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Tennis News

The stories that matter

A running digest of the significant happenings across the ATP, WTA, the four Grand Slams and the Finals — results, rule changes, retirements and off-court news. Every item links to the original article it was drawn from.

315 stories · page 26 of 32 · refreshed 7 Sep 2026

  1. PlayersWTA4 Jul 2026

    Markéta Vondroušová given four-year ITIA ban for anti-doping test refusal

    • The ITIA handed 2023 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová a four-year ban, effective June 2026, set to expire in June 2030.
    • The ban was not for a positive test but for failing to comply with anti-doping testing protocols — specifically refusing to open her door to an anti-doping officer in December 2025.
    • Vondroušová denied ever doping, stating 'I have never doped. I have never had a positive test.'
    • Critics drew comparisons with Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, both of whom tested positive for banned substances but received significantly shorter bans.
    • The ban threatens to end Vondroušová's career at just 26 years old.
    Al Jazeera
  2. Off CourtWimbledon4 Jul 2026

    Wimbledon 2026 Sets Record Prize Money Pool with 20% Increase

    • Wimbledon's 2026 total prize fund is £64.2 million, a 20% rise from £53.5 million in 2025 and the largest single-year increase in the tournament's history.
    • Singles champions each receive £3.6 million, while runners-up take home £1.8 million.
    • First-round losers receive £80,000, a 21.2% increase from the prior year.
    • Leading ATP and WTA players publicly welcomed the move as a 'genuine and significant step forward,' though the purse still falls short of their 22% revenue-share target.
    • Players staged a media boycott at Roland Garros earlier in 2026 over insufficient prize money, adding context to the Wimbledon announcement.
    Perfect Tennis
  3. Grand SlamATPWimbledon3 Jul 2026

    Struff stuns Medvedev in straight sets at Wimbledon to reach R16 for first time

    • World No. 74 Jan-Lennard Struff defeated eighth seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 7-5 in the third round.
    • Medvedev led by a break in all three sets — including 5-2 in the third — but failed to convert any of those advantages.
    • Struff has now won six tie-breaks across his first three rounds, a tally in the opening three rounds at a Major only bettered by Wayne Arthurs in 1999.
    • The 36-year-old German came through back-to-back five-set battles before eliminating Medvedev.
    • Medvedev's early exit continues a troubling pattern of Grand Slam underperformance in 2026.
    Tennis Majors
  4. Grand SlamATPWimbledon3 Jul 2026

    Djokovic Ties Federer's All-Time Record of 105 Wimbledon Singles Wins

    • Novak Djokovic defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(4) in the third round to record his 105th Wimbledon singles match win.
    • The win ties Roger Federer for the most men's singles victories in Wimbledon history; only Martina Navratilova (120) has won more across all genders.
    • The 39-year-old also equalled Federer's record of reaching the pre-quarterfinals at Wimbledon 18 times.
    • Djokovic next faces qualifier Roman Safiullin in the fourth round on Sunday.
    • Defending champion Jannik Sinner also reached the fourth round the same day, beating Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
    ATP Tour
  5. PlayersATPWimbledon2 Jul 2026

    Dan Evans Retires at Wimbledon, Criticises LTA Over Wildcard Snub

    • Dan Evans, 36, officially retired from professional tennis on July 2 after a first-round doubles defeat at Wimbledon alongside 20-year-old Henry Searle.
    • Evans and Searle lost 6-2, 6-4 to ninth seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Court 15, in front of an emotional crowd wearing 'thank you Dan' shirts.
    • Evans had been denied a singles wildcard by the All England Club and the LTA, losing in qualifying, and used his farewell press conference to demand transparency over the decision.
    • The career-high world No. 21 won two ATP titles, helped Great Britain win the Davis Cup in 2015, and partnered Andy Murray at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
    • Evans announced he will move into coaching, taking on Henry Searle as his first client after a two-decade professional career.
    ATP Tour
  6. TourATPTerra Wortmann Open2 Jul 2026

    Frances Tiafoe Wins Halle; Americans Arrive at Wimbledon in Force

    • Frances Tiafoe won the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany ahead of Wimbledon, beating Taylor Fritz in the final to claim the grass-court title.
    • Ben Shelton had won the Stuttgart title the week before, meaning American men won both major Wimbledon warm-up events in consecutive weeks.
    • Taylor Fritz and Shelton went a combined 10-1 on grass across the two weeks when not counting their direct meetings against each other.
    • Seven Americans advanced to the third round at Wimbledon on the men's side, the strongest collective US showing in years.
    • It has been 23 years since an American man (Andy Roddick, 2003 US Open) last won a Grand Slam singles title, raising hopes that the drought could end in 2026.
    CBS Sports
  7. Grand SlamATPWimbledon2 Jul 2026

    Arthur Fery Reaches Wimbledon Round Three for First Time in Career

    • British wildcard Arthur Fery, 23, reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, defeating Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3.
    • Fery came back from a set down and had to navigate a tight second set before dominating the final two sets with three breaks.
    • His run continued a strong summer on grass that has drawn significant attention to British tennis's next generation.
    • However, three other British players — Katie Swan, Jacob Fearnley, and Jan Choinski — exited in the second round on the same day.
    • Fery faces Eastbourne Open champion Zizou Bergs in his third-round match, their first meeting at tour level.
    LTA
  8. Off CourtWTAWTA Finals1 Jul 2026

    WTA Finals Exits Saudi Arabia, Moves to Indian Wells for November 2026

    • The WTA announced on July 1 that the 2026 WTA Finals will move from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.
    • The Saudi Tennis Federation and WTA mutually ended their three-year hosting deal one year early, with growing Middle East military conflicts reportedly influencing the decision.
    • The event will be held November 8–15 at Stadium 1, the second-largest outdoor tennis stadium in the world with a capacity of over 16,000.
    • It will be the first time Indian Wells has hosted the WTA season-ending championship since 2005, and the sixth different venue in eight years.
    • No long-term host city has been announced beyond 2026; the stop is widely reported as a one-year stopgap while the tour seeks a new deal.
    ESPN
  9. Grand SlamATPWimbledon1 Jul 2026

    Sinner Defends Title Bid Continues; Ben Shelton Dumped Out in Round One

    • Defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner survived a five-set opening scare against Kecmanovic before beating Nuno Borges 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach the last 32, extending his winning run at Wimbledon to nine matches.
    • Fourth seed Ben Shelton, who won the Stuttgart title heading into the grass-slam, was stunned in the first round by Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen in the biggest upset of the early draw.
    • Carlos Alcaraz, two-time Wimbledon champion, was absent from the draw due to a wrist injury, significantly opening up the title race.
    • Novak Djokovic, seeded 7th and chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, beat Stefanos Tsitsipas to advance smoothly to round three.
    • Djokovic would also equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon men's singles titles if he were to win the championship.
    Tennis Majors
  10. PlayersWTAWimbledon1 Jul 2026

    Serena Williams Loses Wimbledon First-Round Return to Maya Joint

    • Serena Williams lost her first singles match in nearly four years, falling to 20-year-old Maya Joint 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 on Centre Court.
    • It was Williams' first Grand Slam singles match since the 2022 US Open, marking a highly anticipated comeback at age 44.
    • Joint, an American-born Australian, went on to lose in the second round to No. 29 seed Alexandra Eala.
    • Williams battled for two hours and 22 minutes under the Centre Court roof, showing competitive fire but struggling with consistency.
    • The match delivered ESPN's largest Day 2 Wimbledon ratings ever, peaking at 2.1 million viewers in the US.
    ESPN
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