Category: Tennis

• British No 1 being aided by Mark Petchey at Indian Wells

• ‘I am definitely going to tap into a few people’

Emma Raducanu says she is determined to wrest back control of her “natural” tennis style, with the British No 1 eager not to be bound by the diktats of a single coach.

“I want to come back to my natural way of playing. That takes time to relearn because that’s something that has been coached out of me a little bit,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “I have had a lot of people telling me what to do, how to play, and it hasn’t necessarily fit. I don’t necessarily want to have one coach in the role because anyone I bring in is straight away going to be scrutinised – even if it’s a trial.

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• Medvedev and Rublev both miss pre-event exhibition

• Challenger event in Dubai cancelled over security alert

The Russian tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev did not arrive at Indian Wells in time to participate in Tuesday night’s southern California exhibition event after they were among those affected by travel disruptions caused by the war on Iran.

The US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran over the weekend and the conflict has led to airspace closures and widespread flight cancellations across parts of the Gulf, disrupting a key transit hub.

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In Japan to announce her switch to Uniqlo, the British No 1 says frustrations only fuel the fire as she looks to Indian Wells and beyond

Emma Raducanu has no immediate plans to appoint a new coach as she attempts to kickstart a frustrating season in the US next month. The British No 1 will play at Indian Wells and in the Miami Open in March without a full-time replacement for Francisco Roig – her ninth coach since she turned professional – with whom she parted company after her second-round exit at the Australian Open in January.

“Right now I wouldn’t say I’m actively looking for a coach,” Raducanu says in Tokyo, where on Tuesday she was unveiled as a global brand ambassador for the Japanese clothes retailer Uniqlo after ending her association with Nike.

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• British No 1 beaten 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 by Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic

• World No 67 reels off six games in a row to claim victory

Emma Raducanu lost the final six games in a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 defeat against Antonia Ruzic in the opening round at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The British No 1, whose original opponent Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew at late notice because of fatigue, fought back in the second set to level the match and led 2-0 in the decider before losing all momentum.

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• Australian produces some fine tennis to win Rotterdam Open

• First indoor title comes after 6-3, 6-2 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime

Alex de Minaur sealed a landmark week by delivering a masterful performance to defeat the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime and finally land one of the biggest titles of his career at the Rotterdam Open.

The Australian produced some of his finest tennis on Sunday (Monday AEDT) to crush the Canadian world No 6, who had won the Montpellier Open just a week earlier and whose service had been seemingly unbreakable.

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• Briton forced to pull out when 2-0 down in deciding set

• Qualifier Camila Osorio into Qatar Open second round

Emma Raducanu retired during the third set of her first-round match with the qualifier Camila Osorio at the Qatar Open, having tried to play on after taking a medical timeout.

The British No 1 was looking to move swiftly on from the disappointment of losing in straight sets on Saturday against the home ­favourite Sorana Cirstea in the ­Transylvania Open final, a match she described as “very difficult emotionally and physically”.

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• British No 1 beaten 6-0, 6-2 by Sorana Cirstea

• Final in Cluj was Raducanu’s first since 2021 US Open

Emma Raducanu missed the chance to win her first title since her US Open triumph in 2021 after losing in straight sets to home favourite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final.

Top seed Raducanu appeared to be feeling the effects of her marathon semi-final win against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova on Friday, losing out to Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 in little over an hour in Cluj.

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• Briton beats Oleksandra Oliynykova in three tough sets

• British No 4 Katie Boulter also makes final in Ostrava

Emma Raducanu has reached her first final since the 2021 US Open. The ­British No 1 beat Oleksandra ­Oliynykova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in a tough semi-final to take her place in Saturday’s Transylvania Open final in Cluj.

She now has a shot at winning her first title since her incredible success at Flushing Meadows in 2021 when she announced herself as a real force on the WTA Tour.

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At only 22, Carlos Alcaraz said it was a 'dream come true' to become the youngest man to complete the career grand slam, a record formerly held by Don Budge since 1938, 87 years ago. He beat Novak Djokovic in four sets on Sunday night in the men's singles final. There was little fanfare after the match, with Alcaraz saying gaming with his brother and friends was 'more than enough' to celebrate the win

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As Elena Rybakina and Carlos Alcaraz celebrate victory, we take a look at some of the best images from both finals

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Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in four becoming, at 22 years and eight months, the youngest man to achieve a career grand slam

Our players are ready to come out. This is going to be special.

I keep saying it, but it bears repetition: we’re at the start of a golden age in women’s tennis. Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek and Osaka at their peaks, Anisimova coming, Andreeva getting there, then Mboko, Baptiste and Jovic on the match; ooooh yeah.

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• Australian duo Kubler and Polmans beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4

• ‘Christian has given me a new lease of life this year’

Neal Skupski continued Britain’s impressive recent record in men’s doubles by winning the Australian Open title in tandem with American Christian Harrison. The newly-formed pair, playing in just their second tournament together, defeated the Australian wildcard duo Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

It is the third time in the past five grand slam tournaments that there has been at least one British winner, with Henry Patten lifting this trophy last year alongside Finn Harri Heliovaara before the duo of Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool triumphed at Wimbledon.

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• 44-year-old last played professionally at 2022 US Open

• American refuses to be drawn on future in TV interview

Serena Williams has refused to rule out making a shock return to tennis. The 44-year-old has not played professional tennis since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open, although she branded her departure as “evolving away” from the sport rather than a retirement.

Williams brushed off speculation in December she was considering a comeback despite re-entering the sport’s drug testing pool. But the 23-time grand slam singles champion was not as dismissive about a return in an interview on NBC’s The Today Show.

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