Maria Sharapova announced the birth of her first child on Friday with English businessman Alexander Gilkes.

Sharapova, 35, retired early in 2020 when she was just 32, citing increasing physical pain that became too much to ignore.

She won five slam titles between 2004 and 2014, securing a career Grand Slam in the process – although she has lived in the United States since moving there as a child.

In an interview with the New York Times after her retirement, Sharapova detailed her chronic shoulder injuries that have plagued her since she was 21 years old, as well as something called intersection syndrome in both forearms, which she described as "like shin splints in my forearms."

In her Instagram post announcing the birth, Sharapova said her child, Theodore, is "the most beautiful, challenging, and rewarding gift our little family could ask for."

Petra Martic beat home favourite Belinda Bencic to set up a semi-final against Caroline Garcia at the Ladies Open Lausanne.

Martic toppled the second seed with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) victory on Friday.

The unseeded Croatian, who was beaten by eventual champion Elena Rybakina in the fourth round at Wimbledon last week, claimed the only break of the first set to lead 5-3 and held her nerve to serve it out. 

Bencic twice came from a break down in the second set to force a tie-break, but Martic raced into a 6-0 lead and duly moved into the last four.

The 31-year-old Split native will come up against Garcia, who beat Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-1.

Frenchwoman Garcia also reached the last 16 in the grass-court grand slam at SW19 and has won 11 of her past 12 matches.

Unseeded duo Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova will contest the other semi-final following victories over Simona Waltert and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Jule Niemeier respectively.

At the Budapest Grand Prix, Anna Bondar is through to the last four without dropping a set in her homeland after defeating Martina Trevisan 6-4 6-1.

Ninth seed Bondar will face Bernarda Pera, who beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4 6-3. Yulia Putintseva had won all eight games before Lesia Tsurenko retired from their quarter-final due to injury and she will take on Aleksandra Krunic, who cruised past Wang Xiyu 6-0 6-1.

Yulia Putintseva recovered from a set behind to overcome Laura Pigossi and keep her Budapest Grand Prix title defence alive.

The Kazakh player took time to get going but eventually prevailed 4-6 6-1 6-2 against her Brazilian opponent in the last-16 clash to make it seven wins in a row in the competition.

While the third seed was able to bounce back, there was no such luck for Chinese sixth seed Zhang Shuai as she was soundly beaten 6-1 6-0 by Serbian Aleksandra Krunic.

China's Wang Xiyu awaits Krunic in the quarter-finals after beating Romanian Ana Bogdan 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (12-10) in a match lasting two hours and 43 minutes.

Elisabetta Cocciaretto was also victorious on Thursday, the Italian seeing off Wimbledon doubles champion Katerina Siniakova 7-5 4-6 7-5 in the final match of the day.

At the Ladies Open Lausanne, surprise Wimbledon singles quarter-finalist Jule Niemeier made it through to the last eight of another tournament, enjoying a 6-4 6-2 triumph against fellow German Eva Lys.

Caroline Garcia made it through to her fourth quarter-final of the year with a 6-1 6-4 win over French compatriot Leolia Jeanjean.

Qualifier Olga Danilovic saved a match point before going on to beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-3 3-6 7-5, while Belinda Bencic advanced from an all-Swiss battle with a 6-3 6-4 win over Susan Bandecchi.

Serena Williams will compete at the Canadian Open among a host of star-studded names as she ramps up her preparations for the US Open.

Williams returned to Wimbledon in June in what was her first singles match since suffering injury in last year's competition at the All England Club.

The 23-time grand slam champion succumbed to a first-round elimination at SW19, though, falling to Harmony Tan on Centre Court.

While Williams, 40, could offer little assurances she would return to the British major, she suggested she would play at the US Open, stating "there's always motivation to get better and play at home".

Williams will be joined in Canada by world number one Iga Swiatek, four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka, French Open finalist Coco Gauff and reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu as 41 of the top 43-ranked players descend on Toronto, with the tournament starting on August 6.

It will also mark Williams' first appearance at the event since she finished runner-up to Bianca Andreescu in 2019.

"When you read over that star-studded list, it's hard not to get excited about the WTA Tour making its return to Sobeys Stadium," said tournament director Karl Hale.

"Not only is this one of the strongest, if not the strongest, player list we've ever submitted, but it's also the first time in three years that the [Canadian] Open returns to a full capacity.

"We're thrilled that these players will have a chance to play in front of a packed house, and we're even happier for our fans who will get to watch tennis' very best at the 2022 edition."

Lesia Tsurenko prevailed at the Hungarian Grand Prix in the longest match on the WTA Tour this year.

Tsurenko progressed to the quarter-finals in Budapest with a three-set victory over Kamilla Rakhimova.

It took three hours and 54 minutes for the Ukrainian to complete the 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-5 triumph, the match breaking the previous 2022 WTA record for duration, set in February when Daria Saville beat Emma Raducanu, the US Open champion retiring after three hours and 34 minutes in Guadalajara.

Martina Trevisan and Anna Bondar join Tsurenko as the first players through to the last eight.

Second seed Trevisan beat Natalia Szabanin and ninth seed Bondar overcame Despina Papamichail.

Sixth seed Zhang Shuai won her first-round match but top seed and 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova fell at the first hurdle to Wang Xiyu, losing in straight sets.

Fourth seed Anna Kalinina retired from her match with Katerina Siniakova and fifth seed Aliaksandra Sasnovich was defeated by Bernarda Pera.

At the Ladies Open Lausanne, Simona Waltert followed up her shock win over top seed Danielle Collins by beating Cristina Bucsa 6-1 5-7 6-4.

Third seed Irina-Camelia Begu lost to Anastasia Potapova, but fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo came through against Clara Burel.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria withdrew from her match against Leolia Jeanjean.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse was the only seeded player to fall in the opening round of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Monday, going down in three sets to Kamilla Rakhimova.

The seventh seed made numerous errors and was undone against Russia's world number 107 Rakhimova, who hit 23 winners en route to a 6-4 5-7 6-3 victory in Budapest.

Rakhimova will now face Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who beat Carolina Alves 6-4 6-1 to reach the last 16.

At the Ladies Open Lausanne, meanwhile, another seventh seed in Tamara Zidansek was eliminated at the first hurdle by Anna Kalinskaya with a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-3 defeat.

Sara Sorribes Tormo, the only other seeded player in action on day one in Switzerland, had far less trouble in seeing off Lauren Davis 6-2 7-6 (7-1).

Ons Jabeur said she was simply "not ready" to win a grand slam after losing in three sets to Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon final.

The Tunisian world number two won the first set of Sunday's title match but then faded and slid to a 3-6 6-2 6-2 defeat.

Russian-born Rybakina, who switched nationality to Kazakh four years ago after being offered financial incentives to do so, was able to celebrate a surprise maiden slam title.

Jabeur was disappointed after the loss and told reporters in a news conference: "I couldn't do more, I really tried deep inside everything that I can.

"I did everything since the beginning of the year to really focus on this tournament, I even have the trophy picture on my phone.

"It wasn't meant to be. I cannot force things. I'm not ready for it probably, to be a grand slam champion."

The 27-year-old was optimistic of her chances of eventually making a breakthrough at the highest level, and perhaps a chance will come at the US Open in September.

She said: "I cannot wait to look forward to the next one.

"If I have another final I will learn more from it. I cannot wait to really improve a lot of things in my game.

"I want to [continue to] be a top-five player, I want to win more titles, I want to win a grand slam."

Elena Rybakina produced a breathtaking comeback to win the Wimbledon title as Ons Jabeur fell short in the women's final – a Russian native triumphing in the name of Kazakhstan.

Rybakina, who was born, raised and learned her tennis trade in Moscow, switched to represent Kazakhstan in 2018 after being offered an appealing financial package.

Russians were banned, along with their Belarusian colleagues, from playing at Wimbledon this year by the All England Club, owing to the Kremlin-led invasion of Ukraine.

The decision has cost Wimbledon, and Britain's Lawn Tennis Association, fines totalling $1million, albeit those are being appealed.

And still, somehow, a player with tight Russian ties has prevailed, handed the trophy on Centre Court by the Duchess of Cambridge. This was not, it seems safe to say, the ideal scenario for Wimbledon's blazer brigade.

Yet in Rybakina the tournament has an exciting young champion, and given she turned her back on playing for Russia to represent Kazakhstan, it is hardly a victory that Vladimir Putin can hold up as a great triumph for his country on the global sporting stage.

All the same, some of the power-brokers in SW19 might have been quietly hoping that Jabeur would see this through, the world number two delivering trophy success that would have been celebrated across Africa and the Arab world.

The crowd appeared to be pulling for Jabeur too, after the 27-year-old made herself a favourite thanks to her entertaining, enterprising brand of tennis, matched to a thoroughly charming personality.

The Tunisian, playing the biggest match of her life as the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha got under way, looked like her day in the sun had arrived when on a sizzling London day she took the first set without any particular fuss.

A pre-tournament sally by the seaside with Serena Williams served Jabeur well, their doubles liaison in Eastbourne emboldening the world number two for this fortnight, and yet come crunch point in the final, it all went over the cliff.

There was a skip of satisfaction when Jabeur broke early in that first set, and with the six-foot Rybakina spraying her powerful ground shots often out of court it looked to be a match that could only go one way. There were sizzling winners from Rybakina but too many unforced errors, with 17 in the first set alone.

Perhaps it was the scale of what she was halfway to achieving, but Jabeur's focus then slipped. An ill-advised 'tweener', the between-the-legs party piece favoured by Nick Kyrgios, found the net and pointed to incoming trouble.

Rybakina swept to a 5-1 lead in the second set. Jabeur, known as the "minister of happiness" in Tunisia, soon looked pretty glum as Rybakina levelled the match with an ace on set point.

The winners-to-errors ratio had swung around dramatically from the first set, and when Rybakina sprinted ahead in the decider with an immediate break, dominating the battles of craft as well as the full-power rallies, Jabeur was in the doldrums.

The usually mild-mannered Jabeur lashed out when she was outsmarted at the net by Rybakina, lucky not to make full contact as she swished out at the ball in frustration.

Leading 3-2 and approaching the finish line, Rybakina slipped 0-40 down, as some of Jabeur's great touch returned with drop-shot and lob winners. That could have been a turning point, but Rybakina fended off the danger in terrific style, finishing off the game with a simple volley at the net.

Victory came from the first match point, Jabeur hacking a backhand wide. Rybakina raised her left wrist to her mouth, puffed out her cheeks and jogged up to the net to greet Jabeur, before waving to all corners of Centre Court.

The world number 23, whose age matches her ranking, becomes the second-lowest ranked women's singles champion at Wimbledon since the Open Era began in 1968. Only Venus Williams in 2007, when ranked 31st, triumphed from a lower rung on the ladder.

It was 3-6 6-2 6-2 in the end, and Rybakina became the first women's singles champion since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006 to come back from losing the first set to carry off the Venus Rosewater Dish.

She passed 50 aces in a WTA-level tournament for the first time in the process, with four in this match taking her Wimbledon 2022 total to 53, and becomes the youngest women's champion in these parts since 2011, when a 21-year-old Petra Kvitova saw off Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova was champion for Russia as a 17-year-old in 2004. This, though, was for Kazakhstan, Rybakina effusively thanking the wealthy federation president Bulat Utemuratov who watched on proudly.

As Wimbledon hung on every word, he was emphatically the right president to acknowledge.

Ons Jabeur is hopeful that she will have another shot at winning a maiden grand slam title after losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets in Saturday's Wimbledon final.

The third seed let slip a one-set lead to lose 3-6 6-2 6-2 to Rybakina in a Centre Court clash between two females contesting their first major finals.

World number two Jabeur had won all 11 matches played on grass in 2022 heading into the final, including six wins en route to the Championship match at the All England Club.

But the Tunisian struggled to build on a bright start, winning just two of her 12 break points and finishing with 17 winners to 29 for Rybakina, who she felt was a deserving winner.

"I want to congratulate Elena and her team – it was a great job and she deserved this and hopefully next time it will be mine," Jabeur said in her on-court interview.

"I wouldn't do this without my team there. They always pushed me to do more so thank you for your support and believing me."

Saturday's contest was the first time in the past 15 such occasions, since 2006, that a player has lost the first set and gone on to win the Wimbledon women's singles final.

While she may have fallen just short of becoming the first Arab and African female to win a grand slam, Jabeur hopes she has inspired children back home.

"Elena stole my title but it's okay," she joked. "I love this tournament so much and I feel really sad, but I'm trying to inspire many generations from my country. 

"I hope they are listening. I also want to thank his beautiful crowd for all their support over the two weeks. It's been amazing. I want to wish Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating."

Surprise champion Elena Rybakina doubted she would make the second week at Wimbledon, never mind win the title.

After a 3-6 6-2 6-2 victory over hot favourite Ons Jabeur, Rybakina spoke of her pride at becoming the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a grand slam singles title.

She is Russian-born and raised, switching nationality four years ago after receiving financial incentives to do that, so in a year when players representing Russia were banned from Wimbledon, her triumph has perhaps come at an inopportune moment for tournament chiefs.

Rybakina was concerned purely with sporting success rather than politics and war on a day when she picked apart Jabeur's game so impressively in the second and third sets.

She became the first women's singles champion to come back and win after dropping the opening set of a Wimbledon final since Amelie Mauresmo did so against Justine Henin in 2006.

"I'm speechless because I was super nervous before the match, during the match, and I'm honestly happy it's finished," said Rybakina.

"Really, I've never felt something like this. I just want to say big thanks to the crowd for their support, it was unbelievable all these two weeks.

"I didn't expect to be in the second week at Wimbledon and to be a winner is just amazing."

Rybakina, whose world ranking of 23 matches her age, hailed third seed Jabeur, who had been bidding to become Africa's first women's singles champion in a grand slam.

"I want to thank Ons for the great match and everything you achieved," Rybakina said. "You are inspirational, not just for the young juniors but for everybody. You have an amazing game and I don't think we have someone [else] like this on tour. It's just a joy to play against you."

Rybakina was presented with the trophy by the Duchess of Cambridge, and she savoured playing in front of British royalty.

It has been widely perceived that a factor behind the ban on Russians and Belarusians this year was that the optics of royalty handing over the trophy to a player from either country would not be ideal, given the Kremlin-led ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The Duchess spoke warmly to Rybakina as she presented the trophy, and the newest grand slam winner on the women's tour had a message for the royals, too.

"Thank you for the Royal Box," she said. "I'm playing first time [in front of royalty] and it's an honour to be here in front of you. Thank you so much. It's just an unbelievable atmosphere, thank you."

Elena Rybakina recovered from behind to beat Ons Jabeur in three sets in Saturday's Wimbledon women's singles final and claim her first grand slam title.

In a groundbreaking contest on Centre Court between two females contesting their maiden major finals – an Open Era first – it was number 17 seed Rybakina who held her nerve.

She prevailed 3-6 6-2 6-2 in two hours and 52 minutes against the in-form Jabeur, who had won 11 matches in a row, to win just her third career title – and a first since 2020.

The 23-year-old, who had lost her past four finals, becomes the youngest female to win the singles title at the All England Club since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

World number two Jabeur settled the quicker of the pair and got an early break in the third game, blunting Rybakina's big baseline hitting

Despite passing up two break points in the fifth game, Jabeur looked composed and again broke her opponent in the ninth game to grab a huge foothold in the match.

Rybakina's 17 unforced errors in the opener suggested a gulf in quality, but she earned a first break in the opening game of the second set following a poor forehand from Jabeur. 

Jabeur let a break point of her own pass her by in the next game as a growing-in-confidence Rybakina held, but the Tunisian dug deep to save a break point in the third.

That looked like being a big moment as, from 30-0 up, Rybakina gifted her opponent three break points, but Jabeur failed to take any of them – a running theme.

The Kazakh took three of the next four games to take the match all the way, and that momentum was carried into the decider as she won the opening game against serve.

Jabeur's best shot at hitting back arrived in the sixth game, where three break points came and went, and with that Rybakina claimed the next two games for a famous victory.

Elena Rybakina is determined to enjoy herself after setting up a groundbreaking Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur.

Rybakina had not won a single grass-court semi-final prior to Thursday's match against Simona Halep, but she rose to the occasion in a stunning 6-3 6-3 win.

While the Kazakh said she was "quite nervous", it did not show as she forged nine break point opportunities – including in each Halep service game of the first set – and faced just one.

Rybakina's serve was similarly effective, with five aces and no double-faults; Halep had no aces and nine double-faults.

"It was really, really good," the victor said. "Usually, I have ups and downs. But I think today I was mentally prepared, and I did everything I could, and it was an amazing match."

Now, attention turns towards facing Jabeur, with both women playing their first major finals.

It will be the first time in the Open Era the women's singles final at the All England Club will be contested between two players who have not played a championship match at a grand slam before.

The stakes are only getting higher for Rybakina, but she is relishing the opportunity.

"I think it's going to be a great match," she said. "I'm going to try to do my best, but I'm going to enjoy it. I've already done a lot; it's time to enjoy the final."

Elena Rybakina overpowered former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3 6-3 in the last four on Thursday to reach her first major final at the All England Club.

Rybakina is playing in the main draw in SW19 for only the second time, having debuted in 2021.

Yet the Kazakh looks every bit as accomplished on the London grass as the esteemed Halep, who had not lost at Wimbledon since 2018, taking the title in 2019.

Indeed, the Romanian met her match in Rybakina, who forged nine break point opportunities in a dominant display, aided by a flawless serve as Halep gave up a costly nine double-faults.

Despite being one of the game's great returners, Halep found herself on the back foot right from the outset.

She faced break points in each of her four service games in the opener, with a rampant Rybakina decisively seizing the first of them as she dictated play from the back of the court.

Rybakina's power continued to cause problems for Halep, although a trio of double-faults – including to both set up and secure the break point – were to blame as the first-time semi-finalist was gifted an early lead again in the second set.

That advantage was cancelled out in similarly generous fashion, with four straight unforced errors seeing Rybakina unexpectedly broken to love.

However, normal service was swiftly resumed as Rybakina won a sublime rally to tee up another break, and there was time for one final flourish as a sensational return from the 23-year-old left Halep rooted and wrapped up victory in 77 minutes.

Data slam: Simona's semi-final struggles

Losing at Wimbledon may have been an unfamiliar feeling for Halep after 12 straight wins at the tournament, including 10 in straight sets, but she is becoming all too accustomed to failing in the last four.

Excluding walkovers, this was the Romanian's fourth consecutive semi-final defeat. For Rybakina, it was a first win at this stage of any tournament on grass.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Rybakina – 13/16
Halep – 16/15

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Rybakina – 5/0
Halep – 0/9

BREAK POINTS WON

Rybakina – 3/9
Halep – 1/1

Ons Jabeur was brimming with pride at becoming Africa's first grand slam women's singles finalist after sinking the Wimbledon title hopes of shock merchant Tatjana Maria.

Jabeur was determined to share the glory with Maria, hauling her close friend and "barbecue buddy" back into the middle of Centre Court for an ovation at the end of Thursday's semi-final battle.

The German mother-of-two's lifetime-best grand slam performance had included wins over seeds Sorana Cirstea, Maria Sakkari and Jelena Ostapenko, but the world number 103 fell in three sets to world number two Jabeur.

Jabeur has already made history but now has the title firmly in her sights ahead of Saturday's showpiece match.

"It's a dream coming true, from years and years of work and sacrifice," she said. "I'm really happy it's paying off, and I continue for one more match now. I'm a proud Tunisian woman standing here today, and I know in Tunisia they're going crazy right now."

The last African to win a grand slam of any sort was Cara Black of Zimbabwe at Wimbledon in 2010, when she and Leander Paes took the mixed doubles title.

Singles is where the spotlight typically falls in tennis, though, and Jabeur is one step away from glory. Only top-ranked Iga Swiatek, with 46 wins, has earned more match victories than Jabeur at WTA Tour level this season.

Taking this season and 2021 into account, Jabeur has more wins than anyone, her haul of 84 singles successes putting her two ahead of Swiatek.

Should the final go to a third and deciding set, Jabeur's record in tight matches could help. She has won 13 contests that have gone the distance this season, more than any other woman.

Maria made her work for the semi-final win, with Jabeur saying it was not so much the friendship that made the task so challenging.

"I think it was more difficult running for her balls," Jabeur said. "She killed me, and she has to make me a barbecue now to make up for all the running that I did on the court.

"I definitely wanted to share the moment with her at the end because she's such an inspiration for so many players, including me, coming back after having two babies, I still can't believe how she did it."

Ons Jabeur fended off close friend and tennis super-mum Tatjana Maria to reach the first grand slam final of her career, breaking new ground for Africa at Wimbledon.

In a Centre Court thrill ride, Tunisian Jabeur came through 6-2 3-6 6-1, and the 27-year-old will be Africa's first women's singles grand slam finalist in the Open Era.

Second seed Jabeur said ahead of Thursday's match that she and world number 103 Maria are "barbecue buddies". Jabeur is close to Maria and the German's two young daughters, but it had to be all about business in the biggest match of each player's life.

This stage of a major was new territory for both players, with 34-year-old Maria the oldest first-time women's singles grand slam semi-finalist in the Open Era, which began in 1968.

Jabeur broke in Maria's second service game of the opening set and looked comfortable as she swept through that opener. But there was a gear change early in the next set, Jabeur finding it more difficult to handle the slices and unconventional approach of Maria, who broke to lead 3-1 and was beginning to believe.

When Jabeur sent an unusually loose drop shot into the net, the match was level, yet the Tunisian picked up her performance when it mattered, breaking in the second game of the decider and then once more as Maria's challenge faded.

The German had been bidding to become the first unseeded women's singles finalist at Wimbledon since tennis fully opened up to professionals in 54 years ago. Maria upset big-name seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Maria Sakkari in earlier rounds, but her glorious run in London – the first mother-of-two to reach the last four since Margaret Court in 1975 – had reached its end point.

Data slam: Jabeur bids to make history for African women

There has been an African singles grand slam winner, but not yet on the women's side. Johan Kriek triumphed in men's singles at the 1981 Australian Open while representing South Africa. He defended that title a year later, by which stage he had switched nationality to compete for the United States. Opportunity knocks for Jabeur on Saturday.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Jabeur– 39/30
Maria – 17/26

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Jabeur– 4/2
Maria – 0/5

BREAK POINTS WON
Jabeur– 4/11
Maria – 1/2