World No.1 Sabalenka pulls out of WTA Montreal event
MONTREAL: World number one Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the WTA Canadian Open tournament in Montreal due to fatigue, Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday. The 27-year-old from Belarus, runner-up at the Australian and French Opens, comes off semi-final runs at Wimbledon and Berlin and titles at Madrid and Miami.
'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.
Missing the July 27-August 7 event leaves the reigning US Open champion only one major tuneup, at Cincinnati in August, before she tries to defend her crown on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.
'I'll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you all next year,' Sabalenka said. 'Thanks for your understanding and support -- it means the world to me.'
Sabalenka was upset in the Wimbledon semi-finals by American Amanda Anisimova. 'We're obviously disappointed that Aryna won't be with us this year,' tournament director Valerie Tetreault said.
World number 10 Paula Badosa of Spain withdrew from the event due to injury. The two departures opened spots in the main draw for American Caty McNally and Japan's Moyuka Uchijima.
Canada's Eugenie Bouchard announced on Wednesday that she will retire from professional tennis after the WTA event in Montreal, her hometown. Bouchard, 31, rose as high as fifth in the world rankings and enjoyed her best career season in 2014 when she reached her only Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon.
She also made semi-final runs that year at the Australian and French Opens and reached the fourth round at the US Open, her best career showings in each of the Grand Slam tournaments. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
World No.1 Sabalenka pulls out of WTA Montreal event
WIMBLEDON: Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka uses a bag of ice to cool down during a break in a match at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2025. - AFP MONTREAL: World number one Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from the WTA Canadian Open tournament in Montreal due to fatigue, Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday. The 27-year-old from Belarus, runner-up at the Australian and French Opens, comes off semi-final runs at Wimbledon and Berlin and titles at Madrid and Miami. '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. Missing the July 27-August 7 event leaves the reigning US Open champion only one major tuneup, at Cincinnati in August, before she tries to defend her crown on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts. 'I'll miss my amazing Canadian fans, but I'm already looking forward to seeing you all next year,' Sabalenka said. 'Thanks for your understanding and support -- it means the world to me.' Sabalenka was upset in the Wimbledon semi-finals by American Amanda Anisimova. 'We're obviously disappointed that Aryna won't be with us this year,' tournament director Valerie Tetreault said. World number 10 Paula Badosa of Spain withdrew from the event due to injury. The two departures opened spots in the main draw for American Caty McNally and Japan's Moyuka Uchijima. Canada's Eugenie Bouchard announced on Wednesday that she will retire from professional tennis after the WTA event in Montreal, her hometown. Bouchard, 31, rose as high as fifth in the world rankings and enjoyed her best career season in 2014 when she reached her only Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon. She also made semi-final runs that year at the Australian and French Opens and reached the fourth round at the US Open, her best career showings in each of the Grand Slam tournaments. — AFP
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Drama not enough to save MLB All-Star Game from ratings dip
ATLANTA: Mr Met and Mrs Met pose on the carpet for photographers during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game red carpet at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. - AFP ATLANTA: The first 'swing-off' in Major League Baseball All-Star Game history wasn't enough to save the Midsummer Classic from a 3 percent ratings drop. Tuesday night's game averaged a 3.8 rating and drew 7.19 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen, down from 7.44 million last year and the second-fewest on record for the event. It was 3 percent better than the record low of 7 million who tuned into the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. MLB's All-Star event still draws far better than its counterparts, with this year's NBA All-Star Game and the NFL's Pro Bowl Games each averaging 4.7 million viewers. Monday night's Home Run Derby drew 5.73 million viewers on ESPN. The All-Star Game itself peaked with 8.1 million viewers in the 9:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour, per making it the most-watched program on Fox since the Super Bowl. It also featured the first 'swing-off' to determine the All-Star Game winner. Each player got three swings. Rooker launched two over the fence, while Stowers went 1-for-3. Arozarena then hit one, before Kyle Schwarber sent all three out to give the NL a 4-3 running lead entering the final round. Aranda then went 0-for-3, clinching the bizarre National League victory -- technically a 7-6 win -- the league's second All-Star Game triumph in three years after dropping the previous nine. A rule change in 2022 provided what was left of the 41,702 fans with a spectacle they likely weren't expecting when they entered Truist Park in Atlanta. — Reuters 'It was interesting,' Schwarber said after being named the Phillies' first All-Star Game MVP since Johnny Callison in 1964. 'Exciting, fun. There's a lot of guys who deserve this (trophy), but I'm glad it's going home with us to Philly.' – Reuters
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
McIlroy returns to Portrush; Schauffele defends Open crown
PORTRUSH: A raucous reception will greet Rory McIlroy as the British Open returns to Royal Portrush and Northern Ireland on Thursday for the first time since Shane Lowry's 2019 triumph. McIlroy will be heralded by an expected crowd of 200,000 across the four days after ending his 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April. But a long list of contenders, including world number one Scottie Scheffler and reigning champion Xander Schauffele, stand between the hometown hero and a second Claret Jug. 'When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled even more so than the Masters for different reasons,' he told reporters after a practice round on Monday. 'It's lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that's happened this year. I'm excited with where my game is.' McIlroy will be desperate to at least put on a better show than in 2019 when he opened his tournament with a ruinous quadruple bogey on his way to a first-round 79, missing the cut despite a second-round charge. 'The golf on Thursday feels like a bit of a blur. I try to forget that part of it,' said the 36-year-old, who famously shot a 61 at Portrush 20 years ago. 'But I remember the run on Friday. I remember I was making a charge and making a run to try to make the cut, and I hit a 6-iron into the 14th, second shot, and I remember the roar from the crowd... 'It was really special.' McIlroy will play the first two rounds alongside world number four Justin Thomas and England's Tommy Fleetwood, teeing off at 3:10 pm local time (1410 GMT) on Thursday. Schauffele searching for best Schauffele was undoubtedly one of the two most in-form players in the world alongside Scheffler when he romped to his second major title of 2024 at Troon 12 months ago. The American has not posted a top-five finish this year, though, and has admitted he is struggling for rhythm. A tied-eighth effort at the Scottish Open in North Berwick last weekend provided a glimmer of hope that being back on links courses could help him rediscover his form. 'I think I had a better understanding of what I was doing, which was helpful when I was hitting bad shots,' he said of his efforts in Scotland. The last 11 Opens have produced first-time champions, with the last previous winner to lift the trophy Ernie Els in 2012. Scheffler is one of the players hoping that trend continues. The 29-year-old is the title favorite after bouncing back from an uncharacteristically slow start to the season. The three-time major champion has finished in the top 10 on each of his past 10 starts, winning three times including the PGA Championship. 'I could not care any less about being the favorite or not being the favorite,' said Scheffler. 'We all start even par and the tournament starts on Thursday. That's pretty much all that matters.' Lowry sparked jubilant scenes with his sensational six-shot triumph six years ago when the island of Ireland hosted the competition for the first time in 68 years. The Irishman is still waiting for a second major title despite a series of near misses since. 'I am a better golfer than I was in 2019,' he said. 'But it doesn't mean I'm going to go out and win by seven this year instead of six. 'It's just golf; that's the way it is. I think, as a golfer, you always have to look at it as the glass is always half full. You can't look at it any other way.' The 7,381-yard, par 71 lay-out will provide a tough test, with rainy and breezy conditions forecast for all four days. Two-time champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland will hit the opening tee shot at 6:35 am local time, playing with Northern Irish youngster Tom McKibbin and Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard. — AFP
