Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open

Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open
Poland’s Iga Swiatek plays a shot against Japan’s Naomi Osaka during their second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on May 29, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 29 May 2024
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Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open

Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open
  • Surging down the stretch as Osaka faded, Swiatek saved a match point and grabbed the last five games to sneak her way to a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory
  • “For sure, this match was really intense,” Swiatek said

PARIS: Iga Swiatek played like the current No. 1 and the two-time defending champion at the French Open. No surprise there. That Naomi Osaka looked like the former No. 1 that she is — and on clay, no less — amounted to an announcement that she is still quite capable of elite tennis.
Surging down the stretch as Osaka faded, Swiatek saved a match point and grabbed the last five games to sneak her way to a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday night in a thrill-a-minute contest befitting two women who both own four Grand Slam titles.
“For sure, this match was really intense. Much more intense for the second round than I ever expected. For sure, I’ll be more ready next time,” Swiatek said. “Naomi played amazing tennis. … I’m happy that she’s back and she’s playing well.”
For Swiatek, this extended her Roland Garros winning streak to 16 matches as she pursues a third consecutive trophy at the clay-court major. For Osaka, who cried when she left the court after letting a 5-2 lead in the concluding set slip away, this amounted to a return to her big-hitting best.
They went back-and-forth for nearly three hours as rain loudly pelted the outside of the closed roof at Court Philippe Chatrier — showers forced the postponements of 23 singles matches until Thursday — and a riveted, if hardly full, crowd alternated their support between the two players. Sometimes, spectators called out before a point was done, prompting admonishment from chair umpire Aurélie Tourte during the match. And from Swiatek afterward.
“Sometimes, under a lot of pressure, when you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused,” Swiatek said. “The stakes are big and there is a lot of money here to win. So losing a few points may change a lot. So please, guys, if you can support us between the rallies but not during, that would be really, really amazing.”
Osaka served for the victory at 5-3 in the final set, and was a point away from winning, but she put a backhand into the net. Soon, when Osaka missed another backhand, this one long, Swiatek finally converted a break point on her 10th chance of that set, and they played on.
Maybe the lack of high-level matches caught up to Osaka, because her mistakes continued to mount, including a double-fault that put Swiatek in control 6-5. Swiatek, who has led the WTA rankings for nearly every week since April 2022, then held serve one last time.
“I don’t necessarily feel like I regret anything,” Osaka said.
Still, this was, without a doubt, Osaka’s top performance since she returned to the tour in January after 15 months away while becoming a mother. (Her daughter, who is 10 months old now, accompanied Osaka to Paris and recently started walking.)
“I was watching Iga win this tournament last year, and I was pregnant. It was just my dream to be able to play her,” Osaka said. “When I kind of think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well. And I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself. I feel like I played her on her better surface. I’m a hard-court kid, so I would love to play her on my surface and see what happens.”
Because of the weather, only nine matches were completed Wednesday, and winners included Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Sofia Kenin, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev.
It’s been a few years since Osaka played this capably and confidently, hammering big serves at up to 122 mph (197 kph) and imposing groundstrokes. Her quick-strike capabilities were on full display: Osaka won 82 of the 139 points (59 percent) that lasted four strokes or fewer, and she finished with a 54-37 advantage in total winners.
All of those familiar mannerisms were back, too. She turned her back to Swiatek to reset between points, hopped in place, tugged at her pink visor’s brim and slapped her palm on her thigh. Osaka celebrated points by shaking a clenched fist and shouting “Come on!”
She grabbed nine of 10 games to dominate the second set and lead 3-0 in the third. Then 4-1. Then 5-2.
As one ball or another would fly past Swiatek, zipped near a corner or right at a line, she turned toward her guest box and shot a look of confusion or concern in the direction of her coach and her sports psychologist.
“I felt for most of the match that I wasn’t really (in the) here and now,” Swiatek said. “My mind was, like, playing around sometimes.”
She’s not used to this sort of one-way traffic coming head-on in her direction. Normally, it’s Swiatek who is delivering lopsided sets at a foe’s expense, especially on clay. She now has won her last 14 matches this month, with titles on the surface at Madrid and Rome — a clay double no woman had done since Serena Williams in 2013.
But this marked a sudden return to the Osaka everyone came to expect, match in and match out, back when she was at the height of her powers, climbing atop the rankings and gathering two trophies apiece at the US Open and Australian Open from late 2018 to early 2021.
It was in May 2021 that Osaka withdrew from the French Open before her second-round match, explaining that she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and revealing she had dealt with depression. She took time away from the tour for a mental health break, then opted for another hiatus after her title defense at the US Open a few months later ended with a third-round loss.
She helped usher in a change in the way athletes, sports fans and society at large understood the importance of mental health — and prompted those in charge of various sports, including tennis, to take the issue seriously and try to accommodate and protect them better.
Osaka entered with an 0-4 record on the red stuff against opponents ranked in the top 10 and never has been past the third round at Roland Garros. This also would have been her first win anywhere against a top-10 opponent since January 2020.
Instead, though, it is Swiatek who moves on and continues her bid to become the first woman with three championships in a row in Paris since Justine Henin in 2007-09.


Next Gen players to use Jeddah as launching pad for top ATP careers

Next Gen players to use Jeddah as launching pad for top ATP careers
Updated 17 December 2024
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Next Gen players to use Jeddah as launching pad for top ATP careers

Next Gen players to use Jeddah as launching pad for top ATP careers
  • Second staging of the 20-and-under event in Jeddah features the best eight players of that age group on the ATP circuit
  • Daniel Vallverdu: My honest, true opinion, is that this field is one of the best the Next Gen has ever had

Tennis fans in Saudi Arabia will get an early “sneak peek” at the future stars of the men’s game when the Next Gen ATP Finals event kicks off in Jeddah on Wednesday, says co-tournament director Daniel Vallverdu.

The second staging of the 20-and-under event in Jeddah features the best eight players of that age group on the ATP circuit, headlined by top seed and last year’s runner-up Arthur Fils.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Next Gen ATP Finals has highlighted the very best up-and-coming tennis talent, with the majority of participants using the tournament as a launching pad on their way to the upper echelons of the sport.

Of the current top 20 tennis players in the world rankings, 17 have qualified for previous Next Gen editions and 16 have opted to take part.

“It’s an incredible stat,” Vallverdu told Arab News on the eve of the start of the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals.

“And, obviously, you have previous winners like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas. So, you have current world No.1s that have competed and won the event as well.

“I think it’s a true testament that the players that are playing here in Jeddah, today and this week — if you look at the trends and what’s happening over the last six, seven years — will be the next few top players in the world.”

Vallverdu, who also serves as a strategic adviser to the Saudi Tennis Federation and is the co-coach of world No.10 Grigor Dimitrov, sees great potential in the Next Gen class of 2024, which includes — alongside Fils — Alex Michelsen, Jakub Mensik, Shang Juncheng, Learner Tien, Luca van Assche, Nishesh Basavareddy and Joao Fonseca.

“Me personally, obviously, being close to the performance side and the player side, my honest, true opinion, is that this field is one of the best the Next Gen has ever had,” Vallverdu added.

“It’s a very special and particular group that’s here in Jeddah. I think they all have a very high potential and a very high ceiling to grow and become the top players in the world.

“I think if you look at that stat that 16 out of the current top 20 were part of this event, I think that’s a true testament to what the fans are able to experience this week. They will get a sneak peek before anyone else, before these young players become the next future stars on tour.”

Fils, who is joined by world No.48 Mensik, Tien and Fonseca in a tough Blue Group in Jeddah this week, fell to Hamad Medjedovic in last year’s final and will be looking to go one better this time around.

He is familiar with Saudi Arabia and has enjoyed the time he has spent in the Kingdom so far.

“I love this country. I’ve been here one month ago with my friends for some holidays. I really love the country,” the Frenchman said on Monday.

“This event is also mandatory, so I’m here because I need to be here, but it’s a practice week as well. We’re in the preseason, so we’re spending a lot of time on court and I’m here to have some matches, have some fun, but also to work a lot during this week and let’s see.”

Chinese world No.50 Shang is making his Next Gen ATP Finals debut and will commence his campaign on Wednesday against French No.6 seed Van Assche.

He is intrigued by the latest developments in sport in Saudi Arabia and says he will have a chat with his compatriot, Zheng Qinwen, who competed in the WTA Finals in Riyadh last month, about her experience in the Kingdom.

“Speaking of tennis, maybe in Saudi Arabia it doesn’t happen too often, but I’m glad having the Next Gen event coming here to visit the country, to see how everyone is, how the culture is as well,” said the 19-year-old.

“Obviously, the WTA Finals is in Riyadh, which was quite fun. Actually, when I meet Qinwen I’m going to ask her about it as well, how the city is over there. Hopefully I’ll get some good results in, but, most importantly, enjoy the week.

“I think there’s always a key moment that one country or one individual has to push a sport forward. And I’m glad Saudi is doing it. Not many tournaments were held here in the past, so I’m glad that this is happening and hopefully in the future there will be more to come.”

Through his work with the STF, Vallverdu has witnessed firsthand the rapid rise of engagement and participation numbers surrounding tennis in Saudi Arabia.

With two sanctioned tour events currently enjoying a multi-year stay in the Kingdom — the WTA Finals from 2024 to 2026 in Riyadh and the Next Gen ATP Finals from 2023 to 2027 in Jeddah — the STF and Ministry of Sport now have a platform around which they have been building several community programs.

“It’s been incredible. There have been some amazing numbers regarding participation and also clubs coming into play, new clubs becoming part of the ecosystem,” said Vallverdu.

“Having 21,000 fans being part of the WTA Finals, engaging with 33,000 students during the event and pre-event. So, numbers are growing, the interest is growing, which is crucial, and it’s one of the main components and it’s why the federation and the ministry are hosting these events.

“29,000 children participating in the Tennis for All program in 2023 and I’m sure we’ll get much bigger numbers for 2024 and that will keep rising.

“The split between boys and girls is a healthy one; it was 52 percent boys, 48 percent girls, which is amazing. The impact the WTA Finals had and will have in the next few years, in terms of female participation, will be exponential.”

He added: “Hosting these events is great, but it goes way beyond the event itself and it goes well beyond for the federation, where you want any program that’s running alongside the event to become its own post the events, maybe going somewhere else.

“So, that’s been a huge focus for the federation over the last 12 months, to make sure whatever was being done pre-Next Gen in 2023 and during Next Gen in 2023, was not only being carried on for the next 12 months, but was even growing at the same time.”

The 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF will take place at the King Abdullah Sports City from Dec. 18–22, with a tournament-record US $2.05 million prize money on offer.

Wednesday, Dec. 18 Order of Play

Afternoon session

Starts at 2:00 p.m. local time

[4] Shang Juncheng (CHN) vs [6] Luca Van Assche (FRA)

Not Before 3:00 p.m.

[2] Alex Michelsen (USA) vs [7] Nishesh Basavareddy (USA)

Evening session

Not Before 7:00 p.m.

[3] Jakub Mensik (CZE) vs [5] Learner Tien (USA)

[1] Arthur Fils (FRA) vs [8] Joao Fonseca (BRA)


Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships celebrates women’s event’s 25th anniversary with world’s top 10

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships celebrates women’s event’s 25th anniversary with world’s top 10
Updated 16 December 2024
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Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships celebrates women’s event’s 25th anniversary with world’s top 10

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships celebrates women’s event’s 25th anniversary with world’s top 10
  • World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, reigning champion Jasmine Paolini, and five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in star-studded lineup

DUBAI: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, and reigning Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini lead a star-studded lineup featuring the world’s top 10 WTA players in the 25th anniversary Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships’ women’s tournament.

In an incredible year for Paolini, she has tied the record for the highest-ranked Italian woman in WTA rankings history, with the World No. 4 winning her second career title in Dubai, finishing runner-up at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and then triumphing in doubles at the Paris Olympics and in Malaga.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, was recently voted WTA Player of the Year for the first time after winning four titles in 2024, including a second Australian Open and maiden US Open triumph. That form allowed her to reclaim the top ranking from Swiatek, who was beaten in straight sets by World No. 3 Coco Gauff in Saudi Arabia’s season-ending tournament.

“The tournament’s elevation to permanent WTA 1000 status last year underlines the caliber of talent this competition consistently attracts … with the world’s top 10 players now confirmed to participate,” said Ramesh Cidambi, managing director of Dubai Duty Free and chairman of the tournament’s organizing committee.

Another former Dubai champion, Barbora Krejcikova, will feature at the WTA 1000 tournament, as well as World No. 5 Qinwen Zheng,  who made history by winning China’s first tennis singles gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year.

Daria Kasatkina, a finalist in Dubai in 2018, and Jessica Pegula, a semi-finalist here in 2023, will also compete at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.

Meanwhile, a strong men’s lineup is primed for the 33rd edition of the ATP Tour event.


All set for Next Gen ATP in Jeddah

All set for Next Gen ATP in Jeddah
Updated 15 December 2024
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All set for Next Gen ATP in Jeddah

All set for Next Gen ATP in Jeddah

JEDDAH: The Next Gen ATP Finals begins in Jeddah on Wednesday, with the season’s top under-20 players competing for the championship title.

The tournament, in its second year in Saudi Arabia, will be organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sports, and sponsored by the Public Investment Fund.

Held on indoor hard courts at King Abdullah Sports City from Dec. 18-22, the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF features the eight best 20-and-under players on the ATP Tour.

This year’s lineup comprises Frenchman Arthur Fils, Alex Michelsen of the US, Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, China’s Juncheng Shang, American Learner Tien, Luca Van Assche of France, American Nishesh Basavareddy and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca.

Defending champion Hamad Medjedovic cannot try to retain his title due to his age, meaning that a new winner will be crowned in Jeddah next week.

The new ambassador of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Rafa Nadal, one of the greatest sporting figures and tennis players of all time, will attend the semifinals and final to witness the new champion crowned for 2024.

The 2024 tournament has increased total prize money to a record $2.05 million.

Previous Next Gen ATP Finals winners were:

2017: Chung Hyeon

2018: Stefanos Tsitsipas

2019: Jannik Sinner

2020: Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic

2021: Carlos Alcaraz

2022: Brandon Nakashima

2023: Hamad Medjedovic


PIF appoints Matteo Berrettini as tennis ambassador

PIF appoints Matteo Berrettini as tennis ambassador
Updated 09 December 2024
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PIF appoints Matteo Berrettini as tennis ambassador

PIF appoints Matteo Berrettini as tennis ambassador
  • Berrettini competed in the Diriyah Tennis Cup in 2022, showcasing his talent on Saudi soil for the first time

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on Monday announced the appointment of Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini as its new tennis ambassador.

The former world No. 6 in the ATP Rankings is celebrated for his impressive achievements, including becoming the first Italian player to reach the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and securing a victory at the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals.

No stranger to Riyadh, Berrettini competed in the Diriyah Tennis Cup in 2022, showcasing his talent on Saudi soil for the first time.

In his new role as PIF tennis ambassador, he will focus on nurturing young talent and working closely with emerging players to shape the future of the sport, a statement said.

A key aspect of Berrettini’s ambassadorship will be promoting inclusivity within tennis, aiming to elevate the game and create opportunities for players of all levels.

The initiative aligns with PIF’s broader commitment to fostering global sports development through investment and inspiring the next generation of athletes.


Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Updated 28 November 2024
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Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

Bencic and Badosa join strong line-up at 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
  • Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic returns having won the inaugural tournament in 2023
  • Ons Jabeur and Beatriz Haddad Maia already confirmed to compete next February

ABU DHABI: Belinda Bencic and Paula Badosa are the latest entries confirmed for the 2025 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, with the third edition of the WTA-500 event scheduled for Feb. 1-8 at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.

Swiss star Bencic, 27, became the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open’s inaugural champion in 2023 when she beat Liudmila Samsonova to clinch the title. She was unable to defend her crown earlier this year because she was pregnant.

The former world No. 4 is an eight-time singles winner on the WTA Tour, having also claimed Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, held in 2021, when she defeated the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in three sets.

Bencic produced a stunning comeback to claim the 2023 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, overturning a one-set deficit and saving three match points against Samsonova.

"I’m so excited to return to the UAE and compete in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open once again,” Bencic said. “Winning this tournament in 2023 was an unforgettable moment in my career, and I’m looking forward to coming back as a new mother and experiencing the amazing atmosphere.

“It’s been a special journey returning to the tour after giving birth, and I can’t wait to be back on court in a place which holds such special memories.”

Bencic will be joined in the competition by Dubai resident Badosa, who is currently 12th in the rankings. She clinched a fourth WTA Tour title with the Mubadala Citi DC Open in August after entering as a wildcard, defeating Marie Bouzkova in the final.

Badosa, 27, will be making her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open debut after missing the previous two tournaments through illness and injury respectively.

“I’m thrilled to be competing in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open,” she said. “It’s a tournament I’ve wanted to play since it began in 2023, but unfortunately, I had to withdraw previously due to injuries, however I’m determined to make the most of this opportunity in 2025.

“Abu Dhabi is an incredible city with amazing fans, and the tournament always attracts such a strong field. I’m feeling good about my form right now, and I’m looking forward to showing what I’m capable of in February.”

Bencic and Badosa will be joining a line-up of 28 leading players, which includes three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who joins the field after a lengthy lay-off with a shoulder injury, along with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist in the last two editions of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.