Tennis news today: Naomi Osaka hints at skipping Wimbledon, Angelique Kerber wins first match at French Open since 2018 | 24 May 2022
With the ATP and WTA not awarding any ranking points for Wimbledon this year, Naomi Osaka has hinted at skipping the tournament. Meanwhile, former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber staged a spectacular comeback by saving two match points during her first-round contest at the 2022 French Open.
Fellow Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Bianca Andreescu also came from a set down to win their respective matches. Reilly Opelka and Stan Wawrinka were among the big names on the men's side to bow out of the tournament in the first round.
Elsewhere, Elina Svitolina gave a shoutout to everyone who helped her foundation support young Ukrainian tennis players affected by the war.
Here's a round-up of the day's headlines:
Naomi Osaka might miss Wimbledon
Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players, and the ATP and WTA's reaction to strip ranking points for the tournament, has divided opinion among the tennis fraternity.
Speaking at a press conference after her first-round loss at the French Open, Naomi Osaka hinted that she might not play at Wimbledon if there are no ranking points.
Osaka stated that rising up the rankings motivates her to do well. She thinks the ATP and WTA's intentions were good, but the implementation has been "all over the place".
"I’m someone who gets motivated by the idea of rising in the rankings. The intention of this measure was good, but the execution is all over the place," she said.
Osaka is not 100% sure about playing Wimbledon because of the points situation.
“I’m someone who gets motivated by the idea of rising in the rankings. The intention of this measure was good, but the execution is all over the place”
Naomi Osaka lost 7-5, 6-4 to Amanda Anisimova in the first round of the French Open. Osaka also lost to the American in the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year. Her best result this year was reaching the final of the Miami Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
Angelique Kerber saves two match points during first-round win at the French Open
Heading into this year's French Open, Angelique Kerber hadn't won a match in Paris since reaching the quarterfinals in 2018. Her wait looked set to continue as Magdalena Frech had a couple of match points in the deciding set of their first-round contest.
However, Kerber staged a spirited comeback to prevail 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. She'll take on Elsa Jacquemot in the second round.
US Open champions Emma Raducanu & Bianca Andreescu stage comebacks at the 2022 French Open
Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu made a winning debut at the French Open, downing Linda Noskova in the first round. The teenager lost a closely fought opening set in a tie-break and went down a break in the second. But Raducanu dug deep and staged a spirited fightback to win 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-1.
Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, meanwhile, was just a few points away from exiting the tournament, but the Canadian fought back to win her first-round match. She defeated Ysaline Bonaventure 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 to set up a second-round showdown against Belinda Bencic.
Reilly Opelka and Stan Wawrinka make first-round exits from the French Open
There weren't too many upsets on the men's side of the draw, as most of the big names in action on Monday won their opening matches. Stan Wawrinka, who had shown some promise by reaching the third round of the Italian Open last week, lost to wildcard Corentin Moutet in four sets in the first round.
17th seed Reilly Opelka was the other big casualty as he lost to Filip Krajinovic in straight sets.
Elina Svitolina expresses gratitude for all the help her foundation has received
Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Elina Svitolina has been quite vocal about her country's hardships. She has also risen to the occasion and helped her compatriots in their time of need. With plenty of young Ukrainian tennis players unable to train in their homeland, Svitolina's foundation stepped in and offered their support.
The former World No. 3 took to Instagram to express her thanks to everyone who made it possible to help the young players in their time of need.
"After February 24th, I always think about people and how they can be helped 🥺To support young Ukrainian tennis players who were forced to leave the country and lost the opportunity to train, my foundation created a special program- Tennis for Refugees."
"For the first two months, girls and boys aged 10 to 20 were under the full care of my foundation that covered their accommodation, meals and training in tennis academies and centers in Europe."
"65 thousand euros - the amount that was accumulated for the program created to support Ukrainian athletes. I am grateful to @topfivemanagement and @nikecourt for their assistance in implementing it. My heartfelt thanks to all the partners and donors who have contributed to our good deed💙💛"
Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results