Francisco Cerundolo overcame a testing three-set battle on Friday at the Nordea Open in Bastad, where he held firm to return to the semi-finals at the clay-court ATP 250.
The top-seeded Argentine weathered a free-hitting yet physically hampered Damir Dzumhur, who took three medical timeouts to treat his right shoulder, to ultimately prevail 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. With his one-hour, 46-minute victory, Cerundolo improved to a 21-9 clay-court record in 2025, trailing only World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz for the most wins on the surface this year.
2025 ATP Tour clay-court win leaders
Player
W-L
Best Result
Carlos Alcaraz
22-1
Monte-Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros Titles
Francisco Cerundolo
21-9
Buenos Aires Final
Lorenzo Musetti
19-4
Monte-Carlo Final
Alexander Zverev
18-7
Munich Title
“I try to take it in a positive way,” said Cerundolo, who won his maiden ATP Tour title in Bastad in 2022, when asked about the pressures of being the top seed. “If I’m the top seed here it’s because I’ve done pretty well during the year, so I take it as a compliment, not a pressure. I don’t have to demonstrate anything to anyone. I’m just trying to keep improving as a player and trying to win as many matches as I can.”
The three-time ATP Tour champion, Cerundolo is up one spot to No. 19 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, and will return to his career-high No. 18 on Monday if he reclaims the trophy in Bastad. He next faces Luciano Darderi, who delivered a resounding quarter-final statement to defeat fourth seed Sebastian Baez 6-0, 6-2.
The 23-year-old Italian was in peak form during his 64-minute win, in which he dropped just two of 19 first-serve points and did not face a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Darderi, who is now into his fifth ATP Tour semi-final, impressed even himself with his high-quality showing.
“Today, I don’t know what happened, I played unbelievable, probably the best match of my career,” said Darderi. “If I play like this, it’s going to be easier [in the semi-finals], but I will try to do my best.”
Darderi, who won his second ATP Tour title in Marrakech in April, will look to carry his momentum into Saturday’s semi-final clash against top seed Francisco Cerundolo, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 2-1.
In the other half of the draw, Camilo Ugo Carabelli surged past Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic 6-3, 7-5 to book his spot in his third ATP Tour semi-final of the season after deep runs in Rio and Santiago in February. This week in Bastad, the Argentine has jumped nine spots to a career-high No. 50 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.
Standing between Ugo Carabelli and a maiden ATP Tour final is Dutchman Jesper de Jong, who rallied to upset good friend and countryman Tallon Griekspoor. De Jong, who improved to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Griekspoor, prevailed 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 to reach his second tour-level semi-final.
Just three weeks ago, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz were crowned French Open champions — and both are among the favorites again as Wimbledon begins Monday.
Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion at the All England Club — could he become the fifth man in the Open era to achieve a three-peat at Wimbledon? Or will Jannik Sinner avenge his French Open final loss to Alcaraz to win his first Grand Slam title on grass?
Gauff, meanwhile, has now won two major titles but has never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon. And the women’s field is wide open — the past eight Wimbledon titles have been won by different women.
Could Aryna Sabalenka win her first Wimbledon title? Or will Iga Swiatek bounce back from a difficult year to claim the crown?
And what about Novak Djokovic? Could he somehow win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title?
Our experts weigh in on these pressing questions and more.
How will Gauff follow up her French Open title?
D’Arcy Maine: Gauff arrives at Wimbledon — where she has been as beloved as just about any player since her breakthrough at the event in 2019 — brimming with confidence and self-belief and certainly could be in a position to have her best result at the tournament.
But it’s not going to be easy. Despite her auspicious debut six years ago at the All England Club in which she reached the fourth round, she has never advanced past that point and lost in her opening-round match in her lone grass-court lead-in event in Berlin earlier this month.
And, perhaps most importantly, she is in an incredibly tough quarter of the draw and could face a number of challenging opponents, including Dayana Yastremska in the first round, potential second- and third-round meetings with former Australian Open champions Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin (who upset her at Wimbledon in 2023), grass standout Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round and either five-time major victor Iga Swiatek or 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals. So, that’s a tall order and I’m frankly exhausted just typing all of that. Gauff certainly could win all of those matches, but it seems unlikely she will win major title No. 3 during the fortnight.
Bill Connelly: Gauff is definitely to the point where it would not be a surprise if she won any single tournament — her defense and speed are always elite, as is her ability to grind out wins when things threaten to go wayward. But her draw has so many landmines, and she’s only 9-6 on grass over the past two years. In fact, even including that initial upset of Venus Williams six years ago, she’s just 7-9 all time against top-50 players on grass, including three straight losses. She’ll likely have to get past three top-50 players just to get to Rybakina or Swiatek in the quarterfinals. That sounds like a bit too much to ask.
Simon Cambers: This could go one of two ways. Either Gauff goes to Wimbledon feeling as if she can do anything, buoyed by the confidence of winning at Roland Garros, or she’ll be exhausted, mentally, and lose early. It’s a funny one, this. In some ways, she should be high on confidence after winning the French Open and there’s no doubt that she’ll be walking even taller after coming out on top in Paris.
But in another way, I feel as if she never really played her best at Roland Garros, and while that’s also her thing, doing what it takes to win even when she’s not playing great tennis, on grass, where the ball will be flashing around faster than it does on clay, she won’t have much time to get up to speed, especially if any part of her game is malfunctioning.
If she can serve well, then she’ll give herself a chance of doing well, because she moves great and competes as well as anyone. But her draw is very tough; Dayana Yastremska is no pushover first up, Sofia Kenin or Taylor Townsend might be awkward in the third round and then Daria Kasatkina in the fourth and either Iga Swiatek or Elena Rybakina would be ultratough in the quarters. If she can get to Week 2, she’ll be hard to beat but that won’t be easy.
If there’s another epic Alcaraz vs. Sinner clash, who will prevail?
Maine: At this stage, I’m going to have to go with recent history and take Alcaraz. He has won eight of their 12 career meetings, including the past five. Sinner hasn’t beaten Alcaraz — on any surface, in any round of any tournament — since 2023 and has defeated him only once (three years ago) with a title on the line.
Sinner is No. 1 in the world for good reason and can beat everyone else, but Alcaraz seems to be his kryptonite. For now, anyway. (But I’ll reserve my Serena Williams-Maria Sharapova comparison for a later date.) And, since Alcaraz is the two-time defending Wimbledon champion and coming off yet another grass title at Queen’s Club, and Sinner has advanced only once to the semifinals at the All England Club, it certainly feels as if the odds would be in Alcaraz’s favor again.
Connelly: Alcaraz better hope it’s him. We’ve entered a period where it feels as if he’ll be the favorite in the natural-surface Slams (French Open, Wimbledon), and Sinner will be the favorite on hard courts (US Open, Australian Open). But obviously that French Open final was as even as possible — total points: Sinner 193, Alcaraz 192 — and had Sinner won basically one more point at the right time, we’d be talking about him having a chance at a calendar-year Slam and ripping off a “Roger Federer, 2004-07” run of Slams.
Alcaraz is definitely the favorite, both because he’s far more proven on grass and because Sinner might have to get past Djokovic on what is Djokovic’s best surface and Sinner’s worst. But … Sinner seems to be figuring things out.
Cambers: Alcaraz has the pedigree on grass, having won the title in each of the past two years, even if Sinner did win their only previous battle on the surface, at Wimbledon in 2022. Everything depends on how quickly Sinner is able to get over what happened in Paris. He seems the kind of person who can compartmentalize, who can rationalize that tournament as a good one, a step forward, even if others would be crumbling after failing on three match points in a Slam final. But it’s hard to see him being at his best again just yet, especially on a surface which, in theory, can give him issues.
Alcaraz will be tired, too, but as he showed at Queen’s, when he came through a bunch of tight matches to win the title, he will improve as the tournament progresses. With a good draw early, he can ease into the event and then will strengthen as the bigger matches arrive. If they do meet again here, that means it’s the final and you’d have to give Alcaraz the edge, mentally, simply because of what happened in Paris.
Emma Raducanu has been drawn against teenage wildcard Mimi Xu in an eye-catching all-British first-round match at Wimbledon.
British number one Raducanu, ranked 38th in the world, fell just short of a seeding for the championships and has been handed a difficult-looking draw.
World number four Jack Draper, who starts against Argentina’s 38th-ranked Sebastian Baez, also faces a daunting path to the latter stages.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, bidding for a standalone record 25th major singles title, is a potential quarter-final opponent for Draper.
British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who cannot claim prize money as he is still a college player in the United States, could meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the second round.
Raducanu and Draper lead a total of 23 British players in the singles draws – the highest amount since 1984.
The grass-court Grand Slam begins at the All England Club on Monday.
Emma Raducanu’s parents’ boyfriend ban and Carlos Alcaraz’s difficult girlfriend situation
Life as a top tennis player may appear luxurious, but the demanding lifestyle can come at a significant cost. Achieving success on the international stage requires more than talent – it takes an incredible amount of time and dedication to training.
As a result, elite tennis players face challenges in their private lives, sacrificing leisure activities and precious time with loved ones, while forging romantic connections can also prove difficult – something that Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray know all too well.
During an interview with The Sunday Times last year, Alcaraz acknowledged the pressures of maintaining a love life, saying: “I am single. I am looking for someone. It can be difficult as a tennis player to meet the right person because you are travelling all the time.”
Just a year earlier, he told Vogue: “It’s complicated, never staying in one place. It’s hard to find the person who can share things with you if you’re always in different parts of the world.”
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Whether Alcaraz’s personal circumstances have since shifted remains to be seen, but the tennis pro has yet to go public with a relationship. British sensation Raducanu, meanwhile, told The Times about a boyfriend ban in her household during her formative years as a player.
She said: “My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training. When I was younger, I wasn’t even allowed to hang out with my girl friends. A lot of the time I was very resentful, but it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company.”
After reaching adulthood, Raducanu went public with her relationship with Carlo Agostinelli in 2023. Sadly, insiders told The Sun the next year that they had split and that the relationship had “run its course”.
Even tennis veterans like Murray can recount the clash between professional life and personal affairs. Murray recently told GQ about the effect his career had on his honeymoon with Kim Sears after their 2015 wedding. He said: “When we got married, our honeymoon was in Barcelona, and I was doing a training block.
“Essentially, we got to spend a couple of nights with each other, but I was practising during the day, training and going to the gym and doing all my physio work. [A honeymoon] is very important for most couples.
“Maybe for her it was too, but she was willing to sacrifice that to allow me to chase my goals. She’s super important to everything I achieved, so now I’m trying my best to make up for all that.”
He added: “She’s been a huge support and a massive, massive part of my career. When you’re playing, you don’t always appreciate that. I think a lot of individual athletes – me included – would be selfish at times. You think a lot about yourself and your own performance, and your mood is reflective of whether you’ve had a good match. Say, I won. I’m in a good mood. I lost, I’m in a bad mood.
“It’s not really fair on the people around you. But even at the end, when I was struggling physically and was not winning many matches, and we had young children, Kim was always so supportive of me continuing to play because she knew I loved the sport and loved playing.”
Emma Raducanu explained why she will never “take a stand” on equal pay in tennis.
Like most sports, tennis has a long history of trailblazers who fought for equality. When it comes to the gender pay gap in tennis, do not expect Emma Raducanu to join the cause.
During a press conference in London this week, Raducanu gave a quote to SkySports reporter Jacquie Beltrao, which resulted in backlash for the 22-year-old.
“There is obviously a big difference [in prize money], and I’m sure a lot of players will kind of say their piece on it, but I just prefer not to get involved, and just whatever the situation is, I’ll kind of roll with it, but I’m never really going to take a stand either way.”
Raducanu continued, “I don’t really get involved or kind of stay in the loop with all the boards and all the decisions and stuff. I kind of just get on with it and I don’t feel like I really am playing for money.
“Of course, I need to sustain my team, which is extremely expensive, and you know… with my kind of profile, coaches and team members kind of see that. So it is a very expensive sport, but it’s not my main motivator of why I play.”
Raducanu is reportedly worth around £10m and was the sixth-highest-paid women’s tennis player in 2024. However, most of Raducanu’s income came from her diverse sponsorship portfolio.
Earlier this spring, the Daily Mail reported Raducanu lost her biggest sponsor, a $3 million annual deal with Vodafone, after “demanding too much money.”
Vodafone was Raducanu’s most lucrative sponsor, ahead of the $2 million annual deals with Dior and Tiffany and Co., and far more than Raducanu’s $100,000 yearly deals with sportswear companies Nike and Wilson.
So, Raducanu will fight for her sponsorship deals but refuses to take a stand on equal pay in tennis. Prize money is equal at the Grand Slams and some joint tour events, but generally, women’s players on the WTA Tour make far less than the men’s ATP Tour.
Raducanu has only won one title on the WTA tour — the 2021 US Open. Since then, the British tennis star has dealt with a slew of injuries and a revolving door of coaches.
So far, 2025 has been the best year of Raducanu’s career since her breakout season in 2021. She has made two quarterfinals appearances and is the World No. 36 with a record of 15-12.
This season has not been without its challenges. Raducanu underwent a traumatic ordeal with a “fixated fan” earlier this year and shook up her coaching staff the night before the Miami Open after a failed two-week trial.
Raducanu is currently dealing with a back injury and pulled out of the Berlin Open. However, she is still expected to compete at Wimbledon later this month.
Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Serve On SI for all your tennis news from the court and beyond.
The man who was given a restraining order for stalking British tennis player Emma Raducanu earlier this year has been caught trying to apply for tickets for this month’s Wimbledon Championships.
BBC Sport can reveal the All England Club’s security system highlighted the man’s name had been red-flagged, and blocked his attempt to enter the public ballot.
British number one Raducanu was left in tears after seeing a man who had followed her to four successive tournaments in the stands during a match at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.
The man, who was removed, had given Raducanu, 22, a letter and asked for a photo in a coffee shop the previous day.
He was given a restraining order by Dubai police and his name was circulated around tennis authorities.
What happened in Dubai?
Raducanu was approached by the man near the player hotel in Dubai the day before her second-round match with Karolina Muchova.
He gave her a letter and took her photo, which unnerved Raducanu, who had been aware of his presence at tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha in preceding weeks.
Although she reported it to a member of her team, the information was not passed on to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) or the tournament until the following day.
The Briton hid behind the umpire’s chair two games into her defeat when she spotted him in the crowd.
The man who “exhibited fixated behaviour” was removed from the stands and detained by local police.
Speaking after the incident, Raducanu told reporters: “I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish’.
“I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.
“I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather’.”
‘I’m always with someone and always being watched’
Raducanu shot to worldwide fame when she won the US Open as an 18-year-old in 2021.
She told BBC Sport soon after the incident in Dubai that it “could have been dealt with better” but that lessons have been learned.
“Since that incident I have definitely got increased attention and greater security,” the 22-year-old said.
“I’m always now very aware and not necessarily doing things on my own any more.
“I’m always with someone and always being watched.”
Raducanu has previously been the victim of a stalker, with another man given a five-year restraining order in 2022 after he walked 23 miles to her home.
Players ‘should have confidence’ in security
Sally Bolton, chief executive of All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said they spend a lot of time on ensuring security measures are tight at Wimbledon.
“We’re liaising with the tours, with the Met Police, with other security agencies right through the year to think about the types of risks we need to look at and adjusting what we put in place.
“I would say to them [players] they should have confidence when they’re here and if they are concerned on any basis they should come and talk to us about that because we can put bespoke arrangements in place.”
What security steps are in place at SW19?
While Wimbledon bosses have confidence in their security provisions, which are reviewed annually, the issue has come into sharper focus this year.
It is estimated that around 1,000 people work in the field of security to some extent across the Championships.
In addition to the screening around the ballot, there are also more checks and balances when it comes to those in the queue.
Anyone gaining entry to the Championships that way will have to be registered with Wimbledon – meaning they’ve had to provide personal information.
In the grounds, as well as police and military personnel, there are other discreet members of the security team.
A team of fixated threat specialists are hired in and can assist the player escort team.
There are also behavioural experts who are trained to spot people acting strangely.
There is significant CCTV coverage on site, and if there are concerns around a particular player then a specific CCTV sweep will be done of the seats near to the player and their box.
On court, protection officers are positioned near the players, with more on Centre Court and No.1 Court.
If something spontaneous happens on site, there are response teams walking round the grounds who can come and support staff.
Security teams are also in regular contact with the referees’ office to discuss issues like scheduling.
Carlos Alcaraz returns to competitive action after the French Open in Tuesday’s Queen’s Club Championships first-round match against countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Although the 2023 Queen’s champion is the favourite to win the all-Spanish tournament opener, the five-time Grand Slam champion will remain cautious of his compatriot, who aims to be third-time lucky after narrow defeats in their first two matchups on the ATP Tour
The dust has hardly settled on Alcaraz’s successful title defence at Roland Garros, and now the Spanish sensation must refocus to begin the short grass season in preparation for a possible Wimbledon three-peat.
The Queen’s Club holds tremendous sentiment for the 22-year-old, whose first of three titles on grass came in West Kensington two years ago when he defeated Alex de Minaur in straight sets in 2023.
While last year’s title defence barely got off the ground, winning the crown two years ago served as the springboard Alcaraz needed to upset Novak Djokovic in the Championships; he then repeated the feat 12 months later in the 2024 final, this time outclassing the 24-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets.
The Spaniard makes another appearance in the London ATP 500 event on a 13-match winning streak, having last lost to Holger Rune in Barcelona, and that defeat remains the world No. 2’s only loss in his last 23 matches on tour.
The top seed in Queen’s begins his third appearance boasting a 6-1 record at the ATP 500 event and aims to enhance that positive record and his overall 24-3 grass-court record to advance to the second round contest against Jordan Thompson or fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar.
Facing a motivated Davidovich Fokina could present challenges for the No. 1 seed, especially after the high of a second French Open success.
However, the world No. 27 will know that the 2023 champion will not offer him gifts in Tuesday’s matchup, as he aims to improve a career 6-10 record on grass.
Coincidentally, the 26-year-old’s best result on the surface was at Queen’s two years ago when he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Botic van de Zandschulp in two sets.
Since that defeat, the 26-year-old has managed only three wins out of nine on the surface, with his last victory at Wimbledon two years ago.
The former No. 21 player enters this year’s Queen’s event on a two-match losing streak in grass-court events: a third-round five-set thriller against Holger Rune at Wimbledon two years ago and a first-round defeat to Alejandro Tabilo in West Kensington 12 months ago.
A year after that three-set loss to Tabilo, Davidovich Fokina, who has a 6-10 career record on grass, seeks a seventh win at the expense of the 2023 champion at Queen’s.
While Davidovich Fokina has struggled to secure wins on grass in his last nine matches, eight of those encounters have not concluded in straight sets.
Although Alcaraz’s two previous victories over his compatriot have been in two sets, the No. 27 player in the world could find third-time luck this time and potentially clinch a set.
However, Davidovich Fokina is unlikely to achieve more than that, as Alcaraz is favoured to progress to a second match in West Kensington.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu was outclassed by world number five Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals at Queen’s.
Raducanu showed flashes of her quality but ultimately fell 6-2 6-4 to the Olympic champion in front of a packed crowd.
The 22-year-old took a medical timeout after the first set, having struggled with back spasms over the past few months.
She started the better in the second set and led by a double break but could not keep the big-hitting Zheng at bay.
“I’ve played five matches in a pretty short amount of time,” Raducanu, who also played two doubles matches alongside Katie Boulter at Queen’s, told BBC Sport.
“I’m probably feeling that, so I need to let the back rest and see how it goes from there.
“I’m not overly concerned that it’s something serious, but I know it’s something that’s very annoying and needs proper and careful management.”
Raducanu was given a true physical test by Zheng, but it was another defeat that showed the gap between the British number one and the world’s very best.
China’s Zheng will face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday’s semi-final after the American beat third seed Emma Navarro 6-3 6-3.
Qualifier Tatjana Maria earlier stunned former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina to set up a semi-final meeting with Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
Maria, 37, beat Rybakina 6-4 7-6 (7-4), while Keys fought back to see off Russia’s Diana Shnaider 2-6 6-3 6-4.
‘I need to raise my level to challenge the best’
There was reason for Raducanu to be confident against Zheng, who is still finding her feet on the grass court and has a serve that can waver when under pressure.
World number 37 Raducanu had also made relatively serene progress through her first two matches, dropping just eight games across four sets.
But, as Raducanu found against Iga Swiatek in Melbourne and Paris, and Coco Gauff in Italy, there is a different, consistent level needed to beat the players for who winning is a habit.
In an edgy start, Raducanu put pressure on Zheng’s serve while saving break points in her own games.
But Zheng broke through at the seventh attempt, a blistering backhand down the line silencing the crowd, who had earlier voiced their displeasure after Zheng had to change her shoes midway through the game.
Raducanu kept up the pressure, creating an immediate break-back opportunity, but Zheng’s huge groundstrokes kept her at bay, and a rushed forehand into the net handed the top seed the first set.
Raducanu left court for a medical timeout on her back but took advantage as Zheng’s first serve all but disappeared on her return.
With the wind picking up, Raducanu produced a series of ruthless returns to Zheng’s second serve and quickly found herself 3-0 up.
But Zheng wrestled a break back and upped her intensity when needed, creeping forward to attack Raducanu’s serve. A double fault handed Zheng the break back and she reeled off four games in a row to close out the match.
“I’ve improved a lot and done a lot good work behind the scenes but there’s a lot to go to get to the next level,” Raducanu said.
“They are stronger than me and had more time training – I need to do the same. I need to raise my level.”
Raducanu is scheduled to compete at the grass-court event in Berlin next week but said she would consult with her team before making any decisions.
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 05: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain is in tears as she withdraws injured during her singles match against Viktoria Kuzmova of Slovakia on day four of the 2023 ASB Classic Women’s at the ASB Tennis Arena on January 05, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
‘Super proud’ Maria stuns Rybakina
Earlier, world number 86 Maria used her slice-heavy style of play to outfox 11th-ranked Rybakina.
Maria broke the Kazakh for the first time in the competition on her way to taking the first set, before the pair traded early breaks in the second.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Maria was unable to serve out the match at 5-4 but showed no signs of nerves in the tie-break to cement her place in the last four.
Maria, who took two breaks from the tour to have her two daughters, told the crowd: “It’s a perfect example to never give up and to always keep going.
“I’m super proud and I hope in a few years you will see my eldest daughter in the same stage here!”
The German will now face Keys, who battled back from a messy first set to beat rising talent Shnaider.
A below-par Keys succumbed to the clean ball-striking of Shnaider, who broke serve twice on her way to taking the opening set.
But back came the American, who made 12 unforced errors in the opening set, as she upped her level considerably, with a sole break enough to wrap up the decider.
Emma Raducanu’s productive week at Wimbledon ended with boos for her Chinese opponent Qinwen Zheng.
The 2021 US Open champion won her first doubles match alongside fellow Brit Katie Boulter at Queen’s – and then leapfrogged her in the rankings.
With a win over Rebecca Sramkova, Raducanu moved to 35th in the women’s rankings, regaining her spot as Britain’s No.1 for the first time in over two years.
Yet she then exited at the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Zheng, who got on the crowd’s nerves.
During the first set Zheng went 3-2 up, but then experienced multiple slips and took a time out to change her shoes.
However, the switch of equipment started dragging on as she changed her orthotics over, and the London crowd got restless with a smattering of boos.
Raducanu also seemed to be getting bored, and kept herself warmed up by smashing a practice serve down the court.
However, USTA and ITP rules state that practice serves are only allowed during the warm up before the match.
BBC commentator – and former WTA star – Annabel Croft was quick to point that out.
Croft said: “I don’t know if Raducanu is meant to hit a ball like that.
“She’s just practiced a serve and normally you’re not meant to do that!”
The umpire was uninterested in the breach, and Zheng would apologise and get back to business.
Zheng proceeded to win every game for a 6-2 first set win, before a less comfortable 6-4 to seal her place in the last-four.
Queen’s or the HSBC Championships as it’s become known due to sponsorship reasons, has welcomed back women’s singles in 2025 for the first time since 1973.
The west London event is seen as a prelude to Wimbledon which runs from June 30 to July 13.
Raducanu impressed at last year’s tournament, progressing to the fourth round after taking down then-world No.9 Maria Sakkari.
She was the last British player left in the tournament and was looking to better her 2021 fourth round finish.
But she couldn’t get to the quarter-finals as surprise package Lulu Sun knocked her out.
The 22-year-old still appears to be on the comeback trail, though, recording her best finishes at the Australian Open and French Open this year after periods of injury hell.
Carlos Alcaraz shows his true colors with behavior as John McEnroe claim made
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been hailed for their sportsmanship – both on and off the court – as they continue to uphold the legacy of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Carlos Alcaraz’s recent victory at the French Open has solidified his position as one of tennis’s biggest stars, and potentially one of its all-time greats.
However, it is his demeanor away from the court that has truly captivated audiences. The 22-year-old from Spain conducted himself with exceptional grace throughout the event at Roland Garros – ultimately claiming the title after a gripping five-set showdown with Jannik Sinner in the final – frequently acknowledging misjudged calls from line officials by awarding points to his opponent.
This commendable honesty reflected the integrity long associated with icons like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Like them, Alcaraz is able to switch between in-game intensity and down-to-earth humility with ease, and his approachable, modest nature has turned him into of of the most universally beloved sports stars on the planet.
Federer and Nadal built careers out of keeping calm, professional and respectful under pressure, no matter the stakes – and Alcaraz is following suit. In contrast to the fiery demeanors of past icons such as John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, Alcaraz signals the rise of a modern champion: fierce in battle but gracious and likable before, during and after.
It’s an approach that has earned admiration from former French Open champion Michael Chang, who, like Alcaraz, made waves as a teenaged prodigy. “The generation that we followed was very competitive, [players] didn’t really talk to each other,” Chang, 53, told Clay Tennis.
“Alcaraz and Sinner have a very healthy respect for one another. Different than in years past, like a McEnroe-Connors or a McEnroe-[Ivan] Lendl. There was no friendship there. Federer and Nadal changed the culture in the locker room, to be honest,” he explained.
“On court, it’s business: you want to play your best and beat your opponent, but off court they were kind to everyone, whether you were world No. 2 or No. 100 in doubles. Roger, Rafa, and even Novak [Djokovic] are responsible for that transformation.
“They treated everyone the same and were kind. I think that respect has carried over to the current generation because they respect everyone.”
Sinner – who, like Alcaraz, is tipped to be a dominant force for years to come – embodies this emerging standard as well. The Italian mirrors Alcaraz’s unique blend of ambition and courtesy, as seen in his gracious speech following his heart-wrenching defeat in Paris on Sunday.
Despite controlling much of the match – and missing three consecutive Championship points in the fourth set – the 23-year-old admitted Alcaraz “deserved” the title and said he was “so happy” for his rival. He went on to recognize the efforts of ball kids, line judges, and chair officials, noting that players “couldn’t do it without” their support.
Sinner entered the tournament under scrutiny, having recently completed what many believed to be a lenient ban after a failed doping test in 2024. Nevertheless, his powerful run and humble behavior throughout the event helped him win back respect from fellow players and supporters alike.
In similar fashion, Alcaraz dazzled with jaw-dropping winners, explosive athleticism, and relentless energy. But it was his humility and professionalism that left the deepest impression. On numerous occasions – including in the final – he conceded points without hesitation when spotting line judge mistakes, drawing gushing praise from fans in the arena and online.
With Federer and Nadal seen, to some extent, as the originators of this ethos, it’s now Alcaraz and Sinner who are advancing that legacy. Their combination of fierce competition and authentic respect is helping to redefine tennis’s cultural landscape, showing that dominance doesn’t require drama or outbursts.
In a sport once infamous for tantrums and bitter rivalries, these emerging stars are offering a refreshing alternative – showing strength through composure and honor through humility.
