Marta Kostyuk was booed off court after refusing to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka at the end of her first-round French Open defeat.
There was particular interest in the opening clash of the tournament on Philippe Chatrier given Ukrainian Kostyuk has been the most outspoken critic both of allowing Russian and Belarusian players to continue competing and of athletes from those two countries for not speaking out against their nations.
Sabalenka knew Kostyuk would not shake her hand at the end of the match, and the Belarusian said in her pre-tournament press conference: “If she hates me, OK. I can’t do anything about that.”
The pair kept well apart ahead of the contest, not posing together for the usual pre-match picture, and at the end of the 6-3 6-2 victory for the second seed, Kostyuk walked to shake hands with the umpire before heading to her seat.
A section of the crowd began booing, startling Sabalenka, who appeared unsure whether the gesture was directed at her, but the fans then cheered for her before jeering Kostyuk when she walked off.
Sabalenka said: “It was a very tough match, tough emotionally. I didn’t know if the booing was against me but thank you so much for your support, it’s really important.”
The Australian Open champion is one of three big favourites for the women’s title along with defending champion Iga Swiatek and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.
She looked tight to start with and two double faults contributed to a loss of serve as Kostyuk took a 3-2 advantage in the first set.
But Sabalenka got back on level terms immediately and from there relaxed into the match, losing just two of the last 12 games.
The absence of his great rival Rafael Nadal from the French Open draw has left Novak Djokovic with mixed feelings as he chases more history at Roland Garros.
The Serbian can become the first man to win 23 grand slam singles titles if he lifts the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the third time in a fortnight.
Djokovic is the only player to beat Nadal twice at Roland Garros but he has also lost eight times to the Spaniard, including in three finals.
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“I don’t miss him being in the draw,” he said with a smile as he reflected on the hip problem that has kept Nadal out since January and prompted his announcement earlier this month that next season is set to be his swansong.
“I don’t like seeing him in the draw of Roland Garros. I have had not so much success against him. I have managed to beat him twice but I had to leave my heart and my guts out on the court to achieve that.”
Nadal and Djokovic have played each other 59 times, more than any two men in ATP Tour history, and the Serbian said: “When he announced that he’s going to have his last season of his career, I felt part of me is leaving with him too.
“Because of the rivalry that we had, and that we still have, I feel that he was one of the most impactful people that I have ever had in my career, the growth of my career, and me as a player.
“Definitely a great motivational factor for me to keep playing and keep competing and keep pushing each other, who’s going to achieve more, who’s going to do better.
“It made me think about my career and how long I’m going to play. I’m not going to make any announcement today, but just reflecting on it, I felt also a little bit emotional about what he was saying.”
Djokovic now finds himself fighting a lone battle against a host of young pretenders, led by 20-year-old world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
And Djokovic was keen to slap the favourite’s tag firmly on his young rival’s forehead despite the vast difference in their grand slam experience.
Alcaraz certainly has the better recent form, with Djokovic having struggled on clay so far amid concerns over an elbow problem, but he declared himself fully fit, and it is no secret that the slams are the titles he really cares about at this stage of his career.
“Every grand slam at this stage of my career is like a present for me, so I’ll try to use the opportunity as best as possible,” he said.
“Leading into Roland Garros, I haven’t had too much success in clay court events but a grand slam is like a different sport. I feel always extra motivated and confident in grand slams.
“It’s no secret that one of the main reasons I play today and compete in professional tennis is to try to break more records and make more history in tennis. That’s extremely motivating and inspiring for me.
“But things are different than they were 10 years ago in terms of how my body is maybe responding to the schedule. I’m feeling good at the moment. I don’t have any physical issues that worry me. So that’s most important for me.
“I think the tournament is quite open. Maybe a few guys that are at the top of the favourites’ list, but anyone can take it. I’m hoping it can be me.”
Jack Draper hopes his physical problems are behind him as he prepares to make his French Open debut.
There is much excitement within British tennis and the wider game about the 21-year-old’s potential but so far in his professional career he has been off court as much as on it.
This year has been particularly frustrating, with illness disrupting his pre-season and then a niggling hip problem bothering him before an abdominal injury struck in Indian Wells in March after he had beaten British rivals Dan Evans and Andy Murray.
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He returned in Monte Carlo in April but aggravated it and was not able to compete again until this week in Lyon.
The good news is Draper, who is currently ranked 60, found his groove straight away, beating Alexandre Muller and Miomir Kecmanovic before losing in three sets to in-form Francisco Cerundolo.
Draper is particularly pleased to have found what he believes is a solution to the nagging hip problem, with an injection relieving the pain he was experiencing.
“I basically had a lot of scar tissue in my hip that wasn’t going away,” he said. “And we couldn’t figure out what it was but we went and really looked at it and I’m on the right path with that now. So that has allowed me to get back on court and feel really good.
“I’ve not had many opportunities to play loads of slams, to play the four sets, five sets and all that sort of thing. I’m still waiting to find that confidence in my body. I’ve got a lot of confidence in my tennis but I feel like I need more time.
“I haven’t played at all for so many weeks and stuff. I don’t know what’s going to happen this week. I have no idea. But all I know is that I’ve done all the right things the last six weeks.
“The main thing now is, whatever happens after this week, to make sure that I’m consistently playing through to Wimbledon, after Wimbledon to the end of the year, because that’s when coming to these tournaments starts to become very normal and very comfortable.”
Draper hired Croatian fitness coach Dejan Vojnovic late last year to try to build up his robustness, and the former sprinter has had his charge doing a lot of running.
“It’s just lots of interval training most days,” said Draper. “He thinks that I’m in a great place with my body. It’s just sorting out all these niggles that I’ve had.
“We’ve put in a lot of work so far but it’s only been three months, four months. The more consistent that is over months, years, that’s when I become more complete.”
Having drawn Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in grand slams previously, Draper would have been happy to avoid a seed this time, although Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry is enjoying a good season and will certainly not be a pushover.
Draper is one of only three British players in the singles main draws in what has traditionally been the country’s least successful slam, but he has no hesitations about playing on clay.
“I don’t know a lot about him,” he said of Etcheverry. “Obviously he is Argentinian and obviously he has grown up on the clay. I feel pretty good, though.
“I played some good matches last week. In Monte Carlo as well, I played an Argentinian who was really good, so, actually, for someone who never really played on a clay court and being British, I feel pretty good on clay weirdly. So I don’t know about his game really. But I know that I’m confident.”
Two British players celebrated doubles titles on the ATP Tour on Saturday, with Joe Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram, who have struggled so far this season, lifting the trophy in Lyon and Jamie Murray and New Zealander Michael Venus claiming their third success of the season in Geneva.
Coco Gauff hopes returning to Paris can help her find a new groove.
The 19-year-old reached her first grand slam singles final at the French Open last summer, losing a one-sided contest to Iga Swiatek.
She began this season by winning a WTA title in Auckland but has struggled recently, failing to make it past the third round at any of her last four tournaments and suffering some heavy defeats.
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Having established herself as a top-10 player, Gauff is now seeking the right path to move forward on and off the court.
“I would have liked to approach it (the tournament) the same way but I feel that’s not realistic because I am a different person than I was last year,” she said.
“I think I just have to find the way I want to approach it for this version of myself now. That comes through trial and error.
“I feel like for some reason, though, I always seem to find that in Paris. I don’t know if it’s the city or the vibe here that makes me a lot more at ease.
“I think there’s always things I would like to keep from myself a year ago and things I would like to get rid of. I have to figure out what things I want to keep and what things I don’t want to keep. I think that’s just learning about yourself.
“No matter how young or how old I am, I think I’m always going to be in this process of learning about myself. But I feel like even more in these years as I’m transitioning into being like a real adult.”
Gauff is back working with Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou having split from Diego Moyano and is trying to take more ownership of her tennis.
The American is a superb athlete and has one of the sport’s best backhands but her forehand is not nearly as reliable and is often cited as the weakness holding her back.
“I’m used to being told what to do and I just do it,” said Gauff. “So I guess now I’m trying to find, and I think Patrick and previous coaches want me to be more vocal about my game and about what I want to do.
“Obviously the forehand is something that I have to improve on, but on clay especially I feel like it’s one of my weapons. Last year, I won a lot of points using that heavy forehand, and I think that that’s something I continue to do this year.
“I feel pretty confident going into this tournament regardless of how other people view my game.”
Gauff will begin her tournament on Monday or Tuesday against Spain’s Rebeka Masarova.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka opens play on Philippe Chatrier on Sunday against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk while third seed Jessica Pegula meets fellow American Danielle Collins.
Carlos Alcaraz is ready to take top billing at a grand slam for the first time as he steps into Rafael Nadal’s clay-court shoes.
With the 14-time champion choosing to sit out a chunk of the season ahead of an expected swansong next year, Spanish hopes at the French Open now rest on Alcaraz’s broad shoulders.
The 20-year-old claimed his first grand slam title at the US Open last summer but was forced to sit out the Australian Open through injury so will be entering a major as a slam champion for the first time.
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He is also the number one seed after surpassing Novak Djokovic following back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Madrid.
“For me it’s still crazy to see myself as top seed in a grand slam,” he said. “But at the same time it’s great. It’s something that I work for to be there. I’m really happy to be number one seed here at Roland Garros.”
Alcaraz’s swift rise and instant popularity has been a gift to the sport as it faces losing all of its long-time figureheads.
Nadal will miss the tournament for the first time since 2004, and his young compatriot said: “I felt bad when I heard that Rafa, he was not able to play here in Roland Garros and probably the rest of the year.
“As a fan of tennis, I always want to watch Rafa playing. I always want to watch the best players in the world playing the tournaments. And of course learning from them really close, here in the locker rooms, around the club, the tournament, for me is great.
“When I heard that it was tough to understand how it’s going to be without Rafa this year. Hopefully we’ll see him next year and he’s 100 per cent.”
Nadal cited the Paris Olympics, where the tennis will be held at Roland Garros, as a key target for next season, and Alcaraz welcomed the idea of the two men playing doubles together for Spain.
“It could be a dream playing doubles with him in the Olympics,” he said. “So of course let’s see. Let’s see how he’s doing and how he’s going this year. Hopefully he’s going great.”
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Alcaraz could potentially meet Djokovic in the semi-finals, with Daniil Medvedev having overtaken the Serbian to claim the second seeding by virtue of winning his first tour title on clay at the Italian Open last weekend.
Medvedev lost in the first round on his first four appearances at Roland Garros before reaching the quarter-finals in 2021 and the fourth round last year.
Asked if he now believes he can win the French Open, the Russian said: “I don’t know. Because I also don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. But what happened in Rome was amazing, especially beating a lot of good players.
“That’s an amazing feeling, and I’m for sure maybe having more expectation than I usually had in Roland Garros. But I know that it’s also tricky and you have to use this confidence, but not get cocky, because that’s where the danger is.
“Sometimes you think, ‘Oh, well, I played so well, now it’s going to be easy’. Then the first round you have problems. You can get angry and maybe lose the match. So I have been in this situation many times, and I just want to try to play good tennis here in Roland Garros.”
Dan Evans has criticised the state of British tennis and believes Emma Raducanu’s success has papered over the cracks.
There will only be three British players in the singles main draws at the French Open starting on Sunday and, for the first time since 2008, no women.
Of the 10 British players in qualifying, none made the final round, while 2021 US Open champion Raducanu joined Andy Murray in withdrawing having undergone surgery on both her wrists and one ankle.
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Speaking ahead of his first-round clash with Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis, Evans said: “They’ve been lucky that they had a grand slam champion and she’s a very good tennis player but the rankings don’t lie, do they?
“Men’s or women’s, the rankings don’t lie. Men’s, not many of us playing qualis, not many main draw. I don’t want to sound like a broken record. But there’s way further to go than just the top players. It’s from the bottom up.
“We’re in a massive, massive habit of sending people to college now. I don’t think that massively helps. It’ll be interesting. I think the grass last year really helped paper over some cracks as well. After the grass, there will be a bit of soul-searching I imagine, after their holidays.”
Evans has been a long-time critic of the domestic set-up and recently criticised some of his fellow British players for not competing enough and being willing to grind out life on the tour.
A late bloomer after serving a drugs ban and admitting to enjoying the party lifestyle too much, Evans knows well both the pitfalls and what it takes to achieve success.
The world number 24 said: “You’ve got to work hard. I know what it’s like to not work hard and what you get from that and I know what it’s like to work hard and get decent rewards.
“I’m not sitting here saying I know the answers. I have a fair idea of the answers and I would do it very differently to what’s happening now I think. There’s enough people playing junior tennis. We just don’t help them.”
Evans reserved his strongest ire for former Lawn Tennis Association performance director Simon Timson – now occupying the same role with Manchester City – who was the architect of a performance strategy that heavily funds a small number of players.
“It’s just heartbreaking that a guy next door to you is getting 70 grand or something, but you’re better than him,” said Evans. “But a guy with these stats is telling you, ‘No, no, he’s better’.
“You can look who has been on PSP (Pro Scholarship Programme, the highest level of support). It’s hardly flourishing reading is it? And that’s what I think we need to (do) – get a bigger pool and just pool it all in and get going. It’s simple maths. But Simon Timson, he was the mastermind of it all.
“I couldn’t give a s**t about it. Simon Timson sat next to me and told me, ‘In all due respect to James Ward and Heather Watson, I put you three in the same bracket. You are close to finishing your career.’ And I said, ‘Thanks man’. That was that meeting.
“And I seem to have done all right since that meeting. He sent me to a psychologist, that was about it. I told him that it was a stepping stone, the job, and that’s exactly what it was. He wouldn’t be there in three years and he wasn’t. He didn’t know what he was watching.”
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Evans is certainly an example of what can be achieved with hard work and the right attitude, and he will hope to continue his improvement on clay when he takes on Kokkinakis on Sunday.
The British number two has lost his last three matches but reached the semi-finals of clay tournaments in Marrakech and Barcelona.
He joked of his relationship with the surface: “We had a good week at the start, and then we’ve not been on talking terms really, sleeping in separate beds.
“No, it’s been good. I feel comfortable. I’ve been playing good. It’s probably helped having an Argentinian coach, little intricacies, which the British probably don’t know because they’re not so brought up on the clay.”
Cameron Norrie’s title defence in Lyon ended with a one-sided loss to Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-finals of the ATP Tour event.
More concerning than the 6-3 6-0 defeat, though, was Norrie’s physical condition, with the British number one clutching his stomach at points during the second set.
Norrie is Britain’s main hope for success at the French Open, where he is due to start his campaign on Monday against eccentric Frenchman Benoit Paire.
The 27-year-old won his fourth ATP title in Lyon last year but dropped serve in the opening game against Cerundolo and never looked like getting back into the contest.
It appeared he might retire when he headed to his bench during the opening game of the second set but Norrie did at least manage to finish the match.
Renowned for his physical prowess, Norrie must now concentrate on trying to ensure he is fully fit for the year’s second grand slam.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty is disappointed that Rafael Nadal will not be able to feature at Roland Garros, which he called "Rafa's house".
Nadal has not played since suffering a second-round exit at the Australian Open in January, having struggled with a hip injury during his straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald, and will not play at the French Open.
The Spaniard last week confirmed he will be unable to compete at Roland Garros, where he is a record 14-time champion.
When announcing his withdrawal, Nadal said 2024 would "probably" be his final year on the ATP Tour and outlined his intention of making farewell appearances at "important tournaments".
Haggerty said: "I think it's disappointing for Rafa not to be there because we know Roland Garros as Rafa's house so to speak.
"He's won it so many times and people love to watch him play. [It is] disappointing.
"I was happy to hear that he is talking about the possibility of his return to the Davis Cup finals, which would be fantastic. I wish him a successful recovery and hope to see him on the court again."
While Nadal will not be present in Paris, WTA world number one Iga Swiatek is set to be in action.
Swiatek is the defending champion, and Haggerty says the Pole will be well aware her rivals are gunning for her title.
"She's the number one player in the world and I think that she has been ranked number one for more than a year consecutively," he said.
"So [she is] a very, very good player. She won Roland Garros last year, so I expect to see her performances continued to be good knowing that everybody's after her to try to beat number one."
At 21, Swiatek already has three grand slam titles under her belt. And with 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz conquering all on the ATP Tour, Haggerty thinks tennis' future is in safe hands, even as Nadal and Novak Djokovic reach the twilight of their careers.
"I think we have many good young men and young women that are showing how great tennis is and and putting on good rivalries already," he said.
"So I think the future is bright."
British number one Cameron Norrie continued his solid run in the Lyon Open with victory over sixth seed Sebastian Baez to reach the semi-finals.
The defending champion secured a 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 victory in his quarter-final clash with Baez, who he defeated at the same stage in last year’s competition.
A strong third set saw Norrie reach the semis in Lyon for a fourth time and he was pleased with his confidence going into that decider.
“The second set he came back strong, he was winning the tougher games like I was in the first set,” Norrie told the ATP website.
“I tried to reset and came out with a lot of energy.
“I have won a lot of three-set matches this year, so I had a lot of confidence going into the decider and I thought it was a solid match.”
The victory sets up a semi-final against Francisco Cerundolo, who defeated Norrie’s fellow Briton Jack Draper 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic is on a collision course with world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open semi-finals.
At the draw in Paris, Djokovic, seeded third, was pulled out in the same half as the US Open champion from Spain, meaning they could meet in a blockbuster last-four showdown.
Alcaraz won their only other previous meeting, in Madrid last year.
Two-time winner Djokovic, looking for a 23rd grand slam title, faces American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round.
Alcaraz, 20, and second seed Daniil Medvedev will begin their campaigns against qualifiers.
British number one Cameron Norrie takes on unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire, and he could run into Alcaraz in the fourth round.
Dan Evans faces a tough opener against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jack Draper meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina.
They are the only three British players in the main draw at Roland Garros after Kyle Edmund, who has been beset by knee problems for the past two years, withdrew due to a wrist injury.
Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu pulled out earlier this month, while six British women lost in the qualifying rounds.
In the women’s draw, 2022 champion Iga Swiatek will begin her title defence against Spanish world number 67 Cristina Bucsa.
The world number one could face Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, seeded fourth, in the semi-finals.
Second seed and Aryna Sabalenka will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the opening round.
Last year’s runner-up Coco Gauff starts against former French Open junior champion Rebeka Masarova of Spain.
Third seed Jessica Pegula and last year’s Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins meet in an all-American clash, and two-time grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka takes on 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.
Rafael Nadal will be contemplating the best way to call time on his stellar career after injury denied him the chance to defend his French Open title, believes Tommy Haas.
Nadal has not played since suffering a second-round exit at the Australian Open in January, having struggled with a hip injury during his straight-sets defeat to Mackenzie McDonald.
The 22-time grand slam champion last week admitted defeat in his bid to appear at Roland Garros, where he has triumphed 14 times – a record for any player at a single grand slam.
When announcing his withdrawal, Nadal said 2024 would "probably" be his final year on the ATP tour and outlined his intention of making farewell appearances at "important tournaments".
Nadal's long-time rival Roger Federer retired surrounded by several of his fellow greats at last year's Laver Cup, and Haas believes the Spaniard will be eyeing a similar send-off.
"At some point, time catches up with all of us and that's the reality," Haas, a four-time grand slam semi-finalist, told Stats Perform.
"I think at this stage, I'm sure he's been contemplating the idea: 'When would I do it? How would I do it? How would it come together organically?'
"We saw Roger Federer doing it last year and the way he was able to retire in London at the Laver Cup with all of his rivals and friends on the court. I happened to be there live, it was an amazing way to finish such an incredible career.
"Look at Pete Sampras. He won his first slam at the US Open and he won his last match at the US Open, winning the slam there on home turf – there couldn't have been a better fairy tale.
"I think you look at that and at the same time, you have to stay focused on what's happening today and you can't look too far ahead."
Though Nadal's total of 22 grand slam singles titles is a joint record in the men's game (alongside Novak Djokovic), the Spaniard's injury record has denied him several chances to add to that tally.
Nadal played all four grand slams for the first time since 2019 last year but was forced to withdraw from the Wimbledon semi-finals, and Haas says the Spaniard's fitness will dictate his future.
"It always depends, obviously, on the injuries. 'How bad is it and can I recover from it?' I'm sure Rafa is constantly thinking about those situations," Haas added.
"He's been saying he still wants to play for another year or two, which would obviously be amazing for the sport.
"On clay, I think he has a better chance of keeping the body in a better shape than on gruelling hardcourts. He obviously plays long matches, which is tough on the body."
The main draw of the French Open begins on Sunday, with Nadal's compatriot Carlos Alcaraz the top male seed as he bids for a second major title.
Katie Boulter produced a gutsy display against Ashlyn Krueger but failed to serve out for the match as she was beaten in the second qualifying round for the French Open.
On a difficult day for Britons attempting to progress into the Roland Garros main draw, Boulter joined Harriet Dart, Fran Jones, Liam Broady, Ryan Peniston and Jan Choinski in losing in Paris on Wednesday.
It means only Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund and Jack Draper will fly the flag for Britain in the second major of 2023, following Andy Murray’s withdrawal and Emma Raducanu’s recent fitness woes.
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Boutler had been seeded 24th for qualifying but lost out 2-6 6-2 6-7 (6) to Krueger after a lengthy battle.
American Krueger claimed the opener before Boulter hit back to level, but then quickly found herself 5-2 down in the third set.
The British number three fought back to reel off four consecutive games to give herself the chance to serve out and progress into the final qualifying round but Krueger forced the tie-breaker.
It was then the teenager from Missouri, who had beaten Lily Miyazaki on Tuesday, who held her nerve to set up a third qualifying round meeting with Storm Sanders.
Boulter’s fellow British hopeful Jones saw her aspirations of making a first French Open appearance end after she had to retire during her match with Ylena In-Albon.
Jones, who suffers from a congenital condition which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on one foot and four toes on the other, was left in tears as she had to retire due to an apparent shoulder injury when 4-1 down during the first set.
Dart also exited in the second qualifying stage after she was beaten by France’s Elsa Jacquemot 1-6 6-1 6-2.
It meant the trio joined Heather Watson, Katie Swan, Sonay Kartal and Miyazaki in failing to qualify for the French Open meaning there will be no British female involved in the singles’ event at Roland Garros.
Broady, the British male number five, also suffered defeat on the clay on Wednesday but only following a back and forth clash with Emilio Nava.
Broady lost an even opener before he hit back in style to inflict a bagel on Nava in the second. American Nava regrouped though and clinched the third to progress 6-4 0-6 6-3.
World number 191 Peniston was another to be edged out in third following a 2-6 6-2 6-4 loss to Romanian eighth seed Radu Albot.
Meanwhile, Choinski was beaten 3-6 6-4 6-0 by Sebastian Ofner.
The Lawn Tennis Association’s fine for banning Russian and Belarusian players from last year’s grass-court season contributed to operating losses of £9.5million in 2022.
The governing body did not allow Russians or Belarusians to play at Wimbledon or any of the warm-up tournaments in Nottingham, Birmingham, Eastbourne or at Queen’s following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
It was subsequently hit with a £1.4m fine by the ATP and WTA and a warning that it could be stripped of hosting future events.
The staging of the Billie Jean King Cup finals and the Davis Cup finals group stage was also a big factor in the losses, alongside societal issues such as inflation.
Despite those losses, the LTA has continued to invest in grassroots tennis, which led to a 43 per cent rise in participants, with over 5.2million adults playing.
That is the highest number since the LTA began the survey, with 2022 seeing participation growing in all areas of the country and in all demographics.
LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “2022 was a year of real achievement for British tennis at both the grassroots and top professional level. We made strong progress against our plans for delivering on our five-year strategy to open tennis up and achieved a number of our objectives a year early.
“There were challenges throughout the year, but we have tried to ensure the sport is thriving at all levels, continued to raise the visibility of the sport and have given our British players the best possible support.
“Although the financial picture was challenging this year, taken as a whole, the past four years have resulted in a loss of £6.4m despite the pandemic, volatility in world markets and unforeseen factors such as the fines from the ATP and WTA – whilst during this time we delivered significant growth for the sport.
“We are continuing to invest across the length and breadth of the sport this year and, as well as many other initiatives, will be renovating thousands of public park courts across the country in partnership with the LTA Tennis Foundation and UK Government.”
Fran Jones’ hopes of making a first French Open appearance are over after she was forced to retire during her second qualifying round.
The Briton, who suffers from a congenital condition which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on one foot and four toes on the other, was left in tears as she had to retire due to an apparent shoulder injury during the first set of her clash with Ylena In-Albon at Roland Garros.
Jones, currently ranked 316 in the world, had beaten former grand slam semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe in her opening round and had enjoyed some encouraging results on the ITF circuit prior to the main clay-court in Paris.
She joins Heather Watson and Katie Swan in heading out of qualifying as the British pair lost in Tuesday’s first-round qualifying.
A host of other Brits are in action later on Tuesday as they hope to continue their journey towards the main draw.
Fran Jones’ hopes of making a first French Open appearance are over after she was forced to retire during her second qualifying round.
The Briton, who suffers from a congenital condition which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on one foot and four toes on the other, was left in tears as she had to retire due to an apparent shoulder injury during the first set of her clash with Ylena In-Albon at Roland Garros.
Jones, currently ranked 316 in the world, had beaten former grand slam semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe in her opening round and had enjoyed some encouraging results on the ITF circuit prior to the main clay-court in Paris.
She joins Heather Watson and Katie Swan in heading out of qualifying as the British pair lost in Tuesday’s first-round qualifying.
A host of other Brits are in action later on Tuesday as they hope to continue their journey towards the main draw.
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