Tennis news today: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek out in the third round of the Canadian Open, Nike releases a video showcasing the evolution of Serena Williams' career | August 12, 2022
Top players continue to be bundled out of the Canadian Open, with World No. 1 Iga Swiatek being the latest casualty. She lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets. Serena Williams has adapted her gameplay from time to time over the course of her two-decade long career. Nike has now released a video analyzing her evolution in the sport.
Alexander Zverev stated that his recovery from an ankle injury is going quite well, and that he's hopeful of competing at the US Open. The Cincinnati Open is just around the corner, and there has been no confirmation yet regarding Novak Djokovic's participation or withdrawal.
Coco Gauff, meanwhile, won yet another marathon battle, overcoming World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka in three hours to reach the Canadian Open quarterfinals.
Here's a round-up of the day's headlines:
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek goes down fighting in 3 sets against Beatriz Haddad Maia
Two-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the third round of the Canadian Open. She was the latest top player to be shown the door as all the top six seeds on the women's side failed to get past the third round.
The men haven't fared any better. The top three seeds - Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas - lost in the second round.
Nike releases a video highlighting Serena Williams' career
23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams' impending retirement has sent shockwaves through the tennis world. Williams' long-time sponsor Nike has now released a video depicting her journey throughout the years, showcasing her growth and evolution.
"To explore the evolution of @SerenaWilliams over her decades-long career, we used AI to generate 130,000 games between Serena from 1999 and 2017. Even with the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history, Serena has always found new ways to take her game to the next level. Head to the link in our bio to watch the live gameplay," Nike captioned the video.
Following her second-round exit from the Canadian Open, Williams is set to compete at the Cincinnati Open next week.
Alexander Zverev aiming to compete at the US Open
Alexander Zverev has been sidelined with an ankle injury since retiring midway through his semifinal match at the French Open. At a recent press conference in Hamburg, he stated that his recovery is going quite well and he's hopeful of participating in the US Open.
But playing five-set matches is a different challenge in itself, so the German is proceeding with caution.
"Of course I will still try to make the US Open, although it will be very, very close. Maybe I could say I'm ready. Best-of-five is difficult. Every day it really gets better. That's why I don't want to say yet that I won't play the US Open," Alexander Zverev said.
Zverev's best result at a Grand Slam has been at the US Open, where he finished as the runner-up in 2020. While his participation in New York is up in the air, he will represent Germany at the Davis Cup from September 13-18.
Novak Djokovic's participation in the Cincinnati Open remains uncertain
There's still no confirmation on whether Novak Djokovic will be allowed to compete at the Cincinnati Open. Given the vaccine mandate in the US, his participation remains unlikely. However, neither the Serb nor the tournament organizers have said anything regarding his participation or withdrawal.
The Cincinnati Open draw will be made over the weekend, and for now Djokovic remains on the entry list.
Coco Gauff battles past Aryna Sabalenka into the quarterfinals of the Canadian Open
In a match with frequent momentum shifts and a combined 33 double faults, Coco Gauff ousted World No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka to reach the last eight at the Canadian Open. The teenager led by a set and 4-2, 40-0 in the second set. However, the Belarusian staged a comeback to snatch the set and lead 3-0 in the deciding set.
@CocoGauff battles past Sabalenka to reach her sixth quarterfinal of the year!
The Coco Express 🚆
After 3h11m No.10 seed 🇺🇸 @CocoGauff battles past Sabalenka to reach her sixth quarterfinal of the year!
Faces the winner of Halep vs. Teichmann 🔜
#NBO22 https://t.co/gHpqixzBIf
Gauff fought back and took the set into a tie-break, in which she came out on top to win the match 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4). She'll take on two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep in the quarterfinals.