JESSICA PEGULA VS ANNA KALINSKAYA | WASHINGTON 2026 | QUARTER-FINAL

 

EMMA RADUCANU ABANDONS WIMBLEDON TRAINING MATCH AND CANCELS MEDIA COMMITMENTS

Emma Raducanu may pull out of Wimbledon

Image: ADRIAN DENNIS, AFP via Getty Images

Emma Raducanu has raised serious concerns over her Wimbledon prospects after cutting short a practice session. The British No.1 had two training sessions booked on Saturday - first hitting at Aorangi Park before playing a practice set with Anna Kalinskaya on Court 3.

However, Raducanu found herself 4-0 down before signalling to bring things to an end, leaving the court around 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Kalinskaya carried on with her own drills.

This follows reports that the 23-year-old had been spotted wearing a protective boot earlier in the week. These were her first on-site practice sessions since Monday, and her right ankle was strapped up throughout both.

Raducanu had been due to speak to the media on Saturday afternoon at the All England Club. Yet roughly 20 minutes after departing that practice session, her press conference was called off and rearranged for Sunday.

The former US Open champion was accompanied at both sessions by coach Andrew Richardson, hitting partner Alexis Canter, physiotherapist Emma Stewart and close friend and mentor Jane O'Donoghue.

The No. 30 seed has been drawn against world No. 60 Antonia Ruzic in the first round, with their match scheduled as the opening contest at 1pm on Court 1 on Monday - approximately 48 hours after that curtailed training session.

Raducanu is believed to have been nursing a niggle following her recent run to the Queen's final. The 23-year-old spent over two months on the sidelines with a post-viral illness before returning to the tour in May, where she lost two matches on clay.

She then finished runner-up at the WTA 500 event at London's Queen's Club earlier this month. Due to rain delays, Raducanu played three matches in the space of 28 hours, a considerable increase in workload after spending months sidelined.

Raducanu withdrew from the Nottingham Open the following week, citing a change in schedule. She also opted against taking a wildcard into this week's Eastbourne Open, choosing instead to use the time to prepare ahead of Wimbledon.

Emma Raducanu wore strapping on her ankle during two Wimbledon practice sessions(Image: Getty)

However, she failed to train at the All England Club for four days.

It currently remains unclear when the 30th seed will speak on Sunday or whether she intends to practise beforehand.

Should Raducanu prove fit to face Ruzic on Monday afternoon, the challenges won't ease up. She will likely come up against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko - also a former semi-finalist here - in the second round.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka could then be lying in wait in the third round.

The four-time Major champion defeated the British star at the same stage here last year.

- Yasmin Syed and Mikael McKenzie

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ANNA KALINSKAYA VS. IGA SWIATEK | US OPEN 2025

EMMA RADUCANU HAS FAVOURABLE WTA SINGAPORE OPEN DRAW

 

AP Photo

Emma Raducanu has been handed a favorable path at the WTA Singapore Tennis Open as she restarts her 2025 season without coach Nick Cavaday. The tournament, a WTA 250 event, is set to take place from January 27 to February 2, immediately following the Australian Open. The British tennis star, currently ranked World No. 61, has been seeded seventh in the draw and aims for a deep run to gain confidence and ranking points.

The Briton will face Spain’s world No. 101 Cristina Bucsa in the first round. Should she advance, she will meet a qualifier in the second round, presenting a strong opportunity to build momentum. However, a more challenging test looms in the quarterfinals, where she is projected to meet top seed Anna Kalinskaya. The Russian, ranked world No. 15, withdrew from the Australian Open due to illness and is looking to kickstart her season in Singapore.

Raducanu’s draw appears favorable as she seeks to regain form after a tough loss to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Australian Open. The Briton suffered a 6-1 6-0 defeat but remained in Australia to train before making her way to Singapore. If she can navigate the early rounds, she could face third seed Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals–a player she defeated in Melbourne just two weeks ago.

Emma Raducanu’s Opportunity to Climb the Rankings

With a promising draw, Raducanu has a prime opportunity to gain confidence and move up the WTA rankings. A win over Bucsa would set up a second-round clash against a qualifier, a winnable matchup for the former US Open champion. A quarterfinal run at the WTA 250 event would earn her 54 ranking points, potentially bringing her closer to a return inside the Top 50.

Kalinskaya, her projected quarterfinal opponent, has yet to find her rhythm this season due to health setbacks. If Raducanu can take advantage of the Russian’s lack of match play, a deep run in Singapore is within reach. Beyond the quarterfinals, the 22-year-old may have to navigate past Anisimova, a familiar opponent whom she recently bested in Melbourne.

Emma Raducanu’s 2025 Season Developments

Raducanu’s road in Singapore is part of a bigger effort to rebuild her ranking and form in 2025. The draw has set up an intriguing path, with Kalinskaya beginning her campaign against Caroline Dolehide before a potential second-round clash with Ajla Tomljanovic. Anisimova, the tournament’s third seed, starts against Xiyu Wang, while fifth seed Polina Kudermetova is a potential quarterfinal opponent for her.

The bottom half of the draw features world No. 34 Elise Mertens, the highest-ranked player in that section. She takes on Taylor Townsend in the first round, while sixth seed Camila Osorio and fourth seed Xinyu Wang round out a competitive field. Eighth seed Moyuka Uchijima is also featured in the lower half of the draw.

- Fahad Hamid

ARYNA SABALENKA LABELS ANNA KALINSKAYA'S STYLE "SEXY"; KALINSKAYA INSISTS OTHERWISE

Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya- Source: Gett

Aryna Sabalenka recently paired with Anna Kalinskaya in an interview, where the two spoke about their respective styles and choices. While the Belarusian player labeled Kalinskaya's style as sexy, the Russian player had a different perspective about her own style.

The two featured in a behind-the-scenes interview with Harper's Bazar Australia. The magazine shared a video of the players having a fun conversation with each other, doing a Q&A session about their choices. When asked about how she would label her style, Kalinskaya said:

"I would say classic," she said.

Voicing her thoughts about Anna's style, Sabalenka immediately interrupted, saying:

"Come on, classic, sexy, beautiful, stunning," Sabalenka said.

 Meanwhile, Anna Kalinskaya said:

"I wouldn't say sexy."

Explaining her point of view, Aryna Sabalenka further said:

"It is sexy because your body is beautiful, and you open up some parts, and it looks so.. I would call it sexy."

Sabalenka started her 2025 season strongly by winning the Brisbane International after defeating Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. This was the 18th WTA singles title of the 26-year-old's career.

Aryna Sabalenka opened up about her dream to inspire people

Sabalenla at the Brisbane International- Source: Getty

Aryna Sabalenka appeared in an interview with Tracey Holmes of Harper Bazar Australia and spoke about her dream of inspiring people. Reflecting on her past experiences and acknowledging the hard work it took for her to be here, she said:

"My dream is to inspire people, to be a fighter and to be an example of not giving up and going through whatever life throws at me. If someone can look at me and think. She did it, and she was strong, and I just have to do the same and I can go through it. I’ll be really happy. I would love to inspire people to be strong and never give up," said Aryna Sabalenka.

 Talking about her sacrifices and hardships, she added:

"It took me a lot to get where I am right now, and I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices. It has definitely taken a lot of hard work, and it’s a long process. It’s not something that happens just by one click."

Following her triumph in Brisbane, Sabalenka will next compete at the Australian Open, which is the first Grand Slam where she is the top seed in the singles tournament. The 26-year-old will start her title defense against Sloane Stephens, with the winner facing either Sonay Kartal or Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second round.

- Nancy Singh