ARYNA SABALENKA SUFFERS WORRYING COLLAPSE TO SET OFF ALARM BELLS AHEAD OF US OPEN

Aryna Sabalenka has suffered another shock early exit.

Aryna Sabalenka lost the last five games to bow out of the Cincinnati Open (Image: Getty)

Aryna Sabalenka suffered another concerning loss in the lead-up to the US Open, this time bowing out in the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Open. The Belarusian’s No. 1 ranking is once again under threat, and she has won just four matches during the North American hard-court swing so far.

Sabalenka led unseeded Sara Bejlek 5-1 in the first set tiebreak before losing it 9-7, and then moved 4-1 up in the second set. But she dropped the last five games, suffering a 7-6(7) 6-4 defeat. This is the world No. 1’s worst result at the Cincinnati Open since 2021, and she also exited the recent Canadian Open at the same stage.

The 28-year-old started the season on a high, winning the title in Brisbane, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open, and then completing the ‘Sunshine Double’ by winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. But Sabalenka has not even reached a final since then, and has failed to go beyond the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam or WTA 1000 event.

Bejlek, the world No. 35, had never beaten a top-10 player before, let alone the world No. 1. But she twice came back from a break down in the opening set, and then reeled off five games in a row to claim a straight-set victory over four-time Major winner Sabalenka.

“I lost my words right now. Yeah, it feels incredible. I’m super happy. Yeah, I don’t have any words!” the 20-year-old Czech star told the crowd. “I just was playing what I was feeling, I wasn’t really thinking. What I felt, I play, and that was the key. I was trying to not be nervous and just play, and that’s it.”

Bejlek now faces former Aussie Open champ Madison Keys, and has taken “a lot” of confidence from her statement win. “I just keep believing this match and I was believing no matter what. It was a lot of ups and downs, and I just made it, so I’m very happy,” she added.

Sara Bejlek stunned Aryna Sabalenka to reach the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals (Image: Getty)

For Sabalenka, it raises serious alarm bells about her form heading into her US Open title defence, while she could lose her No. 1 ranking as early as next week. The Belarusian’s fourth-round exit means that current world No. 2 Elena Rybakina is two wins away from surpassing Sabalenka in the rankings.

Rybakina faces Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals – a rematch of last week’s Canadian Open final, won by Swiatek. Should she win, Rybakina would then have to beat either Amanda Anisimova or Madison Keys to become world No. 1 for the first time.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, is set to compete in the US Open mixed doubles event alongside Novak Djokovic before the singles draw gets underway. This is the first time since 2020 that Sabalenka will go into the US Open without having reached at least the quarter-finals of either WTA 1000 event in Canada or Cincinnati.

The 28-year-old has yet to win a Grand Slam title this season, and this could be her first year going without a Slam since 2022 – before she had won a single Major.

- Yasmin Syed

VICTORIA MBOKO SUFFERS DEVASTATING SETBACK AS 1,000 RANKING POINTS DISAPPEAR AFTER MISSING CANADIAN OPEN

IMAGO

A massive blow for Victoria Mboko. The 19-year-old has been forced to withdraw from the Canadian Open, thus failing to defend her title and set to lose a whopping 1000 points in the process, with a ranking drop imminent.

It has been a very promising season for Mboko who has again lived up to the hype since that stunning breakthrough tournament in Montreal. She stunned the tennis world that week enroute to WTA 1000 glory but has since backed it up with a string of eye-catching performances and runs.

She has backed it up with a plethora of WTA finals and more deep runs in big tournaments, cementing herself as a top 10 player and a force to be reckoned with on court. She was hopeful of debuting in the WTA Finals at the end of the year while challenging for more silverware. The chances of that happening has diminished vastly.

It was a special moment for Mboko to step out onto court alongside 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, partnering the American on her return to action following a four-year spell away from the court. After their win, all focus was on the singles for the time being. She was taking on Karolina Pliskova, but their contest would be halted following a nasty slip.

Mboko was on the ground in a lot of pain as fans feared the worse. Her tournament ended on the spot as she struggled to walk and put too much pressure on it. She would soon pull out of all the grass tournaments, most notably Wimbledon, but it gets worse for Mboko.

Confirming the news as fellow WTA players respond

The way the Canadian Open works, it is split between Montreal and Toronto, with the men playing in one city and the women the other. Having grown up near Toronto, this would be as home of an event as possible for Mboko.

This was firmly on her mind going into 2026 as she looked to build up a points buffer in case she was not able to defend all the points won when going back to participate. It was one of the most unlikely WTA runs witnessed.

She was ranked outside the top 300, but defeated the likes of Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina before taking down Naomi Osaka in the final to seal the title on home soil. It was a huge moment as she well and truly burst onto the scene, rising into the top 32 as an 18-year-old.

Victoria Mboko won the 2025 Canadian Open, but due to injury will not be able to defend it. Proshots

Any ambitions of defending that title have been extinguished. In a video posted on her Instagram, she had a knee brace on her left knee while walking gingerly. She said: “Everything kind of happened so fast. There were so many emotions going through my mind. It’s only a little setback, and I want to be a better person out of this. Toronto was a tournament that I always went to growing up. The National Bank Open also holds a special place in my heart. Knowing that I won’t be able to play this year is very saddening, but I feel like l have so many more years ahead of me to play this tournament.”

She has seen a huge amount of support coming in. Gauff, Eva Lys, Marta Kostyuk, Peyton Stearns, Sloane Stephens and Carson Branstine have all sent comments underneath the post. The event, which takes place from August 2-13, is too soon for Mboko who will continue to sit on the sidelines.

Ranking drop on the horizon

The harsh reality is that now Mboko is in danger of losing a number of ranking points. What she earned last year got her very far up the order, but it could also push her down it.

With the latter stages of Wimbledon set to be played out, Mboko is currently sitting in 10th. Her top 10 status is very much under threat as Kostyuk and Noskova lurk behind. If she was to lose 1000 points now, that would leave her with 2,580 points. That is sufficient enough for a drop of six places to 16th in the current WTA Live Rankings.

WTA Live Rankings as of 8/7 - if Mboko loses 1000 points

It could have been a lot worse if it was not for her good form this year. She has made three WTA finals, losing them all, including the Qatar Open. A brace of quarter-finals in the Sunshine swing has also helped her progress, but it is still a bitter blow for Mboko.

She will be hoping to come back stronger than ever. Tournaments like the Cincinnati Open and US Open are also huge doubts with the Asian swing also under threat depending on how serious the injury is.

- Lucas Michael

DAY 1 IN MIAMI | WTA 1000 | MIAMI 2026

 

EMMA RADUCANU'S FULL STATEMENT AS SHE CONFIRMS FRANCISCO ROIG SPLIT

Emma Raducanu has parted ways with coach Francis RoigCredit: Shutterstock Editorial

Emma Raducanu has announced her split from Francisco Roig after a six-month partnership with the Spaniard.

World No 29 Raducanu released a short statement on Thursday confirming her split with Roig, a former coach of Rafael Nadal, following a difficult start to her 2026 season.

The Brit played just one match at the United Cup in Perth, falling to Maria Sakkari in three sets, before an underwhelming straight-sets loss to world No 204 Taylah Preston at the Hobart International.

Raducanu was then beaten in straight sets by world No 55 Anastasia Potapova at the Australian Open, with the Brit having now lost six of her nine matches since the end of the 2025 US Open.

Speaking after her loss to Potapova in Melbourne, the 23-year-old spoke of a “misalignment” within her game, and it has now been confirmed that Roig will not part of her journey to solve that concern.

The former US Open champion took to her Instagram story on Thursday to announce her split from Roig, following a partnership that started at the Cincinnati Open last August.

She wrote: “Francis, thank you for our time together.

“You have been more than a coach to me and I will cherish the many good times we spent together on the court.

“While we have come to the conclusion together that we ought not to move forward, please know that I am very grateful for all you have taught me and fond of our time shared.”

Raducanu’s decision to split with Roig means that she is again without a coach, having now worked with eight different permanent coaches during her professional career.

The Brit’s partnership with Nick Cavaday, from the start of 2024 until early 2025, has been her longest since her 2021 US Open triumph, with Raducanu having worked with Mark Petchey on a temporary basis in between her split with Cavaday and the start of her time with Roig.

According to The i, the Brit will work with Alexis Canter over the next few weeks before she looks to make a new permanent hire.

Raducanu is set to return to action at the Transylvania Open next week, with the world No 29 set to be the top seed at the WTA 250 event.

Her campaign in Cluj will then be followed by back-to-back WTA 1000 events in the Middle East, with the Qatar Open in Doha swiftly followed by the Dubai Tennis Championships.

- Oli Dickson Jefford

COCO GAUFF GRABS WUHAN OPEN TITLE AFTER SEEING OFF 'THREE-SET QUEEN' JESSICA PEGULA

Third seed secures crown after winning all-American final having not dropped set through whole tournament

Coco Gauff after beating Jessica Pegula in the Wuhan Open final. Reuters

Coco Gauff overcame “three-set queen” Jessica Pegula 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday to clinch the third WTA 1000 title of her career in an all-American final at the Wuhan Open.

The third-seeded Gauff secured the trophy without dropping a set after a one hour 42 minute battle in the central Chinese city.

In the first final between the former doubles partners, Gauff erased multiple deficits in the second set to improve her head-to-head record against Pegula to 3-4.

The 21-year-old in the process became the first player in the Open Era to win her first nine hard-court finals.

Gauff also cemented her status as the player with the highest winning percentage at WTA Tour-level events in China in the Open Era (22-3, 88 per cent - minimum –0 matches).

“It was a great Asian swing,” said Gauff, who reached the semi-finals in Beijing last week, before winning the title in Wuhan.

“I’m going to call JC [Jean-Christophe Faurel, my coach] out. He originally didn’t want me to come because I had a tough US Open but I had to prove him wrong. I’m a very stubborn person so maybe he said that on purpose for me to have a good result here.”

The pair had contrasting routes to the final with Gauff breezing dropping a mere 16 games while Pegula battled through three-setters in all eight of her previous matches.

“You’re the three-set queen, so I was determined not to let you get there today because I felt like the odds would be in your favour in the third set,” Gauff said as she congratulated Pegula during her victory speech.

“When I came on tour, you were one of the first people to be nice to me and welcome me with open arms and that really goes a long way and still goes a long way, so I appreciate you.

“It’s great to finally play in a final against you and I hope for many more. It’s an honour to share the court with you.”

Gauff won the first six points of the match and it set the tone for what was to come, as she leapt to a 3-0 advantage.

Pegula recovered from her slow start and went on the attack in game seven, breaking with a fierce backhand winner that helped her get back on level terms at 4-4.

It looked like the sixth seed had swung the momentum her way but Gauff found a tiny opening two games later and broke to secure the opening set in 47 minutes.

Pegula had come back from 2-5 down in her deciding set against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka the day before and was more than ready for another fightback.

Gauff has been reworking her serve with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan since the end of August.

And while her numbers have improved since she added him to her team, the shot remains susceptible to ebbs and flows during stressful situations.

The world No 3 double-faulted six times, allowing Pegula to break her twice for a 3-0 lead, then steadied the ship by getting both breaks back to draw level.

There was another exchange of breaks, Pegula inching ahead with a cunning drop shot and Gauff pegging her back thanks to winning 10 consecutive points.

Shortly after, Gauff raised her arms in celebration as a Pegula volley sailed wide on match point.

“It’s an honour to play you, as a friend and fellow American in the final, it’s our first final, so that was a lot of fun being able to play,” Pegula told Gauff during the trophy ceremony.

The 31-year-old also gave a shoutout to her fitness trainer John Opfer, who helped her withstand such a gruelling Asian swing that included a semi-final run in Beijing and a runner-up showing in Wuhan.

“I don’t think I’ve played this much hours on the court in such a short amount of time and actually felt good,” added Pegula.

Both Pegula and Gauff will now shift their focus to next month’s WTA Finals, where Americans represent half of the eight-player singles field.

- Reem Abulleil

MEET LOIS BOISSON, THE WORLD 361 WHO SHOCKED JESSICA PEGULA AT FRENCH OPEN AT HOME

Lois Boisson scored the biggest win of her career by beating third seed Jessica Pegula at the French Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Lois Boisson's fairytale run continued at the French Open 2025 with a stunning upset win over World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the fourth round. The chips were stacked against her after going down a set in her first-ever meeting against a top 10 player. However, the 22-year-old buckled down and dug deep to score a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback win. She now finds herself in a Major quarterfinal on her main draw debut.

However, the road to glory hasn't been easy for Boisson. Born in Dijon on May 16, 2003, she started competing on the ITF circuit in 2019. She made her debut on the WTA Tour in 2021 after receiving a wildcard into the doubles draw in Lyon. She went out in the first round. She continued to ply her trade on the ITF circuit over the next few years.

Boisson's breakthrough came at the Saint-Malo Challenger a year ago, winning the biggest title of her career. Her efforts ensured her a wildcard into the main draw of the French Open. Unfortunately, tragedy struck after she injured her ACL, which ruled her out for nine months and caused her to miss her home Slam.

Boisson returned to the tour earlier this year. She made her WTA debut in singles at the Open de Rouen in April and reached the second round. She received a wildcard into the French Open main draw, making her Major debut after a year than originally planned.

The 22-year-old has certainly proved the organizers were right to give her a wildcard. Ranked 361st in the world, she punched way above her weight to upset 24th seed Elise Mertens in the first round. Following wins over Anhelina Kalinina and Elsa Jacquemot, she became the only player from the host nation to reach the fourth round in singles, where she beat Pegula.

Boisson will be gunning to keep the French flag flying high in the quarterfinals too, though it won't be easy. She will take on sixth seed Mirra Andreeva for a spot in the last four.

Lois Boisson to meet Mirra Andreeva in the French Open quarterfinals

Lois Boisson has already delighted the French crowd with her run at the clay court Major. By advancing to the quarterfinals, she became the first player from the host nation to make the last eight since Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic did the same in 2017.

Boisson also became the lowest ranked woman to reach the quarterfinals of any Major since Kaia Kanepi at the US Open 2017. Next up for her is sixth seed Mirra Andreeva, who hasn't lost a set all week.

However, after taking down one top 10 opponent, Boisson will be feeling confident of her chances. While Andreeva won a couple of WTA 1000 tournaments earlier this year, she hasn't replicated the same level of success on clay, though she did reach the semifinals in Paris last year.

Boisson, currently ranked No. 361, has ensured herself a spot in the top 130 after the conclusion of the tournament. Should she win her next match, she would zoom into the top 70. She would also become the first woman from France to reach the semifinals since Marion Bartoli in 2011. With so much on the line, she would be keen to continue her Parisian dream.

- Rohit