News'n'Clues - TENNIS Article Summaries

Luka Pavlovic vs. Botic van de Zandschulp Rotterdam 2026 Round of 32

Source: {'href': 'https://www.atptour.com', 'title': 'ATP Tour'} Published: 2026-02-09 18:21:12

Auger-Aliassime climbs following Montpellier title, Mover of Week

Source: {'href': 'https://www.atptour.com', 'title': 'ATP Tour'} Published: 2026-02-09 11:17:31

Victoria Mboko still dreams of playing Serena Williams after winning in Doha

Source: {'href': 'https://www.tennis.com', 'title': 'tennis.com'} Published: 2026-02-09 11:02:42

In the meantime, the Canadian teenager is eager to face as many Top 10 players as possible.ByDavid KanePublished Feb 09, 2026 copy_link DOHA, Qatar—Athletes often dream of competing against their idols, and Victoria Mboko is no different.The 19-year-old was fresh off a winning debut at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open when she was asked if there was an opponent she still longed to face as she continued her meteoric rise up the rankings.🖥️📲 Match in 15 Minutes: Victoria Mboko def. 13 thanks to title runs in Montréal and Hong Kong, Mboko, who took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open last month, gave an unsurprising answer, but one that may yet come true:Q. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. Yeah, there's not someone in particular. The 19-year-old was fresh off a winning debut at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open when she was asked if there was an opponent she still longed to face as she continued her meteoric rise up the rankings.🖥️📲 Match in 15 Minutes: Victoria Mboko def. 13 thanks to title runs in Montréal and Hong Kong, Mboko, who took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open last month, gave an unsurprising answer, but one that may yet come true:Q. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. Yeah, there's not someone in particular. 13 thanks to title runs in Montréal and Hong Kong, Mboko, who took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open last month, gave an unsurprising answer, but one that may yet come true:Q. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. 13 thanks to title runs in Montréal and Hong Kong, Mboko, who took on world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Australian Open last month, gave an unsurprising answer, but one that may yet come true:Q. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. Is there any player that you're particularly keen to play against, ones that you watched growing up that you want to match up against on the tour right now?VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. VICTORIA MBOKO: Well, one person that I always looked up to was Serena Williams, but she's retired now. 1 has always been a dream of mine, whether you win or lose it.But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. But, yeah, I think just playing as many top-10 players as I can is pretty cool. That's always a different experience for me. Indeed, rumors have swirled since last fall that Serena Williams is planning a return to tennis, having re-entered the World Anti-Doping Authority's testing pool. She was even rumored to be making a major announcement during this weekend's Super Bowl.But though the 23-time Grand Slam champion is yet to confirm a comeback, she could be cleared to return as early as this spring, meaning Mboko could find herself on the court with Williams sooner than she could have ever imagined.In the meantime, the Canadian is getting plenty of exposure to elite athletes, competing alongside Coco Gauff in women's doubles this week in Doha and taking on former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva in her second-round singles match. But though the 23-time Grand Slam champion is yet to confirm a comeback, she could be cleared to return as early as this spring, meaning Mboko could find herself on the court with Williams sooner than she could have ever imagined.In the meantime, the Canadian is getting plenty of exposure to elite athletes, competing alongside Coco Gauff in women's doubles this week in Doha and taking on former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva in her second-round singles match. In the meantime, the Canadian is getting plenty of exposure to elite athletes, competing alongside Coco Gauff in women's doubles this week in Doha and taking on former world No. 2 Vera Zvonareva in her second-round singles match.

Alexandra Eala becomes the first woman from the Philippines to break into the Top 40

Source: {'href': 'https://www.tennis.com', 'title': 'tennis.com'} Published: 2026-02-09 08:26:15

Another 20-year-old, Sara Bejlek, also makes her Top 40 debut after winning her first WTA title in Abu Dhabi.ByJohn BerkokPublished Feb 09, 2026 copy_link Alexandra Eala continues her historic rise this week, becoming the first woman from the Philippines to break into the Top 40 in WTA rankings history, which dates all the way back to 1975.She rises from No. 40 today following her run to the quarterfinals of Abu Dhabi, which was actually her first time reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 500-level event.It was her fifth time reaching the quarterfinals at a WTA event at any level and they've all come in the last 11 months—her first three last year with her run to the semis of Miami (WTA 1000), the final of Eastbourne (WTA 250) and the quarters in Sao Paulo (WTA 250), and two this year with a semifinal in Auckland (WTA 250) and now a quarterfinal in Abu Dhabi (WTA 500).The 20-year-old was already the first woman from the Philippines to break into both the Top 100 and the Top 50 when she cracked those ranking classes last year, in March and November, respectively. 40 today following her run to the quarterfinals of Abu Dhabi, which was actually her first time reaching the quarterfinals of a WTA 500-level event.It was her fifth time reaching the quarterfinals at a WTA event at any level and they've all come in the last 11 months—her first three last year with her run to the semis of Miami (WTA 1000), the final of Eastbourne (WTA 250) and the quarters in Sao Paulo (WTA 250), and two this year with a semifinal in Auckland (WTA 250) and now a quarterfinal in Abu Dhabi (WTA 500).The 20-year-old was already the first woman from the Philippines to break into both the Top 100 and the Top 50 when she cracked those ranking classes last year, in March and November, respectively. It was her fifth time reaching the quarterfinals at a WTA event at any level and they've all come in the last 11 months—her first three last year with her run to the semis of Miami (WTA 1000), the final of Eastbourne (WTA 250) and the quarters in Sao Paulo (WTA 250), and two this year with a semifinal in Auckland (WTA 250) and now a quarterfinal in Abu Dhabi (WTA 500).The 20-year-old was already the first woman from the Philippines to break into both the Top 100 and the Top 50 when she cracked those ranking classes last year, in March and November, respectively. After a three-tournament week on the WTA tour, Eala is one of several players making breakthroughs on the new WTA rankings.The woman who ended up winning the title in Abu Dhabi, Sara Bejlek, soars from No. 38, shattering her previous high of No. It was the 20-year-old Czech's first career WTA titleAmerican Hailey Baptiste, who made her maiden WTA semifinal in Abu Dhabi, rises from No. 39 for her Top 40 debut.The last two players standing in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Emma Raducanu and Sorana Cirstea, continue their rises back up the rankings. Raducanu, who reached her first WTA final since winning the 2021 US Open, moves up from No. And Cirstea, who won the fourth WTA title of her career—and her first on home soil in Romania—goes from No. 31, her highest ranking since 2024.And Ukrainian breakout star Oleksandra Oliynykova rises from No. 71, soaring past her previous high of No. 90, after reaching the first WTA semifinal of her career in Cluj-Napoca. It was the second WTA main draw of her career, after this year's Australian Open, where she fell first round to Madison Keys. The woman who ended up winning the title in Abu Dhabi, Sara Bejlek, soars from No. 38, shattering her previous high of No. It was the 20-year-old Czech's first career WTA titleAmerican Hailey Baptiste, who made her maiden WTA semifinal in Abu Dhabi, rises from No. 39 for her Top 40 debut.The last two players standing in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Emma Raducanu and Sorana Cirstea, continue their rises back up the rankings. Raducanu, who reached her first WTA final since winning the 2021 US Open, moves up from No. And Cirstea, who won the fourth WTA title of her career—and her first on home soil in Romania—goes from No. 31, her highest ranking since 2024.And Ukrainian breakout star Oleksandra Oliynykova rises from No. 71, soaring past her previous high of No. 90, after reaching the first WTA semifinal of her career in Cluj-Napoca. It was the second WTA main draw of her career, after this year's Australian Open, where she fell first round to Madison Keys. American Hailey Baptiste, who made her maiden WTA semifinal in Abu Dhabi, rises from No. 39 for her Top 40 debut.The last two players standing in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Emma Raducanu and Sorana Cirstea, continue their rises back up the rankings. Raducanu, who reached her first WTA final since winning the 2021 US Open, moves up from No. And Cirstea, who won the fourth WTA title of her career—and her first on home soil in Romania—goes from No. 31, her highest ranking since 2024.And Ukrainian breakout star Oleksandra Oliynykova rises from No. 71, soaring past her previous high of No. 90, after reaching the first WTA semifinal of her career in Cluj-Napoca. It was the second WTA main draw of her career, after this year's Australian Open, where she fell first round to Madison Keys. The last two players standing in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Emma Raducanu and Sorana Cirstea, continue their rises back up the rankings. Raducanu, who reached her first WTA final since winning the 2021 US Open, moves up from No. And Cirstea, who won the fourth WTA title of her career—and her first on home soil in Romania—goes from No. 31, her highest ranking since 2024.And Ukrainian breakout star Oleksandra Oliynykova rises from No. 71, soaring past her previous high of No. 90, after reaching the first WTA semifinal of her career in Cluj-Napoca. It was the second WTA main draw of her career, after this year's Australian Open, where she fell first round to Madison Keys. And Ukrainian breakout star Oleksandra Oliynykova rises from No. 71, soaring past her previous high of No. 90, after reaching the first WTA semifinal of her career in Cluj-Napoca. It was the second WTA main draw of her career, after this year's Australian Open, where she fell first round to Madison Keys. Sara Bejlek was on another level today 📈 She earns the @BetMGM shot of the day en route to capturing the title ⤵️ #MubadalaAbuDhabiOpen pic.twitter.com/XmIKW3sarv There aren't too many big moves on the ATP rankings this week after just one ATP event last week in Montpellier, France.But the last two men standing at the indoor event both make notable moves—champion Felix Auger-Aliassime rises from No. 6 after capturing the ninth ATP title of his career, while runner-up Adrian Mannarino jumps from No. 52 after reaching the 16th ATP final of his career, and first since 2023. But the last two men standing at the indoor event both make notable moves—champion Felix Auger-Aliassime rises from No. 6 after capturing the ninth ATP title of his career, while runner-up Adrian Mannarino jumps from No. 52 after reaching the 16th ATP final of his career, and first since 2023.

GOATs at the Game: Roger Federer, Serena Williams feature at Super Bowl LX

Source: {'href': 'https://www.tennis.com', 'title': 'tennis.com'} Published: 2026-02-09 04:18:45

Roger Federer and Serena Williams stepped into the spotlight in different ways on this Super Bowl Sunday, as the New England Patriots faced the Seattle Sewhawks in Super Bowl LX.After making a surprise cameo appearance during Kendrick Lamar's halftime show performance in 2025, Williams this year starred in ad for Ro, the healthcare technology company which her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is a board member of.While media speculation ran rampant ahead of the game that Williams would announce a comeback to professional tennis via the ad, she instead stuck solely on product placement, detailing her weight loss journey via GLP-1 drugs.Read more: Serena Williams refuses to rule out tennis comeback in 'TODAY' interview After making a surprise cameo appearance during Kendrick Lamar's halftime show performance in 2025, Williams this year starred in ad for Ro, the healthcare technology company which her husband, Alexis Ohanian, is a board member of.While media speculation ran rampant ahead of the game that Williams would announce a comeback to professional tennis via the ad, she instead stuck solely on product placement, detailing her weight loss journey via GLP-1 drugs.Read more: Serena Williams refuses to rule out tennis comeback in 'TODAY' interview While media speculation ran rampant ahead of the game that Williams would announce a comeback to professional tennis via the ad, she instead stuck solely on product placement, detailing her weight loss journey via GLP-1 drugs.Read more: Serena Williams refuses to rule out tennis comeback in 'TODAY' interview Read more: Serena Williams refuses to rule out tennis comeback in 'TODAY' interview While Serena's appearance was virtual, Federer was in-person at Levi's Stadium, and he didn't just get camera time along the pre-game sideline.The Swiss great was also featured on the NFL's social media, where he recalled his favorite Super Bowl memory.Federer detailed how he was on hand, in-person in Arizona, for one of the Patriots' most infamous appearances back in 2008, when they entered the game against the New York Giants with an undefeated 18-0 record. While New England led for much of that game, Giants quaterback Eli Manning famously connected with his receiver David Tyree as time was winding down for the game-winning touchdown, with Tyree famously keeping the play alive by catching the ball on his helmet.“That was my favorite memory, obviously, of being in the stadium," he said. While New England led for much of that game, Giants quaterback Eli Manning famously connected with his receiver David Tyree as time was winding down for the game-winning touchdown, with Tyree famously keeping the play alive by catching the ball on his helmet.“That was my favorite memory, obviously, of being in the stadium," he said. While New England led for much of that game, Giants quaterback Eli Manning famously connected with his receiver David Tyree as time was winding down for the game-winning touchdown, with Tyree famously keeping the play alive by catching the ball on his helmet.“That was my favorite memory, obviously, of being in the stadium," he said. “That was my favorite memory, obviously, of being in the stadium," he said. Michael Jackson's 1993 set "was awesome," Federer said, having seen the set on YouTube, while a more recent halftime show also resonated with him.“Then I liked Eminem, 50 Cent, and Dr. Dre in LA [in 2022],” Federer continued.

Roger Federer attends Super Bowl, reveals favourite memory of iconic game

Source: {'href': 'https://www.atptour.com', 'title': 'ATP Tour'} Published: 2026-02-09 03:44:01