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Wimbledon 2025
Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club
The last time Aryna Sabalenka gave a news conference after a difficult Grand Slam loss, she handled it badly.
Sabalenka later described her own comments – that French Open champion Coco Gauff had won their final “not because she played incredible [but] because I made all those mistakes” – as “completely unprofessional”.
So a few may have held their breath when the Belarusian arrived to do media after her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Amanda Anisimova.
There were a lot of similarities. Defeat by an American over three tough sets. And crucially, another chance for a fourth Grand Slam singles title gone.
But the world number one addressed it straight away, saying with a laugh: “You’re not going to see the Roland Garros press conference, so anyone who was waiting for that can leave right now!”
She spoke about her own shortcomings, credited Anisimova for being the “braver” player, and honestly assessed her year so far.
There was still a moment or two. Asked about how Anisimova appeared to celebrate a point while Sabalenka was still running for the ball, the world number one said it annoyed her.
But, she added, she was “grateful” for it because it helped her “keep fighting”. Anisimova herself said it was a “long grunt” and not a celebration.
There was also a point during the third set when Anisimova’s shot clipped the net tape and dropped for a winner. Anisimova did not seem to apologise, as is traditional in tennis.
Sabalenka, beaten 6-4 4-6 6-4 on Centre Court, said: “She just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match.
“It’s on her. If she barely got that point and didn’t feel like saying sorry for that tricky situation, that’s on her.”
Sabalenka is undoubtedly the outstanding player on the women’s tour. She has won 51 matches this year, claimed three titles and has a 3,741-point lead at the top of the rankings.
However, the Grand Slams have been painful. She has lost back-to-back finals, with Madison Keys ending her two-time Australian Open title defence before Gauff fought back from a set down in Paris.
Sabalenka is also one of the most compelling players to watch. Every emotion she feels is written all over her face, for better or worse.
During the match against Anisimova, she was visibly fighting with herself. There were screams of frustration, shrugged shoulders and comments towards her box, as well as a conscious effort on the 28-year-old’s part to keep the emotions at bay.
Asked how she was so philosophical after the defeat, Sabalenka said: “I just don’t want to face that hate again.
“We all can lose control over our emotions. It’s absolutely normal.
“Every time I was close to completely losing it and start, I don’t know, yelling, screaming, smashing the racquets, I kept reminding myself that’s not an option.
“It’s not going to help me to stay in the match and fight for my dream.
“I took a bit more time before doing my media just so I can be Aryna, not that crazy person on that media day at Roland Garros.”
Sabalenka was a break up on Anisimova in the third set but immediately conceded it, and struggled on return in particular as the 13th seed powered towards the finish line.
Sabalenka has now lost all three of her Wimbledon semi-finals and joked she had “more of a hate relationship right now” with the tournament.
Wimbledon 2025
Dates: 30 June-13 July Venue: All England Club
The last time Aryna Sabalenka gave a news conference after a difficult Grand Slam loss, she handled it badly.
Sabalenka later described her own comments – that French Open champion Coco Gauff had won their final “not because she played incredible [but] because I made all those mistakes” – as “completely unprofessional”.
So a few may have held their breath when the Belarusian arrived to do media after her Wimbledon semi-final loss to Amanda Anisimova.
There were a lot of similarities. Defeat by an American over three tough sets. And crucially, another chance for a fourth Grand Slam singles title gone.
But the world number one addressed it straight away, saying with a laugh: “You’re not going to see the Roland Garros press conference, so anyone who was waiting for that can leave right now!”
She spoke about her own shortcomings, credited Anisimova for being the “braver” player, and honestly assessed her year so far.
There was still a moment or two. Asked about how Anisimova appeared to celebrate a point while Sabalenka was still running for the ball, the world number one said it annoyed her.
But, she added, she was “grateful” for it because it helped her “keep fighting”. Anisimova herself said it was a “long grunt” and not a celebration.
There was also a point during the third set when Anisimova’s shot clipped the net tape and dropped for a winner. Anisimova did not seem to apologise, as is traditional in tennis.
Sabalenka, beaten 6-4 4-6 6-4 on Centre Court, said: “She just wanted, I guess, badly to win this match.
“It’s on her. If she barely got that point and didn’t feel like saying sorry for that tricky situation, that’s on her.”
Sabalenka is undoubtedly the outstanding player on the women’s tour. She has won 51 matches this year, claimed three titles and has a 3,741-point lead at the top of the rankings.
However, the Grand Slams have been painful. She has lost back-to-back finals, with Madison Keys ending her two-time Australian Open title defence before Gauff fought back from a set down in Paris.
Sabalenka is also one of the most compelling players to watch. Every emotion she feels is written all over her face, for better or worse.
During the match against Anisimova, she was visibly fighting with herself. There were screams of frustration, shrugged shoulders and comments towards her box, as well as a conscious effort on the 28-year-old’s part to keep the emotions at bay.
Asked how she was so philosophical after the defeat, Sabalenka said: “I just don’t want to face that hate again.
“We all can lose control over our emotions. It’s absolutely normal.
“Every time I was close to completely losing it and start, I don’t know, yelling, screaming, smashing the racquets, I kept reminding myself that’s not an option.
“It’s not going to help me to stay in the match and fight for my dream.
“I took a bit more time before doing my media just so I can be Aryna, not that crazy person on that media day at Roland Garros.”
Sabalenka was a break up on Anisimova in the third set but immediately conceded it, and struggled on return in particular as the 13th seed powered towards the finish line.
Sabalenka has now lost all three of her Wimbledon semi-finals and joked she had “more of a hate relationship right now” with the tournament.
Ollie Pope said England will keep their “fingers crossed” Ben Stokes has not suffered a serious injury after the captain struggled on the first day of the third Test against India at Lord’s.
Stokes appeared to experience a problem with his groin on his right side while making 39 not out, as England closed on 251-4.
The all-rounder had treatment on the field and hobbled between the wickets, turning down a second run in the final over that would have taken Joe Root to a century. Root ended unbeaten on 99.
England indicated there are no plans for Stokes to have a scan overnight and the skipper will instead be assessed on Friday morning.
“Fingers crossed he can do something magic and come back strong,” said vice-captain Pope.
Stokes, 34, has a chequered injury history and has only just returned from hamstring surgery.
Known for pushing his body to the limits, the Durham man has been fit to play a full part as the fourth seamer in the England attack this summer, albeit refraining from the marathon spells that were once his trademark.
And Pope admitted one of his duties as Stokes’ deputy will be to ensure the captain does not do himself further damage by playing through any potential injury problem.
“For me, it’s partially one of my roles to make sure he doesn’t push himself to a ridiculous place with whatever he’s dealing with at the moment,” added Pope.
India have their own injury concern after wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant spent most of the day off the field following a blow to his left index finger.
Like Stokes, Pant had one round of treatment on the field before being hit for a second time attempting a take down the leg side off pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
He was not seen after the 34th over of the day, with substitute Dhruv Jurel stepping in behind the stumps and holding an excellent catch to dismiss Pope.
The tourists have no plans for Pant to have an X-ray before the second day begins.
Pope, who was dropped off his first ball, made 44 in a third-wicket stand of 109 with Root.
On a slow pitch at Lord’s, against some excellent Indian bowling, England were forced to curb their attacking instincts. A run-rate of 3.02 per over is their slowest for a total in excess of 200 since Stokes became captain three years ago.
“It’s not necessarily the way we’re used to going about a first innings, but I think 251-4 is a pretty good score at the minute,” said Pope.
“Obviously we would have liked some more runs, but the nature of the surface and the way the Indian attack bowled was pretty good.
We have been here before.
Gareth Southgate and a second holding midfielder. George Ford and Owen Farrell. Zak Crawley and England’s Bazballers.
Decisions questioned again and again from the outside that are met with the straightest bat from those in the inner circle. You doubt Zak Crawley? That’s a you problem.
The Crawley conundrum has remain unsolved throughout his five-and-a-half-year England career.
A batter capable of innings the greats would envy, with a mediocre county and international record overall.
Those days in the sun – the 267 against Pakistan, the 189 against Australia or 124 just three matches ago against Zimbabwe – dampen the chatter for a while but it does not stay quiet for long. The noise never truly goes away.
England claim to have made peace with the scenario they have given themselves.
They bank on the upside, say they don’t want him to be consistent and think he could be a not-so-secret weapon down under this winter given his perceived ability to score on fast, bouncy pitches.
Crawley’s 18 from 43 balls on day one of the third Test against India stood out as frenetic, even in the most chaotic England team for a generation.
After edging through five overs, he began the sixth by walking towards bowler Akash Deep. A ball later he was deep in the crease, two later charging again and from the sixth delivery he was almost bowled around his legs as he advanced once more and swiped to leg.
Crawley has all of the notes but somehow manages to play them in a painful way.
India seamer Deep is Crawley’s old ghost who has returned to play tricks through the night.
Crawley began this series with 65 in the second innings at Headingley – a knock that formed part of a crucial 188-run stand with opening partner Ben Duckett and set England on course for victory.
Enter Deep.
He twice bowled Crawley with a nip-backer in his first spell as a Test bowler in Ranchi last year. Deep sent Crawley’s off stump cartwheeling but had bowled a no-ball. When he repeated the delivery soon after the England opener departed for 42.
Faced with Deep again, Crawley responded by leaving a well-crafted plan somewhere on the M1 between Leeds and Birmingham.
With Deep called into India’s XI for Jasprit Bumrah, to many the best bowler of his generation who had been played so calmly the week before, Crawley moved his stance from middle stump to an unusual position outside off.
At Lord’s on day one, Crawley flicked between his two theories.
To the recalled Bumrah he remained on middle but to Deep he took guard on off, only adding to the hectic feel.
The opener would say moving right and left, forward and back allows him to impose himself on each bowler, allowing him counter their threats by forcing each to leave their favoured line and length.
The reality is Crawley gave the impression of a batter who does not trust his own technique.
“The innings showed him not thinking as clearly as I would like,” former England captain and opener Sir Alastair Cook told Today at the Test.
“He’s doing it to unsettle Deep’s line and length but it is a sign he is not confident about lining him up.
“It unsettles Crawley more than Deep.
“It was so different to when Crawley played at his best at Headingley. That was a brilliant innings, with great tempo and timing. Today he looked confused.”
Crawley was eventually dismissed not by Deep but part-timer Nitish Kumar Reddy. Reddy got the ball to angle, nip away and bounce to take the glove.
It was a good ball, yes, but another Crawley dismissal against medium pacers.
1 of 2
The result of another painful outing is the brief period Crawley looked to have made a breakthrough at the highest level looks like the exception rather than the norm.
He averaged 43.83 from the start of the 2023 summer to breaking his finger last July but 27.60 and 24.76 either side.
England have backed Crawley to the hilt.
Despite the failures, his little-and-large partnership with Ben Duckett is good.
No opening pair has put on more Test runs since Duckett’s recall in December 2022 and their average as a pair is better than that by Cook in his heralded combination with Sir Andrew Strauss.
After the win at Headingley, Crawley’s captain Ben Stokes deflected praise of Duckett’s 149 onto Crawley.
“The way Zak played was huge,” Stokes said, when specifically asked how well Duckett had played.
“They complement each other. Left-hand, right-hand. One is a giant, one is not. It is very hard for bowlers to settle in. Ducky has got the 149 but Zak was so, so important.”
But Test cricketers cannot survive by solely providing yin to someone else’s yang.
Wimbledon 2025
Venue: All England Club Dates: 30 June-13 July
Britain’s Alfie Hewett won two matches in a day as he started with victory in his singles quarter-final before he and Gordon Reid reached the Wimbledon doubles final to stay on course for a third successive title.
Hewett won both titles last year and is on course to repeat that, beginning Thursday with a comfortable win against Zhenxu Ji of China 6-1 6-1 to reach the last four.
He and Reid then rounded off the day with an impressive fightback from a set down to beat Spain’s Daniel Caverzaschi and Tokito Oda of Japan 3-6 6-4 6-0.
The win puts the British pair a step closer to a 24th Grand Slam title and a seventh at Wimbledon.
The top seeds will face second seeds Martin de la Puente and Ruben Spaargaren in the final.
World number two Hewett is looking to lift an 11th major singles title and is looking in good form as he breezed through the quarter-final.
His movement on court three and accuracy of his shots were too much for Zhenxu, though he twice saved break points in the opening game but then won the next 11 points to move into a 3-0 lead.
The Briton continued to dominate and looked on course to win the opener without losing a game, but Zhenxu got off the mark in the sixth game before Hewett closed out the set.
