Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
The two-time Major champion and former world no. 1 is right to feel aggrieved about the differences in treatment after her anti-doping violations compared to others like Iga Swiatek recently. However while she’s still attempting to build back to levels we’ve become accustomed to seeing from her, now 33 and with more than two years’ inactivity, it’s a more draining task than it once was. Continue reading “Halep’s right about Swiatek’s small ban but that won’t change her own past”
Jannik Sinner’s uneasy wait continues after WADA appealed his exoneration following two positive drug tests and now, five-time Major champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) – the ITIA accepting contamination of a non-prescription medication (melatonin) she’d taken for jet lag and sleep issues. Continue reading “Iga Swiatek accepts one-month ban after testing positive for drug trimetazidine”
Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka. Now it’s the turn of world number one and reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek as the latest top player searching for a new coach before the 2025 campaign begins, having announced her split from Tomasz Wiktorowski after three successful seasons together. Continue reading “Coaching carousel continues as Swiatek splits from Wiktorowski after three years”
Wimbledon’s bullish plans to build 39 new tennis courts on protected open land opposite the All England Club have been approved, some seven years after initial plans were originally floated. London’s deputy mayor Jules Pipe deemed the “significant” community and economic benefits outweighing the harm created by such a big revamp, though backlash remains as nothing is yet final. Continue reading “Wimbledon’s controversial expansion plans approved, but backlash remains”
Many felt the writing was on the wall after her last-16 collapse against compatriot Emma Navarro and so it proved: 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff has announced a split from head coach Brad Gilbert after 14 months together, while Elina Svitolina – who she beat a round earlier – has shut down for the 2024 season after undergoing surgery on a longstanding right foot complaint. Continue reading “Gauff-Gilbert end coaching partnership, Svitolina’s 2024 over after foot surgery”
Jessica Pegula banished her Grand Slam quarterfinal hoodoo in the best way – fittingly on home soil – yet one more task awaits her as history beckons tonight: beating Australian Open champion and world no. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who beat her in Cincinnati three weeks ago and will be fired up to deliver after falling short in the Flushing Meadows finale against another American last season. Continue reading “US Open 2024: Pegula backs up Swiatek scalp with gutsy Muchova recovery win”
The pre-US Open parties and media duties have been completed, top-ranked players spending valuable time on court practising and getting acclimatised to the conditions while the last hopefuls from across the globe battle out for a main draw qualifying berth are now set in stone. Today marks the beginning of the year’s final Major and with that, more questions than answers as usual. Continue reading “US Open 2024: Main draw analysis across both tours, as year’s final Major begins”
Having endured an inconsistent season across all surfaces, 2022 US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe will hope he’s peaking at the right time of this calendar year on home soil after recovering from a set down to reach his first Masters 1000 final – where he’ll play world number one Jannik Sinner tonight, after a similarly gutsy win over the distance against Alexander Zverev. Continue reading “Cincinnati: Tiafoe’s turn of form continues, books M1000 final vs. Sinner”
Jasmine Paolini recovered from a set down against Donna Vekic on semifinal Thursday, becoming the first French Open and Wimbledon ladies’ finalist in the same year since Serena Williams’ historic 2016 campaign. Barbora Krejcikova’s fighting spirit saw her oust 2022 champion Elena Rybakina later – an eighth different singles champion in the last eight editions will be sealed on Saturday. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Paolini vs. Krejcikova in Saturday’s final after comeback victories”
On a day where defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fended off another tricky challenge in France’s Ugo Humbert to secure his seventh consecutive Major quarter-final berth, five maiden Wimbledon quarterfinalists were confirmed – headlined by New Zealand-Swiss qualifier Lulu Sun after an aggressive approach paid dividends to stun Emma Raducanu in their round four matchup.
Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Sun slices and sinks Raducanu in three, Sinner-Medvedev set”
Carlos Alcaraz had a serious scare in a five-set duel but emerged with his confidence renewed after some inspired play to overwhelm Frances Tiafoe in their thrilling third-round contest, before home hopeful Emma Raducanu notched another top-10 win as she outplayed Maria Sakkari on Centre Court. Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Alcaraz survives Tiafoe scare as Raducanu sweeps Sakkari aside”
Emma Raducanu endured an unpredictable start en route to a 7-6, 6-3 win over Mexican lucky loser Renata Zarazúa, as the 2021 US Open champion made a successful Centre Court return on a busy opening day packed with high-profile injury-enforced withdrawals – a trio of seeded women, including Australian Open titleholder Aryna Sabalenka. Plus, it’s likely there are more to come… Continue reading “Wimbledon 2024: Sabalenka, Azarenka among withdrawals as Raducanu prevails”
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