Tennis News

LONDON, Great Britain – With the final four Wimbledon contenders set to take “Centre” stage on Thursday, WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen will deliver play-by-play action live on wtatennis.com.

Will Venus Williams meet sister Serena for the first all-Williams Grand Slam final since the 2009 Championships? Will we see a rematch of the Australian Open championship match between world No.1 Serena Williams reignite her quest for a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title against Melbourne conqueror Angelique Kerber? Or will Elena Vesnina, who began the year ranked outside the Top 100, spark the shock of the century on the lawns of the All England Club by reaching her first major final?

Stay tuned for all the action and Insider insight right here on the Insider Live Blog:

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams is set to return to No.1 in the WTA rankings after winning her seventh Australian Open title, a 23rd Grand Slam title that breaks the Open Era record she hitherto shared with Stefanie Graf.

Serena came to Melbourne with a slim hope of taking back the top spot, but opportunity knocked when defending champion and top seed Angelique Kerber bowed out in the fourth round to CoCo Vandeweghe.

Despite the German’s early exit, the American still needed to make history to take back the ranking she held for 186 consecutive weeks – a record she narrowly missed breaking and holds alongside Graf.

But she did just that on Saturday, defeating elder sister Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-4 to guarantee her accession back to the top of women’s tennis.

The feat came as a surprise to Serena, as she shared in her post-match press.

“in the beginning of the tournament, I was like, ‘If I win, will I be No. 1?’

“[My coach Patrick Mouratoglou] said, ‘No, no, no.

“I was like, Whatever.

“So, today on the court when they were like, ‘And No. 1,’ I was like, ‘Whoa, really?'”

As for Venus, the five-time Wimbledon champion will move up to No.11, with a return to the Top 10 for the first time since last fall firmly in sight.

“I feel motivated to continue, to continue to go out there and hit the ball the way I know I can,” Venus said. “There’s only things I can improve on, to be honest, and to build on.

“I feel I played very well this week, pulled a lot of things out of my pocket. I got more stuff in my pocket. Get it out.”

Billie Jean King congratulated Serena on returning to No.1 on Twitter:

Congrats @serenawilliams on your 23rd major title and return to the top of the@WTA rankings. You are a history maker and a trailblazer.

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 28, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Unseeded Kristina Mladenovic pulled off a stunner at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, dispatching No.4 seed and former World No.1 Venus Williams, 6-3, 6-1 in just 54 minutes.

“Venus is a top player, a top champion,” Mladenovic said after the match. “It must have been difficult for Venus to come here after playing back-to-back weekends. I was just trying to play aggressive tennis.

.@KikiMladenovic has made a blistering start against Venus Williams! @Formula_TX pic.twitter.com/n0QdLEfWEZ

— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017

“To be on the same court is a big honor. I’m very happy to say I played with her and that I won today.”

Mladenovic enjoyed a bright start to her first encounter with the Australian Open runner-up, attacking her second serve and raced into a 5-0 lead. The Frenchwoman’s aggressive game plan paid off even as Williams soon warmed up: she blitzed eight forehand winners into the corners and beyond the player almost 14 years her senior.

.@KikiMladenovic takes the opening set off Venus 6-3! pic.twitter.com/04DNVnkwRc

— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017

“It was a very difficult match. I just tried to be very aggressive from the beginning. I was quite sure it would be difficult for her to adjust from Australia, as it was for me the first couple of days.

“I tried to be solid and aggressive, trying not to give her time to adjust into her game. I think I did that pretty well today and I’m happy to get the win.”

Even as things got tenser in the opening set, world No. 51 kept her nerve and served it out on her second attempt.

“I had a good feeling at the beginning of the match. I started very well, playing powerfully and serving good. The 5-0 lead was kind of surprising in a way, but it put me in a good position and even when I got tight, I stayed composed to close out the first set. It gave me confidence to continue putting the workd in and win the match.

The No.4 seed staved off four break points to start the second set but Mladenovic wore her down and broke at her fifth opportunity to take the early lead and keep up the momentum. 

.@KiKiMladenovic knocks out Venus Williams 6-3, 6-1!

Sets @Formula_TX Quarterfinal vs @Roberta_Vinci! pic.twitter.com/63GwkibraJ

— WTA (@WTA) February 2, 2017

She broke again en route to an emphatic a 5-1 lead, breaking one more time to clinch her spot in the last eight, where she’ll face defending champion and No.6 seed Roberta Vinci.

“It’s going to be a very tough match. Roberta is such a great player, with a lot of variety and tactics. Our last battle was a very good one at the quarterfinals of the 2015 US Open. She plays very well on this surface, so it’ll be a tough match, but I hope to play my best tennis.”

June was packed with plenty of amazing shots – we narrowed it down to the five best.

In the end it was hot shot queen Agnieszka Radwanska who showed off her full arsenal of tricks against CoCo Vandeweghe at the Aegon Classic.

Approaching the net with aplomb, Radwanska followed up a deft drop volley with clutch lob to flummox her American opponent, who ultimately settled to pull off a big win over the Pole.

Click here to watch all of June’s finalists.

Final Results for June’s WTA Shot Of The Month

1. Agnieszka Radwanska (77%)
2. Angelique Kerber (8%)
3. Sam Stosur (6%)
4. Kristina Mladenovic (5%)
5. Madison Keys (3%)

2016 WTA Shot of the Month Winners

January: Caroline Wozniacki
February: Agnieszka Radwanska
March: Agnieszka Radwanska
April: Monica Niculescu
May: Simona Halep

How it works:

Five shots are selected by wtatennis.com
Winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com 

BUCHAREST, Romania – Simona Halep has announced she will not be competing at the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Shortly after winning her quarterfinal at the BRD Bucharest Open, Halep took to social media to reveal her withdrawal from the Games, citing fears over the Zika virus outbreak across South America.

“The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,” was posted on Halep’s Facebook page. “After several talks with doctors and my family, i concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.”