Sabalenka withdraws from US Open tune-up event in Montreal
The 27-year old Belarusian's decision to sit out the July 26-August 7 Canadian Open follows her semi-final appearances at Wimbledon and Berlin and after losing in the French Open final.
"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 in a Tennis Canada press release.
"I'll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you all next year. Thanks for your understanding and support it means the world to me!"
Tennis Canada also said Spanish world number 10 Paula Badosa, who announced this week that she has a fresh back injury, has also withdrawn from the Canadian Open.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Former Fox Sports analyst sticks the boot in on Joy Taylor after she was fired months after sex lawsuit
Joy Taylor's split from Fox Sports was inevitable, former network colleague Cris Carter has claimed. Earlier this month, Fox Sports reportedly slashed its weekday lineup with a trio of shows axed, including 'Speak' which was hosted by Taylor. The former sports host had worked on a number of different shows in her nine-year stint with Fox, yet the company has decided not to renew her expiring contract this summer - just months after she found herself embroiled in a bombshell sex lawsuit. The network shortly announced a new deal with Barstool Sports and founder Dave Portnoy, while Kay Adams was rumored to be a leading contender to fill the void left at Fox. And Carter suggested that FS1 had already made the decision months ago to oust Taylor from her hosting duties. The podcast host believed the network had reached the decision to move on in the aftermath of the lawsuit brought by former FS1 hairstylist Noushin Faraji, who listed Taylor as a defendant as well as top programming executive Charlie Dixon and Skip Bayless. 'Fox had no choice but to fire her,' Carter recently claimed on his podcast, 'Fully Loaded'. 'Anytime you have those rumors as far as someone as far as talent that has a relationship with an executive, which they were rumored to, her and Charlie Dixon who created all those shows. So, in their investigation, they gave Charlie time off, then eventually, they end up firing Charlie, which in turn, they tell you there's some fire there in the woodpile. 'And they're in a situation with Joy, with the lawsuit they really can't do anything with her on the air until her contract runs out. Then they either give you a s****y offer or they give you no offer. You're out. And they had to burn down everything that Charlie had created.' Taylor was accused of using sexual relationships with colleagues, including Dixon and former co-host Emmanuel Acho, to further her career in the lawsuit filed by the ex-employee. The 38-year-old was also alleged to have told Faraji to 'get over it' when she confided in her about claims she was sexually assaulted by Dixon. Taylor has denied all allegations. In addition to 'Speak,' Fox has reportedly decided to cancel two of its morning programs, 'Breakfast Ball' and 'The Facility'. All three shows, which were overseen by Dixon, are said to have struggled to find a huge audience, bring them to an abrupt end. Fox fired Dixon in April, while Acho was a casualty of the recent axing with his show, 'The Facility', which only debuted last September, also slashed. However, Carter believes that the network had no choice but to axe the slate of shows due to their connection to the lawsuit. 'They had to tear all those shows down,' Carter continued of FS1 cutting three shows from their lineup. 'Because of not only the rumors, but the stuff they found out in the investigation. That thing was ugly…Had to happen.' Carter had his own unceremonious exit from the network in 2019 following two years of co-hosting 'First Things First' alongside Nick Wright. The split came after the Hall-of-Fame wide receiver was upset he hadn't been offered a role on Fox's 'Thursday Night Football.' The former Minnesota Vikings star has since gone on to host his own podcast and believed Taylor will also have plenty of opportunities to bounce back. 'She has a wealth of information, a wealth of experience and she can talk the game,' Carter said of Taylor. 'And she got a good rolodex.'
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
The hidden Bob MacIntyre message that shows what he's really thinking about 2026 Major chances
The Scottish golf star has plenty to play for still in 2025 with a Ryder Cup ahead but his 2026 quest for a Major is noted Hard-working Bob MacIntyre has vowed to keep learning lessons in his Major quest. The Scottish star produced excellent back-to-back displays at the US Open and The Open. MacIntyre's runner-up finish at Oakmont was followed by a tied-seventh at Royal Portrush as he cemented his place amongst golf's elite. The Oban ace has now racked up five Top 10 finishes in 19 Major starts and believes it's a matter of time in his career before he lands one. MacIntyre has much to play for over the remainder of the 2025 campaign with Fed-Ex playoffs, The Ryder Cup at Bethpage and end-of-season DP World Tour Championship still to come. However, it's clear MacIntyre already has thoughts on next term's Majors with a key response given while he talked after his final around at Portrush about learning experiences from the Scottish Open the previous week where he had some issues with his irons in concrete conditions. He said: 'I was disappointed [Scottish Open]. A couple of things that, we didn't neglect, we just didn't dig deep enough into it. There's going to come a time when it's going to happen again and we are going to know why it happened. Whether that is Shinnecock next year with the firm turf, but the support I have had last week and this week have been unbelievable.' MacIntyre's reference to Shinnecock Hills appears to show he already has been thinking about the chance to go one better than Oakmont as the venue for the 2026 US Open in June is that specific track on Long Island, New York. As ever, the Masters will take place in April at Augusta, the PGA Championship will be held in May at Aronimink and The Open will return to Royal Birkdale in July. Before this year is out, MacIntyre has plenty on his plate with this week's short break followed by a return to the States for the Wyndham Championship. He's ready to go for the rest of the season with The Ryder Cup in sight and he said: 'My job is to qualify by automatic so that Luke can do what he wants with the picks. I feel like the last two Majors have put a massive dent in that and it's just keep going, play golf, do what you do. Good golf takes care of The Ryder Cup. 'I can't be far away now. There's going to be, for me, three or four tournaments I play from now until the finish and, if I do my job well, I should be in that team. I'll fly to the States for the Wyndham. That should be me secure for East Lake now, so it'll be the three play-offs and then get ready for a bit of carnage.' MacIntyre can feel his progression in the past year and said: 'It might not be visual as in on the FedEx or on the Race to Dubai, but statistically for me last year, me and [caddie] Mike were talking about it, it's not even night and day how much better I am at this game or how much more complete of a player. It's just streets ahead. It's just allowing that to happen in little pieces. I feel I'm still piecing it together and there's a lot still to come. I'm getting closer to where I want to be.'
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Tennis star tells fans to slide into Instagram DMs if they want to date her
Tennis star Leylah Fernandez has told fans to directly message her on Instagram if they wish to take the 22-year-old Canadian player on a date. Fernandez, currently ranked world No.36, says she is 'not a big fan of dating apps' and has encouraged her followers to slide into her DMs. The 2021 US Open finalist has landed three trophies on the WTA Tour to date, winning the Monterrey Open twice as well as the Hong Kong Open. Fernandez has earned a total of $6,550,409 in prize money and also reached the final of the Eastbourne International in the UK last year. Her career-high ranking so far is world No.13 and she played a huge role in Canada's first-ever Billie Jean King Cup triumph in 2023. The singleton is seeking a romantic partner – and has offered fans the chance to take her out on a date in her home town of Montreal when the Canadian Open gets underway from July 28 to August 4. Speaking in a video on her Instagram page, Fernandez said: 'Hey guys. You know what I really wanna do that I haven't done is going on a date. 'I'm not a big fan of dating apps so I'm actually going to do things my own way. 'I'm going to go on one date for one hour in Montreal. So if you want to be my date, DM me, let me know about yourself and see you there. See ya!' In her Instagram caption, Fernandez wrote: 'This will be fun, right? This isn't a joke. I fully intend to go on a date in Montreal so go ahead and DM me… time to shoot your shot. 'PS: you may have to meet my dad beforehand (good luck with that).' Fernandez is currently in action at the Washington Open and reached the quarter-finals on Thursday with a brilliant win over Jessica Pegula. The Canadian stunned the American top seed 6-3 1-6 7-5 to set up a clash against Taylor Townsend in the last eight. Fernandez is currently getting ready for the fourth Grand Slam tournament of the year – the US Open – which gets underway in New York next month. She was a runner-up at Flushing Meadows four years ago, missing out on the title to British star Emma Raducanu. Speaking in her on-court interview after her victory against world No.4 Pegula, Fernandez said: 'In the beginning of the third set, I didn't [make] many adjustments. More Trending 'When I went to wipe off some sweat, my coach was telling me to stay positive, to think of something positive, to switch the mentality. It helped.' Meanwhile, Raducanu is also in action at the Washington Open and conjured up an impressive win over Japan's Naomi Osaka on Thursday. Raducanu defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion 6-4 6-2 to set up a quarter-final showdown with Greek star Maria Sakkari. The result means Raducanu will reclaim the British No.1 ranking, moving past Katie Boulter. MORE: 'My heart is bleeding' – Wimbledon champion upset by major tennis change MORE: I've camped in the Wimbledon queue 7 times – I'll never buy tickets MORE: I love the Wimbledon queue almost as much as the tennis
