Saturday, June 27, 2026

Wk.25- A Peek at Peak Muchova

In her pinnacle era?









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*WEEK 25 CHAMPIONS*
BAD HOMBURG, GERMANY (WTA 500; Grass Outdoor)
S: Karolina Muchova/CZE def. Naomi Osaka/JPN 6-1/1-0 ret.
WD: Aldila Sutjiadi/Vera Zvonareva (INA/RUS) def. Ellen Perez/Demi Schuurs (AUS/NED) 6-1/4-6 [10-5]
EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND (WTA 250; Grass Outdoor)
S: Madison Keys/USA def. Tatjana Maria/GER 7-5/6-4
WD: Dabrowski/Stefani (CAN/BRA) vs. Maleckova/Skoch (CZE/CZE)




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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Karolina Muchova/CZE and Madison Keys/USA
...we may never truly experience *peak* Muchova for a full season, but 2026 -- outside of the majors, where she's gone 4r/3r -- has given us a pretty good idea of what that might look like.

In Bad Homburg, the Czech reached her third final of the season and claimed her second '26 title (both career season highs), not losing a set vs. the likes of Irina-Camelia Begu, Clara Tauson, Gabriela Ruse and Naomi Osaka, who retired in the final shortly after dropping the opening set, to win her first grass crown.

Before this season, Muchova hadn't won a tour title since 2019, losing in four straight finals.

She'll climb back into the Top 10, reaching #9 and sending countrywoman Linda Noskova, the champ in Berlin, down to #11 after a brief one-week stint in the Top 10.

Muchova's only loss on grass this month? To Keys in the 2nd Round in Berlin.

But this doesn't mean a deep run is imminent at SW19. The Czech was a shining light in her first two Wimbledon appearances, reaching the QF in both 2019 and '21, but has gone 0-4 there since.



Meanwhile, the English lawns have always been Keys' friend.

The Bannerette won her maiden tour title at age 19 in Eastbourne in 2014, then picked up two more grass titles ('16 Birmingham, '23 Eastbourne) in later years, improving to 3-0 in tour finals on the surface.

Keys was back in Eastbourne this week, and the familiarity proved beneficial once again. She didn't lose a set all week as she coasted to victories over Talia Gibson, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (losing 1 game), McCartney Kessler and Petra Marcinko (who ret. after the 1st set) before facing her toughest match, a 7-5/6-4 win in the final over the always-tricky Tatjana Maria.

Keys is now a three-time Eastbourne champ. It's the most titles any woman has won in the event since Martina Navratilova won her *eleventh* crown back in 1993. Chris Evert is the only other three-time winner (w/ all three coming between 1974-79).



Keys is now an impressive 11-5 in career tour finals, winning in her last six appearances. Her last lost came in the pre-Covid Brisbane final (vs. Pliskova) in 2020, and she's 8-1 since she lost in the '17 U.S. Open final to Sloane Stephens.

Keys has never played into the deepest rounds at the All-England Club, though, with her best results a pair of QF eight years apart (2015 and '23).
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RISER: Gabriela Ruse/ROU
...Ruse got off to a great start back in January, qualifying in both Brisbane and Adelaide, then reaching the AO 3rd Round. But she had just one multi-win event (Linz) since until this grass season, when she reached the QF at Rosmalen.

She followed up with another Q-run in Bad Homburg, knocking off Zhang Shuai and Taylor Townsend, then stringing together three straight upsets of Berlin champ Linda Noskova, Anna Kalinskaya and Nottingham finalist Emma Navarro. Ruse lost in the SF to Karolina Muchova, but will climb back into the Top 100 in the final pre-Wimbledon rankings after going 7-2 so far on the lawns. She'll face Caty McNally in the SW19 1st Round (w/ likely Elena Rybakina next if she can get the win).



Thus far, though, Ruse is 0-5 in her Wimbledon career.
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SURPRISE: Naomi Osaka/JPN
...having already had her best career result at Roland Garros (4r) this spring, Osaka continued her Surface Redemption Tour in Bad Homburg, reaching her maiden grass court final, her first on any surface since Montreal last summer.

Wins over Magdalena Frech, Elise Mertens, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Wang Xinyu without dropping a set put Osaka in her fourteenth career tour singles final, but she retired against Karolina Muchova after dropping the 1st set with a foot injury. It's Osaka's second retirement from a final (w/ '25 Auckland) in her three tour-level final apperances since her return from maternity leave.

The last time she didn't complete a final the week before a major (in the Cincy/NYC event in 2020, giving a walkover title to Vika Azarenka), though, she went on to win the 2020 U.S. Open (def. Azarenka in the final).

Excluding her clay court win at a 125 in May of last year, Osaka's WTA title drought continues. Her last tour-level win gave her a fourth career major title, at the 2021 Australian Open. She's gone 0-4 since.

Osaka's best Wimbledon result has been three 3rd Round runs (2017-18, '25).


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VETERAN: Tatjana Maria/GER
...Maria didn't need a wild card or to go through qualifying to reach the MD at Eastbourne, and the 38-year old German once again proved to be one of the most troublesome grass courters on tour.

Off her Queen's Club disrespect despite being the event's first defending champion in more the half a century (she still qualified and nearly upset Rybakina for a second straight year in the tournament), and a QF at Nottingham, Maria swept her way into her fifth career tour final with straights sets wins over top seeded Jasmine Paolini, Anastasia Zakharova and Tereza Valentova, as well as a retirement while leading Alona Ostapenko 6-1/1-2 in the semis.



Maria gave Madison Keys her best match of the week in the title match, but lost in a tight 7-5/6-4 contest.

It's Maria's first loss in her five tour-level finals, as she failed to add a third different grass court trophy (w/ '18 Mallorca and '25 Queen Club) to her collection.

Maria was a surprise Wimbledon semifinalist in 2022, but has gone 0-3 at SW19 since. Other than her final four run effort, she's gone out in the 1r/2r in 11 of 12 other MD appearances dating back 19 years.
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COMEBACKS: Ekaterina Alexandrova/RUS and Clara Tauson/DEN
...Alexandrova's rebound week actually started in Berlin, as she and Linda Noskova finished off their suspended doubles SF and then took the title in the final vs. Sara Errani & Nicole Melichar-Martinez.



Then the Hordette was off the Bad Homburg, where she posted her best singles week since reaching the Abu Dhabi final in early February.

Standing at just 7-15, Alexandrova had nearly dropped out of the Top 20 after climbing into the Top 10 late in 2025. In Bad Homburg, she posted wins over Ann Li and Mirra Andreeva, the latter her first Top 10 win since Stuttgart last year (and her first Top *20* victory of '26).

Alexandrova lost a round short of the SF to Naomi Osaka, but will bump her ranking back into the Top 15. She's reached the Round of 16 in her last two apperances at Wimbledon.



After experiencing a breakout '25 season -- climbing to #12, playing in her first 1000 final in Dubai (+ the Montreal semis), notching four Top 10 wins (including over #1 Sabalenka and #3 Swiatek), and recording her most slam match wins (7) in a single season -- Tauson has had a hard time getting going this year. While she reached an early season SF in Abu Dhabi, injuries (a consistent issue in her career) have thwarted any sort of forward progress. She came into the week at 8-13 on the year, with seven straight losses (2 via retirement).

But Bad Homburg provided a port in the storm, as she knocked off both Diana Shnaider and Zheng Qinwen for her first consecutive wins since February. She took the 1st set from Karolina Muchova, as well, but the Czech rallied to win their QF in three.



Tauson will next be defending last year's Round of 16 Wimbledon result.
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FRESH FACES: Petra Marcinko/CRO and Wang Xinyu/CHN
...Marcinko is this slam season's version of "Maya Joint '25," shining in the week before multiple majors. The 20-year old Croatian picked up her maiden tour title in Rabat the week before the start of Roland Garros, and in her turn in this week's pre-Wimbledon stop in Easbourne she fell in qualifying but played all the way into the SF as a lucky loser.

Despite a loss to Daria Snigur in the final round of qualifying, Marcinko quickly rebounded to save five MP vs. countrywoman Antonia Ruzic in the 1st Round, winning a TB to advance. Victories over Kimberly Birrell and Caty McNally followed before she was forced to retire due to an apparent abdominal injury after dropping the opening set of her SF vs. Madison Keys.

She'll jump to a new career high around #46 ahead of Wimbledon and what will be her third consecutive '26 MD debut at a major. Marcinko posted a 1st Round AO win, but failed to do so at RG.



Meanwhile, Wang's SF finish in Bad Homburg was her best result since reaching the Auckland final back in Week 1.



Wins over Renata Zarazua and Leylah Fernandez put Wang into the QF, where she received a walkover from Elina Svitolina. She then fell in the SF to Naomi Osaka, but will jump from #52 to back inside the Top 40 with her result.

Wang reached the 4th Round at Wimbledon two summers ago, upsetting Jessie Pegula in the 2nd Round.
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DOUBLES: Aldila Sutjiadi/Vera Zvonareva (INA/RUS)
...the first time Sutjiadi and Zvonareva teamed up, they reached the Rabat final in the days before the start of Roland Garros. In their second outing, days before the start of Wimbledon, the pair reached the final and claimed the crown in Bad Homburg.

The duo's run began (1r vs. Kempen/Panova) and ended (F vs. Perez/Schuurs) with MTB victories, as Sutjiadi picked up her seventh tour title (first on grass) while 41-year old Zvonareva won her seventeenth.

The last of the Original Hordettes, Zvonareva's most recent grass court doubles finals came twenty-one ('05 Eastbourne) and sixteen ('10 Wimbledon, when she also reached the singles final) years ago. Her last title of any kind on the surface before this one came twenty years ago, a 2006 singles win in Birmingham in a two-TB final over Jamea Jackson (who'd upset Sharapova in the SF to reach what was her only WTA singles final).

Jackson is two years *younger* than Zvonareva, but has now been retired for seventeen years (due to a recurring hip injury).



The Eastbourne doubles final was pushed back multiple times on Saturday due to rain, and will now take place on Sunday featuring Gaby Dabrowski/Luisa Stefani against Czech Crushers Jesika Maleckova & Miriam Skoch.
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WHEELCHAIR: Diede de Groot/NED
...de Groot might just be all the way back. Could a return to the #1 ranking be far behind?

The reigning RG champ carried over her comeback vibes to the grass in Eastbourne, claiming the 500 event with wins over both of the top Chinese players, Wang Ziying in three sets in the SF, then Li Xiaohui in a 6-4/7-5 final.

Li & Wang reached the doubles final vs. Ksenia Chasteau & Zhu Zhenzhen, but it was suspended due to rain during a 1st set TB.
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*TOP WIMBLEDON QUALIFIERS*

Robin Montgomery, USA (21, #194)

...having won her maiden tour title last time out at Rosmalen, Montgomery keeps her '26 grasscourt record spotless (9-0) with a Q-run that included a final round come-from-behind three-set win over Marina Bassols Ribera after having to take an MTO after dropping the 1st set.
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Bianca Andreescu, CAN (26, #180)

...Andreescu's comeback has taken on a long-form structure with no clear ending, but she at least fashioned a nice plot point for herself this week in Wimbledon qualifying by stringing together three wins, the last two over #24 Jil Teichmann in three sets, and #15 Aliaksandra Sasnovich in two after trailing 5-2 in the 2nd, denying Sasnovich when she served for the set, saving three SP to get to a TB and then coming back from 3-1 down to win it 7-4. It'll be her first slam MD appearance since the 2024 U.S. Open.


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Kayla Day, USA (26, #138)

...Day was the lone women's qualifier to reach the MD without dropping a set, taking out Erika Andreeva and Katarzyna Kawa in her last two matches. After recently revealing that she's lost both of her parents over the past year, she'll now make her Wimbledon debut.
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Anastasia Gasanova, RUS (27, #210)

...a few years ago, Gasanova made headlines for all the wrong reasons. But she's never gone away, and has instead built her way back with increasingly good ITF results. She won her biggest career title (a $50K) earlier this year, and this week played her way into her first slam MD since RG22 with wins over Varvara Lepchenko (saving 4 MP) and Q-seeds Emerson Jones (#29) and Darja Semenistaja (#6).
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Mananchaya Sawangkaew, THA (23, #164)

...Thailand's #1 player runs off wins in three straight three-setters, recovering from 3-1 down in the 3rd vs. #25 Mary Stoiana, then saving three MP vs. Oceane Dodin in the final Q-round.
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Teodora Kostovic, SRB (18, #184)

...the 18-year old Serb, after falling in AO and RG qualifying earlier this year, reached her maiden slam MD with back-to-back seeded wins over #16 Rebecca Sramkova (from a set and a break down) and #30 Zhu Lin.
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*WI26 QUALIFIERS (#-first slam MD)*
Bianca Andreescu, CAN (26/#180)
Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO (28/#539)
Kayla Day, USA (26/#138)
Anastasia Gasanova, RUS (27/#210)
Lina Gjorcheska, MKD (31/#223)#
Tyra Grant, ITA (18/#173)#
Leolia Jeanjean, FRA (30/#133)
Alina Korneeva, RUS (19/#94)
Teodora Kostovic, SRB (18/#184)#
Ashlyn Krueger, USA (22/#96)
Polina Kudermetova, UZB (23/#116)
Claire Liu, USA (26/#145)
Robin Montgomery, USA (21/#194)
Mananchaya Sawangkaew, THA (23/#164)
Iryna Shymanovich, BLR (28/#216)
Maria Timofeeva, UZB (22/#92)

*YOUNGEST 2026 SLAM QUALIFIERS*
WI - Tyra Grant, ITA (18)
RG - Alina Korneeva, RUS (18)
WI - Teodora Kostovic, SRB (18)
AO - Nikola Bartunkova, CZE (19)
WI - Alina Korneeva, RUS (19)
AO - Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE (20)
RG - Elena Pridankina, RUS (20)
RG - Kaitlin Quevedo, ESP (20)

*MULTI-SLAM QUALIFIERS IN 2026*
2 - Linda Fruhvirtova, CZE (AO/RG)
2 - Alina Korneeva, RUS (RG/WI)
2 - Ashlyn Krueger, USA (RG/WI)
2 - Claire Liu, USA (RG/WI)
2 - Sloane Stephens, USA (AO/RG)

*LOW-RANKED 2026 SLAM QUALIFIERS*
#897 - Sloane Stephens, USA (AO)
#697 - Bai Zhuoxuan, CHN (AO)
#539 - Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO (WI)
#363 - Storm Hunter, AUS (AO)
#361 - Sloane Stephens, USA (RG)
#223 - Lina Gjorcheska, MKD (WI)
#220 - Elena Pridankina, RUS (RG)
#216 - Iryna Shymanovich, BLR (WI)
#215 - Susan Bandecchi, SUI (RG)
#210 - Anastasia Gasanova, RUS (WI)

*RECENT WIMBLEDON "Q-PLAYER OF THE WEEK" WINNERS*
2019 Coco Gauff, USA
2021 Ana Konjuh, CRO
2022 Maja Chwalinska, POL
2023 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ESP
2024 Katie Volynets, USA
2025 Carson Branstine, CAN
2026 Robin Montgomery, USA
[2026 slams]
AO: Guiomar Maristany, ESP
RG: Claire Liu, USA
WI: Robin Montgomery, USA





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1. Bad Homburg 2nd Rd. - Emma Navarro def. Iga Swiatek
...7-5/2-6/6-3. So, is '25 Grasscourt Iga a thing of the past? Remember, last year, Swiatek shined en route to the Bad Homburg final ahead of her unexpected title run at Wimbledon. Of course, the coach who *finally* managed to convince her to play differently on the grass (Wim Fissette) -- kicking off a run which stretched into the summer hard court season to produce her best multi-month run since spring '24 -- was put out to pasture a few months ago, so the recipe may have been lost with his departure.

Meanwhile, Navarro followed up her Nottingham final with a her second straight victory over Swiatek, rebounding from a 2nd set loss to re-set her course in the 3rd.

This one-and-done appearance in Bad Homburg marks the second time in her last six knockout events in which Swiatek failed to record a win, after she'd gone 68 consecutive knockout events dating back 2021 (and 1/81 back to RG20) before the streak ended this year in Miami.


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2. Eastbourne 1st Rd. - Tereza Valentova def. Hannah Klugman
...7-5/5-7/7-5. Just your typical pro match-up of former juniors stars (Valentova won the RG girls' title, while Klugman was the jr. #1) now ranked 351 spots apart -- '25 WTA Osaka finalist Valentova at #61, Klugman #412 after getting her maiden tour MD win in Nottingham -- that lasted 3:29.

18-year old Valentova claimed a tight 1st set on her sixth SP in a third different game, and served for the match at 5-4 in the 2nd before 17-year old Klugman forced a 3rd. In the decider, Valentova again failed to serve out the match at 5-4, but broke back in the following game and made good on her second chance by converting MP #2.



Valentova pulled another squandered lead out of the fire in the next round, rallying to win in three over Ajla Tomljanovic after losing a 6-2/3-1 lead, before falling in the QF to Tatjana Maria.
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3. Eastbourne 1st Rd. - Petra Marcinko def. Antonia Ruzic
...7-6(6)/4-6/7-6(4). Lucky loser Marcinko wins the all-Croatian battle.

The recent first-time tour champion (in Rabat before RG) saved the opening set, taking a 4-1 lead but being forced to save three SP (two at 5-4, then another at 6-5 in the TB) before taking an 8-6 breaker. In the 3rd, Ruzic held four MP at 5-3, and a fifth at 6-5 before Marcinko and won yet another TB to advance.
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4. Bad Homburg 2nd Rd. - Elina Svitolina def. Liudmila Samsonova
...3-6/6-3/6-2. Well, at least she's getting closer.

The moment of the Great Samsonova Flipping of the Switch appears nigh, but it's not here yet. After ending her five-match losing streak in the 1st Round with her first win since Rome, Samsonova took the opening set from Svitolina but fell in three to drop to 8-16 on the year, extending a woeful season-opening stretch for a fifth straight year.

Every year since 2022, though, the Hordette has managed to catch fire in the back-half of the year and finish above .500 at the end of the season.

Samsonova's 1-3 grass mark heading into Wimbledon includes a trio of three-set losses, but her inch-by-inch progress is real. She hadn't had a three-set loss since Indian Wells, as her next six defeats after I.W. came in straight sets before the schedule turned to the grass.
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5. Eastbourne Q1 - Anastasia Zakharova def. Lilli Tagger 6-4/5-7/7-6(7)
Eastbourne Q2 - Anastasia Zakharova def. Oksana Selekhmeteva 7-6(8)/2-6/7-6(7)
...Zakharova pulled out all the stops to reach the MD, saving MP in both of her qualifying matches, winning a pair of 3rd set TB to get there.

The Hordette saved three MP in the deciding TB vs. Tagger, then rallied from 3-0 down in the 3rd against Selekmeteva, denying the Spaniard when she served at 6-5 and then saving a MP in the tie-break.

Zakharova won a third straight three-setter in the 1st Round, but lost in her next match to "slice queen" Tatjana Maria.


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6. Wimbledon Q1 - Fiona Crawley def. Himeno Sakatsume 7-5/4-6/7-6(10-8)
Wimbledon Q2 - Fiona Crawley def. Julia Riera 6-2/3-6/7-6(10-1)
...Crawley's Q-run ultimately came up short, as she notched just two games vs. Alina Korneeva in the final round. Maybe it was because she expended so much energy just *getting* there.

After leading 7-5/4-1 vs. Sakatsume in the Q1, former NCAA #1 Crawley was forced to stage a comeback from 5-1 back in the 3rd set. She saved two MP at 5-3, and denied Sakatsume twice as she served for the match. Trailing 7-6 in the MTB, Crawley won four of the final five points to advance.

Against Riera, Crawley trailed 4-2 in the 3rd, but rallied to hold a MP at 5-4. The Argentine saved it and forced a deciding MTB, which Crawley dominated, going up 9-0 en route to a 10-1 win.

Crawley qualified at the U.S. Open back in 2023.
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7. Wimbledon Q1 - Anastasia Gasanova def. Varvara Lepchenko
...2-6/6-1/7-6(12-10). Gasanova's eventually successful qualifying attempt almost didn't get past the first obstacle. Lepchenko led 5-3 in the 3rd set in the opening round, twice serving for the match at 5-4 and 6-5. In the concluding MTB, the Bannerette led 5-1, and at 9-6 held four MP over a five-point stretch before Gasanova swept the final three points of the match to win 12-10.

Two wins later, she was in her first major MD in four years.
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8. Eastbourne 1st Rd. - Emiliana Arango def. Maya Joint
...7-6(2)/6-4. Tthe impact of Joint's 3-15 start will officially begin to take effect with this loss, since the Aussie was the defending champion at Eastbourne (one of her multiple week-before-a-major surges last year).

Heading into Wimbledon, the bottom falls out of her ranking as she drops from #53 all the way down to #87, going from the AUS #1 position to the national #4.

Unfortunately for Joint, this is probably the same look she's going to have on her face in a few days, too.


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9. Eastbourne Q1 - Sofia Johnson def. Oleksandra Oliynykova
...6-0/6-2. Afterward, Oliynykova refused to acknowledge or allow her feet to touch the grass.
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10. Eastbourne Q1 - Kimberly Birrell def. Indianna Spink
...7-6(6)/6-4. Yes, though it could be mistaken for a character in a female-driven adventure novel, that *is* her real name.

Spink is a 23-year old Brit, ranked #639, who made her tour-level qualifying debut with this match.

She's a member of the Arkansas Razorback tennis team, and won her maiden pro title earlier this season.


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11. Wimbledon Q1 - Esther Adeshina def. Moyuka Uchijima
...6-1/3-6/7-5. The Wimbledon qualifying entry in this year's "Unfamiliar Brits Putting Up Unexpected Results" contest. In this case, it's #514 Adeshina upsetting Uchijima after having trailed 4-2 in the 3rd set. Uchijima served for the win at 5-4.


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12. Wimbledon Q2 - Mananchaya Sawangkaew def. Mary Stoiana 2-6/6-4/7-5
Wimbledon Q3 - Mananchaya Sawangkaew def. Oceane Dodin 5-7/7-5/6-1
...Sawangkaew does it the hard way, rallying from 3-1 down in the decider vs. Stoiana, then saving three MP vs. Dodin in the 2nd set (two at 5-3, another at 5-4).
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13. Wimbledon Q2 - Katherine Sebov def. Noma Noha Akugue 6-4/5-7/7-5
Wimbledon Q3 - Iryna Shymanovich def. Katherine Sebov 4-6/6-3/7-6(10-5)
...what goes around comes around, as Sebov trailed 5-2 in the 3rd vs. NNA, saving a MP at 5-3, before sweeping the last five games. But with a Wimbledon MD spot on the line, the Canadian couldn't convert any of three MP at 6-5 in the 3rd vs. Shymanovich. Shymanovich then quickly went up 5-0 in the MTB, and won 10-5.
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14. Eastbourne SF - Tatjana Maria def. Alona Ostapenko 6-1/1-2 ret.
Eastbourne SF - Madison Keys def. Petra Marcinko 6-1 ret.
...and on Friday, June 26 -- the date of the Original Day of the Radwanska -- *both* semifinals in Eastbourne ended via retirement.

The ol' menace still has some juice left.


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15. Bad Homburg Final - Karolina Muchova def. Naomi Osaka 6-1/1-0 ret.
Eastbourne Final - Madison Keys def. Tatjana Maria 7-5/6-4
...two more names to throw on the pile?

It's been 22 years since one of the champions at a pre-Wimbledon WTA event went on to win at the AELTC. The last...



Before the crowning of this year's six champions (half of them Czechs, by the way), the last 85 tuneup title winners came up empty in London. Since Jana Novotna rode her title-winning momentum in Eastbourne to the 1998 Wimbledon title, Sharapova is the only woman to double-up in the 101 grass events from 1999-2025.



The six in the draw at SW19 looking to buck history: Robin Montgomery, Donna Vekic, Linda Noskova, Marie Bouzkova, and now Muchova and Keys.
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1. Bad Homburg 1st Rd. - Irina-Camelia Begu def. Venus Williams
...6-2/4-6/7-6(6). At 46, Venus still provides *moments* of brilliance, but the end result has remained the same for quite some time. This loss makes her 0-8 on the year, and extends her career-long losing streak to eleven matches. She's 8-41 in the 2020s.

Still, on the grass, Williams came close this time, serving for the win at 5-3 in the 3rd. But #211 Begu became the lowest-ranked player to defeat her since 2019.



Ahead of her re-teaming with Serena at SW19, Venus reached the doubles QF alongside Alex Eala.



Eala could face Serena Williams in the 2nd Round at Wimbledon.
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We all knew it was coming, but still...




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They're now producing videos to explain their cases. It *does* help. But it's a pity they don't put the same effort into maintaining the consistency of the penalities and treatment of the cases for *all* players.




Much of Vondrousova's issues in this case stem from her (and, apparently, her agent's) lack of knowledge about the testing rules regarding "random" time period tests, which led to what appear to be two versions of her account of the night in question. There's really no reason to question the veracity of either on the surface, with her only (reluctantly?) belatedly bringing up her anxiety issues when it was clear that the time of night the tester arrived wasn't the outright protocol violation that she first thought.

That said, the Alphabet practice of trying to throwing the *entire* book at a violation, even one that didn't include an actual failed test by a first-time offender (MV apparently passed one soon afterward), and going for a *four*-year ban is outright absurdity, especially when one considers the outrageously preferential treatment afforded the likes of Sinner (who failed *two* tests) and Swiatek -- when both were ranked #1 at the time, wink-wink -- regarding the announcing of the violations, the willingless to offer "solutions" and "work with" the players' representatives, and then the actual suspensions' lengths.

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Meanwhile, *someone* on the frontlines -- in this case, Ajla Tomljanovic -- actually said the quiet (but oh so obvious) part out loud. She should probably watch her back.


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Meanwhile, another entry in the "Queen of the Bees" nomination fight...



Elsewhere...




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Loading up on this one...



WI26 "PROP PICK" PREDICTIONS
1. Serena Williams will win at least one match in her return at age 44
...okay, this one feels a little too easy. She has 1r vs. Joint, then maybe Eala in the 2nd Round and possibly Swiatek in the 3rd.
2. DC Iga Swiatek will not reach the second week
...she'll face Townsend 1st Rd., then it would be Pliskova/Valentova, with possibly Serena/Eala after that.
3. Only one of the Top 3 seeds (Sabalena-Rybakina-Swiatek) will reach the QF
...recent years: 2016 (#1), 2017 (#2), 2018 (0), 2019 (0), 2021 (#1/#2), 2022 (#3), 2023 (#1/#2/#3), 2024 (0), 2025 (#1)
4. At least 2 Czechs will reach the QF
...the last time 2+ were in the last eight was 2021. 2025 was the first year since 2018 w/ none. Recent years: 2019 (2), 2021 (2), 2022 (1), 2023 (1), 2024 (1), 2025(0).
5. Two "flagless" women will reach the QF
...there were four last year, but just one each in 2023 and '24.
6. There will be at least one first-time major semifinalist
...there were none at SW19 the last two years
7. There will be three unseeded woman in the QF, at least one in the SF
...recent QF: 2022(4), 2023(2), 2024(2), 2025(3)
recent SF: 2022(1), 2023(2), 2024(1), 2025(1)
8. The two finalists will have a combined seed of 22+ (unseeded would be 33 alone)
...recent totals for finalists: 2022 (17+3 = 20), 2023 (unseeded + 6 = 39), 2024 (31 + 17 = 48), 2025 (8 + 13 = 21)
9. At least one finalist will come from the #8-20 seed range
10. At least one finalist will be a former major finalist, but have never reached a previous final at Wimbledon
...that list would include Andreescu, Andreeva, Chwalinska, Fernandez, Gauff, Kenin, Keys, Muchova, Osaka, Ostapenko, Pegula, Sabalenka, Stephens and Zheng
11. The winner will be a first-time Wimbledon finalist
12. Dark Horses (at least 4r/QF??): Chwalinska (hey, Paolini followed up *her* RG final with another at Wimbledon), Samsonova (the AELTC would be a fine place to finally turn the corner on her season), Krejickova (why not?), Navarro (playing like a second-weeker), Montgomery (vs. Paolini in the 1st Rd., is 9-0 this grass season)





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*CAREER WTA GRASS TITLES - active*
8 - Serena Williams, USA
6 - Venus Williams, USA
4 - MADISON KEYS, USA
3 - Karolina Pliskova, CZE

*2026 WTA TITLES WITHOUT LOSING A SET*
Brisbane - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Adelaide - Mirra Andreeva, RUS
Cluj-Napoca - Sorana Cirstea, ROU
Miami - Aryna Sabalenka, BLR
Eastbourne - Madison Keys, USA
Bad Homburg - Karolina Muchova, CZE

*VENUS WILLIAMS LOWEST-RANKED LOSSES*
NR - Kim Clijsters (2009 U.S. Open 4th)
#674 - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (2019 San Jose 1st)
#313 - Coco Gauff (2019 Wimbledon 1st)
#223 - Peng Shuai (2016 Beijing 1st)
#211 - Irina-Camelia Begu (2026 Bad Homburg 1st)
#202 - Celine Naef (2023 Rosmalen 1st)
#161 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (2020 Roland Garros 1st)
#199 - Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (2020 Monterrey 1st)
#152 - Bianca Andreeescu (2019 Auckland QF)

*2026 OLDEST WTA FINALISTS*
[singles]
38 - TATJANA MARIA (Eastbourne)
35 - Sorana Cirstea (Cluj-Napoca)-W
32 - Jessie Pegula (Berlin)
32 - Jessie Pegula (Charleston)-W
[oldest WS final]
69 yrs - Eastbourne: Keys (31) d. Maria (38)
62 yrs - Dubai: Pegula (31) d. Svitolina (31)
[doubles/MX]
41 - VERA ZVONAREVA (Bad Homburg)-W
41 - Vera Zvonareva (Rabat)
41 - Vera Zvonareva (Dubai)
40 - Hsieh Su-wei (Doha)
40 - Hsieh Su-wei (Brisbane)-W
39 - Sara Errani (Berlin)
39 - Sara Errani (Roland Garros MX)-W
[WD duos]
73 - Linz: Cirstea/Zhang (36/37)-W
72 - Bad Homburg: SUTJIADI/ZVONAREVA (31/41)-W
72 - Rabat: Sutjiadi/Zvonareva (31/41)
71 - Berlin: Errani/Melichar-Martinez (39/32)
70 - Nottingham: Aoyama/Chan (38/32)

*WIMBLEDON #1 SEEDS SINCE 2010 (w/ result)*
2010 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2011 Caroline Wozniacki, DEN (4th)
2012 Maria Sharapova, RUS (4th)
2013 Serena Williams, USA (4th)
2014 Serena Williams, USA (3rd)
2015 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2016 Serena Williams, USA (W)
2017 Angelique Kerber, GER (4th)
2018 Simona Halep, ROU (3rd)
2019 Ash Barty, AUS (4th)
2021 Ash Barty, AUS (W)
2022 Iga Swiatek, POL (3rd)
2023 Iga Swiatek, POL (QF)
2024 Iga Swiatek, POL (3rd)
2025 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR (SF)
2026 Aryna Sabalenka, BLR


*WI26 MAIN DRAW*
=most by nation (of 39 in original MD)=
18 - USA
10 - CZE
9 - GBR,RUS
6 - UKR
5 - AUS,GER
4 - ESP,FRA,POL,ROU
3 - AUT,CHN,CRO,ITA,SUI,UZB
2 - ARG,BEL,BLR,CAN,COL,GBR,HUN,JPN,KAZ,THA
1 - AND,BRA,DEN,GEO,GRE,INA,LAT,MKD,PHI,SLO,SRB,TUR
[age groups]*
10 - age 19 and under
92 - age 20-29
20 - age 30-34
6 - age 35+

*2026 SLAM MD DEBUTS*
=AUTOMATIC ENTRY MD=
AO - Petra Marcinko, CRO
AO - Oleksandra Oliynykova, UKR
RG - Lilli Tagger, AUT
RG - Hanne Vandewinkel, BEL
WI - Dasha Vidmanova, CZE

=WC=
AO - none
RG - Ksenia Efremova, FRA
RG - Alice Tubello, FRA
RG - Akasha Urhobo, USA
WI - Alicia Dudeney, GBR

=Q=
AO - Nikola Bartunkova, CZE
AO - Linda Klimovicova, POL
AO - Guiomar Maristany, ESP
AO - Himeno Sakatsume, JPN
AO - Lanlana Tararudee, THA
RG - Susan Bandecchi, SUI
RG - Guo Hanyu, CHN
RG - Sinja Kraus, AUT
RG - Elina Pridankina, RUS
RG - Kaitlin Quevedo, ESP
WI - Lina Gjorcheska, MKD
WI - Tyra Grant, ITA
WI - Teodora Kostovic, SRB

=PR=
AO - Mananchaya Sawangkaew, THA
RG - none
WI - none

*2020s GRAND SLAM DEBUTS*
2020: 21
2021: 15
2022: 26
2023: 21
2024: 22
2025: 26
2026: 23 - [AO 8, RG 10, WI 5]

*IN WOMEN'S SLAM SINGLES MD...*
[oldest]
=2022=
AO: Samantha Stosur, AUS (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (36)
WI: Serena Williams, USA (40)
US: Venus Williams, USA (42)
=2023=
AO: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
RG: Kaia Kanepi, EST (37)
WI: Venus Williams, USA (43)
US: Venus Williams, USA (43)
=2024=
AO: Sara Errani, ITA (36)
RG: Sara Errani, ITA (37)
WI: Sara Errani, ITA (37)
US: Varvara Lepchenko, USA (38)
=2025=
AO: Tatjana Maria, GER (37)
RG: Tatjana Maria, GER (37)
WI: Tatjana Maria, GER (37)
US: Venus Williams, USA (45)
=2026=
AO: Venus Williams, USA (45)
RG: Tatjana Maria, GER (38)
WI: Serena Williams, USA (44)

[youngest]
=2022=
AO: Coco Gauff, USA (17)
RG: Linda Noskova, CZE (17)
WI: Coco Gauff, USA (18)
US: Sara Bejlek, CZE (16)
=2023=
AO: Brenda Fruhvirtova, CZE (15)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
US: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (16)
=2024=
AO: Alina Korneeva, RUS (16)
RG: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17)
WI: Mirra Andreeva, RUS (17)
US: Iva Jovic, USA (16)
=2025=
AO: Emerson Jones, AUS (16)
RG: Iva Jovic, USA (17)
WI: Hannah Klugman, GBR (16)
US: Julieta Pareja, USA (16)
=2026=
AO: Emerson Jones, AUS (17)
RG: Ksenia Efremova, FRA (17)
WI: Hannah Klugman, GBR (17)

*WIMBLEDON DEFENDING CHAMP RESULTS - OPEN ERA*
1968 Billie Jean King (RU)
1969 Ann Jones (retired)
1970 Margaret Court (RU)
1971 Evonne Goolagong (RU)
1972 Billie Jean King (W)
1973 Billi Jean King (QF)
1974 Chris Evert (SF)
1975 Billie Jean King (DNP-retired)
1976 Chris Evert (SF)
1977 Virginia Wade (SF)
1978 Martina Navratilova (W)
1979 Martina Navratilova (SF)
1980 Evonne Goolagong Cawley (DNP-pregnant)
1981 Chris Evert-Lloyd (RU)
1982 Martina Navratilova (W)
1983 Martina Navratilova (W)
1984 Martina Navratilova (W)
1985 Martina Navratilova (W)
1986 Martina Navratilova (W)
1987 Martina Navratilova (RU)
1988 Steffi Graf (W)
1989 Steffi Graf (SF)
1990 Martina Navratilova (QF)
1991 Steffi Graf (W)
1992 Steffi Graf (W)
1993 Steffi Graf (1st Rd.)
1994 Conchita Martinez (SF)
1995 Steffi Graf (W)
1996 Steffi Graf (DNP-injured)
1997 Martina Hingis (SF)
1998 Jana Novotna (QF)
1999 Lindsay Davenport (RU)
2000 Venus Williams (W)
2001 Venus Williams (RU)
2002 Serena Williams (W)
2003 Serena Williams (RU)
2004 Maria Sharapova (SF)
2005 Venus Williams (3rd Rd.)
2006 Amelie Mauresmo (4th Rd.)
2007 Venus Williams (W)
2008 Venus Williams (RU)
2009 Serena Williams (W)
2010 Serena Williams (4th Rd.)
2011 Petra Kvitova (QF)
2012 Serena Williams (4th Rd.)
2013 Marion Bartoli (DNP-retired)
2014 Petra Kvitova (3rd Rd.)
2015 Serena Williams (W)
2016 Serena Williams (DNP-pregnant)
2017 Garbine Muguruza (2nd Rd.)
2018 Angelique Kerber (2nd Rd.)
2019 Simona Halep ('20 no event; '21 DNP; '22 SF)
2021 Ash Barty (DNP-retired)
2022 Elena Rybakina (QF)
2023 Marketa Vondrousova (1st Rd.)
2024 Barbora Krejcikova (3rd Rd.)
2025 Iga Swiatek

*RECENT FIRST-TIME SLAM CHAMPS AND RESULT AT NEXT MAJOR*
2010 Francesca Schiavone (RG): Wimbledon 1st
2011 Li Na (RG): Wimbledon 2nd
2011 Petra Kvitova (WI): U.S. 1st
2011 Samantha Stosur (US): Australian 1st
2012 Victoria Azarenka (AO): Roland Garros 4th
2013 Marion Bartoli (WI): DNP/retired
2015 Flavia Pennetta (US): DNP/retired
2016 Angelique Kerber (AO): Roland Garros 1st
2016 Garbine Muguruza (RG): Wimbledon 2nd
2017 Alona Ostapenko (RG): Wimbledon QF
2017 Sloane Stephens (US): Australian 1st
2018 Caroline Wozniacki (AO): Roland Garros 4th
2018 Simona Halep (RG): Wimbledon 3rd
2018 Naomi Osaka (US): Australian W
2019 Ash Barty (RG): Wimbledon 4th
2019 Bianca Andreescu (US): DNP 2020/2021 AO 2nd
2020 Sofia Kenin (AO): U.S. Open 5th
2020 Iga Swiatek (RG): Australian 4th
2021 Barbora Krejcikova (RG): Wimbledon 4th
2021 Emma Raducanu (US): Australian 2nd
2022 Elena Rybakina (WI): U.S. Open 1st
2023 Aryna Sabalenka (AO): Roland Garros SF
2023 Marketa Vondrousova (WI): U.S. Open QF
2023 Coco Gauff (US): Australian SF
2025 Madison Keys (AO): Roland Garros QF
2026 Mirra Andreeva (RG): ?

*WINNERS OF PRE-WIMB. GRASS EVENTS WIN WIMBLEDON THAT SEASON*
[since Novotna won both Eastbourne/Wimbledon in 1998]
1999 Halard-D./Zvereva/Brandi [Davenport]
2000 Raymond/Halard-D./Hingis [V.Williams]
2001 Tauziat/Davenport/Henin [V.Williams]
2002 Dokic/Rubin/Daniilidou [S.Williams]
2003 Mag.Maleeva/Rubin/Clijsters [S.Williams]
2004 Sharapova/Kuznetsova/Pierce [Sharapova] #
2005 Sharapova/Clijsters/Koukalova [V.Williams]
2006 Zvonareva/Henin-H./Krajicek [Mauresmo]
2007 Jankovic/Henin/Chakvetadze [V.Williams]
2008 K.Bondarenko/Radwanska/Tanasugarn [V.Williams]
2009 RybakikovaWozniacki/Tanasguarn [S.Williams]
2010 Li/Makarova/Henin [S.Williams]
2011 Lisicki/Bartoli/Vinci [Kvitova]
2012 Oudin/Paszek/Petrova [S.Williams]
2013 Hantuchova/Vesnina/Halep [Bartoli]
2014 Ivanovic/Keys/Vandeweghe [Kvitova]
2015 Konjuh/Giorgi/Kerber/Bencic [S.Williams]
2016 Pliskova/Vandeweghe/Keys/Garcia/Cibulova [S.Williams]
2017 Vekic/Konteveit/Kvitova/Sevastova/Pliskova [Muguruza]
2018 Barty/Krunic/Kvitova/Maria/Wozniacki [Kerber]
2019 Garcia/Riske/Barty/Kenin/Pliskova [Halep]
2021 Konta/Samsonova/Jabeur/Ostapenko/Kerber [Barty]
2022 Alexandrova/Haddad M./Jabeur/Haddad M./Kvitova/Garcia [Rybakina]
2023 Alexandrova/Boulter/Kvitova/Ostapenko/Keys/Siniakova [Vondrousova]
2024 Samsonova/Boulter/Pegula/Putintseva/Shnaider/Kasatkina [Krejcikova]
2025 Maria/Mertens/Vondrousova/Kessler/Pegula/Joint [Swiatek]
2026...Vekic/Montgomery/Noskova/Bouzkova/Muchova/Keys
--
# - Sharapova won Birmingham/Wimbledon in 2004
NOTE: 85 con. title winners didn't win Wimb. since Sharapova/Birm.'04
NOTE: Sharapova '04 is only to do it since Novotna/1998 (1 of 101 winners, through 2025)





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Such weird priorities.

[image or embed]

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan.bsky.social) June 27, 2026 at 5:14 AM


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Imagine if the WTA had someone who could put together clips packages like this... (yeah, we know they'd still screw it up).






All for now.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 9:30 PM 

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