Pegula, Gauff 1st 2 US women in Top 4 since Serena, Venus
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are the first pair of U.S. women both in the top four spots of the WTA rankings since sisters Serena and Venus Williams were up there a dozen years ago. Gauff, who lost in the quarterfinals at that tournament, moved up from No. 7 to No. 4. The last time two Americans were that high in the women’s tennis rankings was the week of Oct. 18, 2010, when Serena Williams was No. 2 and Venus Williams was No. 4.
news.yahoo.comFederer, Serena retire; tennis moves on to Alcaraz, Swiatek
The timing of it all hardly could be more symbolic: All within a span of two weeks, Serena Williams plays what is believed to be her last match at age 40, Roger Federer announces he’ll be retiring at 41, Iga Swiatek wins her third Grand Slam title at 21, and Carlos Alcaraz gets his first at 19.
No. 3 Sakkari out as another top player falls at US Open
The last two women’s champions were already out of the U.S. Open and now one of last year’s semifinalists is gone. Top players are falling fast in Flushing Meadows, and Serena Williams can topple another Wednesday night. Hours before Williams was set to face No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit, third-seeded Maria Sakkari was ousted 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 by Wang Xiyu of China in the second round.
news.yahoo.comAt US Open, complaints about the ball before 1st one struck
Days before the first one is struck in the tournament, the U.S. Open's balls were a topic of discussion Friday. It's the only Grand Slam event where women use a slightly altered version of the ball, and top-ranked Iga Swiatek is among those frustrated that their lighter one doesn't perform as well. The tournament media guide notes that the only distinction is that the men use an “extra duty” felt ball, while the women use a “regular duty” felt ball.
news.yahoo.comDjokovic shows he’s back in top form with Italian Open title
Novak Djokovic raised his first trophy of the year at the Italian Open on Sunday and showed that he’s back in top form exactly a week before the French Open starts. After missing a large portion of the season because he wasn’t vaccinated against the coronavirus, the top-ranked Djokovic beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0, 7-6 (5) for his sixth Rome title. “I’ve been building my form the last few weeks,” Djokovic said.
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