Tennis: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Retired Grand Slam champion says she ‘feels close to tennis again’ after WTA return

Simona Halep has sent a message to fans after returning to the Transylvania Open as an ambassador. The two-time Grand Slam champion retired at the Romanian event last year after losing to Lucia Bronzetti in the first round.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Felix Auger-Aliassime defends title, sets Canadian record

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime successfully defended his Open Occitanie championship on Sunday with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Adrian Mannarino in Montpellier, France.

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

ATP Rotterdam Day 1 Predictions Including Daniil Medvedev vs Ugo Humbert

Three ATP tournaments will be held this week, and the ATP Rotterdam Open is the biggest of them all. The tournament is stacked with great matchups from day one onwards, and fans can expect high-quality tennis right from the get-go.

Emma Raducanu News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

WTA Doha Day 2 Predictions Including Emma Raducanu vs Camila Osorio

The WTA Doha tournament rolls on as day two brings another host of intriguing matches and fascinating storylines. As always, LWOT will be bringing you our predictions for every match on the slate, including Maria Sakkari vs Zeynep Sonmez, Mirra Andreeva vs Magda Linette, and Amanda Anisimova vs Karolina Pliskova.

Tennis News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Men's Australian Open champions' quiz

Can you name every Men's Australian Open tennis champion in the Open Era beginning in 1969?

The 'Men's singles U.S. Open champions' quiz

The 'Men's singles French Open champions' quiz

The 'Wimbledon men's champions' quiz

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

WTA Doha Day 2 Predictions Including Maria Sakkari vs Zeynep Sonmez

First-round action continues at WTA Doha on what promises to be an entertaining day of tennis in Qatar. As ever, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate, including Zheng Qinwen vs Sofia Kenin, Mirra Andreeva vs Magda Linette, and Amanda Anisimova vs Karolina Pliskova.

Jack Draper News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

Jack Draper Impresses On Return With Confident Davis Cup Win

Jack Draper returned to tennis with a 6-2 6-2 win over Norway’s Viktor Durasovic. In his first match since last August, he earned Great Britain’s first point in a 4-0 win in under an hour.

Coco Gauff News / HITC / February 8

Coco Gauff’s former coach highlights a key difference between the ATP and WTA Tour

Brad Gilbert keeps a watchful eye over both the ATP and WTA Tours as part of his role as an analyst. The former coach of Andy Murray, Coco Gauff, and Andre Agassi currently works for The Tennis Channel and often makes headlines with his opinions.

Tennis News / HITC / February 8

Patrick Mouratoglou challenges narratives around Jannik Sinner post-Australian Open

Jannik Sinner’s run at the 2026 Australian Open ended earlier than he had hoped. The Italian was aiming to become just the second player in Open Era history, after Novak Djokovic, to win three straight titles at Melbourne Park, having lifted the trophy in both 2024 and 2025.

Tennis News / HITC / February 8

Qatar Open dealt late blow as two WTA champions withdraw

Two WTA champions have withdrawn from the Qatar Open just before play was set to begin, adding to a growing list of high-profile absences. Amanda Anisimova’s victory at the Qatar Open last year was a major catalyst for her breakthrough season.

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

The Death of the Untouchable Serve: How Big Serves Are Being Neutralised on the ATP Tiur

For nearly two decades, men’s tennis was governed by a simple truth: if you possessed a dominant serve, you controlled the match. The likes of Pete Sampras, John Isner, and Ivo Karlovic reinforced the idea that first-strike tennis began with the toss.

Bianca Andreescu News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

The Curious Case of Bianca Andreescu

Bianca Andreescu experienced a fascinatingly rapid rise to the top of tennis several years ago. The Canadian became a fan favourite in 2019 with her stunning US Open run and victory over Serena Williams in the final.

Emma Raducanu News / HITC / February 8

Emma Raducanu opens up on illness during brutal Transylvania Open final defeat

Emma Raducanu put together a solid week in Romania, but it ended on a sour note after she was outplayed in the final. Sorana Cirstea took control from the start and did not let up, eventually winning the title with an emphatic 6-0, 6-2 scoreline.

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 8

WTA Doha Day 1 Predictions Including Victoria Mboko vs Marie Bouzkova

The WTA Doha opening day is jam-packed with a lot of tantalizing encounters. Former champions, Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens, will be in action as they aim to rekindle their title-winning past.

Emma Raducanu News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

What Went Wrong for Emma Raducanu in the Cluj-Napoca Final?

Emma Raducanu’s week in Cluj-Napoca began like a fairy tale and ended in disappointment. The British player, who proudly claims Romanian heritage, received a warm welcome in the city, and this time she backed it up with genuinely strong play.

Leylah Fernandez News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

WTA Doha Day 1 Predictions Including Leylah Fernandez vs Ann Li

A busy opening day of WTA Doha action is scheduled. 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez and young star Diana Shnaider are among those whose matches are predicted in this article.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Super Bowl halftime show artists' quiz

The 'NFL active TD-pass leaders' quiz

The 'NFL playoff receptions leaders' quiz

The 'Super Bowl XLIX starters' quiz

Karolina Muchova News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

WTA Doha Day 1 Predictions Including Karolina Muchova vs Jaqueline Cristian

Despite her significant talent, the injury-prone Karolina Muchova has never won a WTA 1000 title. The Czech’s latest attempt will begin on Sunday against Jaqueline Cristian in Doha.

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

ATP Montpellier Final Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Adrian Mannarino

The final in this year’s edition of Open Occitanie Montpellier is now set after some solid semifinal performances, with Felix Auger-Aliassime taking on Adrian Mannarino in a matchup that blends power with craft.

Tennis News / Field Level Media / February 7

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Adrian Mannarino reach Montpellier final

Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime delivered 20 aces while posting a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 victory over French qualifier Titouan Droguet on Saturday to return to the finale of the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, France.

Valentin Vacherot News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

Valentin Vacherot Was Not a One-Hit Wonder

True one-hit wonders in tennis are remarkably rare. Unlike other sports, even lesser-known players tend to accumulate multiple standout moments throughout their careers.

Tennis News / Last Word On Sports / February 7

How Carlos Alcaraz Won Ugly and Made History in Melbourne

Carlos Alcaraz did to Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Australian Open final what Djokovic has done to opponents for over a decade. It may not have been as clean and clinical as it often was with Djokovic in his prime, but the essence was identical.

Tennis News / Field Level Media / February 7

WTA roundup: Qualifier Sara Bejlek wins Abu Dhabi title

Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek defeated No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 7-6 (5), 6-1 to capture her first title on Saturday at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in the United Arab Emirates.

Ekaterina Alexandrova News / Field Level Media / February 6

WTA roundup: Ekaterina Alexandrova rallies to advance to Abu Dhabi finals

Second-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova dropped the first set but battled back to defeat Hailey Baptiste of the United States on Friday, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3,

Tennis News / Field Level Media / February 6

ATP roundup: Two Frenchmen reach semifinals in Montpellier

Adrian Mannarino overcame 12 aces to defeat fellow Frenchman Arthur Gea in the quarterfinals of the Open Occitanie on Friday in Montpellier, France. The wild card Gea won the first set thanks to a lost serve from Mannarino, but Mannarino was able to win the match in just more than 2 1/2 hours, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Tennis News / Field Level Media / February 5

WTA roundup: Hailey Baptiste charges into Abu Dhabi semis

The United States' Hailey Baptiste defeated Russia's fifth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday on the indoor hard court's only three-set match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in the United Arab Emirates.