Latest news with #Boulter
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans fume over De Minaur and Katie Boulter snub days after Aussie's triumph
Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter will be hoping to get one of the final two places left in the US Open mixed doubles comp after being snubbed from the first round of selections, days after the Aussie won the Citi Open title. The US Open has made a controversial change to the mixed doubles in 2025 with singles ranked players earning preference into the main draw. The winners of the reduced 16 team competition will take home $1 million ($A1.6m) and the tournament will take place the week before the official US Open main card. There has been backlash over the decision to change the format with the combined singles rankings deciding eight teams. This means lower ranked players, who often rely on prize money from mixed doubles at grand slams to survive, have been largely excluded. But it hasn't deterred huge names such as Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz entering the competition. De Minaur and Boulter also entered their name in the competition, but missed out on automatic selection because their combined singles ranking was 53 at the time. Despite being fresh off his win at the Citi Open this week, de Minaur and Boulter have missed out on the first six wildcard positions with only two left. American teams were heavily favoured in the wildcard entry with Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka earning a ticket, while popular team Emma Raducanu and Alcaraz also gained entry. Djokovic was granted a wildcard with partner Olga Danilovich and last year's mixed doubles champs Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made it. Unfortunately, de Minaur and Boulter will have to wait to see if they get one of the final two positions at a later date. But de Minaur has moved to express his interest in the competition and pleaded with the US Open to give them an opportunity. "Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty, pretty please," he wrote on social after learning they had missed out on initial selection. While British and Australian fans would like to see de Minaur and Boulter team up again, which hasn't happened officially since Wimbledon 2023, many feel for the mixed doubles pairs that have missed out. Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please 🙏😢 — alex de minaur (@alexdeminaur) July 30, 2025 While 2 places are still open in the new 16 team US Open mixed doubles event, it's surprising not to see Alex De Minaur and Katie Boulter already in the lineup. The field presently has 6 players who have been singles No1's and 9 who have won singles majors. — Craig Gabriel (@crosscourt1) July 29, 2025 Please add Boulter and De Minaur 🙏 — Gerard (@gstzombie) July 29, 2025 Tennis calls out US Open mixed doubles event The format changes have been heavily criticised among fans and the players. Dedicated doubles and mixed doubles players no longer have another avenue of playing in a grand slam and earning money at the US Open. Many of the lower ranked players were getting by on the tour thanks to entering mixed doubles competitions and earning money. Grand slams are the highest paying tournaments for these players. The US Open halving the number of pairs and favouring singles rankings has all but ended any chance of lower ranked tennis players earning money at Flushing Meadows. This has seen the tournament face backlash to their decision, which goes against tennis tradition. When the US Open announced the changes, Aussie mixed doubles player Ellen Perez led the frustration. The Aussie is World No.19 in doubles, but currently unranked in singles. The 29-year-old joined the chorus of players unleashing on the rule changes having suggested the US Open has disrespected the tradition of tennis. Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 — Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025 Alex de Minaur wins Citi Open title While de Minaur may have been deflated him and his fiancee were not selected in the first round of selections for the US Open, he would be elated having won the Citi Open in Washington earlier this week. De Minaur came from behind to beat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Fokina was in tears after the match with de Minaur saving three championship points on his way to the three-set victory. De Minaur noticed how distraught his opponent was and immediately went to console him. The Aussie was seen sitting next to Fikona before wrapping an arm around his opponent and offering some words of encouragement. Tennis fans and commentators were blown away by de Minaur's gesture, which came before he even properly celebrated the victory with the trophy.
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Evening Standard
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Evening Standard
US Open 2025: Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz confirmed for star-studded mixed doubles event
There are two more teams to be announced, according to the tournament, with the likes of Boulter and her Australian boyfriend Alex De Minaur, maverick Australian Nick Kyrgios and former world No1 Naomi Osaka, and the Italian duo Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti, both of who have made Grand Slam finals, waiting in the wings for a wild card.
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Emma Raducanu reclaims British No.1 spot with Osaka win
Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. 'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari. Read more: It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet. Elsewhere, Venus Williams fell in straight sets to Poland's Magdalena Frech in the second round. The 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004 after an opening-round victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday. Williams took an early 2-1 lead against Frech, but the 27-year-old responded with a dominant run of seven straight games en route to a 6-2 6-2 win.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu secures impressive win over Naomi Osaka to reclaim British No 1 status
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters. 'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans ' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet. Elsewhere, Venus Williams fell in straight sets to Poland's Magdalena Frech in the second round. The 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004 after an opening-round victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday. Williams took an early 2-1 lead against Frech, but the 27-year-old responded with a dominant run of seven straight games en route to a 6-2 6-2 win.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Raducanu races into quarter-finals with win over Osaka to regain British No 1 slot
Emma Raducanu will reclaim the British No 1 ranking after winning her first meeting with the four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka in confident fashion. The clash was hotly anticipated but proved to be not that much of a contest, with Raducanu comfortably clinching a 6-4, 6-2 victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Citi Open in Washington. Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world No 1, won Masters [titles]. She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. 'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.' The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open. Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but she then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon. Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening-round defeat by Maria Sakkari. It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and the Briton has not dropped a set against her in their three previous meetings. Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set. Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only her hitting partner, Alexis Canter, in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance. She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it. Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British men's No 2 beaten 7-6 (3), 6-3 by the American 14th seed, Brandon Nakashima. Dan Evans' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2, 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet.
