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Emma Raducanu is rising up the WTA Rankings after an encouraging run of form over the last couple of months, but her true position in the women’s game may be reflected in alternative rankings.

Raducanu emerged from the grass court season with her ranking and reputation enhanced, with her impressive performance as she lost against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round at Wimbledon giving conclusive evidence that she is getting closer to the players at the top of the sport.

She backed that up with a run to semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington and has also started brightly with some wins in the WTA 1000 event in Montreal.

Now Raducanu is eyeing a move into the top 32 of the WTA Rankings, which would secure her a seeded position at this month’s US Open and that may well reflect her current position in the women’s game.

Raducanu finds herself in 25th position in the WTA Race rankings, which reflect performances in 2025 and she is up to No 13 in the UTR Rankings, which are also based on current form.

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Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight at the top of the game.

Sabalenka saluted Raducanu’s level in their Wimbledon meeting as ‘incredible’ and suggested she could be back in the top ten of the rankings soon, with those comments inspiring the 22-year-old former US Open champion.

“It gives me confidence that I’m not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament,” Raducanu said, reflecting on her display against Sabalanka at Wimbledon.

“I think before previously when I was playing those top-five players, it was pretty convincing, the loss. So I think to really push Aryna it does give me confidence.

“The problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top. 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. I’m just very self-critical. It’s hard to see. Of course, I’m very proud of being competitive on the court. I think I would rather that than it being completely one way.”

She also commented on Sabalenka’s words of praise for her levels as she added: “It’s nice of her to say that, but I think it was pretty clear the difference. In the big moments, she was able to convert. She was able to hit some incredible shots.

“I just need to keep working and get back to the drawing board and improve a lot more.”

Raducanu has very few points to defend in from her 2024 total, so she has a big chance to make a leap up the rankings and get close to that top 20 target by the end of this year.

READ NEXT: Former world No 1 predicts if Emma Raducanu can win another Grand Slam title

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Coco Gauff admits that she is “disappointed” with her serving after double faults again piled up during her Canadian Open round-three triumph on Thursday.

The American rallied from a set down to defeat Veronika Kudermetova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in Montreal, booking a round-four clash versus Victoria Mboko.

Two-time Grand Slam singles champion Gauff showed impressive fight to battle past the former world No 9 in Montreal, with 14 double faults not helping the American’s cause during her three-set triumph.

That came after the worst serving day of the 21-year-old’s career during her opening match at the WTA 1000 event, with Gauff serving a staggering 23 double faults during her win over Danielle Collins.

Despite serving a combined 37 double faults across her first two matches, the American has still progressed to the second week of the tournament.

And, speaking following her win over world No 42 Kudermetova, Gauff admitted that there were “positives” to take about her victories despite her service woes.

“There’s positives and there’s negatives,” said the world No 2.

“Obviously, I am disappointed in myself when it comes to that part of the game because I didn’t play D.C. [Citi DC Open] to work on that and made changes to that.

“Doing well in practice and serving really well in practice. I just would like it to transfer to the match.

“It does give positives that I’m winning these matches, having literally like one part of my game on a crutch.

“So it’s like if I can stand on both feet, then I can only imagine that it would be a lot more straightforward and a lot easier for me.”

Double faults have plagued Gauff for numerous months now, with the American frequently struggling.

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Gauff famously served 19 double faults during her fourth-round defeat to Emma Navarro at the US Open in 2024, and 21 during her Wuhan Open loss to Aryna Sabalenka later that season.

The American also served 21 double faults against Moyuka Uchijima in Indian Wells earlier this season, though she was able to prevail in a third-set tiebreak.

Gauff’s 37 double faults in Montreal is the third-highest tally recorded at a WTA 1000 tournament this season – with the 21-year-old already occupying the top two spots.

She served 42 double faults during her run to a runner-up finish at the Italian Open, and a total of 38 during her Indian Wells campaign.

Asked about that statistic during her post-match press conference in Canada, the reigning French Open champion admitted that it made for grim reading.

Gauff added: “I don’t want to lead that stat, and I want to do better.

“I know I probably won’t be ever double fault-free, but if I could get that to 2%, 3%, it would make a big difference in just making these matches a lot easier.

“The fact that I’m winning matches and finding ways to win with that is definitely a positive.

“But I’m a tough critic of myself. I know I can do better, and I know I should do better. It will get better, it’s just a matter of time.”

Gauff will return to action on Saturday against home favourite Mboko, who is in the fourth round of the Canadian Open on her tournament debut.

The two previously met at the Italian Open back in May, with Gauff battling back from a set down to triumph in three sets.

The winner will play either Zhu Lin or Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the quarter-final.

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Tennis icon Jimmy Connors has backed Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Canadian Open and revealed what he feels the Serb must do before the US Open.

Djokovic was one of 18 players to pull out before the Masters 1000 event in Toronto, with fellow top six stars Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper also withdrawing.

The great Serbian has not played since his Wimbledon semi-final loss Sinner, during which he was visibly hampered by an injury.

The 38-year-old is expected to return to action at the Cincinnati Masters, which will begin on August 7. Djokovic will then try again to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in history at the US Open as he chases a record-extending 25th major.

During an episode of his Advantage Connors podcast with his son Brett, Connors was asked if the high number of withdrawals on Canada were a result of players protecting their bodies.

“Yeah, especially if you look at a guy like Djokovic, you know, he’s gotta monitor his time and the effort that he puts in, because he is the older player on the circuit now,” said the eight-time Grand Slam champion.

“And if he wants to bring his game up and rise to the top when it supposedly is the most meaningful, which would be the US Open, he’s gotta monitor what’s best, but also be able to play some matches too going into the tournament, so you don’t just go in flat.

“But a lot of the other guys go into the 12 day events, that is a lot of tennis. The only good thing is they’re not three out of five set matches, you know, they’re two out of three.

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“I can see where a lot of the top players that are playing every week and getting to the semis and finals every week — that’s telling on you mentally and physically.

“I mean, every match should be important, but there’s some results that are your legacy — and that’s Wimbledon and the US Open in my opinion.”

The former world No 1 also shed light on his approach to scheduling between Wimbledon and the US Open during his own career.

“I mean, after Wimbledon, I would take a week off. I’d have to go home and get my clothes clean and get ready to play,” Connors recalled.

“But back then, it was a different time. I was young and there was not so much money in the game, so I was trying to make a living too, so I would go and play. But I was able to monitor my schedule to the point where I never felt like I was burnt out.

“I would come back and take a week off [after Wimbledon] and then I would go and play Washington, or Cincinnati, or Indianapolis, or whatever, and then I’d take a week off. Or I’d play two tournaments and take a week off.

“I was striving for the US Open, but that was my schedule. Once Wimbledon was over, I was training for Wimbledon the next year. Once US Open was over, I was training for the US Open the next year. Everything else just fit in between.”

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Emma Raducanu has brought her fine hard-court form from Washington to Montreal, and she looks set to face her biggest test yet in the third round.

The 2021 US Open champion, who was a semi-finalist in DC last week, delivered a strong display to see off world No 37 Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-4 in the second round in Canada on Wednesday.

In her opening match at the WTA 1000 event, Raducanu beat her good friend Elena-Gabriela Ruse by the same scoreline, and she will next take on another player she is close to: Amanda Anisimova.

Anisimova is at a career-high ranking of world No 7 after her recent Wimbledon runner-up result, which was her maiden Grand Slam final appearance.

It will be Raducanu‘s third encounter with the 23-year-old American, and she leads the head-to-head 2-0, with both previous clashes also played on hard courts.

The 22-year-old Brit won their first match 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of the Australian Open in January after battling back from being a break down in both sets.

In the second showdown, Raducanu dominated to prevail 6-1, 6-3 in the last 16 of the Miami Open in March.

What have Raducanu and Anisimova said about each other?

Prior to that first meeting in Melbourne, Raducanu and Anisimova both spoke about their friendship.

Raducanu: “Usually when we’re hanging out, we’re not talking about tennis.

“I think it’s good to keep it that way. I think we’re going to be playing each other many more times in the future. This is the first time.

“I think she’s a tough opponent. She took some time out, obviously, off the tour, for sort of mental health reasons and just to find herself again.”

Anisimova: “She’s a friend of mine so it will be a bit interesting but I’m sure that we will both give it our all and I’m looking forward to the battle.

“We’ve both been around the tour. We’re the same age. We also have a mutual friend, Priscilla Hon. We’ve hung out a few times all together. She’s a nice girl.

“She’s always bringing a good energy into the room. Also an amazing competitor.”

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Following her win in Australia, Raducanu said: “It’s incredibly difficult whenever you play a friend. It adds another dimension to the match, and not necessarily a pleasant one. It’s really difficult to put all things off court aside, but I managed to do a great job today.

“She’s such an amazing opponent who has had so many big wins, so I knew I had to fight hard, raise my game and not go away in the second set even when the chips were down. I’m just really pleased and I wished her all the best.”

After the match in Miami, where Anisimova was troubled by her wrist, Raducanu said: “Playing Amanda is never easy, she’s had some amazing wins, top 20 and won a Masters this year.

“She’s playing great tennis and I hope her wrist, or something, is okay. I felt something was maybe going down on the other side.

“And, it’s really difficult to stay focused when your opponent is making some errors and then all of a sudden, [is] just blasting the lines and winners, and you have no idea what’s going on!

“I think those matches, it’s almost tougher to stay so ‘on’ the whole time, because when things are, in a way, more ‘normal’, you have to be locked in every single point. I’m really proud of how I came through that.”

When will Anisimova and Raducanu’s Canadian Open match take place?

The third round matchup between Anisimova and Raducanu in Canada is expected to be played on Friday, with the order of play yet to be confirmed.

The winner of the match will face either 10th seed Elina Svitolina or 31st-ranked Anna Kalinskaya in the last 16.

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The post Emma Raducanu’s next Canadian Open opponent: friend and Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner surprised many when he parted ways with two important team members on the eve of Wimbledon, and the reason for his decision has seemingly been revealed.

The Italian star split with both fitness trainer Marco Panichi and his physiotherapist Ulises Badio days before the start of Wimbledon.

Sinner brushed off concerns that the move could affect his Wimbledon chances, though, as he went on to secure his maiden title at the London major and fourth Grand Slam overall.

Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera has reported that Sinner took the decision to fire the two team members due to Panichi sharing details in interviews.

One incident after Sinner’s defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the epic five-set 2025 French Open final particularly bothered the world No 1.

Panichi disclosed to the media that Sinner cried for 15 minutes in the locker room after the match and also that the Italian was frustrated by the crowd’s heavy support for Alcaraz.

This, apparently, did not go down well with Sinner, while Badio — who joined the team at the same time as Panichi in September 2024 — was reportedly axed as “collateral damage.”

Panichi and Badio spent long spells working as a duo in Novak Djokovic’s team before their time with Sinner.

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In his pre-Wimbledon press conference, Sinner insisted there had been no issues between him and Panichi or Badio as he addressed the split.

“No, nothing major happened,” the 23-year-old explained. “Nothing big happened. I parted ways not long ago, but it’s not affecting me. I feel ready to compete. I feel free. I feel me and my team, we are ready to do the best we can.

“So I’m here to play good tennis. I think that’s my main goal, the main reason why I’m here. We’ve reached incredible results in the past with them, so obviously huge thanks to them. We made some great job, but I decided to do something different.”

Pressed on the reason for his decision, Sinner did not give much away: “As I said, there’s not one specific thing. Nothing crazy happened. That’s for sure not.

“We made some great work. For me the final in Roland Garros was an amazing achievement. That’s it. Look, in this sport things can happen. There is nothing incredible, no, because sometimes a player feels something different, and that’s my case.

It was a move that former No 1 Andy Roddick struggled to explain before Wimbledon.

“That’s a really weird thing to do, yeah. On the eve of Wimbledon, you wouldn’t… had to be something,” the American said on his Served podcast.

“I don’t know anything, but my guess would be that it has to be something off court, whether it’s financial, whether it’s an argument. This doesn’t feel like what you would do when you’re trying to win your first Wimbledon.

“This also sounds like it could be something that we will never know the answer to, at least publicly.”

Panichi has since been hired by Holger Rune and will join the Dane at the Cincinnati Masters.

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Emma Raducanu’s strong start to the North American hard-court swing continued as she saw off Peyton Stearns at the Canadian Open.

The British star downed world No 37 Stearns 6-2, 6-4 in the second round in Montreal for her latest convincing triumph.

Raducanu broke the 23-year-old American twice and lost only four points on serve as she dominated the opening set.

Stearns provided greater resistance in the second set as she took a 4-2 lead, but Raducanu won the next four games to seal the win.

The 22-year-old now holds a 3-0 record against Stearns, who she is yet to drop a set against.

“I know Peyton is a really tough opponent, we’ve played two times in the past and always had really long matches,” Raducanu said post match. “I’m really happy with how I came through in that match.

“I kind of lost my focus at some moments in the second set and she took advantage, but very happy that I came through against a top opponent and happy to extend my stay in Montreal.

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“I just want to say thank you [to the fans], I saw the Union Jack in clutch moments and I was actually born in Canada, so to come back and to me it means so much to do well here and very happy to be into the next round.”

Having kicked off her summer hard-court campaign at the Citi DC Open last week, Raducanu has won five of her last six matches in straight sets.

She overcame Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sakkari before losing to Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals in Washington. In her opening match in Canada, Raducanu beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2, 6-4.

Raducanu started the week as the world No 33 after her run at the WTA 500 in DC.

The former US Open winner then dropped down to 42nd in the Live WTA Rankings when the points from her quarter-final result at the 2024 Citi Open dropped. This is because last year’s event was held a week later in the calendar.

With her two victories in Montreal, Raducanu has moved back up to 37th place in the Live Rankings, and she could climb as high as 34th if she wins her next match, which is against world No 7 and Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

The Brit holds a 2-0 record against the 23-year-old American, with both of her victories coming in straight sets on hard courts earlier this year: at the Australian Open and the Miami Open.

Securing a top 32 seeding for the US Open is achievable for Raducanu, and this would increase her chances of having a more favourable early draw at Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu is not dropping any more points before the New York major (besides the Washington points reflected in the live rankings) as she did not play in Canada or Cincinnati in 2024.

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Iga Swiatek began her campaign at the 2025 Canadian Open with a dominant win to pick up where she left off at Wimbledon.

The world No 3 cruised past 259th-ranked Hanyu Guo 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of the WTA 1000 event in Montreal.

The six-time Grand Slam champion broke the 27-year-old Chinese qualifier six times, including four times in the second set.

By racing into a 4-0 lead in the opening set, Swiatek extended her steak of consecutive games won to a staggering 24.

In her previous two matches, Swiatek crushed Amanda Anisimova without losing a game in the Wimbledon final and won the last eight games of her semi-final against Belinda Bencic.

“I prepared for this match like I would for any other,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

“I saw that my opponent played great in the first round, so I had some information. However, I preferred to focus on myself, on getting adjusted to the hard court again.

“Yeah, it’s been great. I had time to celebrate a little bit after Wimbledon and got back to practice already in Warsaw, but obviously in different conditions.

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“So I’m happy I had a chance to come here earlier. I feel like every day I made a bit of progress, so that’s the best thing you can have at the beginning of a swing, and then you just have to keep it up.”

Swiatek’s victory was her 115th WTA 1000 win in her 142nd match at this category of tournament.

Only 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams has reached 115 WTA 1000 wins in fewer matches (130) since the format’s introduction in 2009.

The Pole has now won 63 consecutive opening round WTA Tour level matches, making her the first player to achieve this since tennis legend Monica Seles — who won 64 in a row between 1990 and 1996.

Swiatek will face world No 69 Eva Lys in her third round match in Montreal. She is seeking her maiden title at the Canadian Open, having achieved her best previous result in 2023, when she reached the semi-finals.

The 24-year-old did not play last year’s edition of the Canadian Open in Toronto, which took place just after the Paris Olympics. She holds a 7-3 career record at the event.

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Who is the best ATP Tour player of the 21st Century?

It is a debate that will likely continue to evolve over the next 70+ years, but with a quarter of the century done, it has once again gained significant traction.

Here, we tackle the subject head on – by ranking our 10 best ATP Tour players of the century, which we are taking as 2000 onwards.

We are only factoring achievements completed since the start of the 2000 season, looking at a variety of factors.

Grand Slam success is a significant factor, though we also include other factors, including overall titles, ranking, the strength and depth of a player’s era, and overall impact.

10) Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev is probably best remembered for his stunning US Open triumph in 2021, though the Russian has put together an impressive career even outside of that victory.

The 29-year-old has spent 16 weeks as the world No 1 and has won 20 career ATP titles overall, including six Masters 1000 triumphs and an ATP Finals victory in 2020.

With five further Grand Slam finals, and two Wimbledon semi-finals to his name, Medvedev is undoubtedly one of the leading players of his era.

9) Stan Wawrinka

Almost out of nowhere, ATP stalwart Wawrinka took the tour by storm with a string of stunning results in the mid-2010s, highlighted by three Grand Slam titles.

The Swiss triumphed at the 2014 Australian Open but proved he was no ‘one-hit wonder’ with victories at the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open, with a further Roland Garros runner-up finish to his name.

Wawrinka reached a career-high of world No 3 in one of the most challenging eras of men’s tennis, and has won 16 ATP Tour titles overall.

8) Lleyton Hewitt

Hewitt’s peak saw him dominate the ATP Tour for a significant spell in the early 2000s, highlighted by the Australian’s impressive 80 overall weeks as the world No 1.

The Australian triumphed at the US Open in 2001 and at Wimbledon in 2002, with further Grand Slam runner-up finishes to his name in New York, and at his home Grand Slam Down Under.

Twenty-eight of Hewitt’s ATP titles came from the start of 2000, including two Masters 1000 titles, and back-to-back ATP Finals triumphs in 2001 and 2002.

7) Jannik Sinner

Sinner will likely surge up this countdown in the years to come, though the Italian’s on-court prowess is already impressive.

Despite his three-month ban, the 23-year-old has spent 60 weeks (and counting) atop the ATP Rankings, with four Grand Slam titles – and a further runner-up finish – to his name since the start of 2024.

Alongside his US Open, Wimbledon, and two Australian Open titles, he has four Masters 1000 titles and an ATP Finals crown to his name, with an impressive 20 ATP Tour titles already in his trophy cabinet.

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6) Andre Agassi

Though most of his success came in the 1990s, tennis icon Agassi still found huge success across the early-to-mid 2000s, before his retirement in 2006.

Agassi won Australian Open titles in 2000, 2001, and 2003, alongside a further two US Open runner-up finishes, and two Wimbledon semi-finals at the turn of the century.

The American won 16 titles from the start of the 2000 season, including seven Masters 1000 crowns, and was ranked as the world No 1 across three separate spells in the early part of the decade.

5) Carlos Alcaraz

Alcaraz is only 22 years of age, but has already forged a career for the ages in recent years, highlighted by an impressive five Grand Slam titles.

The Spaniard has two Wimbledon titles, two French Open titles, and a US Open title to his name, alongside a further runner-up finish at Wimbledon this summer.

He is already the winner of 21 ATP Tour titles, including seven at Masters 1000 level, and has so far spent an impressive 36 weeks atop the ATP Rankings.

4) Andy Murray

Murray is often sighted as a player who could have won more major titles in a different era, though that conversation often diminishes his still-remarkable achievements.

The Brit lifted the US Open title in 2012 and won Wimbledon in both 2012 and 2016, alongside eight further Grand Slam runner-up finishes, and won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in London and Rio.

Murray claimed a strong haul of 46 ATP Tour titles overall, including 14 at Masters level and the ATP Finals in 2016, while also reigning as the world No 1 for 41 weeks.

3) Roger Federer

Few have dominated the sport quite like Federer did during the mid-2000s, and the Swiss has undoubtedly sealed his place as an all-time great of the sport.

Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles in total, including eight at Wimbledon and six at the Australian Open, and his 310 weeks as the world No 1 is the second-most in ATP Rankings history.

The Swiss won a staggering 103 ATP Tour titles overall, including 28 Masters 1000 titles and six ATP Finals titles, and helped usher in arguably the greatest era of men’s tennis history.

2) Rafael Nadal

‘King of Clay’ Nadal is so often defined by his dominance on the dirt, with the Spaniard winning 14 French Open titles and 63 clay-court titles overall across his career.

However, the Spaniard won a staggering 22 Grand Slam titles overall – completing the Career Grand Slam – and spent an impressive 209 weeks as the ATP world No 1 across his career.

With a total of 92 ATP titles won, including Olympic gold in Beijing and 36 Masters 1000 titles, Nadal’s place as one of the greatest tennis players of all time is more than secured.

1) Novak Djokovic

With so many records to his name, Djokovic has cemented his place as not only the greatest male player of the 21st century, but probably of all time.

The Serbian is the only man to ever win 24 Grand Slam titles, including an Open Era record of 10 Australian Open titles, and is one of just three men in the Open Era to win 100 ATP titles.

Djokovic holds a record 428 weeks as the world No 1 and a record 40 Masters 1000 titles, and is the only man to win every Grand Slam event three times.

With countless other records not even mentioned in this list, Djokovic is the clear No 1 on our countdown.

Honourable mentions

Andy Roddick: Former world No 1 Roddick won an impressive 32 ATP Tour titles overall, with his 2003 US Open win followed by four further Grand Slam runner-up finishes.

Marat Safin: Safin won the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open titles, with a further five Masters 1000 titles to his name across the early 2000s.

Juan Martin del Potro: The ‘Tower of Tandil’ overcame relentless injury issues to reach world No 3 and win the 2009 US Open, winning 22 ATP Tour titles overall.

Pete Sampras: Sampras only won three titles post-2000, though that includes triumphs at Wimbledon in 2000 and at the 2002 US Open, the final tournament of his career.

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Leylah Fernandez has called out the Canadian Open after claiming that she received ‘a lot of promises’ from the tournament, with regards to scheduling, which were not upheld.

The Canadian fell to Maya Joint, 6-4, 6-1, in her opening Montreal match, looking very low in energy before her home crowd.

Just a few days prior, Fernandez had lifted the WTA 500 title in Washington after defeating the likes of Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina along the way, producing some of her career-best tennis.

Less than 48 hours later, the world No 24 was back on court against Joint.

According to the Canadian, she received promises from the tournament that she would play the night session on Tuesday, giving her a few extra hours, which often prove crucial in recovery.

“Oh, yeah, on the short turnaround, I mean, we got promises — oh, man,” Fernandez disclosed.

“It felt great being on court, hearing the fans and feeling their support. It was awesome, and I mean awesome.

“I’m just disappointed with my level of play, and it wasn’t fair for them. I mean, it was a very, very low level.

“But I mean, regarding the short turnaround, I received a lot of promises from the — from scheduling about giving me maybe the night match, and I did not receive that.

“So that kind of hurt me because I was very looking forward to be playing at night, but you know, I guess it’s a little bit political issues at that point.

“But other than that, again, the crowd was just amazing. I heard the emcee kind of cheering me on and also encouraging the crowd even more.

“That kind of warmed my heart. I never had that kind of energy before, and it was just an honour and a lot of fun, yeah.”

Despite the direct comments from Fernandez, Valerie Tetreault – the National Bank Open tournament director – responded by stating that she did try to convince the WTA Tour, who determine the scheduling, to give the world No 24 the night session.

“But I didn’t win my fight,” Tetreault admitted.

“I received the request for her to play in the evening.

“It’s my role to have conversations with the WTA, so I pushed as much as possible for her to have what she wanted.”

The director also added that the Fernandez-Joint match was one of the final few first-round matches, despite both being in a half of the draw which started on Sunday.

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“WTA protocols mean first-round matches need to be completed before second-round matches are played, ensuring fairness to all players,” Tennis Canada added, in an official statement.

“Given Leylah won the title in Washington on Sunday, she was not able to arrive in Montreal until the early hours of Monday morning.

As a result, the WTA made the decision to play her opening match in the latest possible first-round slot.”

Fernandez will return to the tour at the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, a tournament where she reached the quarter-finals at last year’s edition (falling to Jessica Pegula in a third-set tiebreak).

The post ‘Hurt’ Leylah Fernandez makes scathing Canadian Open remarks after controversial scheduling decision appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu has been told by a former British player that her career-best ranking was an “outlier” as a result of her shock US Open title win.

The 22-year-old peaked at world No 10 in the WTA Rankings in July 2022 nine months after she won the US Open as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021.

Raducanu is currently ranked 33th, which is her highest ranking position since the points from her triumph at the New York Grand Slam dropped in September 2022.

The Brit reached the semi-finals at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington in both singles and doubles to continue her positive form since adding Mark Petchey to her coaching team in March.

Raducanu defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal on Monday.

Barry Cowan backed Raducanu’s move to play doubles in Washington as he also set her the target of being seeded at the US Open.

“I think that [playing doubles] is also important, because ultimately, the age she’s at, her game, she should be looking to try and improve it week in, week out, and try and close that gap,” the Brit told Tennishead.

“She is not, right now, a top 10 player, a top 20 player. I know she was, but it was kind of the outlier because of what she did at the US Open. So I totally disregard what happened previously with her ranking.

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“And you know, right now, if she were to get a seeded position for the US Open, given where she was at the start of the year, I would say she’s absolutely ahead of probably where she was eight months ago.”

Cowan shared his thoughts on the frequent coaching changes Raducanu made in her career prior to her collaboration with Petchey.

“Well, the thing with Raducanu is, personally, and I’ve said this openly, that she’s trying to go against history,” he continued.

“I believe in history, and history will tell us that players of that age, the development age between 19 and 23, I think you need a consistent message. I think you need the same coach.

“Now, sometimes that’s not always possible. So there’s no point sticking with a coach for a year or two or three if, literally, you hate each other, there’s no chemistry, but ideally, you do want that period where it’s a consistent message.

“Now, what I’ve tried to understand — it’s her end of it, and she has always believed, you know, right from very young age, from the juniors, and obviously going through the US Open, which she won — she’s believed in having coaches for a short period of time, getting the information from that coach and then moving on. My view is, you’re going against history.”

The former world No 162 added: “I do think she’s had a really good year. I think she’s built momentum.

“I think that, you know, forget those big matches. Forget the [Iga] Swiatek in Australia, [Iga] Swiatek at the French and [Aryna] Sabalenka at Wimbledon. I thought she played very well at Wimbledon, and so many other bigger matches that she’s played.

“I think what you’re looking at from Raducanu is ideally you’re seeing that improvement in the lower-tier tournaments. I know she’s done everything upside down. She’s won the major before winning on the tour.

“But I do feel that these tournaments in Washington, like Eastbourne in the week before Wimbledon, like some of the other tournaments leading into the Masters and the majors, I think those are the tournaments where she’s got to be looking — if she is going to get to the top ten, top 20 — those are the tournaments she needs to be looking to convert those into semi-finals, finals and wins. And as of yet, she hasn’t had that.”

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