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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

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FORMER WIMBLEDON WINNER'S BAN SLAMMED AS 'COMPLETELY INSANE' BY WTA STAR

 

Marketa Vondrousova with inset of Eva Lys

Marketa Vondrousova has been hit with a lengthy ban from tennis following her refusal to submit a sample during an out-of-competition test, but one of her fellow WTA players has come to her defence.

2023 Wimbledon winner Vondrousova has not competed since the Adelaide International in January and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) dropped a bombshell in April when it announced that she had been charged after she denied a doping control officer entry to her home to conduct the test.

The case went to a hearing and a tribunal has now found her guilty and handed down a long suspension as the starting point for a sanction when a player refuses a test is the same as if they had tested positive.

The 26-year-old Vondrousova, who peaked at No 6 in the WTA Rankings, will miss the next four years of action and her suspension will only end on 21 June 2030.

Fellow tennis star Eva Lys was one of the first to react as she offered her support to the Czech star, writing on social media: “This is COMPLETELY insane. Sending so much love to Marketa…”

Under international anti-doping regulations, players have to submit their whereabouts for an hour each day so that officials can conduct anti-doping tests.

An official arrived at her home in the Czech Republic last December to get a sample, but Vondrousova refused to allow the officer in stating she feared for her safety.

Tennis News

Following the announcement, the 26-year-old posted a message on social media to give her side of events, writing: “It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health.

“The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.

“For a long time, I’ve been dealing with injury, constant pressure, and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile.

“It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time. And on top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space.

“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol – I reacted as a person who felt scared.

“In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything. Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.0) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (F41.1).

“In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just could not process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra [Kvitova], we don’t take strangers at our door lightly.”

Although her charge didn’t come with an automatic suspension, Vondrousova has not competed in recent months with the case going to a tribunal.

Vondrousova stated her case at the hearing, saying stress and poor mental health had affected her decision-making, in addition to concerns for her safety.

But the tribunal concluded that the evidence offered “no compelling justification” for the test refusal.

International Tennis Integrity Agency CEO, Karen Moorhouse said: “We understand that the testing process is uncomfortable, and acknowledge that it is an additional burden for players whose jobs already come with a high level of pressure and scrutiny, but it is essential to protect fair competition.

“Safety and welfare of players and our testers is really important to us. Our testers are well-trained, professional, and the gender of our testing witness always matches the player. They carry ID at all times, and players are able to verify their identity in other ways if they are ever unsure.”

She added: “Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport.

“The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk.”

Vondrousova is free to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but she is yet to make a statement following the announcement by the ITIA.

- Shahida Jacobs

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SERENA AND VENUS WILLIAMS TO PLAY AT WIMBLEDON AFTER GETTING DOUBLES WILD CARD

 

Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams with their trophies after winning the women's doubles final at Wimbledon in 2016.
Credit: AP

Serena and Venus Williams will return to Wimbledon after being given a wild card into the women’s doubles.

The tennis sisters are six-time doubles champions at Wimbledon, winning their last title on their most recent appearance together a decade ago.

Serena, 44, played her first match since 2022 last week at Queen’s Club, winning one round alongside Victoria Mboko before the Canadian was forced to pull out through injury.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion joked on court after the victory that she “had nothing better to do” and “got tired of sitting at home”, so she decided to return to the sport she once dominated.

She later added that the comeback was partially inspired by the prospect of her two daughters, Olympia and Adira, being able to watch her play.

Neither Serena nor Venus has yet been given a wild card into the women’s singles, although one spot remains open ahead of the Championships, which start on June 29.

Serena appeared to play down rumours she would be making a singles comeback when the 23-time grand slam champion said, when quizzed at Queen’s, that it was “not my journey right now”.

The younger Williams sister last appeared at Wimbledon four years ago, when she lost in the first round to France’s Harmony Tan, before “evolving away” from tennis later that summer at the US Open.

Speaking last week, All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) chief Sally Bolton said: “I can’t answer that question, but I guess what I can say is we can all see how much excitement Serena being back on a tennis court and particularly on a grass court has created and so one can only imagine what that would be like at the Championships.

- itvX

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LEAVE NAOMI OSAKA ALONE - HER FASHION SHOW IS EXACTLY WHAT WOMEN'S TENNIS NEEDS

 As the 28-year-old sports star comes under fire for another head-turning outfit at the French Open, Lydia Spencer-Elliott argues why her wardrobe should be championed not criticised.

Naomi Osaka knows how to make an entrance. At the Australian Open, the four-time Grand Slam champion, 28, arrived in a mesmerising jellyfish-inspired ensemble (elegant wide-brimmed hat, long white veil), designed by Beyoncé’s regular couturier, Robert Wun.

For this week’s French Open, it was impossible to predict how she’d surpass herself; then she stepped out in a black corset and cascading pleated skirt by Kevin Germanier (beloved by Lady Gaga and Björk), which she promptly shed to reveal a glittering copper tennis dress.

“I actually got a little worried because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot, so I was a little scared the umpire was going to kick me off the court,” Osaka said of the sparkling “Eiffel Tower at night” ensemble.

“I’ve got two backup, normal dresses – thankfully I didn’t have to wear them,” she added. “Sometimes people say athletes are in show business… For me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I’m an entertainer,” the tennis pro explained.

Osaka’s opponent, Germany’s Laura Siegemund (whom she beat 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach the second round), it’s fair to say, was fuming. “I couldn’t care less,” she told TNT Sports. “I come here to play tennis, not put on a fashion show.” Nevertheless, Siegemund then went on to claim that Osaka’s big outfit reveal had broken time-keeping rules: “Once again, bigger names are treated differently,” she hit out.

So, perhaps, she did care – just a little bit.

Leave Naomi Osaka alone, her fashion show is exactly what is needed
Glittering: The four-time Grand Slam champion wore copper on the court
AP

Throughout her tennis career, Osaka has been treated differently – rarely for the better. After winning her first-ever Slam against American great Serena Williams at just 20 years old, she broke down in tears of dismay instead of joy. The umpire, Carlos Ramos, had accused Williams of receiving on-court coaching and docked her game, leading Williams to call him a “thief” and later accuse him of sexism.

As Osaka collected her trophy, boos rang around Arthur Ashe Stadium while she wept. “Not only was a game taken from me but a defining, triumphant moment was taken from another player,” Williams later wrote in an essay for Harper’s Bazaar. “My heart broke.”

The incident was all the more gut-wrenching as Williams is Osaka’s icon. This can be seen again in her fashion choices, as she follows in the footsteps of the former World No 1 to serve draw-dropping looks on the court that unapologetically allow her to express herself, when the backwards governance and antiquated confines of the sport, perhaps, won’t. Notably, Osaka faced intense racial abuse after supporting Black Lives Matter in 2020.

Williams has frequently challenged traditional tennis dress codes with pioneering ensembles; her 2018 French Open catsuit, which she said made her feel “like a superhero”, was banned for no other reason than that the French Tennis Federation felt it didn’t “respect the game and the place”. Nevertheless, months later she stepped out at the US Open in a black one-shoulder tennis dress complete with a tutu. "It's easy to play in, kind of aerodynamic,” she said.

Pushing boundaries: Serena Williams, an inspiration to Osaka, in her tutu at the 2018 US Open (Getty)

The star’s wardrobe has sparked debates around the policing of women’s bodies in sport and the functionality of athletic wear. Many noted at the time that the clothing controversy felt like another reason to slate a Black player in an overwhelmingly white, historically exclusionary, elite sport. A tutu somehow became perceived as a threat to tennis’ status quo.

Notably, few have been up in arms over Aryna Sabalenka wearing £76,000 worth of diamonds and garnets with a sheer Nike super suit at Roland Garros. “I love it,” the Belarusian defended Osaka’s latest ensemble. “She feels confident. That’s the beauty of the fashion world. There’s a space for everything. I love that she’s bringing it on [to] the court.”

Sabalenka shared that she too hoped to one day “come up with something cool” for an Open entrance like Osaka’s.

Elite sportswomen, of course, don’t want to be known or judged for their outfits alone, but – when the coverage of and prime time slots for women’s tennis at tournaments like the French Open still drastically lag behind the men’s game – it also can’t hurt to turn a few heads and garner extra attention using a bit of tulle and some sequins, right?

“I tend to win more when I’m having fun,” Osaka previously told Vogue of her relationship with sport and fashion. So far, so true – and the tennis season is just getting started.

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