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Aryna Sabalenka is hoping an outburst after her French Open final defeat to Coco Gauff will prove a turning point in maintaining her emotional control in the biggest matches.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka is hoping an outburst after her French Open final defeat to Coco Gauff will prove a turning point in maintaining her emotional control in the biggest matches. The three-time Grand Slam champion threw away a one-set lead to lose to the American in Paris earlier this month. Afterwards, Sabalenka described her performance as the “the worst final I’ve ever played”. The Belarusian later apologised to Gauff for her comments and the pair put their differences aside by performing a dance together on the Wimbledon lawns for social media.

Carlos Alcaraz believes conquering his fear factor has given him the confidence to chase a landmark third successive Wimbledon title.

Carlos Alcaraz believes conquering his fear factor has given him the confidence to chase a landmark third successive Wimbledon title. Alcaraz will start his Wimbledon defence against Fabio Fognini on Centre Court on Monday. The 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become just the fifth man to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open Era after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, returns to Wimbledon on a career-best 18-match winning streak.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz revealed last week he had made the request to play with Raducanu, who shot to fame when she won the US Open in 2021.

British number one Emma Raducanu refused to be drawn on rumours of a relationship with French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as the duo gear up for a doubles partnership at the US Open. Raducanu and Alcaraz practiced together at Wimbledon on Friday as part of a sponsors commitment and will play alongside each other at Flushing Meadows in September in the mixed doubles. Five-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz revealed last week he had made the request to play with Raducanu, who shot to fame when she won the US Open in 2021.

In contrast to Alcaraz’s meteoric rise since making his major breakthrough at the US Open three years ago, Raducanu has struggled to shine under the spotlight since becoming a household name.

The 22-year-old has never progressed beyond the fourth round of the Grand Slam since winning in New York and has been battling a back injury heading into Wimbledon.

Joao Fonseca has warned Wimbledon opponent Jacob Fearnley that home advantage will count for nothing because of his army of fanatical supporters.

Teenage Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca has warned Wimbledon opponent Jacob Fearnley that home advantage will count for nothing because of his army of fanatical supporters. British world number 51 Fearnley will face 18-year-old Fonseca on Court One in the first round on Monday. But while Fearnley might expect strong support from fans at the All England Club, rising star Fonseca is confident the passionate backing from his Brazilian followers will drown out the home crowd.

Fonseca has enjoyed a breakthrough year including his first ATP title in Buenos Aires and a shock win over then world number nine Andrey Rublev in his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open.

The world number 54, whose smooth style of play has drawn comparisons with his idol Roger Federer, has been supported by raucous flag-waving fans in Miami and at the French Open already this year.

But featuring at Wimbledon for the first time is the culmination of a boyhood dream for Fonseca, who imagined one day playing on the lush lawns of south-west London while he was growing up in Rio.

Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova gave a fitness update ahead of her title defence against Eastbourne Open runners-up Alexandra Eala.

Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova gave a fitness update ahead of her title defence against Eastbourne Open runners-up Alexandra Eala. Barbora, who was forced to withdraw from the Eastbourne Open this week due to injury ahead of the quarterfinal, will be kickstarting her Grand Slam defence in the UK against Eala on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Krejcikova said, “I had to have a couple of days off where I did not really play any tennis, but I did some off-court stuff. I have been feeling every day a little bit better, so I am really happy with that.”

Heading into the Wimbledon after playing some tournaments in May and June following a thigh issue that stopped her from playing between November to May, she said that things have not been difficult despite spending so much time away from the game.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu battled her way into the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournamentTwo-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu battled her way into the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament but it was curtains for Lakshya Sen, who went down fighting against world number one Shi Yu Qi in Jakarta on Tuesday. Sindhu overcame long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan 22-20, 21-23, 21-15 in an absorbing one-hour and 19-minute clash in the women’s singles. Sen, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, battled valiantly before falling 11-21 22-20 15-21 to his formidable Chinese rival in a gripping first round men’s singles contest that lasted 65 minutes.

The 23-year-old Sen, returning from a back injury that had ruled him out last week’s tournament in Malaysia, showed remarkable resilience. Trailing 11-17 in the second game, he mounted a spirited comeback, saving a match point and clinching the game 22-20 to force a decider.

However, the momentum proved short-lived as Shi grabbed control in the third game to seal the match.

HS Prannoy also bowed out from the USD 1,450,000 tournament. The 2023 World Championships bronze medallist lost 17-21, 18-21 to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.

Both Sindhu had Okuhara, former world champions, have struggled in recent time. While Sindhu’s best performance this season was a quarterfinal finish at the India Open in January, Okuhara hasn’t made it past the second round in six events.

The two stars added another chapter to their rivalry story, engaging in a war of attrition in an error-marred match that had plenty of game points and match points.

Sindhu edged a tense first game 22-20, saving a game point and producing attacking shots at clutch moments.

In the second game, Sindhu held a slender two-point lead early on but trailed 7-11 at the mid-game interval. She clawed her way back, earning two match points with a thunderous cross-court smash.

But unforced errors continued to creep in, allowing Okuhara to level at 20-20. The Japanese eventually took the second game 23-21.

The decider followed a familiar pattern of conservative play, with neither of the two taking undue risks.

Sindhu led 11-9 at the break and then unleashed a series of winners to surge to 20-12. The Indian star earned eight match points and sealed the win by converting the fifth to book her spot in the round of 16.

The win helped Sindhu improve her head-to-head to 11-9 against Okuhara, who had defeated the Indian in the 2017 World Championships.

India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals while PV Sindhu bowed out.

India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lost in the women’s singles second round at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament in Jakarta on Thursday. Satwik and Chirag, the 2023 champions, showed great temperament under pressure to register a hard-fought 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 win over world number 16 Danish pair of Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard in a 68-minute second-round clash. Satwik and Chirag, who had reached the semifinals of the Singapore Open Super 750 last week, thus remained the only surviving Indians in the competition.

Earlier, Sindhu faltered in the deciding game to go down to world number 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the second round.

Sindhu squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to lose 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 in a gruelling 78-minute battle.

It was a disappointing day for the rest of the Indian contingent, as Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, along with the women’s doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, also bowed out in the second round.

While Sathish and Aadya were outclassed 7-21, 12-21 by the sixth-seeded Thai duo of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran in just 25 minutes, Gayatri and Treesa put up a fight before losing 13-21, 22-24 to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in 46 minutes.

Satwik and Chirag, playing only their second tournament since returning from injury, had to do the catch-up in the opening game, as the Danes dominated the net play with sharp interceptions and won most of the short rallies.

The Indians trailed 6-10 at one stage and, although they pulled level with four straight points, the Danish pair kept their nose ahead to pocket the opening game.

The second game was a tight affair, with the Indians putting pressure on the back court. From 14-14, Satwik and Chirag reeled off five straight points to force a decider.

They carried the momentum into the third game, racing to a 5-1 lead. But the Danes clawed their way back to 8-8 after two unforced errors from Satwik. The short rallies continued and the Danes held a slender one-point lead at the mid-game interval.

The Indians stayed close at 14-15 despite a few misjudged lifts going long. Two quick points earned by Chirag brought them back at 16-17, and they eventually levelled at 19-19.

The Danes earned a match point, but Chirag’s sharp body return made it 20-all. Chirag then produced a fine serve to earn match point, and Satwik sealed the win with a precise return that caught the line, sparking celebrations.

In the women’s singles, Sindhu looked in control after overturning a 10-16 deficit to win the first game. She led 15-11 in the decider and had the momentum, but a series of errors proved costly.

Chochuwong capitalised on the lapse, winning five straight points – four of them due to Sindhu’s miscued smashes and drops in fast conditions.

Following the tragic incident, sportspersons shared their condolence messages on social media handles.

A London-bound Air India flight, carrying 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and a Canadian citizen, crashed this afternoon shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. Rescue efforts are currently underway and more information on the tragic incident is expected shortly. In an official statement, Air India confirmed that the crash took place shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad at 1.38 pm. The students of the BJ Medical College, where the plane crashed, were having lunch. As per NDTV sources, five medical students died while several were injured following the crash.

India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament.

India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament after losing to Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the quarterfinals in Jakarta on Friday. The former world No. 1 Indian duo, who won the title in 2023, went down 19-21, 16-21 in a 43-minute contest against the flat-hitting Malaysian pair, who notched up their first win over the Indians in five meetings. Satwik-Chirag’s loss ended the Indian challenge in the competition.

The Indians looked rusty as they struggled with their serve and return against Man and Wee, who won the Malaysia Masters last month and Indonesia Masters in January.

The Indians also lacked the discipline in defence and anticipation and were often put in uncomfortable positions and rushed errors throughout the match by the Malaysians.

Satwik sent a couple into the net, allowing the Malaysians to edge ahead 9-7. They went into the mid-game interval leading 11-9.

Satwik-Chirag levelled at 11-all with aggressive flat exchanges, but Man and Tee restored a 15-12 cushion. The Indians clawed back to 17-17 after the Malaysians hit the net twice, but couldn’t capitalise.

A quick return from Tee took the score to 19-17 before Chirag pounced on a loose net shot. However, Satwik faltered at the net again to hand the Malaysians game point, which they converted.

Switching sides, the Indians looked unsettled and trailed 3-7 early in the second game. The Malaysians used the flat trajectory and drift to their advantage, and a sharp smash from Tee widened the gap to 15-9.

Despite being 13-17 down, the Indians showed late resistance. A run of attacking points brought them back to 16-18, including a couple of high-quality flat smashes.

But Man’s brilliance at the net and Tee’s curling floater at 20-16 sealed four match points and they sealed the contest without further delay to enter the semifinals.

Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth suffered a loss in his opening round of the men’s singles event at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament.

Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth suffered a loss in his opening round of the men’s singles event at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament. Former world No. 1 Srikanth, currently 50th in the badminton rankings and seeded eighth for the BWF Super 300 tournament, lost 21-19, 12-21, 21-14 to the 77th-ranked Harry Huang of England on Wednesday, as per the Olympics.com. Following his inspiring run at last month’s Malaysia Masters, where he became only the second man in history to reach the final of a BWF Super 500 event after starting from the qualifiers, Srikanth was stunned in the first game on Wednesday despite leading 18-16 at one stage.

The Indian badminton player fought back in the second game to force a decider but ran out of steam to lose the match in just under an hour.

Srikanth’s compatriots Priyanshu Rajawat, Sankar Subramanian and Rithvik Sanjeev Satish Kumar also failed to cross the opening round hurdle in men’s singles.

World No. 38 Rajawat, the sixth seed, was upset 10-21, 21-12, 7-21 by Chinese Taipei’s 54th-ranked Yen-Chen Ting. Rithvik Sanjeev Satish Kumar, meanwhile, lost 21-18, 21-12 to France’s Enogat Roy.

Subaramanian went down to Chinese Taipei’s Jhuo-Fu Liao with a 21-13, 21-19 scoreline.

Ayush Shetty and Tharun Mannepalli, however, progressed to the second round, where they will face each other.

Fourth seed Shetty, world No. 34 and the best-ranked Indian man in Iowa, beat Magnus Johannesen of Denmark 21-17, 21-19 in his round of 32 match-up, while Mannepalli came from behind to beat France’s Arnaud Merkle 19-21, 21-18, 21-18.

In women’s singles, Anmol Kharb also rallied from a game down to beat Czechia’s Tereza Svabikova 16-21, 21-13, 21-19, while Aakarshi Kashyap’s entry into the second round was a lot more straightforward as she beat Chinese Taipei’s Ting Yu Liang 21-19, 21-10 in just 34 minutes.

World No. 66 Tanvi Sharma pulled off a huge upset as she beat Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam, also the second seed, 21-19, 21-9 in straight games. Qualifier Ira Sharma also advanced to the round of 16 after her opponent, Yi-Ting Hung of Chinese Taipei, retired during the third game.

Tanya Hemnath and Shriyanshi Valishetty’s campaign ended early. Hemnath lost a three-game match to Amalie Schulz of Denmark, while Valishetty went down to the Ukrainian seventh seed Polina Buhrova in straight games.

In mixed doubles, top seeds Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto suffered a shock opening round exit after the 17th-ranked Indian pair lost to Chinese Taipei duo Yu Chieh Lin and Yu-En Hung, still unranked, 21-17, 16-21, 17-21.