2025 WTA News & Gossip

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA500 Abu Dhabi tournament
Defending champion Elena Rybakina top seed, I am interested to see how she plays and defends her title? her life has been a 'soap opera' to date and she needs to knuckle down and do what she does best and play tennis!
BTW Emma Raducanu who got elevated into the main draw, because of withdrawals, her first round opponent is Marketa Vondrousova
Some Doubles News in Abu Dhabi,
This is 'is a blast from the past' Lucie Safarova coming out of retirement for some doubles with her old partner Bethanie Mattek Sands. Lucie has played a handful of tournaments in the last couple of years, mostly in the Czech Republic.
The main actions begins on Monday

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Elise Mertens (2) d A. Li in the final at Singapore, 61 64, this is Mertens 9th career singles title

Alexandrova (4) d Yastremska in the final at Linz, 62 36 75 this is Alexandrova's first WTA 500 title and her 5th career title
Alexandrova up to No 25 in the rankings with this title

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Elena Rybakina has added Davide Sanguinetti to her coaching staff.He is with her in Abu Dhabi and in communication with Stefan Vukov, who is still provisionally suspended by the WTA as they investigate alleged breach of Code of Conduct.
Just looked up the coaching credentials of Sanguinetti, Italian veteran, previously coach Vince Spadea 2008-2011, and subsequently coached Go Soeda , and Dinara Safina, in October 2023 became the coach of Brandon Nakashimi.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Emma Raducanu still looking for coach No 7 will work with Roman Kelecic this week in Abu Dhabi, Kelecic worked with Emma when she was a junior and is based in Dubai

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

As promised the crowd at the Australian Open, Danielle Collins is on that " five-star" vacation in the Bahamas

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

New Career Highs On WTA Top 100, Monday 3rd February,

85. Birrell

Other Notable Ranking Movements,

Karolina Muchova +2 to No 17
Clara Tauson +5 to No 34
Anna BlinkovA +12 to No 71

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Some Happy News!
Petra Kvitova will make her return to professional tennis at the end of this month in Austin. She will also play IW and Miami.
After taking time off to have her baby boy this will be her first match since 2023!
( I have interviewed Petra at the Sydney tournament, which was one of the oldest tournaments on the tour, before they ruined it and it now has become the United Cup, she was delightful and tennis has missed her)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Abu Dhabi news update,
Samsonova was meant to face Polina Kudermetova 1st round, Polina has with drawn due to illness and has been replaced by her sister Veronika
Alexandrova has also pulled out ( schedule change) has been replaced by Uchijima

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA500 Abu Dhabi Open
Day 4,
Pavlyuchenkova (6) Ostapenko (7) Fernandez (8) are in action
Emma Raducanu as a wild card, due to the withdrawals, plays Marketa Vondrousova

Pavs (6) Fernandez (8) won their matches, Jabeur upset Ostapenko (7) in 2 sets 76(4) 75
Emma Raducanu lost her 3rd consecutive match 63 64 to Marketa Vondrousova

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA500 Abu Dhabi
Day 5,
Rybakina top seed and defending champion, Putintseva (4) Badosa (2) Kasatkina (3) are in action.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Simona Halep has announced her 'Retirement" after losing 61 61 to Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open

 

[Front242]

Good riddance to the dirty, cheating gypsy who was clearly nothing without her drugs. She can blame it on injuries but even when fit when she came back, she was crap without her drugs. Seeing the news on tennis.com was the best thing I read all day.

 

[lomaha]

Potapova and Shevchenko have appareantly split and divorced in 2024. That was a short marriage.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Good riddance to the dirty, cheating gypsy who was clearly nothing without her drugs. She can blame it on injuries but even when fit when she came back, she was crap without her drugs. Seeing the news on tennis.com was the best thing I read all day.

Seems like it was the combination of the drugs and Cahill that has changed for Halep the past few years.. Missing both may been too much to overcome. What's the latest on Cahill's latest prodigy Sinner's drug suspension? I haven't keeping up but its a heck of a coincidence that Cahill has been their coach during these fail tests.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Seems like it was the combination of the drugs and Cahill that has changed for Halep the past few years.. Missing both may been too much to overcome. What's the latest on Cahill's latest prodigy Sinner's drug suspension? I haven't keeping up but its a heck of a coincidence that Cahill has been their coach during these fail tests.

This is not the post to discuss drug suspension, thanks AP go to the appropriate post
BTW Cahill wasnt Haleps coach with her failed drug test, Patrick M was her coach, get your facts straight

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA500 Abu Dhabi,
Just as I thought that Veronika Kudermetova was turning the corner and getting better, Belinda Bencic routed her with a Double Bagel!
Back to the drawing board for Veronika
Seeds to lose,
Kasatkina (3) Badosa (2) Putinstseva (4) Pavs (6) was forced to retire in her match against Linette 75 1-4

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Potapova and Shevchenko have appareantly split and divorced in 2024. That was a short marriage.

I read some of the details yesterday, I would imagine it would be hard at times being married or in a relationship when your both touring the world at different tournaments, though Monfils and Svitolina who have a child now seem to make it work.

 

[the AntiPusher]

This is not the post to discuss drug suspension, thanks AP go to the appropriate post
BTW Cahill wasnt Haleps coach with her failed drug test, Patrick M was her coach, get your facts straight

Yep.. you are correct MM.. Post Rafa memory fog my friend.. thanks again

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Yep.. you are correct MM.. Post Rafa memory fog my friend.. thanks again

No worries all good

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

New schedule for WTA1000 Cincinnati Open, now spread across 14 days instead of its previous 9...............UGH!