared first on Tennis365.

Venus Williams’ former coach Rick Macci has revealed the only reason the tennis icon is still playing as he shared his thoughts on her return to the tour.

At the WTA 500 event in Washington last month, Williams stunned Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round in what was her first match in 16 months. It was the American’s first victory since she beat Victoria Kudermetova at the 2023 Cincinnati Open almost two years earlier.

At the age of 45, Williams’ win saw her become the second-oldest woman in history to win a match on the WTA Tour after a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was competing as a wildcard, lost 6-2, 6-2 to fifth seed Magdalena Frech in the second round.

The former world No 1 also won a match with partner Hailey Baptiste in the Citi DC Open doubles event before the pair fell to eventual winners Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals.

Williams, who is ranked 643rd in the world after her triumph over Stearns, has been given a wildcard to play at the 2025 Cincinnati Open. She will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in her opening match at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Macci started coaching Venus Williams at his academy in Florida in 1991, when she was 11, and he helped develop her game until 1995. He also coached her sister, Serena.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Macci weighed in on his former student’s remarkable comeback.

“First off, obviously one of my favourite students of all time,” said the American coach.

“Both her and Serena, as you saw from the movie King Richard, both like my daughters. Especially Venus, because she was a little older and I spent more time with her.

“Would I ever have thought, when she didn’t play a tournament for three and a half years and she made that debut in 1994, and beat 57 in the world and almost beat No 1, and she shocked the world by not even playing any junior tournaments or any pro tournament?

Venus Williams News

Venus Williams pens emotional message as she marks one year since major operation

Who is Venus Williams’ fiance? Italian film star and former model Andrea Preti

“And then here we are at age 45 and she’s still playing — and she doesn’t even play a tournament for a year! I mean, she kinda went into pro tennis very different and she’s on her way out a little differently.

“Listen, at the end of the day, she just loves to play. I saw the same smile and enthusiasm. She won that match [against Stearns], she’s bouncing up and down like a human pogo stick. The same exact thing I saw at age 14, it was identical.

“But no, it’s great because of one reason: it’s her decision. When people wanna retire or whatever, that’s their decision. And whatever is their decision, in my opinion, is the best decision.

“Even though there are people who are gonna chime in and whatever, at the end of the day, her getting a wildcard and playing… and if you look at it, the fans were in the stands. It’s all about selling tickets and eyeballs. Let’s face it, if [Roger] Federer wanted a wildcard into the Canadian Open after not playing for a while, I think he would have gotten one.”

Asked how long he expects Williams to continue playing, Macci said: “I think as long as she’s enjoying it.

“You gotta understand, she has a different platform. People love Venus, it’s that simple. It’s not even about… she’s not gonna win the tournament and she’s not doing it for any other reason except she loves to compete.

“So, people have been asking me this question for five years and she’s still playing. So, as long as she loves it and she wants to do it, I think it’s great for the game of tennis.”

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff told exactly how her serving issues could be solved ‘in an hour’ by legendary coach Rick Macci

The post Venus Williams’ former coach reveals the only reason she is still playing as he makes a prediction appeared first on Tennis365.

The Cincinnati Open women’s singles draw is out, and it certainly makes for interesting reading.

The 94-player draw has thrown up plenty of big storylines, with a stacked top half of the draw attracting particular attention in recent days.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka returns to the event as the defending champion, with second seed and 2023 Coco Gauff looking to bounce back from a disappointing Canadian Open singles campaign.

With Iga Swiatek also in the field, all eyes will be on who can triumph at the prestigious WTA 1000 event.

Here, we make our women’s singles predictions.

First Quarter

Projected QF: (1) Aryna Sabalenka vs (6) Madison Keys

Having skipped the Canadian Open, Sabalenka’s US Open prep begins in Cincinnati, though the draw gods have been far from kind in a brutal first quarter.

The world No 1 could face Marketa Vondrousova, who beat her in Berlin, in round two, with a potential third-round versus 30th seed Emma Raducanu.

Former US Open champion Raducanu’s form has improved notably in recent months, though, as her Wimbledon loss to Sabalenka showed, there is still a slight gulf between her and the very top.

Should Sabalenka progress to round four, she could face 13th seed and fellow big-hitter Liudmila Samsonova, before a projected quarter-final versus sixth seed Keys.

Champion here in 2019, Keys may have to beat 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and ninth seed Elena Rybakina to reach the last eight.

Prediction: Sabalenka def Rybakina

Second Quarter

Projected QF: (3) Iga Swiatek vs (5) Amanda Anisimova

Could we get a Wimbledon final rematch in the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals? It seems more than possible.

Swiatek’s rampant win over Anisimova at the All England Club showcased she was back at her best, though the Pole looked ragged in a shock Montreal loss to Clara Tauson this week.

The Pole’s early draw looks manageable, with potential round-three opponent Marta Kostyuk an injury concern, though Canadian Open sensation Victoria Mboko could await in round four.

Anisimova’s post-Wimbledon return in Montreal was solid enough to suggest there won’t be a mental hangover, though the American is in a tricky part of the draw.

The fifth seed could face an early test against 28th seed Anna Kalinskaya in round three, with big-hitting 12th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova potentially waiting in round four.

Prediction: Swiatek def Alexandrova

Tennis News

Exclusive: Coco Gauff told exactly how her serving issues could be solved ‘in an hour’ by legendary coach

Victoria Mboko seals incredible rankings breakthrough with thrilling Canadian Open win over Elena Rybakina

Third Quarter

Projected QF: (8) Emma Navarro vs (4) Jessica Pegula.

Neither Navarro nor Pegula has been in consistent form in recent weeks, suggesting there could be an opening in this quarter for a handful of players.

Runner-up to Sabalenka back in 2024, Pegula’s early draw looks comfortable enough on paper, with 31st seed Magda Linette potentially her first real test.

However, a round-four clash against 16th seed Tauson – a Montreal semi-finalist – or 17th seed Belinda Bencic would not be easy in the slightest.

Eighth seed Navarro does not have an easy draw at all, however, with the American potentially up against the dangerous Polina Kudermetova in round two to start with.

The much-improved McCartney Kessler, seeded 29th, could await her compatriot in round three, with 11th seed and 2023 runner-up Karolina Muchova also a potential factor here.

Prediction: Tauson def Kessler

Fourth Quarter

Projected QF: (7) Jasmine Paolini vs (2) Coco Gauff

Gauff stormed to the Cincinnati title in 2023, but was then beaten in the opening match of her title defence in 2024; how will she fare in 2025?

The American’s serve proved problematic in Montreal, and she does not have an easy draw early on, with her Wimbledon conqueror, 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska, a probable round-three rival.

Further dangers could also trouble Gauff, with 23rd seed Jelana Ostapenko a potential round-four rival, with the resurgent Naomi Osaka also in the quarter.

The Japanese has the advantage of a round-one bye following her Canadian Open run, and could face 10th seed Elina Svitolina for the second straight event, the two potentially meeting in round three.

Seventh seed Paolini could also face Osaka in the fourth round, though the Italian may have to battle past the big-hitting Ashlyn Krueger first.

Prediction: Osaka def Ostapenko

Semi-final predictions

Sabalenka def Swiatek

Tauson def Osaka

Final prediction

Sabalenka def Tauson

Read Next: Who will win the Cincinnati Open? Our men’s predictions, ft. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

The post Cincinnati Open women’s singles predictions: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff search for hard-court form appeared first on Tennis365.

Elena Rybakina has reacted to her agonising defeat to Victoria Mboko in a thrilling semi-final at the 2025 Canadian Open.

The world No 12 fell 6-1, 5-7, 6-7(4) to 18-year-old Canadian wildcard Mboko in a contest lasting two hours and 45 minutes in Montreal.

In the deciding set, Rybakina served for the match twice — at 5-4 and 6-5 — and she held a match point at 40-30 in the first of those two games.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion was vying for her second title of the season after she won the clay-court WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg in May. She has previously won two WTA 1000 titles, which came in Indian Wells and Rome in 2023.

Rybakina had defeated Hailey Baptiste, Jacqueline Cristian, Dayana Yastremska and Marta Kostyuk to reach the last four in Montreal.

After losing to Mboko, Rybakina remained positive about her run despite her difficult exit.

“Yeah, it was tough match, but overall I think successful week for me. Slowly getting better on the court, so yeah,” she assessed.

WTA Tour News

Venus Williams’ former coach reveals the only reason she is still playing as he makes a prediction

Coco Gauff told exactly how her serving issues could be solved ‘in an hour’ by legendary coach

The 26-year-old Kazakh also admitted that the heavy crowd support for home favourite Mboko was challenging to deal with.

“Yeah, that wasn’t nice, of course,” Rybakina said.

“I played in a lot of situations where the crowd was supporting the [other] player, but I would say that here it was pretty tough from very beginning.

“I already felt it from the first game we played, and especially when it’s in between the serves.

“It is what it is. This is something I was kind of expecting, and definitely it didn’t depend anyhow on my serve or in the mistakes I did or wrong choices. It was obvious that the crowd is going to cheer for their player.”

Davide Sanguinetti, who started coaching Rybakina in February 2025, set the former world No 3 an ambitious ranking target in a recent interview with SuperTennis.

“At the moment, I’m a sort of ferryman: I joined her team in February, without any work behind me,” the Italian said.

“She explained to me more or less what she had done, and I asked her for two years of collaboration because I have my own working method: in the first year I would like to maintain the status quo, maybe finish at number 6 in the rankings, and next year I would like to take her to number one in the world: she has all the potential.”

READ NEXT: Naomi Osaka continues rankings surge as she sets up Canadian Open final with Victoria Mboko

The post Elena Rybakina makes honest ‘wasn’t nice’ admission after Victoria Mboko Canadian Open loss appeared first on Tennis365.

Main draw action at the 2025 Cincinnati Open begins on Thursday August 7, but who will lift the men’s singles title at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament?

This year’s Cincinnati Open will be the first edition of the event to be played across 12 days and feature 96 players in the singles draw. In previous years, the draw contained 56 players and the tournament lasted a week.

Jack Draper, Novak Djokovic, Francisco Cerdundolo, Grigor Dimitrov and Alexander Bublik have all withdrawn from the event.

Here, we make our Cincinnati Masters men’s predictions.

First quarter

Projected QF: (1) Jannik Sinner vs (8) Lorenzo Musetti

Jannik Sinner has been given a favourable draw on his return to action after winning his maiden Wimbledon title last month. The world No 1, who is the reigning champion in Cincinnati, will begin his campaign against Vit Kopriva or a qualifier.

The four-time major winner could then face 30th seed Gabriel Diallo in the third round before a possible last 16 clash with either 13th seed Tommy Paul or 19th seed Tomas Machac — who have been short of fitness and form respectively.

Like at Wimbledon, Lorenzo Musetti is the highest seed Sinner could face in the quarter-finals. The Italian has struggled with a 1-3 record at his three events since retiring with an injury in the French Open semi-finals.

With No 13 seed Casper Ruud and 25th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas also in this section, 23rd seed Felix Auger-Aliassime could come through.

Auger-Aliassime tends to play his best tennis on quick courts and is a two-time quarter-finalist in Cincinnati, while he has a 4-3 record against projected third round opponent Ruud.

Quarter-final prediction: Sinner d. Auger-Aliassime 

Second quarter

Projected QF: Taylor Fritz (4) vs Holger Rune (7)

Taylor Fritz has built on his excellent grass-court season with strong runs in Washington and Toronto — where he will play Ben Shelton in the semi-finals.

While fatigue is a concern, a busy schedule is standard for Fritz — who has proven he can perform consistently on his best surfaces.

The American’s first three matches could see him face 2022 Cincinnati winner Borna Coric, 31st seed Lorenzo Sonego and either 15th seed Flavio Cobolli or 17th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the last 16.

Holger Rune (7), Frances Tiafoe (10), Ugo Humbert (20) and Alex Michelsen (28) are the seeds Fritz could play in the quarter-finals. Tiafoe was a Cincinnati runner-up in 2024 and often brings his best at big events on home soil.

Quarter-final prediction: Fritz d. Tiafoe 

ATP Tour News

Jannik Sinner told to ‘watch his back’ for Carlos Alcaraz in ATP Rankings battle

Canadian Open ATP Rankings Winners & Losers: Zverev, Fritz, Shelton consolidate, Khachanov +3

Third quarter

Projected QF: Alexander Zverev (3) vs Ben Shelton (5)

Alexander Zverev has regained some confidence at the Canadian Open after a training block with Toni Nadal in Mallorca.

It will be a challenge for Zverev in Cincinnati after going deep in Toronto, and he could face some tough tests, with Gael Monfils a possible first opponent and 27th seed Brandon Nakashima in the third round. Karen Khachanov (14) and Arthur Fils (18) could both await the German in the last 16.

Ben Shelton is projected to meet Zverev in the last eight, and he has also made the semi-finals in Canada.

A potential third round showdown between 12th seed Daniil Medvedev and 22nd seed Jiri Lehecka could determine Shelton’s fourth round opponent.

Medvedev has been unconvincing of late but tends to enjoy the North American hard-court season, and he could profit against some tired opponents if he survives the dangerous Lehecka.

Quarter-final prediction: Zverev d. Medvedev 

Fourth quarter

Projected QF: Carlos Alcaraz (2) vs Alex de Minaur (6)

Carlos Alcaraz will start against Damir Dzumhur or Mattia Bellucci and could meet 26th seed Tallon Griekspoor in the third round.

Jakub Mensik (16) and Denis Shapovalov (24) are potential fourth round rivals for the Spaniard in his first event since Wimbledon.

Alex de Minaur (6), Andrey Rublev (9), Alexei Popyrin (21) and Luciano Darderi (29) are the four seeds who Alcaraz could meet in the last eight.

De Minaur, who triumphed in Washington and made the quarter-finals in Toronto, is the most in-form and reliable of this group, although he may have to battle fatigue after a taxing couple of weeks.

Quarter-final prediction: Alcaraz d. de Minaur

Semi-final and Final Predictions

This could be the fourth straight tournament where Sinner and Alcaraz face off in the final after clashes in Rome, the French Open and Wimbledon (not including Canada, where neither competed).

The duo have separated themselves from the chasing pack, and they will be fresher than their rivals having not competed since Wimbledon.

Semi-finals: 

Sinner d. Fritz in 2

Alcaraz d. Zverev in 3

Sinner’s comfort on fast hard courts and clearer-looking path could give him the edge over Alcaraz at an event he won a year ago. The fact the Italian ended a five-match losing streak against Alcaraz at Wimbledon could also be significant mentally.

Final:

Sinner d. Alcaraz in 3

READ NEXT: How do Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s Canadian Open stats compare?

The post Who will win the Cincinnati Open? Our men’s predictions, ft. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz appeared first on Tennis365.

Esteemed tennis coach Rick Macci has provided a detailed breakdown of the technical changes that he believes could solve Coco Gauff’s second serve issues.

Gauff‘s serve has become a regular talking point as she has battled difficulties with double faults in various spells over the last few years.

The American star hit 430 double faults in her 71 matches in 2024 — the highest tally WTA Tour.

The 21-year-old also leads the tour for double faults this season, having committed 250 in her 41 matches to date, which is 57 more than second-placed Linda Noskova.

Gauff’s second serve was particularly troublesome at the 2025 Canadian Open in Montreal. She hit 23 double faults in her opening round win over Danielle Collins — the fifth-highest number ever recorded in a WTA Tour match.

Despite this weakness, Gauff has established herself as a consistent challenger for the biggest titles in the sport. She is currently at a career-high ranking of world No 2 and secured her second Grand Slam title at the French Open in June.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis 365, Macci named Gauff when asked if there are any players he would like the chance to work with or advise.

“To consult or help someone, obviously right off the bat, it would be Coco Gauff,” Macci said.

“I mean, there’s no doubt about it, I could flip the script with her second serve and forehand. No doubt about it, but it’d have to be done in the off-season.”

Macci has repeatedly declared that Gauff’s second serve issues could be fixed in an hour, and he went in depth when asked to outline the changes that he would like to see.

“First off, her little brother is at our academy, and I’m very good friends with the Dad,” the American began.

“At the end of the day, they were gonna take off some time last year, year before, when there was a lot of time to do reconstructive surgery [on the serve], but you know, when you start winning a little bit, sometimes that speed bump or that technical flaw, can be kind of camouflaged.

Coco Gauff News

The 5 women to hit the most double faults in a WTA match: Coco Gauff with 23

5 youngest women to beat No 1 seed at a WTA 1000 event: Victoria Mboko joins Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva

“But here we are, what, three years later… the second serve, still a little bit of an issue. It bubbles up under pressure. Everybody and their brother has chimed in. And not that the advice they’re giving is incorrect, but everybody’s probably looking at a symptom. And they’re not really understanding the origin or the culprit.

“What I mean by that – this has to be science-based and it has to be done from a biomechanical point of view. And I’ve looked at her serve from every different direction and right now, because she’s been doing this since a little kid, the muscle memory is baked in extra crispy. She has very, very long arms, she has a very loose arm.

“So, what I would do, and even my partner Dr. Brian Gordon — who has his PhD in Biomechanics, he did his thesis on this stuff — I would have her go to a platform stance, right now she does a pinpoint. And I’m not saying it’s wrong. I mean, [there are] world class servers [who use] pinpoint.

“But the corrective technique has to jolt the muscle memory, and I gotta re-programme the reflexes from the beginning. So, in a platform stance, it’d be like fresh out of the oven. And then from there, the whole timing would be very different, her vertical component would be easier to correct – that means her upward movement.

“So all these things that you see – opening up too soon, her head coming down, people talking about the toss and all this – that’s not the issue. They’re looking at it wrong.

“And I have no doubt, in one hour, this could be corrected. But as long as she keeps doing pinpoint, it’s all just gonna be like, just a modification of something that she’s just wired.”

Macci has coached a host of tennis stars during their formative years, including five players who went on to become world No 1: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick.

He also worked with Mary Pierce, Anastasia Myskina and Sofia Kenin, who won Grand Slam titles, and he was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame in 2017.

READ NEXT: WTA Cincy draw: Potential Sabalenka-Raducanu showdown, Swiatek also in stacked top half, Gauff leads bottom half

The post Coco Gauff told exactly how her serving issues could be solved ‘in an hour’ by legendary coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu are in line for a quick rematch following their Wimbledon meeting, but they will both have to get past tricky second-round opponents if that clash is to materialise at the Cincinnati Open.

The pair produced a thrilling fourth-round encounter at Wimbledon and Sabalenka eventually came away with the win, and now they could face each other again in the third round of the WTA 1000 event in Ohio.

As the world No 1 and top seed, Sabalenka headlines the top half of the draw and she – as well as the other 31 seeds, which include Raducanu – has a first-round bye. The defending champion will thus open her campaign in the second round and she will take on the winner of the Marketa Vondrousova and Jaqueline Cristian match.

The 30th-seeded Raducanu, meanwhile, takes on either Serbian No 1 Olga Danilovic or fellow Brit Katie Boulter in the second round.

Should Sabalenka and Raducanu get through those matches, they will face off in the third round while 13th seed Luidmila Samsonova is projected to be an opponent in the fourth round.

WTA Features

Who is Emma Raducanu’s new coach? Former Rafael Nadal mentor Francisco Roig

Who is Victoria Mboko’s coach? How former Wimbledon finalist is guiding rising star

Samsonova, though, will likely have to meet 23rd seed Leylah Fernandez – who could face tennis great and wildcard entrant Venus Williams in the second round – in round three.

Sixth seed Madison Keys and ninth seed Elena Rybakina are the top players in Section 2 and they are expected to meet in the fourth round before a potential quarter-final encounter against Sabalenka, with third seed Iga Swiatek possibly awaiting in the semi-final.

Swiatek’s Route

Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek headlines Section 3 and she will face either Anastasia Potapova or a qualifier in the second round with Marta Kostyuk projected to be a third-round opponent and 14th seed Diana Shnaider a possible round of 16 rival.

Shnaider will face either a rising star Victoria Mboko or a qualifier in her opener. The 18-year-old Mboko is still in action at the Canadian Open as she has reached the semi-finals on debut following wins over the likes of Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko.

Swiatek-Shnaider are projected to meet fifth seed Amanda Anisimova in the quarter-final.

Coco Gauff Leads Bottom Half

Second seed Gauff has been handed a kind draw as she faces Emiliana Arango or Wang Xinyu in her opener with 15th seed Daria Kasatkina in line for a fourth-round encounter and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini a potential quarter-final opponent.

Paolini, though, is set to a possible fourth-round clash against 10th seed Elina Svitolina, who could face two-time Grand Slam winner Barbora Krejcikova in the second round and Naomi Osaka in the third round.

Osaka, who has reached the semi-final of the Canadian Open, faces a qualifier in the first round and the winner will go on to face 20th seed Linda Noskova before a potential meeting with Svitolina.

A Gauff-Jessica Pegula semi-final is the projected, but the latter has 16th seed Clara Tauson – a semi-finalist in Montreal – and 17th seed Belinda Bencic in her bracket of the draw while she could also face Emma Navarro in the last eight.

Eighth seed Navarro is the highest-ranked player in Section 5 and she is projected to meet 29th seed McCartney Kessler in round three and 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the fourth round before potential clashes against Pegula and/or Gauff.

Projected Quarter-Finals

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v Madison Keys (6)
Iga Swiatek (3) v Amanda Anisimova (5)
Emma Navarro (8) v Jessica Pegula (4)
Jasmine Paolini (7) v Coco Gauff (2)

The post WTA Cincy draw: Potential Sabalenka-Raducanu showdown, Swiatek also in stacked top half, Gauff leads bottom half appeared first on Tennis365.

The Cincinnati Open men’s singles draw has been revealed, with leading stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz set to return to action.

Neither world No 1 Sinner nor No 2 Alcaraz have been in action since the former’s four-set win in the Wimbledon final between the two last month, with both men withdrawing from the Canadian Open.

Italian Sinner enters Cincinnati as the reigning champion after beating Frances Tiafoe in the final last summer, and it is the top seed who has arguably been handed the kinder draw out of himself and Alcaraz.

Like all 32 seeds, Sinner receives a bye in round one and will start his campaign in the second round versus a qualifier or Vit Kopriva.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is projected to face 30th seed Gabriel Diallo in round three, before a potential fourth-round tie versus 13th seed Tommy Paul, who has been battling injury concerns since the French Open.

Should Sinner reach the last eight, he is projected to face compatriot and eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, another player struggling to find form in recent months.

Musetti has won just one match since retiring injured in the last four of Roland Garros in June, and is an intriguing mini-section of the draw.

Before a hypothetical clash with Sinner, he could have to face both 25th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and 11th seed Casper Ruud – two men also facing struggles this summer.

Also landing in the top half of the draw is fourth seed and world No 4 Taylor Fritz, Sinner’s projected opponent in the semi-finals.

Fritz could face 2022 Cincinnati champion Borna Coric in round two, and then the dangerous 31st seed Lorenzo Sonego in the third round.

The American could then face further dangers in round four, with 15th seed Flavio Cobolli, 17th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and João Fonseca all potential opponents.

Should Fritz progress to the quarter-finals, he could then have to face 10th seed Tiafoe or seventh seed Holger Rune.

2024 runner-up Tiafoe and Rune contested a thrilling three-set semi-final twelve months ago, though they could meet as early as the fourth round this fortnight.

The bottom half of the draw will be headlined by second seed Alcaraz, who will be looking for his first Cincinnati Open title.

The Spaniard missed a championship point in an epic 2023 final versus Novak Djokovic, before a stunning loss to Gael Monfils in the second round back in 2024.

Alcaraz’s 2025 campaign will open against one of Mattia Bellucci or Damir Dzumhur, before a potential match versus 26th seed Tallon Griekspoor in round three.

However, the Spaniard could then face a tough fourth-round encounter versus 16th seed and Miami Open winner Jakub Mensik, before a potential quarter-final versus sixth seed Alex de Minaur.

Tennis News

How Novak Djokovic’s Cincinnati Open withdrawal could affect his ranking before the US Open

Alexander Zverev reveals how fatherhood has changed him as he uses Roger Federer as example for attitude change

Australian star de Minaur has returned to form this summer, with a title run in DC followed by a strong Canadian Open campaign, though he does not have the kindest path early on.

The sixth seed could face big-serving Reilly Opelka in his opener, and is projected to take on ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the round of 16.

Assuming Alcaraz makes it as far as the last four, he could then face third seed Alexander Zverev, who prevailed when the two last met at the ATP Finals last November.

World No 3 Zverev was the Cincinnati champion back in 2021 and also reached the last four twelve months ago, narrowly falling to Sinner in a third-set tiebreak.

After a challenging few months, the German has rediscovered some form on his way to the last four in Toronto, and may fancy his chances of facing Alcaraz in the semi-finals in Cincinnati.

Zverev will open against Monfils or wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy, before a potential round of 32 clash versus 27th seed Brandon Nakashima.

The world No 3 could then take on 14th seed Karen Khachanov in the fourth round, a hypothetical rematch of the Canadian Open semi-final that the two will contest on Wednesday.

He is projected to face fifth seed Ben Shelton in the last eight, though the American faces a potentially challenging pathway to the last eight.

Shelton could have to face 32nd seed Cameron Norrie in round three, before a potential round-four contest against 12th seed Daniil Medvedev or 22nd seed Jiri Lehecka.

Read Next: 2025 ATP Cincinnati Open: What prize money & points are on offer?

The post Cincinnati Open men’s singles draw: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz return to action appeared first on Tennis365.

Victoria Mboko has made a sensational breakthrough as a wildcard at the 2025 Canadian Open, but how much do you know about the rising star’s family?

The 18-year-old has seen off Kimberly Birrell, Sofia Kenin, Marie Bouzkova, Coco Gauff and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro to reach the semi-finals in Montreal for the loss of just one set.

Victoria Mboko’s parents

Mboko was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 26, 2006 to Cyprien Mboko and Godee Kitadi.

Cyprien and Godee are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and left the country due to war and political turmoil.

According to the OnTennis magazine, Godee moved to Montreal in 1999 when nine months pregnant with her and Cyprien’s third child, David. Godee earned a degree in accounting from the Universite de Montreal.

In 2000, Cyprien moved to North Carolina, where the family settled. The Mboko family then moved to Toronto in 2006 when Victoria — who is the youngest of four siblings — was two months old.

Victoria started playing tennis at the age of three in Toronto after her sister Gracia, and brothers Kevin and David, had already took up the sport.

Cyprien’s affection for the sport was a driving factor in his children playing tennis.

“I have been watching tennis since I was very young,” Cyprien Mboko told OnTennis magazine.

“My friend and I, back home in the Congo, would watch [Andre] Agassi, [Jim] Courier, [Steffi] Graf and all the other great players.

“Tennis was good exercise for our children, but I must have bought about 1,000 balls from Walmart and they all seemed to end up in the bushes.

Victoria Mboko News

Who is Victoria Mboko’s coach? How former Wimbledon finalist is guiding rising star

How Victoria Mboko followed in two former world No 1 players’ footsteps at the Canadian Open

“At that point, we decided to see about some coaching. Gracia was identified by a local tennis pro and he used to take her from Charlotte, where we were living, to Concord every day for training. I would pick her up after work.”

Godee told the same publication: “My kids started training at Players Edge at the Aviva Centre with Marc Assaraf and Bill Cowan. Then I met Pierre Lamarche, who suggested we could move to Burlington to train at his academy, Ace Tennis. We moved there in 2010.”

The influence of Mboko’s siblings

Two of Mboko’s siblings — her sister, Gracia, and her older brother, Kevin — played college tennis.

Gracia, who is the oldest of the siblings, earned a tennis scholarship at the University of Denver, while Kevin earned a tennis scholarship at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Her younger brother, David, was also described as a “very talented” player by OnTennis magazine, but he was forced to stop tennis due to eye problems. David graduated with a computer science degree from the University of Toronto.

Speaking to OnTennis magazine in 2021, Mboko revealed the key role her siblings played in her tennis career.

“My sister and brothers have been really important for me. I probably would not have played tennis if not for them. They played with me and coached me,” she explained.

The 18-year-old also revealed she has never beaten her sister or brothers at tennis.

“I just remember watching them from the sidelines and not wanting to be left out,” Mboko said in an interview with the WTA website.

“I’ve actually never beaten any of them. I never like to lose a lot. I played my sister once in a tournament and I lost 0 and 0. I was absolutely devastated. They still hold that over me to this day!”

What else has Mboko said about her family?

Mboko was supported by her father, sister and brother at the 2025 French Open, where she reached the third round as a qualifier.

“In the stands were my father, my sister, and my brother,” Mboko revealed in Paris.

“Both my brothers are older than me, much older, so I feel they have much more experience in tennis than I do, although I think I am now competing at a higher level than theirs.

“They all support me a lot, they are all very positive with me every day and even more on match days. All these people are key to my development and how I project myself.

“My father, I feel like he’s made a lot of sacrifices for me.

“He’s retired now, but, you know, when I was training a lot, he was working night shifts so he could be at every single one of my practices, especially when I was a junior.”

READ NEXT: 5 youngest women to beat No 1 seed at a WTA 1000 event: Victoria Mboko joins Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva

The post Who are Victoria Mboko’s parents and siblings? Canadian star’s family inspired her rise appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the 2025 Cincinnati Open, and the tennis great’s absence could have an impact on his ranking ahead of the US Open.

It was revealed on Monday that Djokovic had withdrawn from the Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, which will be held from August 7-18.

Djokovic, who also missed the ongoing Canadian Open ATP event in Toronto, has not revealed the reason for his absence at both of the big pre-US Open tournaments.

It is possible, though, that Djokovic has not recovered from the injury that hampered him in his straight-set Wimbledon semi-final defeat to world No 1 Jannik Sinner last month.

The Serbian appeared to injure himself when he suffered a nasty fall on match point of his Wimbledon quarter-final win over Flavio Cobolli, although he did not reveal the specific nature of the issue he was dealing with after losing to Sinner.

“Honestly, wasn’t really a pleasant feeling on the court,” Djokovic said during his post-match press conference.

“I don’t want to talk, in details, about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best. I want to congratulate Jannik for another great performance. That’s it. He’s in the finals. He was too strong.

“I do feel, yeah, disappointed that I just wasn’t able to move as well as I thought or hoped that I would.”

This will be the fourth time in the last five years that Djokovic will miss both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Djokovic has not played in Canada since 2018, while he won the Cincinnati title in 2023 in his only appearance at the event since 2020.

Given that he also skipped Cincinnati in 2024 following his gold medal triumph at last year’s Paris Olympics, Djokovic is not defending any points at the Masters event.

Djokovic currently sits sixth in the rankings on 4,130 points, and he could be overtaken before the US Open.

Novak Djokovic News

Jimmy Connors tells Novak Djokovic how to find his top level for the US Open

Why Novak Djokovic’s shoe changing habits give his suppliers a problem

The 38-year-old is 610 points clear of seventh-placed Ben Shelton and 650 points above eighth-placed Alex de Minaur in the Live ATP Rankings.

While this is a healthy lead, both Shelton and de Minaur are still in action in Toronto — where they will face each other in the quarter-finals.

The winner of that match will cut the gap to Djokovic, and a run to the final would see them make significant progress. If either Shelton or de Minaur wins the Canadian Open, they will take the world No 6 spot from Djokovic.

Shelton and de Minaur will then have opportunities to collect further points in Cincinnati.

Having reached the quarter-finals in Cincinnati last year, Shelton is defending 200 points, which means he would need a very deep run to pass Djokovic (unless he wins the Toronto title).

De Minaur, though, is not defending any points having missed last year’s tournament, giving him a big chance to make up ground.

Even if Djokovic were to be overtaken by both Shelton and Musetti after Cincinnati, though, he is highly unlikely to be seeded any lower than eighth at the US Open.

Players seeded between fifth and eighth at a Grand Slam are projected to face a top four seed in the quarter-finals.

Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz make up the current top four, and they will not be displaced before the New York major.

Djokovic will aim to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in history at the US Open, having won his record-extending 24th major at Flushing Meadows in 2023.

READ NEXT: The 11 active players to reach quarter-finals at all 9 ATP Masters 1000 events: Fritz joins Djokovic, Alcaraz

The post How Novak Djokovic’s Cincinnati Open withdrawal could affect his ranking before the US Open appeared first on Tennis365.