World number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka" rel="dofollow">Aryna Sabalenka</a> said her sensational form this year is "like a dream" after defeating <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/coco-gauff" rel="dofollow">Coco Gauff</a> 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) on Saturday to win her third Madrid Open title.<o:p></o:p>
Last year's runner-up cruised past the American, ranked fourth, in the first set before digging deep in the second to triumph in a tie-break, sealing victory as Gauff double-faulted.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka recorded her tour-leading 31st victory this season on the Madrid clay, adding the WTA 1000 trophy to titles in Brisbane and Miami.<o:p></o:p>
It was the sixth final she has reached this year and the 37th of her career, the fourth in five years at Madrid.<o:p></o:p>
"(Getting to six finals) sounds crazy, to be honest... I work hard and I know that if I bring my game and if I fight for every point that I'm capable of that," Sabalenka told reporters. "But to actually like do it for real, I was like, okay, this is cool. This is ... like a dream.<o:p></o:p>
"I really hope that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and keep playing the way I'm playing right now."<o:p></o:p>
Last year, Sabalenka was beaten by Iga Swiatek in the showpiece, whom Gauff thrashed in the semi-final on Thursday.<o:p></o:p>
The Pole is struggling for form, which gives Sabalenka little competition for the world number one spot and makes her a leading contender for the French Open, the site of Swiatek's last title almost a year ago.<o:p></o:p>
"You know, like now, probably Iga is not doing well, which is absolutely fine, and I know that she's going to come back," continued Sabalenka. "I'm just working for the future, like trying to improve my game as much as I can, just so I'm ready for whoever is going to bring the challenge on court."<o:p></o:p>
The three-time Grand Slam champion ripped through the first set after Gauff managed an initial hold.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka won the next 17 points and racked up a 4-1 lead with breaks in the third and fifth games, as Gauff struggled to cope with her immense power.<o:p></o:p>
The 21-year-old American, who won the US Open in 2023, managed a break of her own to slow down the 2021 and 2023 Madrid champion.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka broke again to wrap up the first set in 35 minutes with her second set point as Gauff sliced wide.<o:p></o:p>
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Sabalenka cruised past Gauff in the first set before digging deep in the second to triumph in a tie-break, sealing victory as Gauff double-faulted. Sports, Tennis

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said her sensational form this year is "like a dream" after defeating Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) on Saturday to win her third Madrid Open title. Last year's runner-up cruised past the American, ranked fourth, in the first set before digging deep in the second to triumph in a tie-break, sealing victory as Gauff double-faulted. Sabalenka recorded her tour-leading 31st victory this season on the Madrid clay, adding the WTA 1000 trophy to titles in Brisbane and Miami. It was the sixth final she has reached this year and the 37th of her career, the fourth in five years at Madrid. "(Getting to six finals) sounds crazy, to be honest... I work hard and I know that if I bring my game and if I fight for every point that I'm capable of that," Sabalenka told reporters. "But to actually like do it for real, I was like, okay, this is cool. This is ... like a dream. "I really hope that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and keep playing the way I'm playing right now." Last year, Sabalenka was beaten by Iga Swiatek in the showpiece, whom Gauff thrashed in the semi-final on Thursday. The Pole is struggling for form, which gives Sabalenka little competition for the world number one spot and makes her a leading contender for the French Open, the site of Swiatek's last title almost a year ago. "You know, like now, probably Iga is not doing well, which is absolutely fine, and I know that she's going to come back," continued Sabalenka. "I'm just working for the future, like trying to improve my game as much as I can, just so I'm ready for whoever is going to bring the challenge on court." The three-time Grand Slam champion ripped through the first set after Gauff managed an initial hold. Sabalenka won the next 17 points and racked up a 4-1 lead with breaks in the third and fifth games, as Gauff struggled to cope with her immense power. The 21-year-old American, who won the US Open in 2023, managed a break of her own to slow down the 2021 and 2023 Madrid champion. Sabalenka broke again to wrap up the first set in 35 minutes with her second set point as Gauff sliced wide. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka beats American Gauff to lift third Madrid Open title

Andrey Rublev's Madrid Open title defence hit the rocks in a defeat by Alexander Bublik in the third round on Sunday in the Spanish capital.&nbsp;Bublik beat Rublev 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 for his 10th win over a top 10 player, although the Russian is set to sink to 17th after his surprise exit.
<h2>Andrey Rublev's defence crumbles</h2>
Kazakh Bublik, ranked 75th, secured a break in the first game of the deciding set and held on to his advantage.
He will face American Ben Shelton, seeded 12th, or Jakub Mensik in the last 16.
Later Sunday top seed and world number two Alexander Zverev faces Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
In the women's draw last year's defeated finalist Aryna Sabalenka fought back to beat Elise Mertens and reach the last 16.
Women's world number one Sabalenka progressed 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 against Belgian Mertens, ranked 26th.
"It was one of those days I didn't feel my best I got super emotional in the beginning of the first set, with myself in a tough situation," the Belarusian told TVE.
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"I'm really happy I was able to bring such a high level in the second and third set... so really happy with the way it turned out in this match."
She will face Peyton Stearns or Rebeka Masarova in the fourth round.
Sabalenka lost a gripping final against Iga Swiatek in Madrid last year, and the Pole also eased into the last 16 on Saturday, offering hope of a repeat.
"I'm trying to take it step by step and I really hope to make it to the final and take revenge," added Sabalenka.
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Tennis | World | Sports: Andrey Rublev's Madrid Open title defence hit the rocks in a defeat by Alexander Bublik in the third round on Sunday in the Spanish capital.

Andrey Rublev's Madrid Open title defence hit the rocks in a defeat by Alexander Bublik in the third round on Sunday in the Spanish capital. Bublik beat Rublev 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 for his 10th win over a top 10 player, although the Russian is set to sink to 17th after his surprise exit. Andrey Rublev's defence crumbles Kazakh Bublik, ranked 75th, secured a break in the first game of the deciding set and held on to his advantage. He will face American Ben Shelton, seeded 12th, or Jakub Mensik in the last 16. Later Sunday top seed and world number two Alexander Zverev faces Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. In the women's draw last year's defeated finalist Aryna Sabalenka fought back to beat Elise Mertens and reach the last 16. Women's world number one Sabalenka progressed 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 against Belgian Mertens, ranked 26th. "It was one of those days I didn't feel my best I got super emotional in the beginning of the first set, with myself in a tough situation," the Belarusian told TVE. ALSO READ | Anfield crowd to witness first title clincher in 35 years as Reds host Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League "I'm really happy I was able to bring such a high level in the second and third set... so really happy with the way it turned out in this match." She will face Peyton Stearns or Rebeka Masarova in the fourth round. Sabalenka lost a gripping final against Iga Swiatek in Madrid last year, and the Pole also eased into the last 16 on Saturday, offering hope of a repeat. "I'm trying to take it step by step and I really hope to make it to the final and take revenge," added Sabalenka. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Madrid Open: Andrey Rublev's defence crumbles, Aryna Sabalenka battles through

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka" rel="dofollow">Aryna Sabalenka</a> kicked off her quest for a third Madrid Open title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Anna Blinkova in second-round action at the Caja Magica on Friday. The world number one improved her record at the tournament to 18-4, having lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2023, alongside her runner-up showing to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek" rel="dofollow">Iga Swiatek</a> last year.<o:p></o:p>
After racing to a double-break 5-0 advantage against Blinkova in the opening set, Sabalenka lost one of her breaks before taking the lead on her third set point on the 48-minute mark.<o:p></o:p>
The second set was a straightforward affair, with an early break of serve enough for Sabalenka to punch her ticket to the third round, where she awaits either her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens or Colombia&rsquo;s Camila Osorio.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka&rsquo;s three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, but the Belarusian power-hitter has shown she can contend on clay, with two trophies clinched from nine finals reached on the surface.<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old admits the French Open has proven to be a "challenge" for he,r and she feels she has unfinished business there after losing in the 2023 semi-finals to Karolina Muchova and the 2024 quarter-finals to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva.<o:p></o:p>
"Every time I go there, it's like a challenge for me, even though I love playing on clay and I feel really good," said Sabalenka of Roland Garros. "But I like to accept tough challenges. So I really hope that one year I'll be able to get that beautiful trophy in my collection."<o:p></o:p>
Earlier in the day, world number nine Paula Badosa delivered another blow to the tournament as she was forced to withdraw from her home event due to a lower back injury.<o:p></o:p>
Badosa joins her fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled out of the Madrid Open on Thursday, citing a left hamstring issue and a right adductor injury.<o:p></o:p>
Meanwhile, Tunisian 2022 Madrid champion Ons Jabeur crashed out in her opener to Moyuka Uchijima 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Greece&rsquo;s Maria Sakkari took a positive step towards recapturing her form by dismissing 29th-seeded Magda Linette 7-6(5), 6-3.
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Sabalenka improved her record at the tournament to 18-4, having lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2023, alongside her runner-up showing to Swiatek last year. Sports, Tennis

Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her quest for a third Madrid Open title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Anna Blinkova in second-round action at the Caja Magica on Friday. The world number one improved her record at the tournament to 18-4, having lifted the trophy in 2021 and 2023, alongside her runner-up showing to Iga Swiatek last year. After racing to a double-break 5-0 advantage against Blinkova in the opening set, Sabalenka lost one of her breaks before taking the lead on her third set point on the 48-minute mark. The second set was a straightforward affair, with an early break of serve enough for Sabalenka to punch her ticket to the third round, where she awaits either her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens or Colombia’s Camila Osorio. Sabalenka’s three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, but the Belarusian power-hitter has shown she can contend on clay, with two trophies clinched from nine finals reached on the surface. The 26-year-old admits the French Open has proven to be a "challenge" for he,r and she feels she has unfinished business there after losing in the 2023 semi-finals to Karolina Muchova and the 2024 quarter-finals to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. "Every time I go there, it's like a challenge for me, even though I love playing on clay and I feel really good," said Sabalenka of Roland Garros. "But I like to accept tough challenges. So I really hope that one year I'll be able to get that beautiful trophy in my collection." Earlier in the day, world number nine Paula Badosa delivered another blow to the tournament as she was forced to withdraw from her home event due to a lower back injury. Badosa joins her fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled out of the Madrid Open on Thursday, citing a left hamstring issue and a right adductor injury. Meanwhile, Tunisian 2022 Madrid champion Ons Jabeur crashed out in her opener to Moyuka Uchijima 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Greece’s Maria Sakkari took a positive step towards recapturing her form by dismissing 29th-seeded Magda Linette 7-6(5), 6-3. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Sabalenka kicks off her third Madrid Open title quest with straight-set win

Jelena Ostapenko stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the WTA event in Stuttgart on Monday, securing the ninth title of her career. Ostapenko, unseeded and ranked 24th in the world heading into the final, won 6-4, 6-1 to win her first title on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph.<o:p></o:p>
The Latvian cruised to victory, converting her first match point to lift her first WTA singles trophy since February last year.<o:p></o:p>
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"It's great to share the court with you -- you're a champion," Ostapenko said to Sabalenka in her on-court interview.<o:p></o:p>
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has now lost four finals in Stuttgart in the past five seasons.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm sure you hate me now because you wanted this car so badly, but I'm sure you'll get it another time," Ostapenko added of the car tournament winners receive as a bonus prize.<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open.<o:p></o:p>
"You were a better player than me, that's all there is to it," Sabalenka said.<o:p></o:p>
Ostapenko broke her opponent in the very first game of the match to set the tone.<o:p></o:p>
She did the same in the opening game of the second set, which appeared to break Sabalenka's resistance, with the Belarusian growing increasingly frustrated.<o:p></o:p>
At one point, Sabalenka fell to the clay, but signalled to her opponent and the umpire that she was not injured.<o:p></o:p>
The tournament win completes an impressive week for Ostapenko in Germany.<o:p></o:p>
She defeated five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, ranked second, in the quarters before a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals.<o:p></o:p>
Ostapenko will climb six places in the WTA rankings to 18th after her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt.<o:p></o:p>
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The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open. Sports, Tennis

Jelena Ostapenko stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the WTA event in Stuttgart on Monday, securing the ninth title of her career. Ostapenko, unseeded and ranked 24th in the world heading into the final, won 6-4, 6-1 to win her first title on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph. The Latvian cruised to victory, converting her first match point to lift her first WTA singles trophy since February last year. Also read | Real Madrid players observe a minute silence for Pope Francis at training "It's great to share the court with you -- you're a champion," Ostapenko said to Sabalenka in her on-court interview. Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has now lost four finals in Stuttgart in the past five seasons. "I'm sure you hate me now because you wanted this car so badly, but I'm sure you'll get it another time," Ostapenko added of the car tournament winners receive as a bonus prize. The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open. "You were a better player than me, that's all there is to it," Sabalenka said. Ostapenko broke her opponent in the very first game of the match to set the tone. She did the same in the opening game of the second set, which appeared to break Sabalenka's resistance, with the Belarusian growing increasingly frustrated. At one point, Sabalenka fell to the clay, but signalled to her opponent and the umpire that she was not injured. The tournament win completes an impressive week for Ostapenko in Germany. She defeated five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, ranked second, in the quarters before a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals. Ostapenko will climb six places in the WTA rankings to 18th after her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Jelena Ostapenko beats world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win Stuttgart title

World number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek">Iga Swiatek</a> lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings.
Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory.&nbsp;Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini.
"Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game."
"I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added.
There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down.&nbsp;Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side.
"When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley.
Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month.
A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart.&nbsp; Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions.&nbsp;Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay.&nbsp;
Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set.&nbsp;
The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory.&nbsp;
Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday.&nbsp;Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4.
Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16.&nbsp;
After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on.&nbsp;
<h2>Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a> cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov.&nbsp;
Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory.&nbsp;On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions.
"I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory.
After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury.&nbsp;
"Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said.
Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp; The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth.&nbsp;Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead.
<h2 class="txt-title">Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich</h2>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/alexander-zverev">Alexander Zverev</a> will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday.
Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018.
"It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev.&nbsp;"The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow."
The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the&nbsp;Australian Open&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated.
Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side.&nbsp;The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final.&nbsp;
Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.&nbsp;Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break.&nbsp;
Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match.&nbsp; The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career.&nbsp;
Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay.&nbsp; "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton.
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Tennis, Sports: Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens

World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion Iga Swiatek lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings. Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini. "Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game." "I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added. There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down. Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side. "When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley. Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month. A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart. Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions. Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay. Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set. The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory. Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday. Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16. After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on. Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final Carlos Alcaraz cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov. Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory. On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions. "I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win. Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory. After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury. "Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said. Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2. The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth. Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead. Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich Alexander Zverev will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday. Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018. "It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev. "The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow." The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open in January. Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated. Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side. The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final. Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break. Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match. The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career. Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay. "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery

The French Open 2025, year's second tennis grand slam, is just about a month away and the organisers have announced the entry list of men's and women's players set to take part. The tournament, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well.
<h2>Women's Singles</h2>
Among the 104 players in women's draw, the spotlight will be on defending champion and four-time winner Iga Swiatek as she aims for fifth Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, Along with her is world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who finished in quarterfinal last year. Sabalenka had a good 2024 when she defended her Australian Open crown and won the maiden US Open as well.
Four players have used protected rankings for get a place in French Open 2025 draw. They are Petra Kvitova who missed last year's event, Jodie Burrage who has never played in main draw at Roland Garros, Yanina Wickmayer and Sorana Cirstea. Apart from the, eight wildcards will also be offered later to complete the main draw.&nbsp;
<a href="https://fft-rg-commun-news.cdn.prismic.io/fft-rg-commun-news/Z_5wnevxEdbNPE3X_RGMDWomen2025.pdf">Check the full player list of French Open 2025 women's singles draw</a>
<h2>Men's Singles</h2>
The men's singles has several big names including last year's champion Carlos Alcaraz - also touted as the successor of clay king Rafael Nadal. 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, last year's finalist Alexander Zverev and one of the all-time greats Novak Djokovic as he searches for the elusive 25th grand slam title.
The players who have used protected rankings are - Reilly Opelka, Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Ofner, and Emil Ruusuvuori.&nbsp;
<a href="https://fft-rg-commun-news.cdn.prismic.io/fft-rg-commun-news/Z_5wnOvxEdbNPE3V_RGMDMen2025.pdf">Check the full player list of French Open 2025 men's singles draw</a>
<h2>What is protected ranking in tennis?</h2>
If a player is out of the game due to injury or maternity leave, their ranking, when they go out of the game, stays intact for a period of time even through they real time ranking goes down. They can use this intact ranking to make a comeback in tournaments. &nbsp;

French Open 2025, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well. Tennis Sports World

The French Open 2025, year's second tennis grand slam, is just about a month away and the organisers have announced the entry list of men's and women's players set to take part. The tournament, which will run from May 19 to June 8, will see 104 women's tennis players and almost similar number of men's players as well. Women's Singles Among the 104 players in women's draw, the spotlight will be on defending champion and four-time winner Iga Swiatek as she aims for fifth Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, Along with her is world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka who finished in quarterfinal last year. Sabalenka had a good 2024 when she defended her Australian Open crown and won the maiden US Open as well. Four players have used protected rankings for get a place in French Open 2025 draw. They are Petra Kvitova who missed last year's event, Jodie Burrage who has never played in main draw at Roland Garros, Yanina Wickmayer and Sorana Cirstea. Apart from the, eight wildcards will also be offered later to complete the main draw. Check the full player list of French Open 2025 women's singles draw Men's Singles The men's singles has several big names including last year's champion Carlos Alcaraz - also touted as the successor of clay king Rafael Nadal. 2025 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, last year's finalist Alexander Zverev and one of the all-time greats Novak Djokovic as he searches for the elusive 25th grand slam title. The players who have used protected rankings are - Reilly Opelka, Jenson Brooksby, Sebastian Ofner, and Emil Ruusuvuori. Check the full player list of French Open 2025 men's singles draw What is protected ranking in tennis? If a player is out of the game due to injury or maternity leave, their ranking, when they go out of the game, stays intact for a period of time even through they real time ranking goes down. They can use this intact ranking to make a comeback in tournaments.

French Open 2025: Men's and women's singles players list announced. Check details

​In a remarkable conclusion to the 2025 Miami Open, 19-year-old Czech sensation Jakub Mensik clinched his first ATP title by defeating Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6(4), 7-6(4). This victory not only denied Djokovic his 100th ATP title but also positioned Mensik as one of the youngest champions in Masters 1000 history.​
The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/miami-open">Miami Open</a>, renowned for its substantial prize pool, featured a total purse of $9 million in 2025. As the singles champion, Mensik earned $1,124,380, while runner-up <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/novak-djokovic">Novak Djokovic</a> received $597,890. Semi-finalists Taylor Fritz and Grigor Dimitrov each took home $332,160, and quarter-finalists Arthur Fils, Matteo Berrettini, Sebastian Korda, and Francisco Cerundolo earned $189,075 each respectively.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hyo-joo-kim-rallies-with-stunning-64-defeats-lilia-vu-in-playoff-to-clinch-lpga-ford-championship-8908712">Hyo Joo Kim rallies with stunning 64, defeats Lilia Vu in playoff to clinch LPGA Ford Championship</a>
Mensik's journey to the title was particularly inspiring, overcoming knee pain that nearly led to his withdrawal from the tournament. His resilience and determination culminated in a historic win over Djokovic, who had been aiming to join the exclusive club of players with 100 ATP titles. Despite the loss, Djokovic expressed admiration for Mensik's performance, acknowledging the young player's potential and predicting a bright future ahead.
<h2>Sabalenka keeps on dominating&nbsp;</h2>
​In the 2025 Miami Open women's singles final, World No. 1 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> clinched her first Miami Open title by defeating fourth-seeded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jessica-pegula">Jessica Pegula</a> 7-5, 6-2. This victory marks Sabalenka's eighth WTA 1000 title and her 19th WTA singles title overall. ​
The Miami Open offered a total prize pool of $8,963,700 for the women's singles event. As the champion, Sabalenka earned $1,124,380, while runner-up Pegula received $597,890. ​Semi-finalists Jasmine Paolini and Alexandra Eala each took home $332,160, and quarter-finalists Iga Swiatek, Qinwen Zheng, Magda Linette, and Emma Raducanu earned $189,075 each respectively.
Sabalenka's dominant performance throughout the tournament, where she did not drop a set, underscores her position as the world's top-ranked player. Her powerful forehand and strategic play were instrumental in overcoming Pegula, who was seeking her first Miami Open title. ​
During the post-match ceremony, both players exchanged heartfelt compliments. Sabalenka humorously expressed her willingness to share the prize money with Pegula, acknowledging their competitive history. Pegula reciprocated by congratulating Sabalenka on her success and expressing determination to continue improving. ​
This triumph adds to Sabalenka's impressive record, which includes three Grand Slam titles, and solidifies her reputation as a formidable competitor on the WTA Tour. ​
(With inputs from agencies)

Tennis, Sports: The prize money for the men's and women's category is the same at the Miami Open, meaning the winner of the match will get just over $1 million

In a remarkable conclusion to the 2025 Miami Open, 19-year-old Czech sensation Jakub Mensik clinched his first ATP title by defeating Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6(4), 7-6(4). This victory not only denied Djokovic his 100th ATP title but also positioned Mensik as one of the youngest champions in Masters 1000 history. The Miami Open, renowned for its substantial prize pool, featured a total purse of $9 million in 2025. As the singles champion, Mensik earned $1,124,380, while runner-up Novak Djokovic received $597,890. Semi-finalists Taylor Fritz and Grigor Dimitrov each took home $332,160, and quarter-finalists Arthur Fils, Matteo Berrettini, Sebastian Korda, and Francisco Cerundolo earned $189,075 each respectively. Also Read: Hyo Joo Kim rallies with stunning 64, defeats Lilia Vu in playoff to clinch LPGA Ford Championship Mensik's journey to the title was particularly inspiring, overcoming knee pain that nearly led to his withdrawal from the tournament. His resilience and determination culminated in a historic win over Djokovic, who had been aiming to join the exclusive club of players with 100 ATP titles. Despite the loss, Djokovic expressed admiration for Mensik's performance, acknowledging the young player's potential and predicting a bright future ahead. Sabalenka keeps on dominating In the 2025 Miami Open women's singles final, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka clinched her first Miami Open title by defeating fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2. This victory marks Sabalenka's eighth WTA 1000 title and her 19th WTA singles title overall. The Miami Open offered a total prize pool of $8,963,700 for the women's singles event. As the champion, Sabalenka earned $1,124,380, while runner-up Pegula received $597,890. Semi-finalists Jasmine Paolini and Alexandra Eala each took home $332,160, and quarter-finalists Iga Swiatek, Qinwen Zheng, Magda Linette, and Emma Raducanu earned $189,075 each respectively. Sabalenka's dominant performance throughout the tournament, where she did not drop a set, underscores her position as the world's top-ranked player. Her powerful forehand and strategic play were instrumental in overcoming Pegula, who was seeking her first Miami Open title. During the post-match ceremony, both players exchanged heartfelt compliments. Sabalenka humorously expressed her willingness to share the prize money with Pegula, acknowledging their competitive history. Pegula reciprocated by congratulating Sabalenka on her success and expressing determination to continue improving. This triumph adds to Sabalenka's impressive record, which includes three Grand Slam titles, and solidifies her reputation as a formidable competitor on the WTA Tour. (With inputs from agencies)

How much did Miami Open 2025 winners earn? Full breakdown inside

World number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> powered her way to the Miami Open title on Saturday, beating American <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jessica-pegula">Jessica Pegula</a> 7-5 6-2 in the WTA 1000 event at Hard Rock Stadium.
The title was the Belarusian's first at Miami and her second of the season following her January triumph in Brisbane.&nbsp;Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mirra-andreeva" rel="dofollow">Mirra Andreeva</a> earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at the last hurdle again.
"I'm super happy to have this trophy, I was able to play my best tennis in the final," said Sabalenka, who paid tribute to Pegula's performance after repeating her win over her from last year's US Open final.
Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set, which saw seven breaks of serve, with Pegula causing Sabalenka some trouble when she brought her up to the net.
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But the momentum shifted when Pegula was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down and Sabalenka turned it on, producing a delicate forehand drop and then a superb down the line winner to take the set.
Once she recovered from being broken on her first service game of the second set, it was easier going for Sabalenka, whose bid for a third straight Australian Open title was thwarted in the Melbourne final by Madison Keys earlier this year.
Sabalenka broke twice to go 3-1 up and never looked in danger from that point on as she wrapped up the win in one hour 27 minutes.
"I think I was able to completely forget about (it being) the final, about the outside things and I was just so focused on the game," said Sabalenka.
In her last 14 matches against top 10 players, Sabalenka has won 12 and she credited her ability in the clutch moments for her record.
"It is all about those key moments of the match, about playing aggressive and staying with the game plan, going for shots without being afraid of losing the point," she said.
It was the third time that Pegula has faced Sabalenka in a final and she has lost on all three occasions.&nbsp;"I consider myself one of the world&rsquo;s best hard-court players, but she&rsquo;s probably the best," Pegula conceded after the match.
<h2>Raising her level</h2>
"She just keeps ... raising her level in key moments of the match when she needs to, and I feel like that was the big difference today and the last few times I have played her," she added
But Pegula, the world number four, said she was pleased to again have been a serious contender in a tournament.&nbsp;"Happy to be in another big 1000 final and having consistent results and keep going deep in tournaments. The reason we play is to put ourselves in good chances to win these events. I was able to do that the last couple weeks," she said.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka has now won eight WTA 1000 titles and 19 titles on the WTA Tour overall - 17 of which have come on hard courts including all three of her Grand Slam singles titles -- the 2023 Australian Open, the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.
She looks a calmer, more focused, presence on court than in her earlier seasons when she was capable of bouts of rage when the going got tough.
"I think before, every time I would lose my serve, one game, I could just completely lose the match because I would still be thinking about that first game," she said.
Sabalenka said that her struggles in the past with her serve had allowed her to develop a stronger all-round game and more positive mentality.
"When I was struggling with my serve I had to push myself on the return and had to play with something else. So now, every time I am losing (serve) I know that I have weapons, that I can return well and that I can break back," she said.
"I think that challenge really helped me to be more focused and not get too crazy on court after losing a game on my serve," she added.
The men's final on Sunday will feature <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/novak-djokovic">Novak Djokovic</a> up against Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik with the Serb looking for his 100th professional title.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Tennis, Sports: Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at last hurdle again

World number one Aryna Sabalenka powered her way to the Miami Open title on Saturday, beating American Jessica Pegula 7-5 6-2 in the WTA 1000 event at Hard Rock Stadium. The title was the Belarusian's first at Miami and her second of the season following her January triumph in Brisbane. Having lost the final at Indian Wells to Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva earlier this month, Sabalenka was determined not to fall at the last hurdle again. "I'm super happy to have this trophy, I was able to play my best tennis in the final," said Sabalenka, who paid tribute to Pegula's performance after repeating her win over her from last year's US Open final. Both players struggled to hold their serve in the first set, which saw seven breaks of serve, with Pegula causing Sabalenka some trouble when she brought her up to the net. Also Read: Eoin Morgan explains how Ben Stokes could become England’s ‘flexible’ ODI captain But the momentum shifted when Pegula was serving to stay in the set at 6-5 down and Sabalenka turned it on, producing a delicate forehand drop and then a superb down the line winner to take the set. Once she recovered from being broken on her first service game of the second set, it was easier going for Sabalenka, whose bid for a third straight Australian Open title was thwarted in the Melbourne final by Madison Keys earlier this year. Sabalenka broke twice to go 3-1 up and never looked in danger from that point on as she wrapped up the win in one hour 27 minutes. "I think I was able to completely forget about (it being) the final, about the outside things and I was just so focused on the game," said Sabalenka. In her last 14 matches against top 10 players, Sabalenka has won 12 and she credited her ability in the clutch moments for her record. "It is all about those key moments of the match, about playing aggressive and staying with the game plan, going for shots without being afraid of losing the point," she said. It was the third time that Pegula has faced Sabalenka in a final and she has lost on all three occasions. "I consider myself one of the world’s best hard-court players, but she’s probably the best," Pegula conceded after the match. Raising her level "She just keeps ... raising her level in key moments of the match when she needs to, and I feel like that was the big difference today and the last few times I have played her," she added But Pegula, the world number four, said she was pleased to again have been a serious contender in a tournament. "Happy to be in another big 1000 final and having consistent results and keep going deep in tournaments. The reason we play is to put ourselves in good chances to win these events. I was able to do that the last couple weeks," she said. The 26-year-old Sabalenka has now won eight WTA 1000 titles and 19 titles on the WTA Tour overall - 17 of which have come on hard courts including all three of her Grand Slam singles titles -- the 2023 Australian Open, the 2024 Australian Open and the 2024 US Open. She looks a calmer, more focused, presence on court than in her earlier seasons when she was capable of bouts of rage when the going got tough. "I think before, every time I would lose my serve, one game, I could just completely lose the match because I would still be thinking about that first game," she said. Sabalenka said that her struggles in the past with her serve had allowed her to develop a stronger all-round game and more positive mentality. "When I was struggling with my serve I had to push myself on the return and had to play with something else. So now, every time I am losing (serve) I know that I have weapons, that I can return well and that I can break back," she said. "I think that challenge really helped me to be more focused and not get too crazy on court after losing a game on my serve," she added. The men's final on Sunday will feature Novak Djokovic up against Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik with the Serb looking for his 100th professional title. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka cruises past Jessica Pegula to clinch Miami Open title

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded Coco Gauff eased through their second round matches at the Miami Open on Thursday but seventh seed Elena Rybakina crashed out to American Ashlyn Krueger.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka beat Bulgaria&rsquo;s Viktoriya Tomova 6-3 6-0 in a contest which lasted just 58 minutes while Gauff made even shorter work of her match, beating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-0 6-0 in just 47 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
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For Sabalenka, who was beaten in the Indian Wells final by Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Sunday, it was a comfortable start to her bid in South Florida.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm super happy to get this win. A bit tricky with the conditions, and I didn't have much time to adjust, so just happy with the performance today," said the Belarussian, who said the contrast with conditions in California was striking. "I feel like it's a bit slower here, probably because of the balls, everything, it's much heavier on the body.<o:p></o:p>
"Then it was windy. It was a bit like different stadium. It's just like everything new, and I had few days to adjust. That was a bit tricky, but I think I handled pretty well. So happy to get through," she added.<o:p></o:p>
Gauff, who has made a slow start to the season, said it had simply been a case of everything falling into place for her from the outset.<o:p></o:p>
"I was definitely playing well today, and maybe she wasn't playing her peak great tennis. I don't think anyone who is playing their best tennis will have that scoreline today, so I'm not going to sit here and say she played her best tennis," she said.<o:p></o:p>
Gauff, who suffered a surprise exit to Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells last week, said she wasn't trying to prove any point about her form.<o:p></o:p>
"I know where I personally stand in my game. Yes, it's not been up to my standards, but at the same time, you know, we are just March and our season ends in November. There is a lot of time to improve.<o:p></o:p>
"Today I wasn't going in with that in my mind. It just happened to be a great day for me," she said.<o:p></o:p>
Krueger, the 20-year-old Texan, claimed her first win over a top-10 opponent beating 2023 Miami Open finalist Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in 1 hour and 50 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
The American, ranked 40th in the world, will face Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the next round.<o:p></o:p>
Defending champion Danielle Collins survived some late nerves to get past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-4 7-6 (7/3) and book her place in the round of 32.<o:p></o:p>
Naomi Osaka, the 2022 Miami finalist, defeated 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-4 to earn a meet-up with American wildcard Halley Baptiste.<o:p></o:p>
Baptiste enjoyed an upset 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over 12th seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sabalenka beat Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-3 6-0 in a contest that lasted just 58 minutes, while Gauff beat Sofia Kenin 6-0 6-0 in just 47 minutes.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and third-seeded Coco Gauff eased through their second round matches at the Miami Open on Thursday but seventh seed Elena Rybakina crashed out to American Ashlyn Krueger. Sabalenka beat Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-3 6-0 in a contest which lasted just 58 minutes while Gauff made even shorter work of her match, beating 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-0 6-0 in just 47 minutes. Also read | Meet Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, first woman to be elected as International Olympic Committee president For Sabalenka, who was beaten in the Indian Wells final by Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Sunday, it was a comfortable start to her bid in South Florida. "I'm super happy to get this win. A bit tricky with the conditions, and I didn't have much time to adjust, so just happy with the performance today," said the Belarussian, who said the contrast with conditions in California was striking. "I feel like it's a bit slower here, probably because of the balls, everything, it's much heavier on the body. "Then it was windy. It was a bit like different stadium. It's just like everything new, and I had few days to adjust. That was a bit tricky, but I think I handled pretty well. So happy to get through," she added. Gauff, who has made a slow start to the season, said it had simply been a case of everything falling into place for her from the outset. "I was definitely playing well today, and maybe she wasn't playing her peak great tennis. I don't think anyone who is playing their best tennis will have that scoreline today, so I'm not going to sit here and say she played her best tennis," she said. Gauff, who suffered a surprise exit to Belinda Bencic at Indian Wells last week, said she wasn't trying to prove any point about her form. "I know where I personally stand in my game. Yes, it's not been up to my standards, but at the same time, you know, we are just March and our season ends in November. There is a lot of time to improve. "Today I wasn't going in with that in my mind. It just happened to be a great day for me," she said. Krueger, the 20-year-old Texan, claimed her first win over a top-10 opponent beating 2023 Miami Open finalist Rybakina 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in 1 hour and 50 minutes. The American, ranked 40th in the world, will face Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the next round. Defending champion Danielle Collins survived some late nerves to get past Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-4 7-6 (7/3) and book her place in the round of 32. Naomi Osaka, the 2022 Miami finalist, defeated 24th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-2 6-4 to earn a meet-up with American wildcard Halley Baptiste. Baptiste enjoyed an upset 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over 12th seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Miami Open: Sabalenka, Coco Gauff cruise but Rybakina crashes out in second round

Russian 17-year-old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mirra-andreeva" rel="dofollow">Mirra Andreeva</a> toppled world number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday to capture her second WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells.
Andreeva, who last month become the youngest ever player to win an elite 1000 level crown with her triumph in Dubai, ended a frustrating run against the Belarusian to ensure she will rise to a career-high sixth in the world on Monday.&nbsp;Andreeva shook off her first set woes and broke Sabalenka three times in the third pushing her 2025 record to 19-3 -- the most wins of any woman on the WTA tour.
"I would like to thank myself for fighting to the end," Andreeva said. "I was running like a rabbit today because Aryna she was sending bullets and it was really hard to keep up."
In a match of swinging shifts of momentum, Andreeva was in full control by the end, giving herself a match point on Sabalenka's serve with a defensive lob that forced a miss from the number one and clinching victory with a forehand winner.
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"The match point I just really tried to just put the return in, it doesn't matter how," she told Tennis Channel. "Then I just saw the ball and I decided I might just go for it.
"And I did," added Andreeva, who sank to her knees in celebration after her winner landed.&nbsp;Andreeva claimed her first hard court victory over Sabalenka, who had beaten her twice already this year at Brisbane and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australian-open">Australian Open</a>.
Sabalenka had powered into the final without dropping a set but it was another disappointment for the Belarusian, who was stunned by Madison Keys in the final at Melbourne to see her bid for a third successive Australian Open title denied.
Unlike in Melbourne where she played "like a joke," Sabalenka said, this time she let her emotions get the best of her.
"Honestly, was me against me," she said. "I made a lot of unforced errors on important points, and I just let her play a little bit better ... I was just too pissed with myself, because I think it shouldn't be the way I finished and I was just pissed with myself.
"I should have just thrown that aggression on that side instead of being too hard on myself."
Andreeva had Sabalenka under pressure early, and the youngster's frustration was evident as she was unable to convert four break points in the third game.
Sabalenka took full advantage, breaking the Russian to love for a 3-1 lead and keeping her foot firmly on the accelerator from there.
<h2>Anger boiling </h2>
Sabalenka backed up her power from the baseline with some confident forays to the net, breaking Andreeva to take the opening set in 37 minutes.
"The anger was just boiling inside of me, because I had a lot of opportunities I didn't convert," said Andreeva, who wasted another three break points to open the second set.&nbsp;She finally gained a foothold with a break for 2-1 &nbsp;-- pouncing on a Sabalenka second serve to end a run of 18 missed break point chances against the Belarusian this year.
"I was so desperate to win at least one game on her serve ... every time she served I just tried to win one more game and then one more game," Andreeva said. "Somehow I kind of crawled and came back and we got into the third set like this."
Andreeva saved a pair of break points to push her lead to 4-2, her winners tally climbing with her confidence.&nbsp;After missing one chance to take the set on Sabalenka's serve, Andreeva sealed the set with her first love service game, complete with a pair of aces to close it.
The Russian maintained her momentum as she broke Sabalenka to love to open the third.&nbsp;Sabalenka promptly broke back, but that proved just a speedbump as Andreeva broke again for 2-1 and didn't face another break point.
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Sports, Tennis: Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva ended a frustrating run against the Belarusian to ensure she will rise to a career-high sixth in the world

Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva toppled world number one Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday to capture her second WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells. Andreeva, who last month become the youngest ever player to win an elite 1000 level crown with her triumph in Dubai, ended a frustrating run against the Belarusian to ensure she will rise to a career-high sixth in the world on Monday. Andreeva shook off her first set woes and broke Sabalenka three times in the third pushing her 2025 record to 19-3 -- the most wins of any woman on the WTA tour. "I would like to thank myself for fighting to the end," Andreeva said. "I was running like a rabbit today because Aryna she was sending bullets and it was really hard to keep up." In a match of swinging shifts of momentum, Andreeva was in full control by the end, giving herself a match point on Sabalenka's serve with a defensive lob that forced a miss from the number one and clinching victory with a forehand winner. Also Read: PL: Arsenal close gap with leaders Liverpool after win over Chelsea; Fulham beat Spurs "The match point I just really tried to just put the return in, it doesn't matter how," she told Tennis Channel. "Then I just saw the ball and I decided I might just go for it. "And I did," added Andreeva, who sank to her knees in celebration after her winner landed. Andreeva claimed her first hard court victory over Sabalenka, who had beaten her twice already this year at Brisbane and the Australian Open. Sabalenka had powered into the final without dropping a set but it was another disappointment for the Belarusian, who was stunned by Madison Keys in the final at Melbourne to see her bid for a third successive Australian Open title denied. Unlike in Melbourne where she played "like a joke," Sabalenka said, this time she let her emotions get the best of her. "Honestly, was me against me," she said. "I made a lot of unforced errors on important points, and I just let her play a little bit better ... I was just too pissed with myself, because I think it shouldn't be the way I finished and I was just pissed with myself. "I should have just thrown that aggression on that side instead of being too hard on myself." Andreeva had Sabalenka under pressure early, and the youngster's frustration was evident as she was unable to convert four break points in the third game. Sabalenka took full advantage, breaking the Russian to love for a 3-1 lead and keeping her foot firmly on the accelerator from there. Anger boiling Sabalenka backed up her power from the baseline with some confident forays to the net, breaking Andreeva to take the opening set in 37 minutes. "The anger was just boiling inside of me, because I had a lot of opportunities I didn't convert," said Andreeva, who wasted another three break points to open the second set. She finally gained a foothold with a break for 2-1 -- pouncing on a Sabalenka second serve to end a run of 18 missed break point chances against the Belarusian this year. "I was so desperate to win at least one game on her serve ... every time she served I just tried to win one more game and then one more game," Andreeva said. "Somehow I kind of crawled and came back and we got into the third set like this." Andreeva saved a pair of break points to push her lead to 4-2, her winners tally climbing with her confidence. After missing one chance to take the set on Sabalenka's serve, Andreeva sealed the set with her first love service game, complete with a pair of aces to close it. The Russian maintained her momentum as she broke Sabalenka to love to open the third. Sabalenka promptly broke back, but that proved just a speedbump as Andreeva broke again for 2-1 and didn't face another break point. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Mirra Andreeva, 17, tops world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka for Indian Wells title

Aryna Sabalenka avenged her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys on Friday, thrashing the American 6-0, 6-1 to book an Indian Wells title showdown with teen sensation Mirra Andreeva.<o:p></o:p>
Red-hot Russian 17-year-old Andreeva showed plenty of poise in a 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3 victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek, ending the second-ranked Pole's bid to become the first woman to win three titles in the California desert.<o:p></o:p>
"I was hungry," said Sabalenka, who had made no bones about wanting revenge after Keys denied her bid for a third straight Australian Open title in January. "That Australian Open match was really heartbroken for me, and I really needed some time to recover after that.<o:p></o:p>
"And if I would lose today again, it would get in my head and I didn't want that to happen. I was really focused -- I was just really hungry to get this win against Madison."<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-indias-grand-prix-execution-shows-promise-for-future-championships-wpa-8854686" rel="dofollow">Exclusive | India&rsquo;s Grand Prix execution shows promise for future championships: WPA</a>
Keys, who was riding a 16-match winning streak, couldn't get a foot in the door.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka was untroubled by the cold, swirling wind on Stadium Court as she won the first 11 games.<o:p></o:p>
"I think tactically I played really great tennis," said Sabalenka, adding her strategy was to "just keep her out of the rhythm".<o:p></o:p>
The mis-firing Keys finally held serve for 5-1 in the second, but minutes later Sabalenka sealed the win and lined up a shot at the WTA tour's newest sensation Andreeva in what 26-year-old Sabalenka quipped would be "kind of like an old mama playing against a kid".<o:p></o:p>
Andreeva beat Swiatek for the second time in as many tournaments, having stunned the Polish star in the quarter-finals at Dubai last month on the way to becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek, who hadn't dropped a set in winning 10 straight Indian Wells matches, looked supremely confident as she dropped just one point in her first three service games.<o:p></o:p>
But it was Andreeva who claimed the first break of the tense first set for a 5-4 lead.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Super comfortable<o:p></o:p></h2>
After Swiatek broke back and they reached the tiebreaker, Andreeva seized control, opening with a blistering backhand winner and pocketing the set on her first opportunity as Swiatek sent a backhand wide.<o:p></o:p>
"I felt like I'm gonna go and play the tiebreak like it's the last tiebreak of my life," she said. "So I just went for all my shots. My serve was great. I just felt super comfortable and confident," she said.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek put her frustrations aside and broke Andreeva to open the second set, breaking her twice more as the Russian's errors multiplied under pressure from her opponent.<o:p></o:p>
"The second set, it was a bit weird," Andreeva said. "I just felt like she literally overplayed me, because she was playing pretty deep with good height over the net. It was really hard to do something with these shots."<o:p></o:p>
The roles reversed again, however, when Andreeva stepped up her attack and broke Swiatek to open the third, and she sealed the win with her third break of the set.<o:p></o:p>
"I just decided to kind of still play the same but maybe go for my shots more, trying to play a little bit more aggressive," she said. "I feel also that I was dealing with the nerves and the pressure pretty good, so I just feel proud of myself."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Sports, Tennis: Runners-up in Women's Singles in Australian Open Aryna Sabalenka was untroubled by the cold, swirling wind on Stadium Court as she won the first 11 games.

Aryna Sabalenka avenged her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys on Friday, thrashing the American 6-0, 6-1 to book an Indian Wells title showdown with teen sensation Mirra Andreeva. Red-hot Russian 17-year-old Andreeva showed plenty of poise in a 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3 victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek, ending the second-ranked Pole's bid to become the first woman to win three titles in the California desert. "I was hungry," said Sabalenka, who had made no bones about wanting revenge after Keys denied her bid for a third straight Australian Open title in January. "That Australian Open match was really heartbroken for me, and I really needed some time to recover after that. "And if I would lose today again, it would get in my head and I didn't want that to happen. I was really focused -- I was just really hungry to get this win against Madison." Also read | Exclusive | India’s Grand Prix execution shows promise for future championships: WPA Keys, who was riding a 16-match winning streak, couldn't get a foot in the door. Sabalenka was untroubled by the cold, swirling wind on Stadium Court as she won the first 11 games. "I think tactically I played really great tennis," said Sabalenka, adding her strategy was to "just keep her out of the rhythm". The mis-firing Keys finally held serve for 5-1 in the second, but minutes later Sabalenka sealed the win and lined up a shot at the WTA tour's newest sensation Andreeva in what 26-year-old Sabalenka quipped would be "kind of like an old mama playing against a kid". Andreeva beat Swiatek for the second time in as many tournaments, having stunned the Polish star in the quarter-finals at Dubai last month on the way to becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion. Swiatek, who hadn't dropped a set in winning 10 straight Indian Wells matches, looked supremely confident as she dropped just one point in her first three service games. But it was Andreeva who claimed the first break of the tense first set for a 5-4 lead. Super comfortable After Swiatek broke back and they reached the tiebreaker, Andreeva seized control, opening with a blistering backhand winner and pocketing the set on her first opportunity as Swiatek sent a backhand wide. "I felt like I'm gonna go and play the tiebreak like it's the last tiebreak of my life," she said. "So I just went for all my shots. My serve was great. I just felt super comfortable and confident," she said. Swiatek put her frustrations aside and broke Andreeva to open the second set, breaking her twice more as the Russian's errors multiplied under pressure from her opponent. "The second set, it was a bit weird," Andreeva said. "I just felt like she literally overplayed me, because she was playing pretty deep with good height over the net. It was really hard to do something with these shots." The roles reversed again, however, when Andreeva stepped up her attack and broke Swiatek to open the third, and she sealed the win with her third break of the set. "I just decided to kind of still play the same but maybe go for my shots more, trying to play a little bit more aggressive," she said. "I feel also that I was dealing with the nerves and the pressure pretty good, so I just feel proud of myself." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sabalenka avenges AO loss with straight-set win over Keys to reach Indian Wells final

Two-time defending champion <a href="www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a> powered past in-form Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to continue his march toward a rare Indian Wells ATP Masters three-peat.
The world number three from Spain booked his place in the last 16 with a clinical victory, breaking Shapovalov in the opening game with a blistering forehand down the line as he roared to a 5-0 lead.
Alcaraz said the quick start was key against an opponent coming off a title in Dallas and a semi-final run in Acapulco.&nbsp;"I knew at the beginning of the match that I had to be really focused. I had to start the match really strong, knowing it was going to be a really tough battle," Alcaraz said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/low-turnout-athlete-withdrawals-cast-shadow-over-indias-world-para-athletics-grand-prix-2025-8844228">Low turnout, athlete withdrawals cast shadow over India's World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025</a>
He saved three of the four break points he faced and converted four of his eight chances, sealing the match with an overhead that Shapovalov could barely get his racquet to.
Pleased with his performance, Alcaraz said there were still a few things he could improve as he tries to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the California desert.
In other matches, world number four Taylor Fritz, the Indian Wells champion in 2022, said he "just stopped making super random mistakes" to turn things around in his 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.
"For the first set and a half, I just, for no reason, was just missing balls. I couldn't even imagine, I don't know why I was missing them," added the American, who had 43 unforced errors to 32 winners.
Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, ending the run of the Dutch lucky loser who toppled 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.&nbsp;Cerundolo next plays Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur, who cruised past Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-0 to post his 50th match win at the Masters 1000 level.
<h2>Sabalenka, Keys and Gauff sail through</h2>
While upsets have claimed men's top seed Alexander Zverev, fourth seed Casper Ruud and number six Djokovic, the top five women's seeds are all safely into the fourth round after victories for world number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a>, third-ranked Coco Gauff and fifth-ranked Australian Open champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/madison-keys">Madison Keys</a> on Monday.
Sabalenka said her 6-1, 6-2 victory over 62nd-ranked Lucia Bronzetti wasn't as easy as it looked, thanks in part to the unpredictable Stadium Court wind.
"I had to fight for every point and I'm super happy with the win," said Sabalenka who next faces British lucky loser Sonay Kartal, who beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-3.
Keys's struggles were obvious, but the American who shocked Sabalenka in the Melbourne final gutted out a 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens.
Unable to convert two match points as she served at 5-3 in the second set, Keys blew two more in the tiebreaker before finally polishing off the 28th seed from Belgium in two hours and 48 minutes.
"It's just about surviving," said Keys, who admitted she was finding it tricky to manage her own expectations in her first tournament since capturing her maiden major.
"Today, obviously, I don't think I played my best level, and I think that was more frustrating just because I'm starting to expect a little bit more of myself," she said.
Gauff cleaned up her service game to pull off a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 victory over Greece's Maria Sakkari -- who beat Gauff in the semi-finals last year on the way to a second Indian Wells final in three years.
After producing 21 double faults in a three-set victory over Moyuka Uchijima, Gauff had just nine -- six of them in a shaky final game.
"Resilience I guess," Gauff said of what she'll take from the win. "Overall it was much better than the previous match."
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Sports, Tennis: Alcaraz booked his place in the last 16 with a clinical win, breaking Shapovalov in opening game with a blistering forehand down the line as he roared to a 5-0 lead

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz powered past in-form Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to continue his march toward a rare Indian Wells ATP Masters three-peat. The world number three from Spain booked his place in the last 16 with a clinical victory, breaking Shapovalov in the opening game with a blistering forehand down the line as he roared to a 5-0 lead. Alcaraz said the quick start was key against an opponent coming off a title in Dallas and a semi-final run in Acapulco. "I knew at the beginning of the match that I had to be really focused. I had to start the match really strong, knowing it was going to be a really tough battle," Alcaraz said. Also Read: Low turnout, athlete withdrawals cast shadow over India's World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 He saved three of the four break points he faced and converted four of his eight chances, sealing the match with an overhead that Shapovalov could barely get his racquet to. Pleased with his performance, Alcaraz said there were still a few things he could improve as he tries to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three straight titles in the California desert. In other matches, world number four Taylor Fritz, the Indian Wells champion in 2022, said he "just stopped making super random mistakes" to turn things around in his 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. "For the first set and a half, I just, for no reason, was just missing balls. I couldn't even imagine, I don't know why I was missing them," added the American, who had 43 unforced errors to 32 winners. Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, ending the run of the Dutch lucky loser who toppled 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the second round. Cerundolo next plays Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur, who cruised past Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-0 to post his 50th match win at the Masters 1000 level. Sabalenka, Keys and Gauff sail through While upsets have claimed men's top seed Alexander Zverev, fourth seed Casper Ruud and number six Djokovic, the top five women's seeds are all safely into the fourth round after victories for world number one Aryna Sabalenka, third-ranked Coco Gauff and fifth-ranked Australian Open champion Madison Keys on Monday. Sabalenka said her 6-1, 6-2 victory over 62nd-ranked Lucia Bronzetti wasn't as easy as it looked, thanks in part to the unpredictable Stadium Court wind. "I had to fight for every point and I'm super happy with the win," said Sabalenka who next faces British lucky loser Sonay Kartal, who beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-3. Keys's struggles were obvious, but the American who shocked Sabalenka in the Melbourne final gutted out a 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-4 victory over Elise Mertens. Unable to convert two match points as she served at 5-3 in the second set, Keys blew two more in the tiebreaker before finally polishing off the 28th seed from Belgium in two hours and 48 minutes. "It's just about surviving," said Keys, who admitted she was finding it tricky to manage her own expectations in her first tournament since capturing her maiden major. "Today, obviously, I don't think I played my best level, and I think that was more frustrating just because I'm starting to expect a little bit more of myself," she said. Gauff cleaned up her service game to pull off a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 victory over Greece's Maria Sakkari -- who beat Gauff in the semi-finals last year on the way to a second Indian Wells final in three years. After producing 21 double faults in a three-set victory over Moyuka Uchijima, Gauff had just nine -- six of them in a shaky final game. "Resilience I guess," Gauff said of what she'll take from the win. "Overall it was much better than the previous match." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Alcaraz powers into Indian Wells last 16; Sabalenka, Gauff, Keys advance

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner&rsquo;s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-number-one-jannik-sinner-accepts-three-month-suspension-over-doping-charges-8723883" rel="dofollow">Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges</a>
Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August.<o:p></o:p>
In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.<o:p></o:p>
In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters".<o:p></o:p>
Pegula, last year&rsquo;s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.<o:p></o:p>
"I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. <o:p></o:p>
"I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea."<o:p></o:p>
Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.<o:p></o:p>
"If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered."<o:p></o:p>
"I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.<o:p></o:p>
&ldquo;I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Too scared': Sabalenka<o:p></o:p></h2>
Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport&rsquo;s strict anti-doping rules.<o:p></o:p>
"You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I&rsquo;m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they&rsquo;re going to go for you and they&rsquo;re not going to believe you or anything.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become too scared of the system. I don&rsquo;t see how I can trust the system."<o:p></o:p>
American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance.<o:p></o:p>
"I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion.<o:p></o:p>
"I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis; he admitted "partial responsibility" for team mistakes.

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it. Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. Also read | Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August. In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban. In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage. Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters". Pegula, last year’s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players. "I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. "I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea." Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes. "If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered." "I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair. “I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport." 'Too scared': Sabalenka Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport’s strict anti-doping rules. "You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one. "You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything. "You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system." American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance. "I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion. "I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sinner’s doping case ban scares Sabalenka; Pegula calls process 'completely broken’

Italian Jannik Sinner beat Germany's Alexander Zverev for his second consecutive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australian-open" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open</a> title on Sunday (Jan 26). Defending champions Sinner won the final 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in straight-sets and joined Rafael Nadal as the only player since 2006 to defend his maiden grand slam title. Sinner had beaten Daniil Medvedev in 2024 Australian Open final for his maiden grand slam title.
<h2>How much prize money Jannik Sinner earned?</h2>
Sinner earned Australian $3.5 million in prize money after defeating Zverev in the final which is equivalent to US $2.2 million or INR 17.5 crore approximately.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/djokovic-zverev-australian-open-heartfelt-message-after-loss-final-on-jan-26-8656257" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">In a heartfelt message, Novak Djokovic wants Alexander Zverev to 'keep believing' after loss in final</a>
Australian Open women's singles winner Madison Keys also won the same amount after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday (Jan 25).
<h2>Australian Open 2025 runner-up prize money</h2>
Zverev, who ended up as the runner up after defeat in Australian Open 2025 men's singles final, took home Australian $1.9 million or US $1.2 million (INR 9.6 crore approx).
Belarusian Aryan Sabalenka, who <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/australian-open-2025-aryna-sabalenka-smashes-racquet-video-after-loss-in-final-vs-madison-keys-8655651" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">broke the racquet</a> after the loss to Keys, also took home the same prize money as Zverev.
<h2>Australian Open 2025 semi-finalist prize money&nbsp;</h2>
The four semi-finalists, two each in men's and women's singles event, took home Australian $1.1 million or US $690,000 (INR 5.9 crore approx).
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/zverev-australian-open-final-crying-video-sinner-consoles-after-winning-title-8655911" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Jannik Sinner consoles crying Alexander Zverev after win</a>
In men's singles, Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton were the semi-finalists while in women's event Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa were the ones to loss semi-final.
<h2>Australian Open 2025 team event prize Money&nbsp;</h2>
The doubles teams champions in Australian Open 2025, that is men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles, won Australian $810,000 per team or US $511,515 (INR 4 crore approx) for the win while the runners-up took home Australian $440,000 or US $277,860 (INR 2.4 crore).
Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara beat Simone Bolelli and AndreaVavassori in men's doubles final; Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova beat Hsieh Su-wei and Jeļena Ostapenko in women's doubles final while Olivia Gadecki and John Peers won the mixed doubles final against Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith.

Australian Open 2025: Jannik Sinner won the men's singles trophy against Alexander Zverev while Madison Keys won women's singles title vs Aryan Sabalenka. Sports Tennis

Italian Jannik Sinner beat Germany's Alexander Zverev for his second consecutive Australian Open title on Sunday (Jan 26). Defending champions Sinner won the final 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in straight-sets and joined Rafael Nadal as the only player since 2006 to defend his maiden grand slam title. Sinner had beaten Daniil Medvedev in 2024 Australian Open final for his maiden grand slam title. How much prize money Jannik Sinner earned? Sinner earned Australian $3.5 million in prize money after defeating Zverev in the final which is equivalent to US $2.2 million or INR 17.5 crore approximately. Also Read: In a heartfelt message, Novak Djokovic wants Alexander Zverev to 'keep believing' after loss in final Australian Open women's singles winner Madison Keys also won the same amount after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Saturday (Jan 25). Australian Open 2025 runner-up prize money Zverev, who ended up as the runner up after defeat in Australian Open 2025 men's singles final, took home Australian $1.9 million or US $1.2 million (INR 9.6 crore approx). Belarusian Aryan Sabalenka, who broke the racquet after the loss to Keys, also took home the same prize money as Zverev. Australian Open 2025 semi-finalist prize money The four semi-finalists, two each in men's and women's singles event, took home Australian $1.1 million or US $690,000 (INR 5.9 crore approx). Also Watch: Jannik Sinner consoles crying Alexander Zverev after win In men's singles, Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton were the semi-finalists while in women's event Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa were the ones to loss semi-final. Australian Open 2025 team event prize Money The doubles teams champions in Australian Open 2025, that is men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles, won Australian $810,000 per team or US $511,515 (INR 4 crore approx) for the win while the runners-up took home Australian $440,000 or US $277,860 (INR 2.4 crore). Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara beat Simone Bolelli and AndreaVavassori in men's doubles final; Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova beat Hsieh Su-wei and Jeļena Ostapenko in women's doubles final while Olivia Gadecki and John Peers won the mixed doubles final against Kimberly Birrell and John-Patrick Smith.

Australia Open 2025 Prize Money: How much did Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka earn?

Aryna Sabalenka was distraught and upset after losing the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australian-open">Australian Open</a> 2025 women's singles final against American <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/madison-keys">Madison Keys</a> on Saturday (Jan 25). The Belarusian player had lost the first set 3-6 but came back strongly to win the second one 6-2. In the third set, however, Keys was at her best and went on to win it 7-5.
<h2>Sabalenka smashes racquet</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Sabalenka</a> was clearly upset with her loss and went on to smash her racquet before burying her head in a towel. Have a look at the moment below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Racket destroyed, head in towel. Gotta feel for Sabalenka. <a href="https://t.co/CB855bInFI">pic.twitter.com/CB855bInFI</a>
&mdash; Tennis GIFs🎾🎥 (tip jar🫙📌) (@tennis_gifs) <a href="https://twitter.com/tennis_gifs/status/1883105525019423177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Sabalenka, who was two-time defending champion at the Australian Open 2025, did give the due credit to Keys in her post-match speech.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/sinner-vs-zverev-australian-open-2025-final-live-score-updates-liveblog-8655167" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open 2025 Final Sinner vs Zverev Updates</a>
&ldquo;Should I say anything to my team? As always, that's your fault guys. I don't want to see you for the next week. I really hate you. No, thank you so much for everything you do for me and blah blah blah. I think we did our best, just Madison was playing incredible. Anyway, I love you. Even though we lost,&rdquo; she said.
Keys, for whom it was the maiden grand slam win, said: &ldquo;I have wanted this for so long, and I have been in a grand slam final, it did not go my way. I didn't know if I was going to be able to get back to this position to try and win a trophy again, and my team believed in me every step of the way, so thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. Last year was so tough with some really bad injuries, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it again and to be here and have this trophy and also be able to do it with my husband, who is kind of dazed and confused over there. I love you all so much and I cannot wait for more.&rdquo;

Australian Open 2025: Sabalenka, two-time defending champion, was clearly upset with her loss and went on to smash her racquet before burying her head in a towel. Sports Tennis 

Aryna Sabalenka was distraught and upset after losing the Australian Open 2025 women's singles final against American Madison Keys on Saturday (Jan 25). The Belarusian player had lost the first set 3-6 but came back strongly to win the second one 6-2. In the third set, however, Keys was at her best and went on to win it 7-5. Sabalenka smashes racquet Sabalenka was clearly upset with her loss and went on to smash her racquet before burying her head in a towel. Have a look at the moment below: Racket destroyed, head in towel. Gotta feel for Sabalenka. pic.twitter.com/CB855bInFI — Tennis GIFs🎾🎥 (tip jar🫙📌) (@tennis_gifs) January 25, 2025 Sabalenka, who was two-time defending champion at the Australian Open 2025, did give the due credit to Keys in her post-match speech. Also Read: Australian Open 2025 Final Sinner vs Zverev Updates “Should I say anything to my team? As always, that's your fault guys. I don't want to see you for the next week. I really hate you. No, thank you so much for everything you do for me and blah blah blah. I think we did our best, just Madison was playing incredible. Anyway, I love you. Even though we lost,” she said. Keys, for whom it was the maiden grand slam win, said: “I have wanted this for so long, and I have been in a grand slam final, it did not go my way. I didn't know if I was going to be able to get back to this position to try and win a trophy again, and my team believed in me every step of the way, so thank you so much. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and helped me every step of the way. Last year was so tough with some really bad injuries, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to do it again and to be here and have this trophy and also be able to do it with my husband, who is kind of dazed and confused over there. I love you all so much and I cannot wait for more.”

Australian Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka smashes racquet after loss in final - WATCH

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/madison-keys" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Madison Keys</a> arrived in Australia under the radar and with the modest goal of seeing how well she could perform with her 30th birthday looming next month.
The resilient American now has the answer after defeating two-time defending champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> in three sets in Saturday's Australian Open final.
It is Keys's first major title, having reached a second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost on that occasion to Sloane Stephens.
The 6-3, 6-0 loss has rankled ever since, but it was also a learning experience.
"I think during that match I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play," she said this week.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-2025-aryna-sabalenka-says-trophy-or-nothing-after-losing-melbourne-crown-8653370" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open 2025: Sabalenka says &lsquo;trophy or nothing&rsquo; after losing Melbourne crown</a>
"I think the big thing for me has just been knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I'm uncomfortable in the match.&nbsp;"It's going to be stressful. You have thousands of people watching you."
Now ranked 14, Keys will return to the top 10 for the first time since 2019 next week.&nbsp;She made her first semi-final at Melbourne Park in 2015 as a prodigious 19-year-old to showcase her potential.
A decade on, she defeated world number two Iga Swiatek in the last four this time to set up a showdown with world number one Sabalenka.
The Belarusian had been attempting to become the first woman to win three Melbourne crowns in a row since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/martina-hingis">Martina Hingis</a> from 1997-1999.&nbsp;But Keys, the 19th seed and underdog, made a nonsense of all that to clinch the title 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an absorbing final.
<h2>Sharpening the axe</h2>
Keys ended her season early in October last year and married her coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, a month later.&nbsp;The two players had been dating since 2017 and Fratangelo became her coach in 2023.
Fratangelo told reporters on the eve of the final that he felt Keys's best was yet to come.&nbsp;"I think she's nowhere near her full potential," said Fratangelo, a fellow American who won the boys' singles at the 2011 French Open.
"Sharpening the axe can get you so far, but sometimes you just need new tools. I think that's what I've tried to bring to the table."
Sabalenka and Keys both boast a power game that can overwhelm opponents.&nbsp;After losing the semi-final, Swiatek talked about Keys's "bravery" in going for big shots at big moments.
Fratangelo described Sabalenka on the eve of the final as "a little more of the polished version of Madison".&nbsp;"But what I've seen from her now is just what the greats do," he said of Keys.
"They have the ability to raise the level when it matters most."&nbsp;And so it proved on Saturday as Keys clinched the 10th title of her career, and biggest, for an early 30th birthday present.
Keys did it the hard way, beating former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina on the way.&nbsp;She then came from a set down and saved a match point against world number two Swiatek in the semi-finals.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: It is Keys's first major title, having reached a second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost on that occasion to Sloane Stephens

Madison Keys arrived in Australia under the radar and with the modest goal of seeing how well she could perform with her 30th birthday looming next month. The resilient American now has the answer after defeating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in Saturday's Australian Open final. It is Keys's first major title, having reached a second Grand Slam final eight years after her first in New York. She lost on that occasion to Sloane Stephens. The 6-3, 6-0 loss has rankled ever since, but it was also a learning experience. "I think during that match I was so consumed with being nervous and the moment and the opportunity and all of that, that I never really gave myself a chance to actually play," she said this week. Also Read: Australian Open 2025: Sabalenka says ‘trophy or nothing’ after losing Melbourne crown "I think the big thing for me has just been knowing that there are going to be a lot of moments where I'm uncomfortable in the match. "It's going to be stressful. You have thousands of people watching you." Now ranked 14, Keys will return to the top 10 for the first time since 2019 next week. She made her first semi-final at Melbourne Park in 2015 as a prodigious 19-year-old to showcase her potential. A decade on, she defeated world number two Iga Swiatek in the last four this time to set up a showdown with world number one Sabalenka. The Belarusian had been attempting to become the first woman to win three Melbourne crowns in a row since Martina Hingis from 1997-1999. But Keys, the 19th seed and underdog, made a nonsense of all that to clinch the title 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in an absorbing final. Sharpening the axe Keys ended her season early in October last year and married her coach, Bjorn Fratangelo, a month later. The two players had been dating since 2017 and Fratangelo became her coach in 2023. Fratangelo told reporters on the eve of the final that he felt Keys's best was yet to come. "I think she's nowhere near her full potential," said Fratangelo, a fellow American who won the boys' singles at the 2011 French Open. "Sharpening the axe can get you so far, but sometimes you just need new tools. I think that's what I've tried to bring to the table." Sabalenka and Keys both boast a power game that can overwhelm opponents. After losing the semi-final, Swiatek talked about Keys's "bravery" in going for big shots at big moments. Fratangelo described Sabalenka on the eve of the final as "a little more of the polished version of Madison". "But what I've seen from her now is just what the greats do," he said of Keys. "They have the ability to raise the level when it matters most." And so it proved on Saturday as Keys clinched the 10th title of her career, and biggest, for an early 30th birthday present. Keys did it the hard way, beating former Melbourne finalists Danielle Collins and Elena Rybakina on the way. She then came from a set down and saved a match point against world number two Swiatek in the semi-finals. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Australian Open 2025: Madison Keys-From teenage prodigy to Grand Slam champion at 29

Aryna Sabalenka said she was proud to have reached three Australian Open finals in a row but admitted after losing Saturday's decider to Madison Keys: "It's trophy or nothing."<o:p></o:p>
The world number one and two-time defending champion was favourite to beat Keys but the American 19th seed won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to clinch a first Grand Slam title.<o:p></o:p>
It torpedoed Sabalenka's dreams of becoming the first woman for 26 years to win a third straight Melbourne Park singles crown.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-2025-madison-keys-unlocks-aryna-sabalenka-to-clinch-maiden-grand-slam-title-8653008" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025: Madison Keys unlocks Aryna Sabalenka to clinch maiden Grand Slam title</a>
"I think when you get to the point of finals, it's trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the (losing) finalist," said the 26-year-old Belarusian, who is the reigning US Open champion.<o:p></o:p>
"I mean, at this point, I go for titles.<o:p></o:p>
"But of course I have to be anyway proud of myself with three finals in a row. That's something crazy.<o:p></o:p>
"I hope that next year I'll come back as a better player and I'll hold Daphne (the trophy) one more time."<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka was gracious in defeat, saying Keys was "super aggressive" in winning the first set and played towards the end of an absorbing final with "nothing to lose".<o:p></o:p>
But in the immediate aftermath she admitted it had been a struggle to control her emotions.<o:p></o:p>
She smashed her racquet and buried her head in a towel after her 20-match win streak at Melbourne Park was ended when it mattered most. <o:p></o:p>
"There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy," she said. "When you're out there, you're fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want to go.<o:p></o:p>
"I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful."

Sports, Tennis: The world number one and two-time defending champion was favourite to beat Keys but the American 19th seed won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to clinch a first Grand Slam title.

Aryna Sabalenka said she was proud to have reached three Australian Open finals in a row but admitted after losing Saturday's decider to Madison Keys: "It's trophy or nothing." The world number one and two-time defending champion was favourite to beat Keys but the American 19th seed won 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to clinch a first Grand Slam title. It torpedoed Sabalenka's dreams of becoming the first woman for 26 years to win a third straight Melbourne Park singles crown. Also read | Australian Open 2025: Madison Keys unlocks Aryna Sabalenka to clinch maiden Grand Slam title "I think when you get to the point of finals, it's trophy or nothing. Nobody remembers the (losing) finalist," said the 26-year-old Belarusian, who is the reigning US Open champion. "I mean, at this point, I go for titles. "But of course I have to be anyway proud of myself with three finals in a row. That's something crazy. "I hope that next year I'll come back as a better player and I'll hold Daphne (the trophy) one more time." Sabalenka was gracious in defeat, saying Keys was "super aggressive" in winning the first set and played towards the end of an absorbing final with "nothing to lose". But in the immediate aftermath she admitted it had been a struggle to control her emotions. She smashed her racquet and buried her head in a towel after her 20-match win streak at Melbourne Park was ended when it mattered most. "There definitely was a bit of frustration because I was so close to achieving something crazy," she said. "When you're out there, you're fighting, but it seems like everything is going not the way you really want to go. "I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful."

Australian Open 2025: Sabalenka says ‘trophy or nothing’ after losing Melbourne crown

Madison Keys clinched her maiden Grand Slam title on Saturday (Jan 25) after she defeated defending two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open 2025 final. The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win for Keys also saw her break Sabalenka&rsquo;s dominating run of 20 straight wins in all competitions. In doing so Keys becomes the first woman from the United States since Sofia Kenin in 2020 to win the Australian Open.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Keys unlocks Sabalenka<o:p></o:p></h2>
In a tightly contested game at the Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka lost the opening set 6-3 where she was broken twice. One of the weak links for the Belarusian was her second serve as she failed to convert it into a winner. There were four double faults from the number one seed before she made a comprehensive comeback.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The second set was a more straightforward affair as Sabalenka raced into a 5-1 lead and dominated. She went on to win the set 6-2 but surrendered advantage to Keys who served first in the decider. <o:p></o:p>
The third set was a tight contest where Sabalenka broke her US counterpart before she broke back. The decisive moment in the match came in the 12th game when the match was 6-5 and Sabalenka served to take the match in a tiebreak. However, the game took a turn as the Belarusian lost her serve and opportunity to win a third consecutive women&rsquo;s singles title at the Australian Open. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
For Keys, it was her second Grand Slam final having lost the 2017 US Open final to Sloane Stephens.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ahead-of-champions-trophy-2025-pak-to-host-new-zealand-south-africa-for-odi-tri-series-8652625" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, Pak to host New Zealand, South Africa for ODI tri-series</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Wakana Sonobe becomes first Japanese to win Girls Singles title</h2>
Wakana Sonobe etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open girls&rsquo; singles title. The 17-year-old delivered a commanding performance in the final, dismantling American doubles champion Kristina Penickova 6-0, 6-1 in just 54 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.<o:p></o:p>
Sonobe&rsquo;s final victory, her fastest singles match of the tournament, capped a remarkable campaign at Melbourne Park. The Japanese star entered the match fresh from a semi-final win over No.1 seed and home favorite Emerson Jones, showcasing nerves of steel and an unrelenting drive.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Tennis: The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win in Australian Open final for Madison Keys also saw her break Aryna Sabalenka’s dominating run of 20 straight wins in all competitions. 

Madison Keys clinched her maiden Grand Slam title on Saturday (Jan 25) after she defeated defending two-time champion Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open 2025 final. The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win for Keys also saw her break Sabalenka’s dominating run of 20 straight wins in all competitions. In doing so Keys becomes the first woman from the United States since Sofia Kenin in 2020 to win the Australian Open. Keys unlocks Sabalenka In a tightly contested game at the Rod Laver Arena, Sabalenka lost the opening set 6-3 where she was broken twice. One of the weak links for the Belarusian was her second serve as she failed to convert it into a winner. There were four double faults from the number one seed before she made a comprehensive comeback. The second set was a more straightforward affair as Sabalenka raced into a 5-1 lead and dominated. She went on to win the set 6-2 but surrendered advantage to Keys who served first in the decider. The third set was a tight contest where Sabalenka broke her US counterpart before she broke back. The decisive moment in the match came in the 12th game when the match was 6-5 and Sabalenka served to take the match in a tiebreak. However, the game took a turn as the Belarusian lost her serve and opportunity to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at the Australian Open. For Keys, it was her second Grand Slam final having lost the 2017 US Open final to Sloane Stephens. ALSO READ | Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, Pak to host New Zealand, South Africa for ODI tri-series Wakana Sonobe becomes first Japanese to win Girls Singles title Wakana Sonobe etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open girls’ singles title. The 17-year-old delivered a commanding performance in the final, dismantling American doubles champion Kristina Penickova 6-0, 6-1 in just 54 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Sonobe’s final victory, her fastest singles match of the tournament, capped a remarkable campaign at Melbourne Park. The Japanese star entered the match fresh from a semi-final win over No.1 seed and home favorite Emerson Jones, showcasing nerves of steel and an unrelenting drive.

Australian Open 2025: Madison Keys unlocks Aryna Sabalenka to clinch maiden Grand Slam title

Belarusian tennis sensation <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> has rapidly ascended to the pinnacle of women&rsquo;s tennis through a combination of raw power, resilience, and continuous refinement of her game. Her journey from a promising junior to a dominant world number 1 is a testament to her dedication and adaptability.&nbsp;
2019 was pivotal for Sabalenka as she broke into the top 10 in singles and achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 2. Her aggressive baseline plays, and powerful serve became her trademark, making her a formidable opponent on the tour.&nbsp;
In 2023, Sabalenka&rsquo;s perseverance culminated in her first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/grand-slam">Grand Slam</a> title at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australia-open">Australian Open</a>. This victory was a significant milestone, showcasing her ability to perform under pressure on the sport&rsquo;s biggest stages. Her consistent performances throughout the year led her to attain the world No. 1 ranking on September 11, 2023.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alexander-zverev-advances-to-australian-open-2025-final-after-novak-djokovic-retires-8649030">Australian Open 2025: Alexander Zverev in final after Djokovic retires midway</a>
Sabalenka&rsquo;s evolution as a player is evident in her improved serve and mental fortitude. Overcoming earlier challenges with double faults, she now boasts one of the best records on the WTA Tour.&nbsp;
<h2>Change in technique&nbsp;</h2>
Once tormented by a serve that seemed more curse than weapon, Sabalenka has turned her Achilles&rsquo; heel into one of the most lethal assets in the game. But how did this dramatic metamorphosis happen?&nbsp;
It all started with a simple adjustment: A tweak in her serving technique. For years, the Belarusian battled double faults at the most critical junctures. The frustration was visible&mdash;her raw power and talent often undone by her own hand. Yet, instead of crumbling under the pressure, Sabalenka chose to rebuild.&nbsp;
The turning point came when she decided to confront her serving misery head-on. Working tirelessly with her team, Sabalenka simplified her motion, focusing on balance, rhythm, and precision. The results were nothing short of astounding.&nbsp;
This technical refinement did more than fix her serve&mdash;it transformed her mindset. With her confidence restored, Sabalenka began to dominate, her once-volatile serve now a cornerstone of her game. &nbsp;
The change became evident in 2023, when she stormed through the Australian Open to secure her first Grand Slam title, a moment that silenced her critics and signaled her arrival as a force to be reckoned with.&nbsp;
Sabalenka&rsquo;s evolution is a testament to the power of small changes and unyielding determination. By addressing one flaw with precision and focus, she unlocked a new level of consistency and dominance, culminating in her rise to World No. 1.
Her journey teaches us all an important lesson: Sometimes, all it takes is one brave step, one change in perspective, to rewrite your past. And for Sabalenka, that one change wasn&rsquo;t just about technique&mdash;it was the foundation for her rebirth as a champion.&nbsp;
<h2>Sabalenka eases into third consecutive women's singles final</h2>
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is a step away from winning her third consecutive Australian Open women&rsquo;s singles title after she eased past Paula Badosa of Spain on Thursday (Jan 23). Playing at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka beat Badosa 6-4, 6-2 and will now face the winner of Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday (Jan 25).
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka has rapidly ascended to the pinnacle of women’s tennis through a combination of raw power, resilience, and continuous refinement of her game

Belarusian tennis sensation Aryna Sabalenka has rapidly ascended to the pinnacle of women’s tennis through a combination of raw power, resilience, and continuous refinement of her game. Her journey from a promising junior to a dominant world number 1 is a testament to her dedication and adaptability. 2019 was pivotal for Sabalenka as she broke into the top 10 in singles and achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 2. Her aggressive baseline plays, and powerful serve became her trademark, making her a formidable opponent on the tour. In 2023, Sabalenka’s perseverance culminated in her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. This victory was a significant milestone, showcasing her ability to perform under pressure on the sport’s biggest stages. Her consistent performances throughout the year led her to attain the world No. 1 ranking on September 11, 2023. Also Read: Australian Open 2025: Alexander Zverev in final after Djokovic retires midway Sabalenka’s evolution as a player is evident in her improved serve and mental fortitude. Overcoming earlier challenges with double faults, she now boasts one of the best records on the WTA Tour. Change in technique Once tormented by a serve that seemed more curse than weapon, Sabalenka has turned her Achilles’ heel into one of the most lethal assets in the game. But how did this dramatic metamorphosis happen? It all started with a simple adjustment: A tweak in her serving technique. For years, the Belarusian battled double faults at the most critical junctures. The frustration was visible—her raw power and talent often undone by her own hand. Yet, instead of crumbling under the pressure, Sabalenka chose to rebuild. The turning point came when she decided to confront her serving misery head-on. Working tirelessly with her team, Sabalenka simplified her motion, focusing on balance, rhythm, and precision. The results were nothing short of astounding. This technical refinement did more than fix her serve—it transformed her mindset. With her confidence restored, Sabalenka began to dominate, her once-volatile serve now a cornerstone of her game. The change became evident in 2023, when she stormed through the Australian Open to secure her first Grand Slam title, a moment that silenced her critics and signaled her arrival as a force to be reckoned with. Sabalenka’s evolution is a testament to the power of small changes and unyielding determination. By addressing one flaw with precision and focus, she unlocked a new level of consistency and dominance, culminating in her rise to World No. 1. Her journey teaches us all an important lesson: Sometimes, all it takes is one brave step, one change in perspective, to rewrite your past. And for Sabalenka, that one change wasn’t just about technique—it was the foundation for her rebirth as a champion. Sabalenka eases into third consecutive women's singles final Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is a step away from winning her third consecutive Australian Open women’s singles title after she eased past Paula Badosa of Spain on Thursday (Jan 23). Playing at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka beat Badosa 6-4, 6-2 and will now face the winner of Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday (Jan 25). (With inputs from agencies)

Opinion | How a simple change in technique led to rebirth of Aryna Sabalenka

Belarusian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Aryna+Sabalenka" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aryna Sabalenka</a> is a step away from winning her third consecutive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Australian+Open" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open</a> women&rsquo;s singles title after she eased past <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Paula+Badosa" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Paula Badosa</a> of Spain on Thursday (Jan 23). Playing at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka beat Badosa 6-4, 6-2 and will now face the winner of Madison Keys and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Iga+Swiatek" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Iga Swiatek</a> in the final on Saturday. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Sabalenka makes light work of Badosa<o:p></o:p></h2>
Playing in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal, Badosa could not repeat the trick from her quarterfinal win over Coco Gauff. Sabalenka started the match slowly as she dropped her opening game on serve before bouncing back. With a 2-0 lead, Badosa looked for early dominance, but Sabalenka immediately bounced back to return on serve. After the nervous start, Sabalenka took control of the set and dropped only two games from the next eight to win the opening set.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The second set was a more straightforward affair as the two-time defending champion dominated with ease, racking up 32 winners compared to Badosa&rsquo;s 11. Interestingly, Sabalenka did not give her opponent any chance to break and held on for the entire match. On the other hand, Badosa was broken four times.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old will now bid for her third consecutive title at the Australian Open and could become the first women&rsquo;s singles champion since Martina Hingis to repeat the feat. Hingis won three consecutive titles between 1997 and 1999.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-champions-league-qualification-scenario-heres-all-you-need-to-know-8646286" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Manchester City Champions League qualification scenario: Here's all you need to know</a>
The former World No. 1 recently won the US Open 2024 and will have the opportunity to add another trophy to an already illustrious cabinet. So far in the Australian Open, Sabalenka has dropped only one set, which was against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinal. <o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka will meet either Madison Keys or Iga Swiatek, who are bidding to win their first title in Melbourne. Swiatek has previously won the US Open and the French Open but is yet to taste glory in Melbourne.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Tennis: Playing at the Rod Laver Arena, Aryna Sabalenka beat Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-2 and will now face the winner of Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday.

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka is a step away from winning her third consecutive Australian Open women’s singles title after she eased past Paula Badosa of Spain on Thursday (Jan 23). Playing at the Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, Sabalenka beat Badosa 6-4, 6-2 and will now face the winner of Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in the final on Saturday. Sabalenka makes light work of Badosa Playing in her maiden Grand Slam semifinal, Badosa could not repeat the trick from her quarterfinal win over Coco Gauff. Sabalenka started the match slowly as she dropped her opening game on serve before bouncing back. With a 2-0 lead, Badosa looked for early dominance, but Sabalenka immediately bounced back to return on serve. After the nervous start, Sabalenka took control of the set and dropped only two games from the next eight to win the opening set. The second set was a more straightforward affair as the two-time defending champion dominated with ease, racking up 32 winners compared to Badosa’s 11. Interestingly, Sabalenka did not give her opponent any chance to break and held on for the entire match. On the other hand, Badosa was broken four times. The 26-year-old will now bid for her third consecutive title at the Australian Open and could become the first women’s singles champion since Martina Hingis to repeat the feat. Hingis won three consecutive titles between 1997 and 1999. ALSO READ | Manchester City Champions League qualification scenario: Here's all you need to know The former World No. 1 recently won the US Open 2024 and will have the opportunity to add another trophy to an already illustrious cabinet. So far in the Australian Open, Sabalenka has dropped only one set, which was against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinal. Sabalenka will meet either Madison Keys or Iga Swiatek, who are bidding to win their first title in Melbourne. Swiatek has previously won the US Open and the French Open but is yet to taste glory in Melbourne.

Australian Open 2025: Sabalenka eases into third consecutive women's singles final after routing Badosa

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Two-time defending champion&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka" rel="dofollow">Aryna Sabalenka</a>&nbsp;suffered a scare before reaching the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday (Jan 21). She will now face Paula Badosa on Thursday (Jan 23).&nbsp;
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Top seed&nbsp;Sabalenka&nbsp;is attempting to win the Australian Open for a third time in a row, something last achieved 26 years ago by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/martina-hingis" rel="dofollow">Martina Hingis</a>.&nbsp;
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The Belarusian kept that dream alive but had to battle for it in beating Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.&nbsp;
Live Blog: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/2025-australian-open-djokovic-vs-alcaraz-live-today-jan-21-match-score-in-quarterfinal-liveblog-8640427">&nbsp;Australian Open 2025 Djokovic vs Alcaraz Live: Alcaraz draws level at 2-2 in first set</a> &ldquo;Honestly, I was just praying today. I was just praying to put the ball back in these tough conditions,&rdquo; Sabalenka said after her match.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;We both were trying to put the ball back. It was very difficult to play. She played amazing tennis, aggressive. I&rsquo;m super happy I was able to somehow magically win this match,&rdquo; the 26-year-old said.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW186005356 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="882407466" paraeid="{82a4740c-6ea3-4ae5-a2ea-33a0e758fb61}{11}">Rohan Bopanna-Zhang suffer defeat in QF&nbsp;</h2>
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Indian ace <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohan-bopanna">Rohan Bopanna</a> and his mixed doubles partner Zhang Shuai of China crashed out of the Australian Open after losing to the Australian duo Olivia Gadecki and John Peers in the quarterfinals round.&nbsp;
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The Indo-Chinese pair suffered a 6-2, 4-6, 9-11 at the hands of Australian wild cards in one hour and eight minutes clash at Kia Arena. Their loss also ended India&rsquo;s campaign at the season&rsquo;s first major.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW186005356 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="214102327" paraeid="{691ba409-04ba-481b-8938-526e039462fa}{89}">Goran Ivanisevic quits as Rybakina&rsquo;s coach&nbsp;</h2>
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Goran Ivanisevic stepped down as Elena Rybakina&rsquo;s coach after her fourth-round exit from the Australian Open, the former announced on Tuesday (Jan 21).&nbsp;
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The No. 6 seed Rybakina, who was the 2023 Australian Open finalist, suffered a 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 loss at the hands of No.19 seed Madison Keys of America in the fourth round. 
In a statement on social media, Ivanisevic confirmed his departure from the role. &ldquo;After our trial period that finished with the Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward,&rdquo; he shared on his Instagram story.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Top seed Sabalenka is attempting to win the Australian Open for a third time in a row, something last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis. Sports. Tennis

Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka suffered a scare before reaching the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday (Jan 21). She will now face Paula Badosa on Thursday (Jan 23). Top seed Sabalenka is attempting to win the Australian Open for a third time in a row, something last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis. The Belarusian kept that dream alive but had to battle for it in beating Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Live Blog: Australian Open 2025 Djokovic vs Alcaraz Live: Alcaraz draws level at 2-2 in first set “Honestly, I was just praying today. I was just praying to put the ball back in these tough conditions,” Sabalenka said after her match. “We both were trying to put the ball back. It was very difficult to play. She played amazing tennis, aggressive. I’m super happy I was able to somehow magically win this match,” the 26-year-old said. Rohan Bopanna-Zhang suffer defeat in QF Indian ace Rohan Bopanna and his mixed doubles partner Zhang Shuai of China crashed out of the Australian Open after losing to the Australian duo Olivia Gadecki and John Peers in the quarterfinals round. The Indo-Chinese pair suffered a 6-2, 4-6, 9-11 at the hands of Australian wild cards in one hour and eight minutes clash at Kia Arena. Their loss also ended India’s campaign at the season’s first major. Goran Ivanisevic quits as Rybakina’s coach Goran Ivanisevic stepped down as Elena Rybakina’s coach after her fourth-round exit from the Australian Open, the former announced on Tuesday (Jan 21). The No. 6 seed Rybakina, who was the 2023 Australian Open finalist, suffered a 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 loss at the hands of No.19 seed Madison Keys of America in the fourth round. In a statement on social media, Ivanisevic confirmed his departure from the role. “After our trial period that finished with the Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward,” he shared on his Instagram story. (With inputs from agencies)

Australian Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka secures spot in semis; Bopanna-Zhang crash out

Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a historic third consecutive Australian Open crown on Sunday, ruthlessly blowing away teenager Mirra Andreeva to reach the quarter-finals.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka was in irresistible form on Rod Laver Arena, powering to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 62 minutes against the Russian 17-year-old, the Belarusian's 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets," said Sabalenka, who will face either Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic or 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Russia next. "She's so young but always playing great tennis, it's always tough battles against her."<o:p></o:p>
Despite registering three straight-sets wins, Sabalenka had not been at her imperious best during the first week.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/australian-open-2025-jannik-sinner-cruises-to-fourth-round-8633297" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025: Jannik Sinner cruises to fourth round</a>
She dropped serve three times in the second round and five times before battling past Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the last 16.<o:p></o:p>
She had no such problems in much warmer conditions against Andreeva, ripping through her first two service games without conceding a point and breaking for a 4-1 lead.<o:p></o:p>
"Previous days were such tough conditions, the ball was so heavy," said Sabalenka. "The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament."<o:p></o:p>
Andreeva struggled to live with Sabalenka's power and was being pushed further back as the champion pulled off a deft drop shot winner to lead 5-1.<o:p></o:p>
A delicious backhand pass clinched the set in just 24 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka did not let up at the start of the second set, an early break giving her a 3-1 cushion.<o:p></o:p>
Andreeva showed a fleeting glimpse of her talent when saving two break points in the next.<o:p></o:p>
She then created three of her own, but all were saved and the Sabalenka juggernaut could not be stopped as she cruised to the finish line.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka can complete a hat-trick of Australian Open consecutive wins.<o:p></o:p>
It is a rare feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history, all legends of the sport.<o:p></o:p>
Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are the others to complete the treble.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sabalenka was in irresistible form, powering to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 62 minutes against the Russian 17-year-old, her 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park.

Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a historic third consecutive Australian Open crown on Sunday, ruthlessly blowing away teenager Mirra Andreeva to reach the quarter-finals. Sabalenka was in irresistible form on Rod Laver Arena, powering to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just 62 minutes against the Russian 17-year-old, the Belarusian's 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park. "I'm super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets," said Sabalenka, who will face either Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic or 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Russia next. "She's so young but always playing great tennis, it's always tough battles against her." Despite registering three straight-sets wins, Sabalenka had not been at her imperious best during the first week. Also read | Australian Open 2025: Jannik Sinner cruises to fourth round She dropped serve three times in the second round and five times before battling past Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the last 16. She had no such problems in much warmer conditions against Andreeva, ripping through her first two service games without conceding a point and breaking for a 4-1 lead. "Previous days were such tough conditions, the ball was so heavy," said Sabalenka. "The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament." Andreeva struggled to live with Sabalenka's power and was being pushed further back as the champion pulled off a deft drop shot winner to lead 5-1. A delicious backhand pass clinched the set in just 24 minutes. Sabalenka did not let up at the start of the second set, an early break giving her a 3-1 cushion. Andreeva showed a fleeting glimpse of her talent when saving two break points in the next. She then created three of her own, but all were saved and the Sabalenka juggernaut could not be stopped as she cruised to the finish line. Sabalenka can complete a hat-trick of Australian Open consecutive wins. It is a rare feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history, all legends of the sport. Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles are the others to complete the treble. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sabalenka storms past teenager Andreeva to reach Australian Open quarters

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to battle hard to beat Denmark's Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 on Friday and reach the second week of the Australian Open after suffering another bout of the serving jitters. The world number one remained on track to win her third consecutive Melbourne Park title but only after a rollercoaster scrap that lasted more than two hours on Rod Laver Arena.<o:p></o:p>
"That was a great battle," said Sabalenka. "She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today. <o:p></o:p>
"I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win." <o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka wobbled badly on her serve in her second-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and dished up more of the same, broken to 15 in the opening game by world number 42 Tauson.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australia-open-2025-results-american-tien-upsets-world-no-5-daniil-medvedev-in-five-set-thriller-8628198" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025: American Tien stuns world no. 5 Daniil Medvedev in five-set thriller</a>
Neither player could hit their marks consistently and it wasn't till the eighth game that Tauson finally secured the first service hold of the match to move 5-3 ahead.<o:p></o:p>
It sparked Sabalenka into life as she finally held her own delivery to love then broke back again.<o:p></o:p>
"I would say that conditions here are really tough to serve," said Sabalenka. "Looking back, it was really important to get all of those breaks back. It could go either way so I'm just super happy that I was able to close this match."<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka squandered four set points at 6-5 on the Tauson serve to herald a tiebreak.<o:p></o:p>
But on Sabalenka's fifth set point she made no mistake, a rasping forehand winner putting her ahead.<o:p></o:p>
The second set followed a similar pattern, Sabalenka finally consolidating a break for a 4-2 lead only for the Dane to level once more.<o:p></o:p>
Both players came out swinging at 4-4, exchanging sizzling winners until, after the longest game of the match featuring seven deuces, Sabalenka secured the break.<o:p></o:p>
Serving for the match, Sabalenka had to save two more break points from the plucky Tauson, before clinching the tie in 2hr 6min.<o:p></o:p>
Both players were seeking to extend their 2025 unbeaten streaks to eight matches after Sabalenka won the Brisbane International warm-up and Tauson took out the title in Auckland.<o:p></o:p>
In the end it was a 17th consecutive victory in Melbourne for Sabalenka.<o:p></o:p>
Next up is either Russian teenage star Mirra Andreeva or Poland's Magdalena Frech.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka is hunting down a rare hat-trick of consecutive Australian Open wins, a feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sabalenka is chasing a rare hat-trick of consecutive Australian Open wins, a feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to battle hard to beat Denmark's Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 on Friday and reach the second week of the Australian Open after suffering another bout of the serving jitters. The world number one remained on track to win her third consecutive Melbourne Park title but only after a rollercoaster scrap that lasted more than two hours on Rod Laver Arena. "That was a great battle," said Sabalenka. "She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today. "I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win." Sabalenka wobbled badly on her serve in her second-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and dished up more of the same, broken to 15 in the opening game by world number 42 Tauson. Also read | Australian Open 2025: American Tien stuns world no. 5 Daniil Medvedev in five-set thriller Neither player could hit their marks consistently and it wasn't till the eighth game that Tauson finally secured the first service hold of the match to move 5-3 ahead. It sparked Sabalenka into life as she finally held her own delivery to love then broke back again. "I would say that conditions here are really tough to serve," said Sabalenka. "Looking back, it was really important to get all of those breaks back. It could go either way so I'm just super happy that I was able to close this match." Sabalenka squandered four set points at 6-5 on the Tauson serve to herald a tiebreak. But on Sabalenka's fifth set point she made no mistake, a rasping forehand winner putting her ahead. The second set followed a similar pattern, Sabalenka finally consolidating a break for a 4-2 lead only for the Dane to level once more. Both players came out swinging at 4-4, exchanging sizzling winners until, after the longest game of the match featuring seven deuces, Sabalenka secured the break. Serving for the match, Sabalenka had to save two more break points from the plucky Tauson, before clinching the tie in 2hr 6min. Both players were seeking to extend their 2025 unbeaten streaks to eight matches after Sabalenka won the Brisbane International warm-up and Tauson took out the title in Auckland. In the end it was a 17th consecutive victory in Melbourne for Sabalenka. Next up is either Russian teenage star Mirra Andreeva or Poland's Magdalena Frech. Sabalenka is hunting down a rare hat-trick of consecutive Australian Open wins, a feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sabalenka sweats hard to battle into Australian Open fourth round

World number one Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva to storm into the final of the Brisbane International on Saturday, as men's defending champion Grigor Dimitrov retired with soreness.&nbsp;
<h2>Sabalenka in final</h2>
Sabalenka broke Andreeva once in the first set and twice in the second to win 6-3, 6-2 in an ominous display just over a week before she launches her Australian Open defence.
Sabalenka, runner-up in Brisbane in 2024, has won the last two Australian Opens and the way she absorbed the pressure from Andreeva in the first set, then turned the screws in the second, showed why she is considered a strong chance to make it three in a row this year.
"I definitely think that I have improved a lot mentally, physically and skills as well," the Belarusian said.
"I think every year I'm getting a little bit better."
Sabalenka now plays Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova, who continued her fairytale week when she beat Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-3.
In the men's draw, Dimitrov retired from his semi-final with a painful hip.&nbsp;
Unseeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka was leading 6-4, 4-4 when the Bulgarian left the court with the physiotherapist for a medical timeout.
Dimitrov, ranked 10 in the world, returned but played one point before retiring.
Lehecka will play giant American Reilly Opelka, who has one of the biggest serves in the game.
It will be the 23-year-old Lehecka's fourth final on the ATP Tour and he will be aiming to add the Brisbane title to his Adelaide win last January.
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"I will need to be focused 100 percent all the time," Lehecka said about facing Opelka's huge serve in the final.
"I will need to focus on every point, every chance, because the chance can be gone in a very small moment."&nbsp;
Opelka, who was ranked 17 in the world before being forced out of the game for almost two years with wrist and hip injuries, managed to outserve rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
He broke the Frenchman in the first set then was able to take the tiebreak to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
"It's great to be in another final -- I didn't think I'd be playing in one at all," Opelka said.
"But once I was out of pain I had confidence that I could make it back."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sabalenka broke Andreeva once in the first set and twice in the second to win in an ominous display just over a week before the Australian Open.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka brushed aside Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva to storm into the final of the Brisbane International on Saturday, as men's defending champion Grigor Dimitrov retired with soreness. Sabalenka in final Sabalenka broke Andreeva once in the first set and twice in the second to win 6-3, 6-2 in an ominous display just over a week before she launches her Australian Open defence. Sabalenka, runner-up in Brisbane in 2024, has won the last two Australian Opens and the way she absorbed the pressure from Andreeva in the first set, then turned the screws in the second, showed why she is considered a strong chance to make it three in a row this year. "I definitely think that I have improved a lot mentally, physically and skills as well," the Belarusian said. "I think every year I'm getting a little bit better." Sabalenka now plays Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova, who continued her fairytale week when she beat Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina 6-4, 6-3. In the men's draw, Dimitrov retired from his semi-final with a painful hip. Unseeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka was leading 6-4, 4-4 when the Bulgarian left the court with the physiotherapist for a medical timeout. Dimitrov, ranked 10 in the world, returned but played one point before retiring. Lehecka will play giant American Reilly Opelka, who has one of the biggest serves in the game. It will be the 23-year-old Lehecka's fourth final on the ATP Tour and he will be aiming to add the Brisbane title to his Adelaide win last January. ALSO READ | BGT: Rishabh Pant hits second fastest Test fifty for India at SCG – WATCH "I will need to be focused 100 percent all the time," Lehecka said about facing Opelka's huge serve in the final. "I will need to focus on every point, every chance, because the chance can be gone in a very small moment." Opelka, who was ranked 17 in the world before being forced out of the game for almost two years with wrist and hip injuries, managed to outserve rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He broke the Frenchman in the first set then was able to take the tiebreak to win 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). "It's great to be in another final -- I didn't think I'd be playing in one at all," Opelka said. "But once I was out of pain I had confidence that I could make it back." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Brisbane International: Aryna Sabalenka sweeps into final, defending champ Dimitrov retires hurt

American Coco Gauff defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4) 6-3 in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals on Friday and will take on China's Zheng Qinwen in the showpiece match.

Sabalenka will end the year at the top of the world rankings but her bid for a maiden WTA Finals title was ended by Gauff who reached her first final at the end-of-season event.

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Earlier, seventh seed Zheng overcame battling Czech Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 to reach Saturday's showpiece on her debut.

It had promised to be a close affair between Sabalenka and world number three Gauff, with the head-to-head record standing at 4-4, and the opening set lived up to expectations.

After trading early breaks, Sabalenka broke again to take a 6-5 lead to serve for the set but Gauff responded, forcing a tiebreak which saw eight breaks of serve over the 11 points.

The American cruised to a 6-1 lead, breaking Sabalenka four times, before the Belarusian broke twice to save the first two set points but Gauff held her nerve to win the first set.

Sabalenka cut a frustrated figure throughout the match and Gauff raced into a 4-1 lead in the second set before the sixth game turned into a marathon affair.

Gauff saved seven break points and at one stage Sabalenka threw her racket into the air but eventually won the game to keep the contest alive. However, the American then broke to love to serve for the match.

Sabalenka rallied and broke again but Gauff kept her cool and, just when it seemed Sabalenka would claw her way back into the tie, the American broke for a fourth time in the second set.

"I'm happy with the way I played, she's world number one for a reason," said Gauff, who can now look forward to Saturday's final against Zheng. "I'm not really nervous to be honest and the year-end I see it as just a plus and being here is a reward for the season I've had," the third seed added.

<h2>Great Start</h2>

China's Olympic gold medallist Zheng, making her WTA Finals debut, got off to a great start against eighth seed Krejcikova, with an early break to take a 3-0 lead.

The Czech saved three set points at 5-2 down but Zheng won the next game to love and took the first set with ease.

The second set looked to be going the same way as Zheng again raced into a 3-0 lead, this time with two breaks of serve, but Krejcikova finally got into her groove, winning the next four games with two breaks of her own.

The next three games went with serve to leave the pair tied at 5-5 before Zheng managed to break again, leaving her to serve for the match. Krejcikova fought hard, saving the first match point, but Zheng finally got the job done.

"It feels so special. This is my first WTA Finals, and now I'm in the final," Zheng said. "She (Krejcikova) is a really good player. We gave a good match. I don't know what happened when I was leading 3-0."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

American Coco Gauff defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4) 6-3 in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals on Friday and will take on China's Zheng Qinwen in the showpiece match.

American Coco Gauff defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(4) 6-3 in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals on Friday and will take on China's Zheng Qinwen in the showpiece match. Sabalenka will end the year at the top of the world rankings but her bid for a maiden WTA Finals title was ended by Gauff who reached her first final at the end-of-season event. ALSO READ: PV Sindhu admits having another Olympic medal left in her, says LA28 Games on radar but at one condition Earlier, seventh seed Zheng overcame battling Czech Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 7-5 to reach Saturday's showpiece on her debut. It had promised to be a close affair between Sabalenka and world number three Gauff, with the head-to-head record standing at 4-4, and the opening set lived up to expectations. After trading early breaks, Sabalenka broke again to take a 6-5 lead to serve for the set but Gauff responded, forcing a tiebreak which saw eight breaks of serve over the 11 points. The American cruised to a 6-1 lead, breaking Sabalenka four times, before the Belarusian broke twice to save the first two set points but Gauff held her nerve to win the first set. Sabalenka cut a frustrated figure throughout the match and Gauff raced into a 4-1 lead in the second set before the sixth game turned into a marathon affair. Gauff saved seven break points and at one stage Sabalenka threw her racket into the air but eventually won the game to keep the contest alive. However, the American then broke to love to serve for the match. Sabalenka rallied and broke again but Gauff kept her cool and, just when it seemed Sabalenka would claw her way back into the tie, the American broke for a fourth time in the second set. "I'm happy with the way I played, she's world number one for a reason," said Gauff, who can now look forward to Saturday's final against Zheng. "I'm not really nervous to be honest and the year-end I see it as just a plus and being here is a reward for the season I've had," the third seed added. Great Start China's Olympic gold medallist Zheng, making her WTA Finals debut, got off to a great start against eighth seed Krejcikova, with an early break to take a 3-0 lead. The Czech saved three set points at 5-2 down but Zheng won the next game to love and took the first set with ease. The second set looked to be going the same way as Zheng again raced into a 3-0 lead, this time with two breaks of serve, but Krejcikova finally got into her groove, winning the next four games with two breaks of her own. The next three games went with serve to leave the pair tied at 5-5 before Zheng managed to break again, leaving her to serve for the match. Krejcikova fought hard, saving the first match point, but Zheng finally got the job done. "It feels so special. This is my first WTA Finals, and now I'm in the final," Zheng said. "She (Krejcikova) is a really good player. We gave a good match. I don't know what happened when I was leading 3-0." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

USA’s Coco Gauff downs Aryna Sabalenka to set up WTA Finals clash with China’s Zheng Qinwen

Zheng Qinwen continued to deliver in her breakthrough season as she advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Wednesday with victory over Jasmine Paolini, while Elena Rybakina beat the already-qualified Aryna Sabalenka. Picking up a 30th win from her last 35 matches, Chinese Olympic gold medallist Zheng swept past the fourth-seeded Italian 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 67 minutes.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Rybakina claimed a consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world number one Sabalenka, who had already secured her semi-final spot as the group winner on Monday. Eliminated from the competition after losing her opening two matches, Rybakina found her form against Sabalenka –- a much-needed confidence boost for the world number five after missing the majority of the second half of the season with allergies, insomnia and a back injury.

"It was a tough match and I'm really happy that I managed to win. I think it's nice to finish the year at least with one win against the world number one," said Rybakina, who shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka at the net.

It was only the second loss Sabalenka has suffered in her last 24 matches. Sabalenka, 26, must wait to find out who she will face in Friday's semi-finals, but has reason to celebrate despite defeat as she clinched the year-end number one ranking as a result of Iga Swiatek's defeat to Coco Gauff on Tuesday.

However, the Belarusian said she will not let her new ranking distract her from the task at hand –- lifting the WTA Finals trophy for the first time in her career.

"It's a really great feeling but I figured that last night and it didn't work really well tonight for me so I just want to focus on the current tournament to stay hungry and stay motivated because it's a big tournament and it's also one of my goals, so I'll focus on this goal," Sabalenka said Wednesday.

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- 'Really proud' -

In the last day of round-robin action in the Purple Group, Zheng and Paolini were fighting for the second qualification spot behind Sabalenka. The seventh-seeded Zheng locked down her spot in the final four with a dominating performance against Paolini to become the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to make it out of the group stage at the WTA Finals.

"It was 11 years ago, I'm really proud I could make it. I didn't know what to expect coming to these WTA Finals for the first time. I was in a very difficult group," said Zheng, 22. "It's one of the best performances I had during this year, really good percentage of first serves, I felt really good on my groundstrokes and I made a couple of good volleys, I really enjoyed it."

An aggressive return earned Zheng her first break of the match in game three and the seventh seed doubled her advantage to go up 5-1. Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist this season, saved a set point on her own serve in game seven but Zheng kept her foot on the pedal and closed out the set on her second opportunity.

The second set was just as impressive from Zheng and after saving a break point while serving for the match at 5-1, she wrapped up the encounter with her 12th ace of the match. It was Zheng's fourth victory in as many meetings with Paolini, who won't leave Riyadh just yet as she continues to fight for a semi-final spot in doubles alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Zheng Qinwen continued to deliver in her breakthrough season as she advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Wednesday with victory over Jasmine Paolini, while Elena Rybakina beat the already-qualified Aryna Sabalenka.

Zheng Qinwen continued to deliver in her breakthrough season as she advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Wednesday with victory over Jasmine Paolini, while Elena Rybakina beat the already-qualified Aryna Sabalenka. Picking up a 30th win from her last 35 matches, Chinese Olympic gold medallist Zheng swept past the fourth-seeded Italian 6-1, 6-1 in a mere 67 minutes. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Rybakina claimed a consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world number one Sabalenka, who had already secured her semi-final spot as the group winner on Monday. Eliminated from the competition after losing her opening two matches, Rybakina found her form against Sabalenka –- a much-needed confidence boost for the world number five after missing the majority of the second half of the season with allergies, insomnia and a back injury. "It was a tough match and I'm really happy that I managed to win. I think it's nice to finish the year at least with one win against the world number one," said Rybakina, who shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka at the net. It was only the second loss Sabalenka has suffered in her last 24 matches. Sabalenka, 26, must wait to find out who she will face in Friday's semi-finals, but has reason to celebrate despite defeat as she clinched the year-end number one ranking as a result of Iga Swiatek's defeat to Coco Gauff on Tuesday. However, the Belarusian said she will not let her new ranking distract her from the task at hand –- lifting the WTA Finals trophy for the first time in her career. "It's a really great feeling but I figured that last night and it didn't work really well tonight for me so I just want to focus on the current tournament to stay hungry and stay motivated because it's a big tournament and it's also one of my goals, so I'll focus on this goal," Sabalenka said Wednesday. Also read: UCL: Inter Milan sink Arsenal, Atletico sting PSG late on as Barcelona back on track - 'Really proud' - In the last day of round-robin action in the Purple Group, Zheng and Paolini were fighting for the second qualification spot behind Sabalenka. The seventh-seeded Zheng locked down her spot in the final four with a dominating performance against Paolini to become the first Chinese player since Li Na in 2013 to make it out of the group stage at the WTA Finals. "It was 11 years ago, I'm really proud I could make it. I didn't know what to expect coming to these WTA Finals for the first time. I was in a very difficult group," said Zheng, 22. "It's one of the best performances I had during this year, really good percentage of first serves, I felt really good on my groundstrokes and I made a couple of good volleys, I really enjoyed it." An aggressive return earned Zheng her first break of the match in game three and the seventh seed doubled her advantage to go up 5-1. Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist this season, saved a set point on her own serve in game seven but Zheng kept her foot on the pedal and closed out the set on her second opportunity. The second set was just as impressive from Zheng and after saving a break point while serving for the match at 5-1, she wrapped up the encounter with her 12th ace of the match. It was Zheng's fourth victory in as many meetings with Paolini, who won't leave Riyadh just yet as she continues to fight for a semi-final spot in doubles alongside fellow Italian Sara Errani. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen into last four of WTA Finals, Aryna Sabalenka loses

Aryna Sabalenka has secured qualification for the semi-finals stage of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jasmine Paolini, as Zheng Qinwen ended Elena Rybakina's chances of moving on in Riyadh on Monday. With two round-robin wins in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia, Sabalenka guaranteed herself passage to the final four as the winner of the Purple Group.

The Belarusian top seed is also just one victory away from locking down the year-end number one ranking, which she is in a direct battle with Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka bounced back from 0-2 down in the second set, and saved two set points at 4-5 to overcome Italian fourth seed Paolini and has now won 22 of her last 23 matches on tour.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/news-wta-finals-china%E2%80%99s-zheng-qinwen-improves-semis-chances-with-win-over-fifth-seeded-elena-rybakina-773253">WTA Finals: China’s Zheng Qinwen improves semis chances with win over fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina</a>

"The second set was quite tricky. Honestly, I just tried to stay aggressive and show her that I'm going to fight for this set no matter what and I'm really happy I was able to win in straight sets," said Sabalenka.

"Halfway through the second set I was already thinking about the third set. But I was like, wait, wait, it's not the third set until it's the third set. I'm happy all those shots on set points went in."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka has secured qualification for the semi-finals stage of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jasmine Paolini, as Zheng Qinwen ended Elena Rybakina's chances of moving on in Riyadh on Monday.

Aryna Sabalenka has secured qualification for the semi-finals stage of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jasmine Paolini, as Zheng Qinwen ended Elena Rybakina's chances of moving on in Riyadh on Monday. With two round-robin wins in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia, Sabalenka guaranteed herself passage to the final four as the winner of the Purple Group. The Belarusian top seed is also just one victory away from locking down the year-end number one ranking, which she is in a direct battle with Iga Swiatek. Sabalenka bounced back from 0-2 down in the second set, and saved two set points at 4-5 to overcome Italian fourth seed Paolini and has now won 22 of her last 23 matches on tour. Also read: WTA Finals: China’s Zheng Qinwen improves semis chances with win over fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina "The second set was quite tricky. Honestly, I just tried to stay aggressive and show her that I'm going to fight for this set no matter what and I'm really happy I was able to win in straight sets," said Sabalenka. "Halfway through the second set I was already thinking about the third set. But I was like, wait, wait, it's not the third set until it's the third set. I'm happy all those shots on set points went in." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka advances to WTA Finals last four with win over Jasmine Paolini

Aryna Sabalenka began her quest to secure the year-end number one ranking with a thumping 6-3 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Qinwen in her opening round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday.

Australian and U.S. Open champion Sabalenka, who is headlining the first women's professional tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia, packed far too much power for Zheng at crucial points in their fourth meeting of 2024 to stay perfect.

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"She's such a great player. We always have great battles," Sabalenka said. "She plays aggressive tennis. She forced me to step in and go for it. That's why I bring my best tennis and I'm super happy with the first win."

In a rematch of their Melbourne and Wuhan title clashes, it was Belarusian Sabalenka who edged ahead in a tight opening set with a break in the sixth game and took the early lead in the contest by holding to love.

Olympic champion Zheng enjoyed plenty of vociferous support at the King Saud University Indoor Arena and led four times in a closer second set but Sabalenka drew level each time and finally broke for a 5-4 lead with a searing forehand winner.

She wrapped up the contest on serve despite a wobble with a double fault, when Zheng sent a forehand long.

The WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world and has a record prize pot of $15 million, will culminate with the title clashes on Nov. 9.

Winning three round robin matches or reaching the final are some of the ways Sabalenka can retain top spot this year, while closest challenger Iga Swiatek needs to successfully defend the trophy to have any chance of overtaking her.

"It would mean everything to me. It's one of my dreams," Sabalenka said about potentially winning the title after losing in the final when it was held in Fort Worth, Texas in 2022. "I've really worked hard in the last few years. I really hope I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day."

Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini then beat 2022 All England Club champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(5) 6-4 in the second match from the Purple Group.

Swiatek takes on Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group on Sunday before Coco Gauff meets Jessica Pegula.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka began her quest to secure the year-end number one ranking with a thumping 6-3 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Qinwen in her opening round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday.

Aryna Sabalenka began her quest to secure the year-end number one ranking with a thumping 6-3 6-4 victory over China's Zheng Qinwen in her opening round robin match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Saturday. Australian and U.S. Open champion Sabalenka, who is headlining the first women's professional tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia, packed far too much power for Zheng at crucial points in their fourth meeting of 2024 to stay perfect. ALSO READ: Lionel Messi’s Inter goes down to Atlanta United in MLS Playoffs, Miami to host decider next week "She's such a great player. We always have great battles," Sabalenka said. "She plays aggressive tennis. She forced me to step in and go for it. That's why I bring my best tennis and I'm super happy with the first win." In a rematch of their Melbourne and Wuhan title clashes, it was Belarusian Sabalenka who edged ahead in a tight opening set with a break in the sixth game and took the early lead in the contest by holding to love. Olympic champion Zheng enjoyed plenty of vociferous support at the King Saud University Indoor Arena and led four times in a closer second set but Sabalenka drew level each time and finally broke for a 5-4 lead with a searing forehand winner. She wrapped up the contest on serve despite a wobble with a double fault, when Zheng sent a forehand long. The WTA Finals, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world and has a record prize pot of $15 million, will culminate with the title clashes on Nov. 9. Winning three round robin matches or reaching the final are some of the ways Sabalenka can retain top spot this year, while closest challenger Iga Swiatek needs to successfully defend the trophy to have any chance of overtaking her. "It would mean everything to me. It's one of my dreams," Sabalenka said about potentially winning the title after losing in the final when it was held in Fort Worth, Texas in 2022. "I've really worked hard in the last few years. I really hope I'll be able to hold this beautiful trophy one day." Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini then beat 2022 All England Club champion Elena Rybakina 7-6(5) 6-4 in the second match from the Purple Group. Swiatek takes on Barbora Krejcikova in the Orange Group on Sunday before Coco Gauff meets Jessica Pegula. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Aryna Sabalenka crush China’s Zheng Qinwen in opening round of WTA Finals

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will square off in the Wuhan Open semi-finals after claiming convincing victories on Friday.

The top-seeded Sabalenka produced a 6-2, 6-2 performance against Poland’s Magdalena Frech to record her 15th consecutive win in Wuhan, where she was a champion in 2018 and 2019.

Gauff, the number four seed, eased past Poland's Magda Linette 6-0, 6-4 to extend her current winning streak to eight matches, having lifted the trophy at the China Open in Beijing last week.

One of those streaks will come to a halt on Friday when Sabalenka and Gauff meet for the eighth time.&nbsp;

Gauff leads their head-to-head 4-3 but lost their most recent encounter at the Australian Open semi-finals in January.

"I think the main thing is, once again, to focus on myself, focus on my footwork, go to the net, finish the point over there," said Sabalenka of her game plan against Gauff.

"On this slow surface, you have to go there. You have to be brave enough and finish the point there. I think that's the main plan. It worked really well in our last meeting, so I'll just stick to the plan. I'll try to put as much pressure as possible on her."

After getting off to a slow start in her previous round against Yulia Putintseva, Sabalenka came out firing in the quarter-finals, blasting 42 winners and just 14 unforced errors in her 83-minute victory over Frech.

The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion is not just chasing a three-peat in Wuhan -- she is also trying to close the gap on Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings.

Sabalenka will officially move up to the number one spot in the Race to the WTA Finals on Monday, but the year-end number one ranking will be decided at the season finale in Riyadh next month.

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<h2>A Chinese affair</h2>

Earlier in the day, Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist Wang Xinyu -- in the first WTA 1000 quarter-final of her career -- battled for two hours and 50 minutes to overcome Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(8/6).

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen also secured passage&nbsp;to a second consecutive semi-final -- following Beijing last week –- after a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 against Italian third seed Jasmine Paolini.

She and Wang will face off in the semi-final, marking the first time two Chinese women have made it to the last-four stage at the same WTA 1000 tournament.

"It means we have great players in China. Our base level is higher than before, so that's a good thing," said Zheng, who is an Olympic singles gold medallist.

The 22-year-old said she would try to treat Wang "like a normal opponent".&nbsp;

"It's never easy to play against an opponent from your country, you know? There is a different pressure... I think we grew up basically playing the same junior tournaments."

For Wang, it would be her first semi-final in China.&nbsp;

"I'm super happy that I made it to my first semi-final in China. It's extra special feeling for me. Playing in front of the home crowd here, I really enjoyed it," the 23-year-old said.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will square off in the Wuhan Open semi-finals after claiming convincing victories on Friday. The top-seeded Sabalenka produced a 6-2, 6-2 performance against Poland’s Magdalena Frech to record her 15th consecutive win in Wuhan, where she was a champion in 2018 and 2019.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff will square off in the Wuhan Open semi-finals after claiming convincing victories on Friday. The top-seeded Sabalenka produced a 6-2, 6-2 performance against Poland’s Magdalena Frech to record her 15th consecutive win in Wuhan, where she was a champion in 2018 and 2019. Gauff, the number four seed, eased past Poland's Magda Linette 6-0, 6-4 to extend her current winning streak to eight matches, having lifted the trophy at the China Open in Beijing last week. One of those streaks will come to a halt on Friday when Sabalenka and Gauff meet for the eighth time. Gauff leads their head-to-head 4-3 but lost their most recent encounter at the Australian Open semi-finals in January. "I think the main thing is, once again, to focus on myself, focus on my footwork, go to the net, finish the point over there," said Sabalenka of her game plan against Gauff. "On this slow surface, you have to go there. You have to be brave enough and finish the point there. I think that's the main plan. It worked really well in our last meeting, so I'll just stick to the plan. I'll try to put as much pressure as possible on her." After getting off to a slow start in her previous round against Yulia Putintseva, Sabalenka came out firing in the quarter-finals, blasting 42 winners and just 14 unforced errors in her 83-minute victory over Frech. The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion is not just chasing a three-peat in Wuhan -- she is also trying to close the gap on Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings. Sabalenka will officially move up to the number one spot in the Race to the WTA Finals on Monday, but the year-end number one ranking will be decided at the season finale in Riyadh next month. ALSO READ | Women's T20 World Cup: Ashleigh Gardner runs the show for Australia in one-sided win over Pakistan A Chinese affair Earlier in the day, Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist Wang Xinyu -- in the first WTA 1000 quarter-final of her career -- battled for two hours and 50 minutes to overcome Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(8/6). Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Zheng Qinwen also secured passage to a second consecutive semi-final -- following Beijing last week –- after a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 against Italian third seed Jasmine Paolini. She and Wang will face off in the semi-final, marking the first time two Chinese women have made it to the last-four stage at the same WTA 1000 tournament. "It means we have great players in China. Our base level is higher than before, so that's a good thing," said Zheng, who is an Olympic singles gold medallist. The 22-year-old said she would try to treat Wang "like a normal opponent". "It's never easy to play against an opponent from your country, you know? There is a different pressure... I think we grew up basically playing the same junior tournaments." For Wang, it would be her first semi-final in China. "I'm super happy that I made it to my first semi-final in China. It's extra special feeling for me. Playing in front of the home crowd here, I really enjoyed it," the 23-year-old said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Wuhan Open: Aryna Sabalenka sets up Coco Gauff showdown after smashing Magdalena Frech

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Wuhan Open final for the third time.

A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improved her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0 and awaits Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.

Gauff, who was on a nine-match winning streak on the back of her title run in Beijing last week, played a perfect first set but committed a whopping 21 double-faults during a semi-final lasting two hours, 26 minutes.

Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.

"The atmosphere was incredible," said Sabalenka, who was 2-4 down in the second set.

"It definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like it was a Grand Slam final."

Sabalenka struggled on serve early on and couldn't control her forehand as a clinical Gauff leapt to a double-break 5-0 lead inside 19 minutes.

The American dropped a mere two points behind her first serve and limited the Belarusian to just two winners throughout that opening frame.

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If the first set was a rout, the second was a dogfight with six of the first eight games going against serve.

After 78 minutes of play, Sabalenka found herself in the lead for the first time in the match, inching ahead 5-4 to up the pressure on Gauff, whose serve abandoned her when she needed it most.

With Gauff's double-fault count rising, Sabalenka took full advantage and broke serve to level the contest and force a decider.

A marathon third game that witnessed seven deuces and three break points saw Sabalenka win a seventh consecutive game and hold for a 3-0 lead in the final set.

Despite Gauff's best retaliatory efforts to level for 4-4 Sabalenka held on to close out a gritty victory.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Wuhan Open final for the third time. A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improved her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0 and awaits Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final.

Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka fought back from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday and reach the Wuhan Open final for the third time. A champion in Wuhan in 2018 and 2019, Sabalenka improved her perfect record in the tournament to 16-0 and awaits Zheng Qinwen or Wang Xinyu in the final. Gauff, who was on a nine-match winning streak on the back of her title run in Beijing last week, played a perfect first set but committed a whopping 21 double-faults during a semi-final lasting two hours, 26 minutes. Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open. "The atmosphere was incredible," said Sabalenka, who was 2-4 down in the second set. "It definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like it was a Grand Slam final." Sabalenka struggled on serve early on and couldn't control her forehand as a clinical Gauff leapt to a double-break 5-0 lead inside 19 minutes. The American dropped a mere two points behind her first serve and limited the Belarusian to just two winners throughout that opening frame. ALSO READ | 'Can't win a Test...,' Pak skipper Shan Masood blames bowlers for crushing innings loss vs England If the first set was a rout, the second was a dogfight with six of the first eight games going against serve. After 78 minutes of play, Sabalenka found herself in the lead for the first time in the match, inching ahead 5-4 to up the pressure on Gauff, whose serve abandoned her when she needed it most. With Gauff's double-fault count rising, Sabalenka took full advantage and broke serve to level the contest and force a decider. A marathon third game that witnessed seven deuces and three break points saw Sabalenka win a seventh consecutive game and hold for a 3-0 lead in the final set. Despite Gauff's best retaliatory efforts to level for 4-4 Sabalenka held on to close out a gritty victory. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Wuhan Open: Aryna Sabalenka downs Coco Gauff in three sets to reach final

Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings. The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed "personal matters". Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step towards overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing. "Of course that's one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one," the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said.

But the 26-year-old added: "I'm not trying to focus on that, I'm trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left. I'm just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one."

The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being toppled by Swiatek. "To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It's good to know that you've been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn't a waste of time," she said.

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Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round.

Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.&nbsp;

The competition begins on Wednesday. A men's ATP 500 event runs alongside the women's tournament.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings. The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed "personal matters".

Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings. The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed "personal matters". Fresh from winning the US Open, Sabalenka can take a large step towards overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing. "Of course that's one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one," the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said. But the 26-year-old added: "I'm not trying to focus on that, I'm trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left. I'm just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one." The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being toppled by Swiatek. "To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It's good to know that you've been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn't a waste of time," she said. Also read: Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur aim to start better in Europa League Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round. Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. The competition begins on Wednesday. A men's ATP 500 event runs alongside the women's tournament. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

US Open 2024 winner Aryna Sabalenka chases year-end number one ranking

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