TENNIS

NAOMI OSAKA POWERS INTO CANADIAN OPEN SEMIS

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Naomi Osaka has made a statement return to top-tier tennis, reaching the semi-finals of the Canadian Open for the first time in her career. The four-time Grand Slam champion dismantled Elina Svitolina in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in just over an hour—marking her first WTA 1000 semi-final since 2022's Miami Open.

RADUCANU BEATS XU AT WIMBLEDON

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Emma Raducanu, Britain's top-ranked female player, advanced to the second round at Wimbledon with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over compatriot Mimi Xu. The match marked 17-year-old Xu's Grand Slam debut.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT IN MONTREAL

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Eugenie Bouchard, the trailblazing Canadian tennis star who made history with her Wimbledon final appearance in 2014, has officially announced her retirement from professional tennis. The 31-year-old athlete shared the news on Instagram, expressing her desire to close the curtain on her career where it all began — at home in Montreal during the upcoming National Bank Open.

RADUCANU DRAWN AGAINST WILDCARD XU IN ALL-BRITISH WIMBLEDON OPENER

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Emma Raducanu will begin her Wimbledon campaign with an all-British first-round match against 17-year-old wildcard Mimi Xu. Raducanu, currently ranked 38th in the world and just outside the seedings, faces a challenging draw at the All England Club.

SABALENKA DEFEATS SIEGEMUND TO SECURE SEMI-FINAL

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World number one Aryna Sabalenka narrowly escaped a major upset as she fought back to defeat Laura Siegemund and advance to the Wimbledon semi-finals. In a tense and unpredictable match, Sabalenka came from behind twice in the final set to beat the 37-year-old German 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

RADACANU VOWS TO REFOCUS FOR WIMBLEDON AFTER EASTBOURNE DEFEAT

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Emma Raducanu says she needs to "get her head in the game" ahead of Wimbledon following a tough second-round loss to 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint at Eastbourne.

Raducanu, 22, was beaten 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) in a tense match that concluded a challenging week for the British number one. Despite rallying from 5-2 down in the third set to force a tie-break, she couldn't complete back-to-back comeback victories, having overturned a first-set deficit to beat Ann Li in an emotional opening-round match.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get over the line today, but I can get some rest ahead of next week," Raducanu said. Wimbledon begins on Monday, 30 June, leaving her just a few days to recover and reset.

She admitted she was mentally affected by "some really bad news" received earlier in the week and is feeling the toll physically and emotionally. "I feel quite tired. Just going through some stuff, and I need to do my best to get my head in the game ahead of next week," she said.

Raducanu came into Eastbourne following a strong run to the quarter-finals at Queen's Club but had withdrawn from the Berlin Open due to a back issue. Although she appeared physically uncomfortable at times during her match with Joint, she did not seek medical attention.

In the second-round clash, Raducanu started well, using her serve effectively to take the opening set. However, Joint responded strongly in the second, dominating to level the match. The final set was filled with momentum swings. After Joint broke early and held off Raducanu's efforts to level, the Briton broke twice as Joint served for the match, even pulling off a break to love at 5-4 down.

The players exchanged breaks again, and Raducanu forced a tie-break. But a net cord helped Joint gain the lead, and she finished with an ace to secure her spot in the quarter-finals. Joint, who began the year ranked 684th and is now up to 51st, will face Anna Blinkova next.

Elsewhere, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova survived match points for the second day running, beating Jodie Burrage 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-3). Francesca Jones also exited, losing 6-2 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.

DJOKOVIC TRIUMPHS DESPITE PHYSICAL STRUGGLE

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Novak Djokovic proved once again why he remains one of the sport's greats, overcoming both a formidable opponent and physical discomfort to secure a spot in Wimbledon's second round. Facing Frenchman Alexandre Muller, Djokovic won in four sets: 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-2. Despite dominating early, the Serbian champion experienced a troubling stretch during the third set, later revealing he had been dealing with stomach issues.