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The assumption Roger Federer made about Rafael Nadal after losing

By Al Faqiih January 10, 2025

The assumption Roger Federer made about Rafael Nadal after losing to him at the Australian Open back in 2012

With the Australian Open draw now released, players are now hard at work to ready themselves for their first-round matchups in Melbourne.

Ten-time winner Novak Djokovic will look to exact revenge on 2024 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, who beat him in last year’s semi-finals.

The Serbian star is now the only member of the ‘big three’ left competing, after Rafael Nadal retired from tennis in 2024, and Roger Federer hung up the racket in 2022.

Nadal and Federer combined for eight titles at Melbourne Park, and their absence at the event over the past few years has been noticeable.

They played several legendary matches against one another, and after one encounter in 2012, Federer revealed how he really felt about playing Nadal.

Roger Federer felt that Rafael Nadal always played his best tennis against him after losing at the 2012 Australian Open

As the number two, and number three seeds, Nadal and Federer advanced to the last four of the 2012 Australian Open, with ambitions of bringing home the title.

The pair failed to reach the final in 2011, as Nadal lost to his compatriot David Ferrer in the quarter-finals and Federer lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Determined to go one better this time around the Swiss star started strongly, as he grabbed the first set in a tiebreaker.

The momentum soon switched, however, as the Spaniard took control, winning the match 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4, to book his place in the final against Djokovic.

Federer was complimentary towards his ATP rival but frustrated after the match, as he believed that Nadal always raised his level when they played each other.

“I always think he plays a bit better against me than against other players, but that’s good for him,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s true, it’s my assumption.

“I feel he plays really good against me.”

The now 20-time Slam champion went on to explain why he thought Nadal was able to raise his level against him.

“He’s played me that many times on clay, so maybe he always draws something out of those matches,” said Federer.

“He’s also got a winning record against me which maybe gives him extra confidence, I don’t know, yeah, I think he has a clear plan and he follows that one very well.

“Like I said, I think he just plays good, you know, and he’s obviously improved a lot on all surfaces over the years, he’s a very good player, obviously.”

Reporters told Nadal what Federer had said, and gave him the opportunity to respond.

“I play my best tennis against him when I am ready to play my best tennis, I don’t play my best tennis because it’s Roger [Federer] in front,” he said.

“Normally when I play against Roger it’s because I am playing my best tennis because I always was in finals or was in very important matches, and having good confidence because I have won a lot of matches before.

“It’s true I played a lot of good matches against him during my career, so it is something fantastic, but I believe that he played a few fantastic matches against me too during his career, during our rivalry, no?”

Federer and Nadal may have been rivals, but it was a rivalry played in good spirits, something that both made a point of reiterating after the match.

“I enjoy playing him, the crowd really gets into it, which is nice,” said Federer.

“We have a lot of respect for each other, which is good, too, I think.

“I hope it inspires future generations or other players, you know, being nice to each other on the court and all that stuff.”

Nadal agreed as he was thankful for the rivalry he had forged with Federer.

“I enjoy playing against him, it’s always a special feeling because our matches always have been special, and especially today after a lot of ones, a lot of important moments for our careers,” he said.

“Our relationship always has been in a very positive way, so for all of these facts our matches are special, no?

“I think hopefully we will repeat soon.”

How many times did Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play each other at the Australian Open?

Nadal may have got the better of Federer when they faced off on Rod Laver Arena back in 2012, but how many times did they play each other in Australia, and who got the better of those encounters?

2009 Australian Open final – Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2
2012 Australian Open semi-final – Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4
2014 Australian Open semi-final – Rafael Nadal beats Roger Federer 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
2017 Australian Open final – Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

The Spaniard led the head-to-head 3-1, only losing their final encounter back in 2017.

Federer battled through in five sets to get the better of Nadal in Melbourne for the first time as he claimed his fifth Australian Open title.

The match reminded many of Nadal’s win over Federer in 2009, a contest that many consider to be one of the greatest of all time.

It remains to be seen if any matches at the 2025 Australian Open can live up to the standard set by Nadal and Federer, but there isn’t long to wait now, as the competition gets underway on January 12.

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‘Withdrawal Incoming’ – Emma Raducanu’s Nightmare Australian Open

By Al Faqiih January 10, 2025

‘Withdrawal Incoming’ – Emma Raducanu’s Nightmare Australian Open Draw Fuels Fans’ Fears of Another Setback

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Can the British star, Emma Raducanu take the bull by the horns in Melbourne? The 2021 US Open champion has been handed a very tricky draw at the 2025 Australian Open. In the 2024 season, she played only 36 matches! Injuries and lack of form have been her major obstacles in her road to glory in the last four years. She was all set to start her 2025 season at the ASB Classic. However, a back niggle pulled her out of that warm-up tournament. Now, after seeing this tough draw, tennis fans have come out in numbers to showcase their concern about her chances in the ‘Melbourne Slam‘.

Who will be her probable opponents at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season, though? Well, Emma Raducanu is the only British player to draw a seed at the AO after being paired with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round. After missing out on her chances in Auckland, she’ll be desperate to make a winning start to her campaign in Melbourne.

Since traveling to Melbourne, Emma Raducanu has trained normally on the tournament grounds and has looked in good shape during her practice sessions. On Tuesday, she even took part in a practice session with the 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina. Interestingly, the Brit won the practice set against Rybakina on the Rod Laver Arena. Is this an indication of brighter days, for Emma Raducanu in the upcoming months? Well, fans aren’t too optimistic about her chances at the 2025 AO, though!

Why is it so? Well, if Emma Raducanu wins her first match against Alexandrova, then she could possibly face either America’s Amanda Anisimova or Maria Lourdes Carle (ARG) in the second round, and guess what will happen if Raducanu manages to win these two battles successfully? Well, since Emma Raducanu has been drawn into Iga Swiatek’s section of the singles draw, there is a higher possibility of her facing the Pole in the third round.

Emma Raducanu has faced Iga Swiatek three times in her career and she has lost all three of her matches against the former world number one. So, fans feel this is nothing but a nightmare draw for the Brit! Suppose, Raducanu manages to pull off a massive setback in Melbourne, who will she face in her next matches? If the Brit manages to beat Swiatek then she’d face either Anna Kalinskaya or Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round. Then in the QF, there is a high possibility of her facing either Emma Navarro or Maria Sakkari.

She hasn’t yet faced Navarro in her career but has a 2-0 lead over the Greek in the H2H record, so this is relatively looking much easier for Emma Raducanu. However, we must not forget that both Navarro and Sakkari have been relatively consistent performers on the Tour, unlike Raducanu in the last few years. If she reaches the SF, then she might face Elena Rybakina. Even there is a chance of her facing Danielle Collins in the semis.

Although the fans have ruled out all the chances of her reaching this far, still suppose Emma Raducanu reaches the final then she will have to battle it out against the defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, or the in-form American Coco Gauff. What are the fans saying though, after seeing her draw at the 2025 AO?

Fans aren’t too optimistic about Emma Raducanu’s chances of seeing it through in this tough draw at the 2025 AO

Emma Raducanu is known for her resilience and during a recent interview she was seen highlighting a bit about how she deals with all the challenges that come her way. She said, “I’ve learned that life is full of twists and turns, but it’s how you navigate those moments that define you. As an athlete, that is never truer than when you are injured and facing criticism. It can feel like a constant uphill battle, but you can view it as either an obstacle or an opportunity to grow.”

Can Emma Radcuanu overcome these challenges and silence her critics with an incredible run at the 2025 AO? Well, after seeing this draw fans have already started to rule her out of this mega event. A fan tweeted, “I mean it was never really going to happen for Emma anyways.“

Former British tennis player, Mark Petchey recently made a bold prediction saying that Emma Raducanu is on the cusp of clinching ‘big titles’ this year, provided she makes strides in honing her forehand shots. However, seeing her tough draw at the ‘Melbourne Slam’ fans feel that’s really going to be a bit tough in this tournament. Highlighting her probable first three opponents in this mega tournament, a fan wrote, “That is the worst!“

Emma Raducanu has never faced Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova in her career and this is what makes this contest more interesting. Alexandrova is currently ranked 27th in the world, while Anisimova is ranked 36th. On the other hand, Emma Radcuanu is placed at the 60th spot in the women’s singles ranking! So, considering all these factors, some of the fans feel, “She needs to worry about R1 and R2.”

Raducanu’s best record at the AO has been reaching the second round. Can she make a longer run in this season? Well, in December 2024, she shared her thoughts about her tennis goals. She said, “Initially when I first started before I won the US Open, my main reason was: ‘I want to win a grand slam’. And that happened so young. I’m so grateful for it. But as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘OK, well what now? I want to win another grand slam’. It’s just not sustainable.” So, all she wants now is to “enjoy” what she’s doing and “stay on court longer“.

However, after seeing her frequent withdrawals from the tournaments in the last few years, some of the fans have raised serious doubts about her chances at the 2025 AO by saying, “Withdrawal incoming then.” Can Emma Raducanu prove all her doubters, wrong? Time will tell!

Another British legend, Tim Henman said that he believes Emma Raducanu has got what it takes to compete at the highest level and challenge for big titles like Grand Slams. However, after seeing this, “crazyyyyyy” draw featuring Raducanu, some of the fans felt early knockout may well be on the cards. It will be interesting to see how far she goes at the 2025 AO. What’s your prediction, though?

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Coco Gauff Is ‘Equal Favorite’ Entering Australian Open, Analyst Says

By Al Faqiih January 8, 2025

Fresh off winning the United Cup team event with the United States in Australia, Coco Gauff is an “equal favorite” with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open, one leading analyst says.

“Clearly Sabalenka has let everybody know she’s the favorite going in, but also Coco Gauff looks to me as equal as a favorite as I’ve seen in a Grand Slam for a while,” ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs said Tuesday on an ESPN conference call.

Gauff, 20, is the world No. 3 entering Melbourne but is playing perhaps the best tennis of her career after parting ways with former coach Brad Gilbert after losing to Emma Navarro in the fourth round of the U.S. Open last September. She’s now being coached by Matt Daly, who previously worked with Denis Shapovalov.

In December, she won the WTA Finals for the first time by rallying to beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the final. She took home a record $4.8 million with the title.

Gauff opened 2025 by winning the singles title at the United Cup along with USA teammate Taylor Fritz. She beat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the final for her second straight win over the Polish star.

“Coco seems to be sort of getting her mojo back and playing as well as she played, or close to it, as when she won the [U.S.] Open [in 2023],” John McEnroe said on the call.

Gauff won all six matches, not dropping a set en route. After her victories, she pulled out the shovel celebration to the delight of the Sydney crowds.

“I have the belief that I’m one of the best players in the world. When I play good tennis, I’m hard to beat,” said Gauff, who also beat Leylah Fernandez, Donna Vekic, Zhang Shuai and Karolina Muchova in the event. “Today I think I played some great tennis. I’m glad I was able to get a point for Team USA. It was tough today, I’m not going to lie.”

Stubbs says Gauff is playing the best tennis of her career.

“I think Coco looks as good now as she did when she won the U.S. Open,” Stubbs said. “She is hitting the forehand with such confidence, she’s not freaking out when the ball is going there, when someone is drilling it there. She’s using the loop really well. She doesn’t miss a ball from the back of the court.

“Her biggest issue is her second serve, and at the United Cup, her serve was really solid and good. Under pressure in Melbourne, the United Cup is still an exhibition, but there was a lot on the line, and her beating Iga now two times in a row, that mentally sets her up to feel like she can beat Iga in a big match.”

A year ago, Gauff lost in straight sets to Sabalenka in the Australian Open semifinals after beating her in the U.S. Open final. She may have to get through Sabalenka again to hoist the trophy.

“The next step is beating Sabalenka at the Australian Open, and Sabalenka has looked pretty damned good in Australia over the last couple of years,” Stubbs said. “But for me, Coco is playing as well as I’ve ever, ever seen her, and her fitness is off the charts.”

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Iga Swiatek has six words to describe her 2025 United Cup after

By Al Faqiih January 8, 2025

Iga Swiatek has six words to describe her 2025 United Cup after Poland’s final loss to the USA

Iga Swiatek had a roller-coaster 2025 United Cup to say the least, with her tournament once again ending in heartache.

Swiatek recorded her 10th United Cup singles win at the latest edition of the team event, where Poland lost a second successive final.

The nation lost to Germany for the 2024 United Cup trophy, with Swiatek and her teammates following that up with a 2025 loss to the USA.

Swiatek suffered a leg injury during the United Cup, but still managed to impress in both singles and doubles.

Her tournament was not without drama and controversy, however, with Swiatek criticised for her time out taken against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.

Iga Swiatek describes her 2025 United Cup in six words

She was also on the receiving end of a tense handshake from the USA’s Danielle Collins, while the Pole wasn’t overly friendly with her post-match handshake with Gauff.

Swiatek has now done her best to summarise the experience, having shared images of the tournament on Instagram.

The images were accompanied by the message: “Amazing, challenging, joyful, exhausting, intense, inspiring. Thank you.”

Iga Swiatek shines at 2025 United Cup ahead of Australian Open

Drama aside, Swiatek was on fire throughout the tournament, beginning with her singles and doubles wins over both Norway and the Czech Republic in the group stages.

Victories over Boulter and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina then followed in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

But her dream run was finally brought to an end in the final, with MVP Gauff edging past Swiatek before Taylor Fritz beat Hubert Hurkacz to secure a 2-0 win for the USA.

The Pole’s focus will now switch to the Australian Open, where she will be eager to remain fully fit in a bid to upset world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, and goes into the Grand Slam on the back of a Brisbane International success.

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AI falsely outs Rafael Nadal as gay. Will this be first of many fake ‘outings’ of athletes?

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

Did you hear that tennis star Rafael Nadal came out as gay?

It was news to me and I cover this stuff for a living, but some BBC News users late last month got an alert saying that Nadal had indeed declared he was gay.

The problem is that Nadal did NOT come out. It was the figment of the imagination of the oxymoronic “Apple Intelligence” feature on iPhones that generated an alert to the BBC News app.

“This false notification seemingly misinterpreted an article about Brazilian tennis player Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, who is gay,” Euronews reported.

Reis da Silva became the only current active out gay tennis player to come out as gay, when on Dec. 7 he shared an Instagram post celebrating the birthday of his boyfriend, actor and model Gui Sampaio Ricardo. The AI program somehow thought “Nadal” and “Reis da Silva” were the same person.

There are other possible reasons why AI got the idea that Nadal is gay. There was a 2017 play that had the tennis legend married to a man. And the time Nadal played strip tennis against male models. And maybe it was Outsports once wondering if Nadal’s glute muscles were just too big.

Whatever the reason, AI got it wrong. Again.

This was not the only recent hallucination the Apple Intelligence feature had regarding sports.

An “AI-generated alert about Luke Littler incorrectly declared him the [world darts] champion before the final match against Michael van Gerwen had even taken place,” Euronews said. “This misleading summary was based on a BBC article covering Littler’s semifinal victory. The false notification was sent to BBC News app users, caused widespread confusion as the final was yet to start.”

The BBC was pissed, in its understated way, saying in a statement: “It is essential that Apple fixes this problem urgently — as this has happened multiple times. As the most trusted news media organization in the world, it is crucial that audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications.”

As more and more news organizations use AI to generate alerts or news summaries, this problem will almost certainly continue.

I wonder how many more well-known athletes will falsely be reported as coming out as gay. It’s easy to see it happening, given how wrong AI can often be. It’s interesting that the BBC said errors have happened “multiple times,” which begs the question of why the service is even being used in the first place.

After regularly getting wrong answers to simple queries that now populate the top of most Google searches via its AI bot, I have learned to be skeptical about anything it says. Instead, I seek out legitimate news sources. That includes Outsports, which would have been all over any news that someone like Nadal had come out.

Subscribe to the Outsports newsletter to keep up with your favorite out athletes, inspiring LGBTQ sports stories, and more.

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How Coco Gauff Is Cementing Her Status as a Top

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

How Coco Gauff Is Cementing Her Status as a Top Tennis Player Following Her Latest Title with the U.S

Coco Gauff cemented her place as one of tennis’ most exciting young stars as she led the United States to victory in the 2025 United Cup in Sydney, playing a key role in clinching the title. The 20-year-old world number three delivered a clinical performance over Iga Świątek in the opening women’s singles match, setting the tone for a thrilling final.

Gauff’s 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Świątek was not just a crucial win for the U.S. but also a testament to her remarkable rise in the sport. This victory marked her second consecutive win over the Polish star, having also defeated her in the WTA Finals in Riyadh just two months ago. Świątek, struggling with a recurring thigh injury, called for a medical timeout at 5-4 down in the second set. However, the injury plagued her throughout the match, and she ultimately left the court in tears, visibly distressed by the loss.

After the match, Gauff reflected on her growing belief in her ability to compete at the highest level. “I think I have the belief that I am one of the best players in the world. When I play good tennis, it’s hard for me to be beaten,” she said, a comment that spoke volumes about her confidence and her ability to rise to the occasion.

Not only did Gauff remain undefeated in singles and doubles throughout the event, but her composure under pressure was evident as she helped her team secure the first point of the final. “Today I think I played great tennis, and I’m happy to get a point for my team on the board,” Gauff added. “It was tough today. I’m not gonna lie.”

Her performance was a far cry from the vulnerability we sometimes see in younger players. Gauff has now firmly established herself as one of the top players in the game, and her ability to handle such pressure, especially in a team event like the United Cup, demonstrates her maturity.

After Gauff’s victory, it was up to Taylor Fritz to seal the deal for the U.S. in the men’s singles, and while the task seemed monumental, Fritz rose to the occasion. His 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4) win over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz wrapped up the title for the U.S. with a tense third-set tie-break. Fritz dug deep when it mattered most, especially at 3-3 in the tie-break, hitting clutch shots to help the Americans secure a 2-0 win in the final.

The win marked a back-to-back United Cup title for the United States, adding another chapter to their dominance in this mixed team event. While Fritz’s triumph was certainly notable, it was Gauff’s clinical and dominant play that set the foundation for the U.S. victory.

Writer’s Comments:

Coco Gauff’s rapid rise to prominence is not just an exciting story for American tennis; it is an inspiring narrative for the entire tennis world. From a teenager thrust into the spotlight, Gauff has blossomed into a player whose talent is now matched by her mental fortitude. Her win over Świątek at the United Cup, a player she now has a winning record against, speaks volumes about Gauff’s readiness to challenge the very best in the sport.

It’s not just about the victories she’s racking up—it’s about the way she plays the game. Gauff’s demeanor on court, her calm in the face of pressure, and her belief in her abilities make her one of the most intriguing players to watch as she heads into the Australian Open. If this performance is anything to go by, Gauff is not just a future star; she is one of the best players in the world right now, and her future is brighter than ever.

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In-Form Coco Gauff Feeling Confident Ahead Of 2025 Australian Open

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

American tennis star Coco Gauff said she feels confident going into the upcoming Australian Open following a bright start to the new season as she helped her country win its second United Cup title in three years.

Gauff delivered a clutch singles victory over Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the final of the mixed-teams United Cup tournament to give the Americans a 1-0 lead before Taylor Fritz defeated Hubert Hurkacz in men’s singles to wrap up the contest.

The 20-year-old Gauff was in terrific form at the tournament in Sydney as she did not drop a set in five singles matches.

With her victory over five-time major winner Swiatek, Gauff repeated her feat from the WTA Finals in Riyadh by topping the Pole for the second time in a row.

“Obviously, the start of the season gives me a lot of confidence,” Gauff said ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on January 12. “I feel like when I’m playing confident tennis, I’m playing great tennis.

“I definitely feel confident going into AO.”

In the build-up to the Australian Open, Gauff skipped the WTA 250 event in Auckland to compete at the United Cup, reasoning that the tournament offered better competition.

Gauff reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2024, losing to Aryna Sabalenka, who went on to lift the title. The American youngster said that winning her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2023 gave her belief that she could win more majors.

“Honestly, before every Grand Slam I have the belief that I can win,” said Gauff. “And especially after the US Open, I proved that I could do it. I definitely have a belief that I can win.”

In 2024, Gauff made a positive start with semi-final finishes at the Australian and French Opens but suffered a dip in results when she was knocked out in the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round at the Paris Olympics.

She also suffered early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati and did not defend her U.S. Open title, undergoing a fourth-round exit, which prompted her to split from coach Brad Gilbert.

The shake-up in coaching revived her fortunes as soon after Gauff won the China Open in October and her maiden WTA Finals title the following month.

“I’m realizing more and more each day that tennis is not a measure of my value as a person. I think the more you realize that the more relaxed these tournaments become,” said Gauff.

“I’m still going to experience pressure. It’s easier said than done.”

Ranked third in the WTA rankings, Gauff is expected to be one of the title challengers to Sabalenka at the 2025 Australian Open.

The world No. 1 is aiming for her third-straight major in Melbourne and comes into the opening Grand Slam of the season on the back of the best year of her career in which she also won the U.S. Open.

Gauff will be a major threat to Sabalenka, especially given the American’s great record on hard courts, with eight of her nine career singles titles coming on the surface.

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Iga Swiatek shares what she told her coach after playing in first WTA event

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

Iga Swiatek endured a mixed 2024 and this year she will be hoping to try and regain her place as the world’s best female player.

The Polish superstar managed to win a third successive French Open crown last year but will be disappointed to see her position as the world number one slip.

Swiatek was thrashed by Coco Gauff in the United Cup over the weekend and now a revenge mission will be in her sights at the Australian Open.

The 5ft 9in performer has never won in Melbourne, with her best run at the event coming in 2022 when she reached the semi-final.

Ahead of the competition, Swiatek has been discussing certain aspects of her game and has been answering questions about the start of her career.

What Iga Swiatek told her coach after making WTA debut

Swiatek has provided an injury update ahead of the Australian Open and perhaps she won’t be a full tilt this year.

The 23-year-old turned pro in 2016 and she’s been discussing how she felt after playing on the WTA Tour for the first time, making a bold admission to her coach.

“I can’t say that it was hard because there are people that are literally having this transition for many, many years. For me, it was basically a few months.

She told the Tennis Insider Club podcast: “But I remember the first tournament I played in Auckland, I literally told my coach I don’t belong here. Let’s go back to ITF’s. But then I went to the Australian Open and managed to get through quailes and go to the second round and then the fourth round of Roland Garros.

“So I can’t say it was tough but everybody has doubts. Even if someone says they were confident from the beginning that’s not really 100% true. But it went pretty quickly honestly, I got through every stage pretty fast.”

Swiatek will have a tough task to win Australian Open

Taking all of the Grand Slam events into consideration, the Australian Open has proved one of Swiatek’s worst.

Wimbledon is perhaps slightly more of a problem for the Polish star with the quarter-final being her best finish at the All England Club.

As a result, Swiatek has it all to do to claim success at the Australian Open this time around and perhaps it’s hard to imagine her winning a first Melbourne crown in 2025.

It’s fascinating, however, to hear that a multi major winner struggled to believe that she belonged on the tour after her debut match.

She’s come a long way since that period and Swiatek would dearly love to claim a maiden Australian Open title when things get underway on Sunday.

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Emma Raducanu injury update emerges as she shares practice

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

Emma Raducanu injury update emerges as she shares practice session footage ahead of Australian Open

Emma Raducanu has already had her 2025 season disrupted by injury, with the Briton having withdrawn from the ASB Classic.

Naomi Osaka lost the ASB Classic final to Clara Tauson, a competition which Raducanu had planned to compete in to kickstart her WTA season.

Both Raducanu and Osaka rose the WTA rankings in 2024, having enjoyed a handful of impressive results.

But Raducanu missed the ASB Classic with a back injury, while Osaka retired hurt in the final with an abdominal problem.

Both players will be desperate to recover in time for the Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne later this month.

Emma Raducanu injury update emerges ahead of Australian Open

Fortunately, Raducanu is now back on the court, with the former British number one resharing footage of her in a practice session in Melbourne on her Instagram story.

The 2021 US Open champion can be seen serving at a high intensity and smashing a forehand effort before returning to the baseline.

Her fellow WTA ace Caroline Garcia then shared an image of the duo on her Instagram story, having taken part in a practice session together.

“Great practice with Emma Raducanu,” commented world number 58 Garcia. “Wishing you a great season.”

Caroline Wozniacki among notable Australian Open withdrawals

An Australian Open withdrawal will be the last thing Raducanu wants and indeed needs at this stage of her career.

The former WTA number 10 has had a simply horrible time with injuries over the years despite being only 22.

It is clear how much ability and potential she has, with a clean run simply required in order for Raducanu to build momentum and start winning titles.

The Australian Open meanwhile would be suffering a huge blow if she did fail to recover in time and feature at the Grand Slam.

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
2015	Serena Williams	Maria Sharapova	6–3, 7–6(7–5)
2016	Angelique Kerber	Serena Williams	6–4, 3–6, 6–4
2017	Serena Williams	Venus Williams	6–4, 6–4
2018	Caroline Wozniacki	Simona Halep	7–6(7–2), 3–6, 6–4
2019	Naomi Osaka	Petra Kvitova	7–6(7–2), 5–7, 6–4
2020	Sofia Kenin	Garbine Muguruza	4–6, 6–2, 6–2
2021	Naomi Osaka	Jennifer Brady	6–4, 6–3
2022	Ashleigh Barty	Danielle Collins	6–3, 7–6(7–2)
2023	Aryna Sabalenka	Elena Rybakina	4–6, 6–3, 6–4
2024	Aryna Sabalenka	Zheng Qinwen	6–3, 6–2

Last 10 Australian Open women’s singles finals

Plenty of star names have already taken that decision, with Caroline Wozniacki pulling out of the Australian Open alongside Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Pliskova and Martina Trevisan.

Simona Halep meanwhile has withdrawn from qualification after being handed a wildcard for the tournament.

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Emma Raducanu set for ‘big year’ in 2025, but one ‘big question’ remains

By Al Faqiih January 7, 2025

A respected voice in the tennis world believes “it is only a matter of time” before Emma Raducanu climbs up the rankings, but he acknowledges there is one “big question” mark if she is to enjoy a “big year”.

Sky Sports Tennis commentator Jonathan Overend feels Raducanu “made huge strides last year” and she will reap the rewards in 2025.

Following an injury-disrupted 2023 campaign during which she played only 10 matches after undergoing surgery on both her wrists and one ankle, Raducanu started the 2024 campaign at No 301 in the world.

She made a sluggish start to the season, but found some form during the grass-court swing as she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and semi-final at Nottingham.

Raducanu returned to the top 100 after Wimbledon and eventually finished the year at No 57, but she has since slipped to No 60 after missing the 2025 season-opening ASB Classic due to injury.

But there have been a lot of promising signs 22-year-old on and off the court over the past 12 months. The 2021 US Open winner hired renowned fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura ahead of 2025 and he joins her coaching team alongside Nick Cavaday, who teamed up with her at the start of the last year.

Overend says Raducanu has the perfect set-up.

“Yutaka Nakamura is a very experienced fitness trainer on the tennis circuit, worked for many years with Maria Sharapova,” he told Sky Sports Tennis.

“I think he is exactly the right sort of person for Raducanu to have at her side alongside her coach Nick Cavaday, who has been doing excellent work with her over the last year or so.”

Emma Raducanu News

There is no doubt that Raducanu – who peaked at No 10 after winning the US Open – will surge up the rankings, but Overend admits she will need to stay fit in order to fulfil her potential.

He added: “The thing with Raducanu is she is 60 in the world having made huge strides last year and having played just slightly over 10 tournaments, I think it was 13 events.

“To get to that number playing relatively few tournaments is quite an achievement in itself so I think it is only a matter of time before Raducanu gets back inside the world’s top 50. Then it is about how many of the big tournaments she can pull out big results in because that is really where the big ranking points are available at.

“As we know from her exploits at the US Open in 2021, when she famously won it as a qualifier without dropping a set, she has that ability on her day to beat the very best.

“If she can stay fit, that really is the big question. Now with this established, settled team around her, I think 2025 could be a big year for Emma Raducanu.”

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