Naomi Osaka advances in Rome as comeback continues
Naomi Osaka advances in Rome as comeback continues
On the heels of collecting her first tournament title since becoming a mother, former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka rallied to victory Thursday in the third round of the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.
Osaka dropped the first set to Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic, but came back for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 win.
Last week in Saint-Malo, France, Osaka rode a wild-card entry in the WTA 125 tournament to her first title since the 2021 Australian Open – and did it on arguably her worst surface.
"That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve," she wrote in a post on X.
Osaka, 27, returned to playing competitively at the start of last year after giving birth to a daughter in July 2023.
With the win, the four-time Grand Slam champion saw her world ranking jump to No. 48 in the May 5 update.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
French Open: Coco Gauff digs deep to beat Keys and will face 361st-ranked Boisson in the semifinals
PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff kept double-faulting. She kept missing plenty of other strokes. She kept losing games in bunches. And all the while, she would let out a sigh or bow her head or look generally uncomfortable. What the 21-year-old Gauff never did Wednesday during a tense and topsy-turvy French Open quarterfinal against another American woman with a Grand Slam title, Madison Keys, was give up hope or go away. And, in a contest filled with plenty of mistakes, it was Gauff who emerged to grab eight of the last nine games for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Keys and a third trip to the semifinals at Roland-Garros. Advertisement 'I have had that in me from a young age," said the No. 2-seeded Gauff, who won the 2023 U.S. Open as a teenager and was the French Open runner-up the year before. 'When times become more difficult, knowing that I can dig deep in those tough moments.' Where did that come from? 'Just a love to win, the will to win. It's not something that's taught or anything. It's just I have always had that in me, and not just in tennis but in everything. I'm a very competitive person,' she said. 'My philosophy is if I can just leave it all out there, then the loss will hurt a lot less than regrets of maybe not giving it your all.' Gauff needed to overcame 10 double-faults — three in the opening tiebreaker alone — and the first set she's dropped in the tournament, as well as deal with the big-hitting Keys, the No. 7 seed, who entered with an 11-match Grand Slam winning streak after her title at the Australian Open in January. Advertisement They combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across more than two hours under a closed roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier on a drizzly, chilly day. Nearly half of the games — 14 of 29 — featured breaks of serve. But from 4-all in the second set, Gauff held four times in a row while pulling away. She made two unforced errors in the last set, including just one double-fault. After falling behind 4-1 at the start, and twice being a single point from trailing 5-1, Gauff switched to a racket with a different tension in the strings to see if that would help. 'Maybe it did, and maybe it didn't. I'd like to think that it helped a little bit," she said. "Sometimes that stuff could just be mental. Maybe you're thinking, 'Oh, I changed my racket, I'm going to play better, and you start doing it. I don't know.' Advertisement She'll play Thursday for a berth in another major final, facing 361st-ranked French wild-card entry Loïs Boisson, who is on one of the most stunning runs in tennis history. Boisson beat No. 6 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the quarterfinals to follow up her upset of No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the fourth round. Boisson, 22, is the first woman to reach the semifinals in her Grand Slam debut since 1989, when Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati both did it at the French Open. A crowd that offered support to Gauff against Keys via shouts of 'Allez, Coco!' was raucous as can be behind Boisson, rattling the 18-year-old Andreeva. The other women's semifinal is quite a matchup: three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek vs. No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka. They advanced with quarterfinal victories Tuesday. It was Swiatek who stopped Gauff at Roland-Garros in the semifinals last year and in the final three years ago. Advertisement 'I have a lot more work left to do,' said Gauff, who raised her arms overhead then spread them wide apart after the last point against Keys, 'but I'm going to savor this one today.' Repeatedly, Gauff scrambled this way or that to get her racket on a shot from Keys and send it back, often leading to a miss. 'The court being a little bit slower, coupled with the fact that she covers the court so well, just put a little bit of pressure on me to go a little bit more for my shots and maybe press a little bit too much, too soon,' said Keys, who occasionally admonished herself with a slap on her right leg. 'There were a lot of points where I felt like, playing someone else," Keys said, 'I would have won the point.' ___ More AP tennis: Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
Fox News
3 hours ago
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Novak Djokovic hints at retirement after French Open defeat to Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic may have played his final match at the French Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was hoping to extend his record at Roland Garros this weekend with a trip to the men's singles final, but he lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets Friday. Djokovic, 38, appeared emotional as he collected his bags. He kissed his hand and touched the clay surface at Court Philippe-Chatrier. He then spoke about the match, signaling it may have been his last at the French Open. "I mean, this could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end," he said. "But if this was the farewell match of the Roland-Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd." Of the "Big Three," only Djokovic remains active — and dominant. AMERICAN TENNIS STAR JESSICA PEGULA SLAMS 'ABSOLUTELY CRAZY' COMMENTS AFTER LOSING FRENCH OPEN MATCH"Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play here in 12 months time? I don't know," he added. "I said it could have been my last match (here). I didn't say it was." Djokovic said he plans to compete at Wimbledon. Last year marked the first time in seven years the Serbian tennis pro failed to win a Grand Slam. His last win came in 2023 at the U.S. Open. His last win at Wimbledon was in 2022. "I feel like I want to play Wimbledon. I want to play U.S. Open. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure," he said. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Was that Djokovic's goodbye to the French Open?
Djokovic has won three of his 24 Grand Slam titles at the French Open [Getty Images] French Open 2025 Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app Before Novak Djokovic left the court after his French Open semi-final defeat, he put his racquet bags down on the clay and said a heartfelt goodbye to the Paris crowd. He bent to touch the clay on Court Philippe Chatrier before holding his hand to his heart and waving to the crowd. Advertisement It felt like a final farewell for a player who turned 38 last month. Or will it prove to be 'au revoir' until they meet again next year? Three-time champion Djokovic, who lost a tight battle with world number one Jannik Sinner in straight sets, is unsure if he will return. "This could have been the last match ever I played here - I don't know. That's why it was a bit more emotional at the end," said Djokovic. "But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd." Advertisement Djokovic was given huge vocal support as he tried to move a step closer to a standalone record 25th major title. The Serb was also aiming for another record - victory in Sunday's final would have made him the oldest Grand Slam men's singles champion. But he could not break down the steely resistance of top seed Sinner, who won 6-4 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to set up a final against second seed Carlos Alcaraz. Pressed about how his future could look, Djokovic said: "I don't know right now. Twelve months at this point in my career is quite a long time. "Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. Advertisement "That's all I can say for the moment." Wimbledon and US Open in plans - but rest 'not so sure' Novak Djokovic won his last Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023 [Getty Images] A patchy season by Djokovic's lofty standards led to questions about his stamina and motivation coming into Roland Garros. The departure of rival-turned-coach Andy Murray also indicated things were not functioning as hoped, although he did warm up by winning his 100th ATP title at the Geneva Open. Djokovic's performance against Sinner showed he is not ready to roll over into retirement just yet - and emphasised why he prioritises the four majors in the latter stages of his career. Advertisement "Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule," Djokovic said. "Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now. "I feel like I want to play those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure." Djokovic will be bidding for a record-equalling eighth men's singles title at Wimbledon, having lost the past two finals there to Alcaraz. "Wimbledon is my childhood favourite tournament. I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready," he added. "I guess my best chances maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam or maybe Australia." Djokovic still playing 'high-level' tennis The end is clearly in sight for Djokovic, who has played 1,375 matches since turning professional in 2004. Advertisement But his trademark fight and fitness helped him stay within touching distance of 23-year-old Sinner, who has dominated the ATP Tour over the past 18 months. "I was proud of my effort tonight in this tournament, considering I wasn't in great form coming into Roland Garros," he said. "Jannik was just too good for me." The pair went toe-to-toe in an absorbing contest lasting over three hours in which both men pushed each other to their limits. Afterwards Sinner, who has won his past 20 Grand Slam matches, described Djokovic's level as "amazing". "I had to step up and play the best tennis I could," the Italian added. Advertisement "It shows again what a role model for all of us, especially for young players. "What he is doing is incredible. We are so lucky to see him play high-level tennis."
