2025 WTA News & Gossip

[MargaretMcAleer]

Caroline Wozniacki just posted today on social media,

Max Wozniacki Lee, born July 26th 2025, mom and baby are healthy and our family couldnt be happier!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

2 sets all now in the first SF between Fernandez v Rybakina Rybakina 1st set 76(2) and Fernandez 2nd set 76(3)
3rd set to begin now
In a match that has gone for just over 3 hours there will be a deciding TB for the 3rd set
Fernandez on fire in the 3rd set TB great returns, and making Rybakina play one more point, staying aggressive
Fernandez 5-3
Fernadez 6-3 with a great ROS and MPs
Well done Lueylah Fernandez into the final in DC defeats the 3rd set Rybakina in 3 sets TBs what a fighter she is, Rybakina had the match as she served for the match in the 2nd set
Well done Leylah
Fernandez d Rybakina 67(2) 76(3) 76(3)
Leylah W 36 UFE 28 Rybakina W 44 UFE 64?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai defeat Dolehide/Kenin 61 61 to claim the Doubles title in Washington!

 

[Fiero425]

OMG, this Rybakina/Fernandez match in DC is killing me! It's almost painful how bad it is w/ UFE, excessive "fist-clenching," fake energy when winning the easiest of points, & the unexplained winners as each arrive so late when the ball was recoverable! When Rybakina has all the time in the world, she throws up the weakest "ducks" to be knocked off! The accidental winners really tick me off from Fernandez going back to her improbable march thru the USO draw making the final agaianst Raducanu a few yrs. ago! That jumping around trying to keep her legs moving is so ridiculous between pts.; sorta like Osaka bouncing on her toes & never leaving the ground B4 her serve! 3+ hours of the LAMEst women's match I've seen in a while!

 

[kskate2]

USO Lil Bit from out of the 2021 files, dismisses the flaky Kasak. This girl hasn't been right in years. She keeps turning wins into losses. Remember that match TB against Saba in Berlin? The girl was up 4 mp's and proceeded to lose it

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

USO Lil Bit from out of the 2021 files, dismisses the flaky Kasak. This girl hasn't been right in years. She keeps turning wins into losses. Remember that match TB against Saba in Berlin?

Elena had the match on her racket in the 2nd set was serving for it and then? 64 UFE didnt help her cause either
Well done to Leylah she never gave up. played aggressive tennis and made Elena play one more point

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

We could have a rematch of the USO final in 2021 if Raducanu wins her match against Kalinskaya
Both Fernandez and Kalinskaya have found their form this week in Washinngton

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well done Ana defeating Raducanu in straight sets 64 63, strong aggressive shots with lovely angles you like Leylah have found your form this week in Washington and both deserve to be in the final!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

WTA500 Citi DC Open, Washington
Ladies Singles Final
Sunday July 27th
Not before 2.30pm local time.

L. Fernandez vs A.Kalinskaya
H2H Fernandez leads 1-0 that match was over 4 years ago in 2021 HC Guadalajari in 3 sets.

Fernandez season to date hasnt been a good one, and she has lacked the form she usually shows, though this week in Washington she has found her groove and spark, and the fighting spirit which has always been her 'trademark" especially in her SF against the 3rd seed Rybakina we saw shades of that level she produced in 2021 at the USO which took her all the way to the final., Fernandez also defeated the top seed Jess Pegula in a earlier match.

Kalinskaya is still looking for her maiden WTA tour title, this year she has been plagued by 'ill health' and like Fernandez has found her form and level in Washington, she hasnt dropped a set to the final, will this be the final she will eventually break through and win?

Both ladies deserved to be in the final
Good luck to both players!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

According to an IG post by Naomi Osaka that was shown on Bluesky she has split with Patrick M.
" Merci Patrick it was such a great learning experience from you.Wishing you nothing but the best.You are one of the coolest people I've met and I'm sure I'll see your around"
Osaka is currently #49 in the live rankings. Osaka started with Patrick M September 2024.
Personally I am not surprised she has parted ways with Patrick, I never thought they 'clicked' together, I was more surprised when she left Wim Fissette.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

A wonderful start from Fernandez in just over 1/2 winning it 61
Fernandez not letting Anna into the match from the start, just smothering her from the baseline
Lets see how/if Anna responds in the 2nd set

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Fernandez is seeing the ball early and returning Anna's serve and making Anna play one more ball and she breaks early in the 2nd set
Here There Everywhere is Fernandez lol! Anna just cant win a point
This is where a all court player like Fernandez who has variety in her game, can upset a strong baseliner like Anna
Fernandez gets the double break and I cant see Anna coming back now in this match, she looks totally frustrated
Fernandez is the leading Ace leader in this tournament, which is a surprise, she just hit her 29th Ace
Fernandez consolidates her break and leads 5-1 2nd set

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Fernandez will now serve for the title, her biggest title to date 5-2
Fernandez wins her biggest title to date WTA500 and it is her 4th career tour title defeating Anna 61 62
Well done Leylah a wonderful week of tennis from you!
Anna bad luck it wasnt your day today, though a good showing from you in this tournament making the final
Fernandez W 16 UFE 17 Anna W 9 UFE 23
Fernandez is poised to move back into the Top 25 with this win
Fernandez is No 24 in the live rankings
Anna up to 17 spots and is now No 31

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I believe Bianca Andreescu is Cursed!
On MP serving for the match against Barbora Krejcikova in qualies at Monteral she rolled her ankle got treatment and came back and won the match
I just hope she will be okay

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Biggest Movers of the week ( inside the top 100) Monday 28th July

24 Fernandez (+12)
31 Kalinskaya ( +17)
33 Raducanu (+13)
72 Sakkari (+18)
84 Jones (+17)

New Career Highs on WTA Top 100, Monday 28th July,

84 Jones
85 Mboko
92 Valentova ( top 100 debut)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Tomaz Wiktorowski, former coach of Iga Swaitek ( also coached Aga Radwanska) is en route to Monteral for a coaching trial for Naomi Osaka

Source Courtney Nguyen@Forty Deuce Twitts

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Eugenie Bouchard who is officially retiring at Monteral won her opening match 64 26 62 over Arango, amazing, seeing she hasnt played tennis in awhile she plays Belinda Bencic next.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

For anyone interested Iga Swaitek will be the special guest on Andy Roddick's podcast tomorrow
"Served with Andy Roddick"

 

[kskate2]

According to an IG post by Naomi Osaka that was shown on Bluesky she has split with Patrick M.
" Merci Patrick it was such a great learning experience from you.Wishing you nothing but the best.You are one of the coolest people I've met and I'm sure I'll see your around"
Osaka is currently #49 in the live rankings. Osaka started with Patrick M September 2024.
Personally I am not surprised she has parted ways with Patrick, I never thought they 'clicked' together, I was more surprised when she left Wim Fissette.

Well it isn't the coaching voice that's holding her back, but she doesn't seem all that coachable to me. She has to want to tweak her game a bit w/ different spins, margin and angles. When she was at her peak, she bossed the baseline. That's no longer true and she ends up making an error getting pulled out of position and can't catch up in the point. She can't just go back to blasting the ball from the back. More than anything, she needs consistency and rally tolerance. And for the love of God, drop down and play some more 125K events while you still can. That will help to get her ranking up so she can get seeded, instead of playing at 500 or 1000 level tourney, winning one R1 and then bowing out.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well it isn't the coaching voice that's holding her back, but she doesn't seem all that coachable to me. She has to want to tweak her game a bit w/ different spins, margin and angles. When she was at her peak, she bossed the baseline. That's no longer true and she ends up making an error getting pulled out of position and can't catch up in the point. She can't just go back to blasting the ball from the back. More than anything, she needs consistency and rally tolerance. And for the love of God, drop down and play some more 125K events while you still can. That will help to get her ranking up so she can get seeded, instead of playing at 500 or 1000 level tourney, winning one R1 and then bowing out.

I said that in my earlier post when she can back from maternity leave she should have played smaller tournaments to get match play, she should have taken a leaf out of what Bencic did when she came back from maternity leave, build up her match play and build up her ranking, though she chose not to, Osaka did play that lower clay tournament only to get more practice on clay her least favored surface before RG.
Quite frankly I dont know if Iga's former coach can help her, to me she dosent seem interested in playing volleys or getting a good transition game, she just seems intent sticking on that baseline with power