Category News

US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

In front of a raucous US Open crowd on Sunday, Alexandra Eala made Grand Slam history by making her first major-final appearance.

On her way to the Miami Open semi-finals in March, the Filipina defeated three Grand Slam winners in a row to reach one of the season’s breakout players.

The 20-year-old had previously lost three sets at the French Open and Wimbledon to never win a Grand Slam singles title.

However, Eala stunned world number 14 Clara Tauson in Flushing Meadows with a rousing victory in the grandstand, which was held at 11-11.

As Eala rallied from a set down to 5-1 in the third set, residents of Little Manila, a city in Queens that has a large Filipino community, packed the stands to cheer her on.

Eala is the first Filipina to triumph in an Open Grand Slam main draw match.

It is truly unique. World number 75 Eala said, “I take so much pride in being Filipino.

Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles trophy after winning the US Open juniors title in 2022.

On her way to the Miami Final Four, she defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, current Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and former world number one Iga Swiatek.

She became the first Filipino woman to ever reach the top 100 of the world.

The 14th seed let her frustrations pour out at a crucial point in the third set as Tauson, a big hitter who can be wayward, held on unwaveringly.

The Dane complained that her opponent had hit the ball before it had crossed the net after Eala had scored two break points with Tauson with a lead of 5-4 in the decider.

As she argued with the umpire, Kader Nouni, the crowd booed her.

Eala remarked, “It was very challenging.

“She]Tauson is a huge player,” says I’m so happy I was able to dig in. “Undoubtedly not a draw for a first round, but I’m so happy that I did.

I believed that I had to exert all of my physical and mental fortitude.

US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

With his US Open triumph in 2003, Andy Roddick became the last American player to capture a major singles title.

Fritz, who reached the championship match last year in Flushing Meadows, is the first American man to do so in 15 years. He has also been at the forefront of the drought.

Emilio Nava, who is seeded fourth in New York this year, defeated Fritz 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, while Shelton, who is sixth seeded, defeated Grand Slam debutant Ignacio Buse, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Two American men have been seeded in the top eight for the first time since the 2007 US Open.

In terms of American tennis, Fritz said, “We’re in a great position.”

Shelton won the tournament’s inaugural game against the renowned Arthur Ashe show court, taking just over two hours to complete the victory.

The former semi-finalist is in strong form, having earlier this month won the Canadian Open’s first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Shelton remarked, “The US Open is the pinnacle of tennis for me and what I dreamed about as a child.”

For me, it is starting to feel like home.

Shelton and Fritz could potentially face off in the final four of New York after Shelton defeated Fritz in the semi-finals in Toronto.

Shelton, 22, remained cautious when questioned about his potential success at this year’s tournament.

He said, “For me, it is one day at a time, because once you start looking ahead of yourself you stumble over your own feet.”

“I’m looking forward to it because we’re here for the long haul.”

Fritz has also performed well in recent months, surpassing Jannik Sinner, who was competing for the title last year.

He won grass-court titles at Eastbourne and Stuttgart, which indicate that he can advance to the year’s final Grand Slam, where he reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and won them both.

As play began on Sunday, teen sensation Jakub Mensik put forth a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 victory over Nicolas Jarry from Chile.

Novak Djokovic defeated Mensik in the Miami Open final to claim his first ATP Tour title in March, and he has twice advanced to New York’s third round.

After beating Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) 6-2, qualifier Ugo Blanchet will take him on the next match.

Although the government has pledged £1.5 million for two brand-new indoor sports domes in Luton and Lancashire, it is still uncertain whether grassroots cricket will receive the anticipated large funding.

Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister, promised to give cricket a $ 35 million gift last year in what was referred to as a “seminal moment” that might cause “generational change” in the sport.

The funding package “turbocharging” would improve the facilities for state school children, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Before 2029, the construction of 16 domes across England would make it possible to play local cricket all year long and in any kind of weather.

One million students from state schools were to be able to get cricket playing for a portion of the original pledge, which was allocated to three charities, ACE, Chance to Shine, and Lord’s Taverners.

These plans were put in serious danger as a result of the spending review’s government cuts, as BBC Sport reported in October.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that former tory leader Sunak’s original plan to revive cricket in state schools was unworkable at the announcement of the two new domes at a ceremony held at Leyland Cricket Club in Lancashire.

She described the decision to provide cash for the two domes as a “significant step” in a time when “public finances are very very tight.”

“Unfortunately, the last government’s announcement was a fantasy,” she said. No penny of money was actually put into it, said Labour MP Nandy.

“So the announcement itself sounded like nothing at all.

Because we are aware of how important sport is, we are backing it. It alters people’s lives. There are opportunities that people would not otherwise have had.

It was “vital” to increase cricket participation in schools, according to Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston, and to provide local communities with world-class, all-year-round facilities.

Instead of being a part of this pledge, BBC Sport is aware that the 1.5 million pounds that will be used to build the two new domes are actually part of it.

The ECB and other sports governing bodies are currently discussing how the remaining £400 million will be spent, according to the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.

Lewsey Park will house the dome, which is expected to open in early 2026, in Luton, where 37% of the population is South Asian.

It will have seven lane facilities that will also house badminton, tennis, and hockey.

Farington, close to Preston, is scheduled to open its fifth-lane dome in Lancashire next summer.

The Lancashire County Cricket Club’s second ground, which will also serve as a hub for their age-group, women’s, and disability teams, is being built on the same site.

These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will transform the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year round and providing elite players with top-notch facilities.

They play a significant role in our efforts to eliminate barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.

With ECB funding, Bradford Park Avenue’s pilot dome project opened in the fall of 2023.

The facilities have been used by Yorkshire and Northern Superchargers teams in addition to community use.