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Top-ranked Iga Swiatek must overcome US Open ball concerns

Swiatek recently hit out at the US Open balls, suggesting the lighter ones used for women's matches are tougher to control than those used by her male counterparts and therefore present a disadvantage to harder-hitting players like herself. The US Open, which starts on Monday in New York, is the only major that uses different balls for men and women and they featured at recent North American hardcourt tournaments where Swiatek lost at the last-16 stage in two consecutive events. "Basically the thing is that they are lighter.

Belarus star Azarenka axed from US Open Ukraine benefit

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus was Wednesday axed from a planned US Open exhibition event aimed at raising money for war-torn Ukraine, officials said.

Emma Raducanu hoping for spectacular sequel in New York

Her charge from obscurity to the US Open title as a 150th-ranked qualifier still feels barely credible, even as the 19-year-old returns to Flushing Meadows as reigning champion. It was a story that defied tennis logic, transcended sport and instantly made her one of the most marketable athletes -- male or female -- in the world. The trouble is, the tennis treadmill never stops and while Raducanu has been dealing with the inevitable spin-offs of her unlikely Grand Slam title, her results have been modest.

Belarusian Azarenka withdraws from 'Tennis Plays for Peace' Ukraine aid exhibition

Victoria Azarenka has pulled out the "Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition" to raise humanitarian aid for Ukraine given the sensitivities of the Ukrainian players, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Wednesday. With the US Open set to begin on Monday, the tournament long initiative was to launch on Wednesday - Ukraine Independence Day - with the exhibition event at Louis Armstrong Stadium that would include women's world No.