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Mint
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Wimbledon 2025: Older players shine but youth eventually triumphs
Tennis, it has sometimes been said, has skipped a generation. The reference is usually to men's tennis, which has transitioned somehow seamlessly from the improbable longevity of the fabled Big Three—Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal (who retired in their late thirties) and Novak Djokovic (who is still playing)—to the precocity and power of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Wimbledon this year seemed a docudrama that showcased this theory in not only the men's game, but also the women's. Older players, some well into their thirties, shone but eventually youth triumphed. The most memorable women's match till the last weekend was the quarterfinal between the 37-year-old German, Laura Siegemund, a doubles specialist, and the top seed Aryna Sabalenka. Siegemund mixed up her game, alternating sliced forehands with forays to the net, drop shots with the occasional lob. This is the bread and butter of tennis in doubles but her powerful opponent seemed so befuddled for much of the match that it seemed like Siegemund was conducting a multiple-choice exam. For much of the match, Belarussian Sabalenka, who serves huge serves and backs them up with the heaviest groundstrokes in women's tennis, looked like she was in danger of flunking. She eventually resorted to using sliced forehands as well as her heavy groundstrokes and rebounding from losing her serve early in the final set to overcome an opponent a decade older than her, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, who were once thought of as successors to the Big Three, carried on their equivalent of an early midlife crisis. The three—aged 29, 28 and 26 respectively—crashed out in the first round. Motherhood has been another theme of the British grasscourt summer. Another 37-year-old German, Tatjana Maria, an unheralded mother of two, won the prestigious warm-up before Wimbledon at Queen's Club. At Wimbledon, it was the turn of the Swiss veteran Belinda Bencic, just back from maternity leave, to upset the seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, who many had tipped to win the tournament as the second week began. Instead, Bencic blunted Andreeva's superior power game with slices and slow balls in an otherwise uninspiring quarterfinal. From the sidelines, Andreeva's coach, Conchita Martinez called on Andreeva to 'Be brave." The exhortation was intended to get her charge to go for winners and not be drawn into the spider's web Bencic was weaving around her. Andreeva heeded the call but ended up committing more errors as she tried to impose her faster pace on the game. She lost in two tiebreak sets, 6-7, 6-7, after not having dropped a set to get through the first four rounds. Equally mystifying but more predictable was the continued downward trajectory of the career of Tsitsipas. The Greek was once considered a probable successor to the Big 3 after beating Federer at the Australian Open and being a finalist at both the French Open and the Australian Open. This Wimbledon will mark a low point. He withdrew after losing the first two sets of his first round match. But, worse was to come. Tsitsipas' new coach, Goran Ivanisevic, 2001 Wimbledon champion and a long-time coach of Djokovic, criticised Tsitsipas after his loss at Wimbledon as the most 'unprepared player" he had ever seen and declared he was three times fitter than Tsitsipas, despite being decades older. Also in danger of being labelled a serial underperformer is Zverev, who lost in the first round on Centre Court to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who was braver on the big points. Unlike Tsitsipas and Zverev, Medvedev has a single Grand Slam to his name—the US Open in 2021 where he beat Djokovic. But he went out in the first round of the French Open this year and at Wimbledon, and looks set to fall out of the top 10 next week after the points from Wimbledon are added to the men's rankings. The surprising outperformers in the men's tournament were well into their thirties. The first match on Centre Court on the opening Monday is, for the most part, a ceremonial ritual: the defending champion takes the court to loud cheers and usually wins in straight sets. This year, 38-year-old Favio Fognini pushed Alcaraz to five sets and then brought forward his retirement from tennis, originally expected later this year. After that see-sawing match and the standing ovation he received at the end on Centre Court, Fognini decided that this was the best way to say goodbye to tennis. The moment was so full of pathos that it seemed scripted by the gods. The tabloid press had anointed Jack Draper, the British number 4 seed, one of the prime contenders for a title. His form at Indian Wells, part of the so-called spring slam in the first half of the year, and since has justified his ranking. At Wimbledon, however, he ran into the giant Croatian, Marin Cilic, whose big serves followed up by whipping forehand winners can be an intimidating combination. Despite the wide gap in their rankings and the fact that Cilic at 36 is 13 years older than Draper, the outcome of the four-set second round match never seemed in doubt. The Croatian, a former Wimbledon finalist, looked more at home at Wimbledon than the Englishman. At this almost excessively sunny and warm Wimbledon, the ghosts who authored Greek tragedies seemed among the audience on Monday evening as Sinner went on court against Grigor Dimitrov. When he first burst onto the tennis scene, the 34-year-old Bulgarian's nickname was the baby Fed, a nod to his similarly elegant play and stylish single handed backhand. The match up between Sinner and Dimitrov seemed to pit cannons on one side of the battlefield against an archer on the other. Yet Dimitrov's arrows seemed to find the target again and again and appeared to have the magical qualities needed to defuse Sinner's explosive power. His backhand slice moved the number one seed around the court and skidded low on the grass. Dimitrov unleashed cannons of his own, serving 10 to 15 mph above his normal speed. With throaty crowd support, the Bulgarian was soon two sets to love up. At 2-2 in the third set, however, disaster struck. After unleashing yet another huge serve, Dimitrov sank to the ground writhing in pain from a pectoral muscle pull. Sinner was quickly by his side and helped him to his chair. After a timeout for treatment, Dimitrov returned to the court in tears to retire. One of Wimbledon's perennially popular stars may never again get that close to the semifinals. Injury played a part in Sinner's semifinal with Djokovic. The Serbian looked slow from the start, having suffered a bad fall in his four-set quarterfinal. He lost in straight sets. But for his serve, the match would have been a rout. It may be the last time we see Djokovic in a Wimbledon semifinal. 'I guess playing best of five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. I reach the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are fit, young, sharp," a reflective Djokovic said afterward. 'I feel like I'm going into the match with the tank half-empty." In other words, wily cunning and experience may have its moments, but at Grand Slams in 2025 youth has its way in the end. Of the four finalists in the men's and women's singles, Iga Swiatek, chasing her first Wimbledon final is 24. And, Alcaraz, the youngest at 22, remains the picture of calm confidence as he eyes his third consecutive Wimbledon. The younger generation is firmly in charge. Rahul Jacob is a Mint columnist.
Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon 2025 odds and predictions as Taylor Fritz faces Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz is one match away from a third successive Wimbledon final as the reigning champion faces American Taylor Fritz on Centre Court in the semi-final Mirra Andreeva continues to make waves as the youngest player since Maria Sharapova in 2005 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The 18-year-old is set to face Belinda Bencic in a much-anticipated clash on Wednesday, marking the first time both players have reached this stage at SW19. Andreeva has been on an impressive run, recently overpowering Emma Navarro with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory on Centre Court. Despite the added pressure of having tennis legend Roger Federer in the audience, Andreeva's formidable power and relentless play left Navarro struggling to find her rhythm. Throughout the tournament, Andreeva has demonstrated remarkable consistency, maintaining strong service games and breaking her opponents with clinical precision. Her ability to convert six out of seven break points against Navarro highlights her readiness for her upcoming challenge against Bencic. With consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals now under her belt, Andreeva is eyeing another semi-final appearance following her success at last year's French Open. Bencic, a seasoned competitor and Olympic champion from 2021, finally broke through her fourth-round barrier by defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in two closely contested sets. This victory sets up her first-ever encounter with Andreeva on the women's tour. The Swiss player has faced setbacks at this stage before but showed resilience by overcoming Alexandrova 7-6(4), 6-4, demonstrating her determination to advance further. Despite missing the French Open due to an arm injury and taking maternity leave from September 2023 to October 2024, Bencic is now poised to reach her second Grand Slam semi-final. Her previous quarter-final appearance was at the US Open in 2021, and she last reached a semi-final in 2019. With momentum building at Wimbledon, Bencic aims to harness her experience and end her six-year wait for another Grand Slam semi-final berth by overcoming Andreeva. Taylor Fritz vs Carlos Alcaraz Odds Taylor Fritz - 4/1 Carlos Alcaraz - 1/6 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Taylor Fritz vs Carlos Alcaraz Betting Tips Here are my predictions: Alcaraz 3-1 sets - 5/2 Over 40.5 games - 5/4 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Wimbledon 2025 Betting Offer If you are on the lookout for the latest free bet offers, then look no further. Here, not only do we bring you numerous free bet offers, but all from the very best betting sites in the industry. Each bookie we recommend is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so you know you are always betting on a safe and trustworthy site. Check out the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers here. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
Daily Mirror
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Clare Balding scolds John McEnroe as text to Wimbledon ace brought up
Mirra Andreeva once again impressed at Wimbledon and even turned up to support her coach Conchita Martinez in the seniors' event, after which John McEnroe made a sly dig Clare Balding called out John McEnroe after he made a cheeky remark about Mirra Andreeva's disappointing exit from the French Open earlier this year. The young Russian star has turned plenty of heads at Wimbledon this month. However, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Belinda Bencic on Wednesday. Before her exit, Andreeva showed up to cheer on her coach, Conchita Martinez, who was participating in a legends' event at the All England Club. From the crowd, she waved a handmade sign reading: "Let's go! Top spin! You are golden." It's reported that Martinez had previously messaged "you are golden" to Andreeva before her own matches at Wimbledon. This followed the 18-year-old's emotional collapse and subsequent loss to qualifier Lois Boisson at Roland Garros last month. McEnroe drew disapproval from his BBC colleagues after joking that Martinez should have sent the same message prior to the French Open. Presenter Balding, referencing the banner Andreeva had created, explained: "'You are golden,' that's what Conchita texted to Mirra at the beginning of these Championships, 'Just remember, you are golden. You can win this.'" McEnroe then interjected: "Did she text her that before the French?" Balding, momentarily stunned by the comment, paused and replied: "Why are you saying that?" Fellow pundit Tracy Austin also took offense at McEnroe's jab, exclaiming: "Oh, come on!" McEnroe tried to justify himself: "I don't mean to be a bummer here, I'm just saying..." He then chuckled uncomfortably and finally said: "Forget it!" Austin, clearly ready to move past it, added: "Yeah, move on, next question." Later, McEnroe offered praise for Andreeva and dismissed critics of her emotional on-court behaviour. Making fun of himself, he laughed and said: "Who can forgive a teenager for losing their head?" Austin, seemingly over the earlier tension, replied with a playful nod to McEnroe's iconic past: "You cannot be serious?!" The comment referenced McEnroe's famous 1981 Wimbledon outburst, when at age 22 he exploded over what he believed was a bad line call. Bencic, who knocked Andreeva out in the last eight, will face four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in the semis. Whoever wins will go on to the final of Wimbledon, where they'll meet either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or Amanda Anisimova.
New Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Swiss mum Bencic through to her first Wimbledon semi-final
LONDON: Switzerland's Belinda Bencic won two tiebreaks to beat teenage Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6(3) 7-6(2) on Wednesday and become a first-time Wimbledon semi-finalist. The only mother left in the singles draw had four match points after Andreeva double-faulted in the second tiebreak on Centre Court and needed only the one, sealing victory with a smash at the net. The first Swiss woman to make it to the last four since Martina Hingis in 1998 will now play Poland's five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek for a place in the final. Andreeva, 18, fired four aces in the opening set to none for Bencic but there was next to nothing between the closely-matched pair until the Russian netted a couple of forehands in the ensuing tiebreak. Bencic then had two break points at 4-4 in the second set, Andreeva saving one before hitting long to go 5-4 down and leaving the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion to serve for the match. Andreeva refused to follow the script, however, and broke straight back to 5-5 before going to 6-5 with 28-year-old Bencic, who had her daughter Bella in April last year, then serving to take the match to another tiebreak. The Swiss raced to a 6-2 lead and wasted no further time with the match already entering its third hour, despite hobbling slightly with what she said later was a cracked toenail. "It's crazy, it's unbelievable. It's a dream come true," Bencic said. "I tried not to think about it at the match point. I'm just speechless. It is my second Grand Slam semi-final overall and my first at Wimbledon. Just speechless, so happy," added the 28-year-old. The sound of a champagne cork popping was something of an omen when it stopped Bencic mid-serve in the second set. She won the point and gave a thumbs up in the direction of the offender. "I studied all evening yesterday to come up with a plan. I think it worked out well," she said. "With two tiebreaks it is not easy, it's just a small edge." Bencic's only other Grand Slam semi-final was at the 2019 U.S. Open, when she lost to Canada's eventual winner Bianca Andreescu. Now back in the top 20 after maternity leave, she was proud of what she had achieved. "I didn't say it to myself much before but since having Bella I say it to myself every day," she told the crowd. "It's not only me, I wouldn't be able to do it without my amazing family and team. We worked so hard on the comeback.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Wimbledon 2025: Belinda Bencic shows 'mother courage' with maiden semi-final foray at SW19
London: Belinda Bencic has staged the mother of all shows at this fortnight. It's been running for 10 hours and nine minutes so far; point precise groundstrokes and steely determination. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The back story first. Bencic gave birth to her daughter Bella in April 2024 and in late October started with lower-level tournaments, two W75s and a WTA125. It wasn't until January that she played her first Tour-level match, ranked 487 in the world. Three outings later, she won her first title as a mother, a WTA500 in Abu Dhabi. Already the comeback story of the year. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! After putting away an overhead to close the match, the former world No.4 dropped her racket on Centre Court, looking skyward in disbelief. She had just knocked out the seventh seed 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the last-eight of the Church Road major, and in that moment it appeared like everything she had been through these last months flitted before her. Bencic, 28, ranked 35, came through 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in two hours and seven minutes to make her first Wimbledon semifinals. It's only the second time she's done it in a Grand Slam. The Swiss' first major semifinal – a loss to Bianca Andreescu at the 2019 US Open – was five years and 309 days ago, making her run to the last four at The Championships the fifth-longest gap between Grand Slam semifinals in the Open Era. 'This is crazy, unbelievable, I'm speechless,' Bencic said after putting out Andreeva. 'I'm proud of myself, I never said this much to myself before Bella, but now I tell myself this every day.' Bencic's win on Wednesday was carefully crafted, she won only 10 points more than Andreeva in the total haul. The teenager was testing her with underspin, mixing it up cleverly to change the course of rallies, but Bencic used her experience to come through in the tiebreaks. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the second set, Andreeva was broken after a fairly long game that included two deuces. Just when it looked like Bencic would serve out the match, the Russian struck to level at 5-5. Bencic will play Iga Swiatek in the second semifinals on Thursday. The Pole leads the head-to-head 3-1. Their last meeting was in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2023, which the world No.4 won in three tight sets. Meanwhile, Swiatek's love-hate relationship with grass is leaning on the enemies-to-friends trope. Considering the Pole's only Grand Slam success in the juniors came at Wimbledon in 2018, she has struggled to prepare in earnest for the tournament given her success at Roland Garros each year and the short gap between the two Slams. While Swiatek has won four titles (2020, '22, '23, '24) in Roland Garros, her previous best effort at Wimbledon is a quarterfinal in 2023. This year, following her loss in the semi-finals in Paris, she has worked doubly hard, making the final in Bad Homburg. The work reflected in her performance on Court No.1 where she scored a 6-2, 7-5 win over the 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova in the quarters. Meanwhile in the boys' doubles , Bangalore's Krish Tyagi and South African Connor Doig beat the sixth seeds Italy's Pierluigi Basile and Bulgaria's Alexander Vasilev 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 to make the quarters.
