Tennis news today: Dominic Thiem calls Carlos Alcaraz a "superstar" after Miami triumph, defending champion Veronika Kudermetova withdraws from Charleston Open | 5 April 2022
Carlos Alcaraz's historic win at the Miami Open has been applauded by his fellow players and fans. 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem hailed the Spaniard's performance and called him a "superstar."
Veronika Kudermetova became the latest player to pull out of the Charleston Open and more details have emerged regarding Wimbledon organizers' plans to ban Russian players, including Daniil Medvedev.
Grand Slam champions Sofia Kenin and Victoria Azarenka have withdrawn from their upcoming tournaments. Ulrikke Eikeri, meanwhile, created history for Norway with her first-round victory at the Charleston Open.
Here's a round-up of the day's biggest headlines:
Thiem congratulates Alcaraz on Miami victory
Dominic Thiem, who's currently recovering from COVID-19, has been keeping a keen eye on the events surrounding the tour. Carlos Alcaraz won his first Masters 1000 title over the weekend, becoming the youngest player to win the Miami Open. His victory is all the rage right now and Thiem took to social media to congratulate the youngster on his incredible achievement.
"Unbelievable player and I'm happy that we have a new superstar on the tour, and by the way, well done and congrats for Miami," Thiem said.
Thiem about Alcaraz https://t.co/hd9eqyDDup
Thiem made his long-awaited return to action at the Marbella Challenger last week, but lost in the first round against Pedro Cachin. He tested positive for COVID-19 a few days later and withdrew from the Grand Prix Hassan II.
Also check out :-Charleston Open 2022 Schedule
Defending champion Kudermetova out of Charleston Open
The field for the 2022 Charleston Open continues to lose star power, with defending champion Veronika Kudermetova the latest to withdraw. She won her maiden career title in singles at the WTA 500 tournament last year, but won't be able to defend her crown due to illness.
Unfortunately 2021 champ Veronika Kudermetova has withdrawn due to illness.
As she withdrew prior to matches starting, the next seeded player, Madison Keys, now moves into Kudermetova's spot in the revised draw and receives a bye into R2 🎾
#CharlestonOpen https://t.co/tMmhqvgvtd
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Sofia Kenin and Jelena Ostapenko were all set to compete at the Charleston Open, but withdrew prior to the start of the tournament.
Wimbledon considering ban on Medvedev
According to earlier reports, Wimbledon organizers were considering a ban on Daniil Medvedev and other Russian players if they failed to denounce Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, more recent reports suggest they're considering banning Medvedev outright. They fear that if the 2021 US Open champion performs well at the Major, it may reflect positively on the Putin regime.
Currently, players from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete on the tour without donning their national flags. The Russian and Belarusian teams were suspended from the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup.
Kenin to miss Madrid Open, Azarenka pulls out of Stuttgart
Sofia Kenin, who pulled out of the Miami Open at the last minute, has now withdrawn from the Madrid Open as well. The 2020 Australian Open champion has been going through a rough patch of late and is currently on a six-match losing streak.
Victoria Azarenka's withdrawal from the Stuttgart Open isn't surprising. The former World No. 1 revealed after retiring from her third-round match in Miami that she was going through personal struggles and would take a short break from the sport.
"I shouldn’t have gone on the court today. The last few weeks have been extremely stressful in my personal life. Last match took so much out of me, but I wanted to play in front of a great audience as they helped me pull through my first match. I wanted to go out there and try but it was a mistake," Azarenka said in a statement.
Statement from Victoria Azarenka:
I shouldn’t have gone on the court today. The last few weeks have been extremely stressful in my personal life. Last match took so much out of me, but I wanted to play in front of a great audience as they helped me pull through my first match... https://t.co/lufnyYyyZg
Eikeri becomes first woman from Norway to win WTA match in 3 decades
Ulrikke Eikeri has been grinding it out on the WTA tour for quite a while now. After making her breakthrough in doubles last year by winning the title at the Tenerife Open, things are looking up for her in singles as well.
She won her first main-draw match on the WTA tour at the ongoing Charleston Open by defeating Nadia Kichenok in three sets. In doing so, she became the first woman from Norway to win a WTA match since Amy Jonsson at the 1991 Pattaya Open.
Ulrikke Eikeri is the first Norwegian to win a WTA main draw match since Amy Jonsson at Pattaya 1991!Tough test passed 🙌
🇳🇴 Ulrikke Eikeri is the first Norwegian to win a WTA main draw match since Amy Jonsson at Pattaya 1991!
#CharlestonOpen https://t.co/Znl3S67BSG
On the men's side, Casper Ruud has been making Norway proud with his achievements for quite a while now. With his runner-up finish in Miami, the Norwegian has achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 7.