Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The 2026 French Open has not played out the way most expected, especially on the men's side. While WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still alive, no man who reached the quarterfinals has ever won a major before. That included 20-year-old Jakub Mensik and 19-year-old Joao Fonseca. –> The 2026 French Open…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Every young tennis player needs to learn some difficult lessons. How to win a high-stress match normally takes a little time. Rafael Jodar likely will take quite a lot from his 2026 French Open quarterfinal loss to Alexander Zverev and try to apply that to other late-round matches in future events. –>…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: In a 2026 French Open match featuring arguably two of the three players in the best form on the WTA tour, Elina Svitolina challenged Marta Kostyuk, and the match was everything fans hoped for. Three sets? Sure. In the end, though, it was … who took the next step in winning her…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: In a match that was so important that even the French Open had it played as the featured evening event, Aryna Sabalenka versus Naomi Osaka was sure to be power versus power. The Paris major hadn't had a women's match as the final scheduled match of the day since 2023, ending a…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Matteo Berrettini was once one of the players who could become a menace to the rest of the ATP field. But after too many injuries, he wasn't available for many tournaments, and wasn't in great form when he could play. At the 2026 French Open, though, he might be back in full…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Late in 2025, rumors began to swirl that Serena Williams was prepping for a return. She was cleared to compete by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in February 2026, though, and the question among tennis fans then wasn't if the legend was going to come back, but when. Now, we know…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: While the weather was fairly awful for a tennis event in the first week of the 2026 French Open, that wasn't the worst thing that happened. Not by a long shot. –> While the weather was fairly awful for a tennis event in the first week of the 2026 French Open, that…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The heat in the first week of the 2026 French Open affected the tournament. Jannik Sinner literally wilted in his second-round match and was bounced out. The 90-degree temperatures caused Casper Ruud to say he felt like a zombie. –> The heat in the first week of the 2026 French Open affected…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Alexander Zverev made Jesper de Jong's 26th birthday a nightmare. The Dutch player could have been looking to make the quarterfinals at a major for the first time. The issue was partly that the German was trying to win a Grand Slam title for the first time. –> Alexander Zverev made Jesper…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The match seemed destined to be great. Two of the best players on the WTA tour, who have never won a Grand Slam in singles (yet), faced off when Elina Svitolina took on Belinda Bencic in the 2026 French Open fourth round. The match would meet its high expectations. –> The match…