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Sabalenka withdraws from Montreal tournament, opts for extra rest before US Open preparation

Sabalenka withdraws from Montreal tournament, opts for extra rest before US Open preparation

MONTREAL (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the National Bank Open, opting for additional rest before beginning preparations for her U.S. Open title defense.
'I'm looking forward to kicking off the North American hard-court swing, but to give myself the best chance for success this season, I've decided it's in my best interest to skip Montreal,' Sabalenka said Wednesday in a statement provided by the tournament.
Sabalenka is coming off a
semifinal appearance at Wimbledon
, where she lost to Amanda Anisimova.
The National Bank Open begins July 27. Sabalenka could instead return for the Cincinnati Open in early August, with the first round of the U.S. Open set to begin on Aug. 24. Sabalenka won that title for the first time in 2024.
The tournament also announced that 10th-ranked Paula Badosa had withdrawn because of an injury. Caty McNally and Moyuka Uchijima replaced Sabalenka and Badosa in the main draw.
___
AP tennis:
https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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On my sports bucket list: The Lions winning the Super Bowl, the Guardians capturing the World Series, and more
On my sports bucket list: The Lions winning the Super Bowl, the Guardians capturing the World Series, and more

Boston Globe

time4 minutes ago

  • Boston Globe

On my sports bucket list: The Lions winning the Super Bowl, the Guardians capturing the World Series, and more

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Tadej Pogačar closes in on fourth Tour de France title, as Kaden Groves wins penultimate stage
Tadej Pogačar closes in on fourth Tour de France title, as Kaden Groves wins penultimate stage

NBC Sports

time5 minutes ago

  • NBC Sports

Tadej Pogačar closes in on fourth Tour de France title, as Kaden Groves wins penultimate stage

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Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title, Groves wins penultimate stage
Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title, Groves wins penultimate stage

San Francisco Chronicle​

time34 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title, Groves wins penultimate stage

PONTARLIER, France (AP) — Tadej Pogačar closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely finishing Saturday's penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard. Australian rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 with a late solo breakaway, while Pogačar rolled over the line about seven minutes later in the same time as Vingegaard. The Slovenian cycling star leads the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds, with German rider Florian Lipowitz 11:03 behind Pogačar in third overall. Barring a heavy crash or illness, Pogačar was expected to celebrate Sunday and move level with British rider Chris Froome on four Tour titles. Victory would also give Pogačar a fifth Grand Tour after winning the Giro d'Italia in dominant fashion last year. 'I am more or less sure of my overall victory, but I still don't want to say anything about it. I want to stay focused until I have crossed the finish line in Paris,' Pogačar said. 'That's one of the most beautiful parts of this sport. We are 180 guys who spend weeks riding in the mountains and in the end, all of a sudden, we come to the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world.' However, Sunday's final stage of this edition is not a largely processional one, as is usually the case, and could potentially prove somewhat problematic toward the end with three consecutive climbs. 'I am unsure of how the final stage will pan out,' Pogačar said. 'The course is relatively short, and that will make for a rather punchy effort.' As the riders set off Saturday in driving rain, the yellow jersey group stayed safely at the front until breakaways formed. When the front group tackled the 3.6-kilometer Côte de Thésy, Frenchman Jordan Jegat launched a solo attack, but he was then overtaken by Australian rider Harrison Sweeny. As rain fell heavily again with 40 kilometers, Sweeny opened up a 50-second lead, only to be reeled in shortly after. The wet roads were treacherous at high speeds. Frenchman Romain Grégoire and Spaniard Iván Romeo crashed taking a sharp turn and slid sideways off their bikes. Both continued. Groves surged ahead 16 kilometers out and held on for his first Tour stage win and 10th at major races. The 26-year-old has two at the Giro d'Italia and seven at the Spanish Vuelta. 'Winning in all three Grand Tours is a dream of every rider,' he said. 'We saw today as a chance to win from the breakaway. We played our cards correctly and I had super strong legs." Groves was 54 seconds ahead of Frank van den Broek and 59 clear of Pascal Eenkhoorn. Why is Sunday's stage different? The final stage of the Tour de France is traditionally a largely processional one, with the overall leader all-but-guaranteed to win — barring mishap — and only the sprinters contesting the stage win right at the end, following several laps around Paris. But this year's last stage is very different and could prove spectacular. Breaking with decades of tradition, it features three ascents of Montmartre Hill, a short and sharp climb which featured at last year's Paris Olympics. Some riders have expressed concern that the sinewy, cobbled Rue Lepic climb, lined with heaving fans either side at extremely close proximity, may be problematic. The final climb up Rue Lepic comes less than 7 kilometers from the end, before the riders finish on the Champs-Elysées. Around 3,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure security over the 132.3-kilometer route, which starts from the outskirts of Paris at Mantes-la-Ville before heading into the city.

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