Victoria Mboko withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships because of a right-elbow injury. Mboko entered Dubai after a run to her second WTA 1000 final at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Victoria Mboko has become the next player to pull out of the 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, citing a right-elbow injury. In addition, 2023 Dubai champion Barbora Krejcikova, left-thigh injury, also pulled out Monday evening ahead of her second-round match with Amanda Anisimova, who will advance via walkover to the third round to face Janice Tjen. Since Krejcikova played in the tournament -- she defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4 in the first round -- a lucky loser could not take her spot. Muchova, who won her first career 1000 event on WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, also pulled out of Dubai because of a change in schedule. "It is a lot of matches, and the tournaments are really close to each other, so it's hard to try to manage that," Mboko said after her semifinal win in Qatar when asked about the quick turnaround between Doha and Dubai. We're always focused on it, but I think it's important to also prioritize everything else off court that's not related to tennis." On Sunday, Krejcikova defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4 in the first round, therefore, not allowing a lucky loser to take her spot as she has played at the tournament. Among other withdrawals included Maria Sakkari (illness), Zheng Qinwen (illness), Elisabetta Cocciaretto (left-thigh injury), Aryna Sabalenka (right-hip injury) and Iga Swiatek (change of schedule). The six other lucky loser alternates have included Antonia Ruzic, Anastasia Zakharova, Peyton Stearns, Magdalena Frech, Kamilla Rakhimova and Hailey Baptiste, the latter of which retired in her first-round match to Alexandra Eala. Victoria Mboko withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships because of a right-elbow injury. Mboko entered Dubai after a run to her second WTA 1000 final at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha.

Trying to get a very solid serve at the moment, which is what we work a lot on,” Sinner told ATP Media in Doha. You May Also Like: Alcaraz taking nothing for granted on return to action: ‘I see myself with weaknesses' Sinner is the second seed this week in Doha, where he leads the field alongside the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz. The Italian is competing for the first time since he suffered a semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month, when he made 75 per cent of his first deliveries and won 80 per cent of those points, according to Infosys Stats. “Now of course we try to keep working, but also to maintain the level of fitness, too. I think everything is going quite well. Of course you need to play some matches, trying to have the best feedback.” That feedback loop, practice intensity translating into match performance, will guide his week in Doha as much as results. “From my point of view, it also depends how the practice sessions go. If you feel very well there, you want to produce the same intensity also in the match,” Sinner said. “If certain things don't work well in the practice session, you try to be slightly better than in the practice session. So it depends, but at the same time I'm here trying to go as far as possible. At the same time, trying to improve and then see what's working well here.” Sinner is making his debut at the ATP 500 event in Doha, where he will open against Czech Tomas Machac. “Obviously a different level now playing the 500 event here. But I'm very excited and let's see what's coming.” Sinner trails World No. 1 Alcaraz by 2,750 points in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. However, the Italian has no points to defend between now and Rome in May. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz. The Italian is competing for the first time since he suffered a semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open last month, when he made 75 per cent of his first deliveries and won 80 per cent of those points, according to Infosys Stats. “Now of course we try to keep working, but also to maintain the level of fitness, too. I think everything is going quite well. That feedback loop, practice intensity translating into match performance, will guide his week in Doha as much as results. “From my point of view, it also depends how the practice sessions go. If you feel very well there, you want to produce the same intensity also in the match,” Sinner said. “If certain things don't work well in the practice session, you try to be slightly better than in the practice session. At the same time, trying to improve and then see what's working well here.” Sinner is making his debut at the ATP 500 event in Doha, where he will open against Czech Tomas Machac. “Obviously a different level now playing the 500 event here. But I'm very excited and let's see what's coming.” 1 Alcaraz by 2,750 points in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. However, the Italian has no points to defend between now and Rome in May. Get official marketing communications from the ATP and WTA! No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc..

After Shelton saved three championship points in spectacular fashion and won it all, he said "I thank God." Judging by the evidence from Dallas on Sunday, very little. A go-for-broke second serve here, an unexpected inside-out backhand there, a possibly-mishit forehand that landed in just the right spot on championship point.Normally, it's the player who maintains a high level for longer who wins a match, and the player who has wilder swings in form who eventually falls short. Taylor Fritz won more points than Ben Shelton overall, and kept his game steadier over the course of three sets and nearly two hours. But in the end it was Shelton, after a bleary-eyed start, who pulled off the more surprising and spectacular shots exactly when he needed them. Taylor Fritz won more points than Ben Shelton overall, and kept his game steadier over the course of three sets and nearly two hours. But in the end it was Shelton, after a bleary-eyed start, who pulled off the more surprising and spectacular shots exactly when he needed them. A close contest between these two was always in the cards. One of their two previous encounters had gone down to the wire, and their roads to the final here were similarly strenuous. The quick indoor courts in Dallas meant that there would likely be few chances to break. Even the crowd was pretty evenly split between these two home-country favorites. Fritz got the first punch in right away. He broke in the second game, won his first 28 first-serve points, and ran out a breezy opening set 6-3. He came a point or two away from breaking the second set open as well. Three times Fritz reached 30-30 on Shelton's serve, and twice he had break point, but Shelton dug down and found the serves he needed to stay alive.“Fritz was playing very good tennis and I was struggling a lot with what he was throwing at me,” Shelton said. “I tried to be a competitor through and through.”Finally, at 2-2 in the second, Shelton's ground strokes began to back up his serve. He won another crucial 30-30 point with an inside-out forehand winner that inspired his first serious celebratory yell of the day. A few minutes later, he had the second set, and the fans had what they wanted—a decider for the title.“Once I get a set, I feel pretty confident,” Shelton said later. “I tried to be a competitor through and through.”Finally, at 2-2 in the second, Shelton's ground strokes began to back up his serve. He won another crucial 30-30 point with an inside-out forehand winner that inspired his first serious celebratory yell of the day. A few minutes later, he had the second set, and the fans had what they wanted—a decider for the title.“Once I get a set, I feel pretty confident,” Shelton said later. Finally, at 2-2 in the second, Shelton's ground strokes began to back up his serve. He won another crucial 30-30 point with an inside-out forehand winner that inspired his first serious celebratory yell of the day. Each swung for the fences, and went deep into his repertoire. Between them, they had 30 aces in the match, and their winner-to-error ratio was a combined plus-24. For all of that, the conclusion looked like it would be anti-climactic. Serving at 4-5, Shelton made a couple of missteps to go down 15-40. No, because Shelton immediately corrected himself, in typically brazen fashion. At 30-40, he shocked Fritz by taking a backhand and, perhaps for the first time all match, smacking it inside out. Fritz could only flail futilely.From there, Shelton wouldn't be stopped. He saved the first two match points; on the third, he tracked down a series of big Shelton ground strokes. Finally, a Shelton forehand semi-shanked off his strings and landed short—an inch too short for Fritz to return.“It was a fun match to be a part of, up until the end,” a smirking Fritz said, before praising Shelton for playing “the big points and important moments really well.”As for Shelton, he praised the heavens for seeing him through. He saved the first two match points; on the third, he tracked down a series of big Shelton ground strokes. Finally, a Shelton forehand semi-shanked off his strings and landed short—an inch too short for Fritz to return.“It was a fun match to be a part of, up until the end,” a smirking Fritz said, before praising Shelton for playing “the big points and important moments really well.”As for Shelton, he praised the heavens for seeing him through. “It was a fun match to be a part of, up until the end,” a smirking Fritz said, before praising Shelton for playing “the big points and important moments really well.”As for Shelton, he praised the heavens for seeing him through. "I feel blessed" 🙏@BenShelton shouts out his aunt after winning the title 🗣️ #DALOpen pic.twitter.com/P4g0PCuo1N “This is one my favorite atmospheres I ever played in.”A great match, and a great atmosphere—but will it end up being more than that? In most cases, I wouldn't read much into a result where the loser had three match points. But this did feel like a significant victory for Shelton. He's five years younger and less experienced than Fritz, who has historically found a way to survive tight matches like this. But here, at the moment of truth, it was Shelton who lifted his game above Fritz's, and showed that he has weapons that his countryman can't easily counter.All in all, it was a fine warm-up for next month's Sunshine Double. Let's hope we don't have to wait long for the rematch. In most cases, I wouldn't read much into a result where the loser had three match points. But this did feel like a significant victory for Shelton. He's five years younger and less experienced than Fritz, who has historically found a way to survive tight matches like this. But here, at the moment of truth, it was Shelton who lifted his game above Fritz's, and showed that he has weapons that his countryman can't easily counter.All in all, it was a fine warm-up for next month's Sunshine Double. Let's hope we don't have to wait long for the rematch. Let's hope we don't have to wait long for the rematch.

The 25-year-old says this will be her final year on tour, describing tennis culture as "racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile. Australia's Destanee Aiava says she will retire from professional tennis at the close of the 2026 season, and the one-time teenager prodigy is taking no prisoners as she gets set for her last goodbye.Aiava, now 25, wrote a scathing open letter to tennis on social media this week in announcing that this season will be her last. The slammed what she said is a “racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile” culture within the sport, and questioned whether the sacrifices she made to become a professional athlete were indeed worth it.Aiava reached a career-high ranking of No. 147 as a 17-year-old in 2017, where she became the first player born after the year 2000 to win a WTA main-draw match when she beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands at that year's Brisbane International. She confessed that she was "unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people.Read more: Australia's Destanee Aiava slams “weird and hostile” United Cup team experience: a “2 out of 10”"Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged," she wrote. I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. In other words, tennis was my toxic boyfriend. " Aiava, now 25, wrote a scathing open letter to tennis on social media this week in announcing that this season will be her last. The slammed what she said is a “racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile” culture within the sport, and questioned whether the sacrifices she made to become a professional athlete were indeed worth it.Aiava reached a career-high ranking of No. 147 as a 17-year-old in 2017, where she became the first player born after the year 2000 to win a WTA main-draw match when she beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands at that year's Brisbane International. She confessed that she was "unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people.Read more: Australia's Destanee Aiava slams “weird and hostile” United Cup team experience: a “2 out of 10”"Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged," she wrote. I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. In other words, tennis was my toxic boyfriend. " Aiava reached a career-high ranking of No. 147 as a 17-year-old in 2017, where she became the first player born after the year 2000 to win a WTA main-draw match when she beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands at that year's Brisbane International. She confessed that she was "unprepared and dangerously naive to the consequences of trusting the wrong people.Read more: Australia's Destanee Aiava slams “weird and hostile” United Cup team experience: a “2 out of 10”"Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged," she wrote. I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. Read more: Australia's Destanee Aiava slams “weird and hostile” United Cup team experience: a “2 out of 10”"Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged," she wrote. I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. "Sometimes I kept playing because I felt like I owed it to not only myself but to everyone who had helped me throughout my career, to try and get back to where (on paper) I belonged," she wrote. I also didn't know who I was outside of tennis and what my true passion was. For five years after that, Aiava struggled with her mental health and middling results, and revealed last year that she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2022 after panic attacks and a suicide attempt. She had a brief resurgence during last Australian summer, where she won a match at the Australian Open for the first time, played a dramatic three-set thriller against Danielle Collins, and qualified for the US Open.After rising to No. 148, one spot below her career-high ranking, last spring, Aiava is currently ranked No. She proceeded to give a “ginormous [sic] f--- you” to those she said made her feel “less than," including those who sent her death threats after losing matches, and who made comments online about her body and career.Read more: The story behind every Destanee Aiava throwback kit at Australian Open“Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit its mould,” Aiava added. “Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed. 148, one spot below her career-high ranking, last spring, Aiava is currently ranked No. She proceeded to give a “ginormous [sic] f--- you” to those she said made her feel “less than," including those who sent her death threats after losing matches, and who made comments online about her body and career.Read more: The story behind every Destanee Aiava throwback kit at Australian Open“Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit its mould,” Aiava added. “Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed. Read more: The story behind every Destanee Aiava throwback kit at Australian Open“Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit its mould,” Aiava added. “Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed. “Behind the white outfits and traditions is a culture that's racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile to anyone who doesn't fit its mould,” Aiava added. “Life is not meant to be lived in misery or half assed. Character is Destanee 🇦🇺Destanee Aiava qualifies for the US Open on consecutive years after coming through a match tiebreak! But that's better than living a life that's misaligned, or being around constant comparison and losing yourself.”Aiava received a flood of support in her comments section, including from 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, and closed her letter by saying that she looks forward to a life led by “purpose, creativity, and passion.”“I don't know what this year will look like or where tennis fits into it,” Aiava said. “What I do know is that this chapter will end on my terms." Aiava received a flood of support in her comments section, including from 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, and closed her letter by saying that she looks forward to a life led by “purpose, creativity, and passion.”“I don't know what this year will look like or where tennis fits into it,” Aiava said. “What I do know is that this chapter will end on my terms." “I don't know what this year will look like or where tennis fits into it,” Aiava said. “What I do know is that this chapter will end on my terms."