Tennis news today: Alexander Zverev to miss the Canadian Open, Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and other top players arrive in San Jose for the Silicon Valley Classic | July 29, 2022
World No. 2 Alexander Zverev still isn't fully fit to return to the tour after his ankle injury and has therefore withdrawn from next month's Canadian Open. Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, along with a host of other top players, has arrived in San Jose for next week's Silicon Valley Classic.
Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens were awarded wildcards to compete in the upcoming Cincinnati Open. Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, kicked off his title defense at the Croatia Open with an easy victory. However, Barbora Krejcikova, the defending champion at the Prague Open, lost in the second round.
Here's a round-up of the day's headlines:
Alexander Zverev to skip Canadian Open
World No. 2 Alexander Zverev has decided to pull out of the upcoming Canadian Open. It appears he still hasn't recovered from his ankle injury and has delayed his return to the tour. The German took a nasty fall during his French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal in June.
Zverev retired from that match and later underwent surgery for torn ligaments in his ankle. He has made considerable progress in his recovery, so he's likely to make a comeback sooner rather than later.
Top WTA stars arrive in San Jose for the Silicon Valley Classic
A host of top WTA players have begun arriving in San Jose for next week's Silicon Valley Classic. Leading the charge is 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who'll be competing in her first tournament since her victory at the All England Club.
Reigning Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina is here! 😍
#MubadalaSVC https://t.co/ULBCtEXFcm
Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Bianca Andreescu, as well as top-10 players Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur headline an extremely competitive field in San Jose.
Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin receive wildcards for Cincinnati Open
Grand Slam champions Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin have all received wildcards to participate in the upcoming Cincinnati Open. While Williams and Kenin are on the comeback trail following extended injury breaks, Stephens' ranking wasn't high enough to secure direct entry.
They. Are. Back. 🤩
#CincyTennis https://t.co/gsiB9fg6c6
This year's edition of the Cincinnati Open will be held from August 15-21. A bunch of top players across the ATP and WTA tours are on the entry list for now. Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are some of the big names scheduled to compete.
Carlos Alcaraz begins Croatia Open title defense with a win
Teen star Carlos Alcaraz is back at the Croatia Open, where he won his maiden ATP title last year. As the top seed, he received a bye into the second round. The Spaniard commenced his title defense with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Norbert Gombos. He played a pretty good match and didn't drop serve even once. He's up against Facundo Bagnis in the quarterfinals.
Barbora Krejcikova's Prague Open title defense ends in second round
Lucky loser Nao Hibino ended Barbora Krejcikova's title defense in the second round of the Prague Open. The 2021 Roland Garros champion took the opening set and was on course for a routine win, but her opponent raised her level. The defending champion had no response to Hibino's tactics as she slowly faded away to lose 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3.