LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic wanted to make this much clear after losing to Jannik Sinner in the ...

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic wanted to make this much clear after losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals Friday: This was not a farewell performance. Djokovic intends to compete again at the All England Club."I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today," the 38-year-old Djokovic said. "I'm planning to come back definitely — at least one more time."His 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 defeat at Centre Court against the No. 1-ranked Sinner put an end to Djokovic's latest attempt to tie Roger Federer's men's record of eight championships at Wimbledon and to claim an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title overall.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Djokovic was not fully able to compete at his best level, two days after taking what he described as a "nasty" and "awkward" fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory."I don't want to talk in details about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best," Djokovic said Friday. "I do feel disappointed that I just wasn't able to move as well as I thought or hoped that I would."He was visited by a trainer before the third set for treatment on his upper left leg, won the next three games and was a point from a 4-0 lead, but lost six of the last seven games."We all saw, especially in the third set, that he was a bit injured," said Sinner, who will meet No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final. "He's been in a very difficult situation."Before this fortnight, Djokovic said he figured the grass-court tournament gives him his best chance at another major. His most recent came at the 2023 U.S. Open.At the next Slam event, the 2024 Australian Open, Djokovic lost to Sinner. At the French Open a few months later, Djokovic needed to withdraw before the quarterfinals because he tore the meniscus in his right knee and needed surgery. Then, a month later at Wimbledon, he lost to Alcaraz in the final, his sixth consecutive appearance in the tournament's title match — and second straight loss to Alcaraz.Djokovic exited in the semifinals at all three of this season's majors so far, quitting because of a torn hamstring after one set in that round at Melbourne Park, then losing to Sinner at Roland-Garros and again on Friday.When his earliest loss at Wimbledon since 2017 ended, Djokovic picked up his things and, as he walked toward the locker room, paused to respond to a standing ovation with a smile, a wave and a thumbs-up for the crowd.A reporter later asked whether Djokovic felt as if he had some bad luck because of the repeated injury issues."I don't think it's bad fortune. It's just age — the wear and tear of the body. As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, the last year and a half, like never before, to be honest," Djokovic replied, shaking his head. "It's tough for me to accept that, because I feel like when I'm fresh, when I'm fit, I can still play really good tennis. I've proven that this year."___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Novak Djokovic of Serbia waves to the crowd as he leaves the Centre Court after his Gentlemen's semi-final defeat by Jannik Sinner of Italy on Day 12 of Championships, Wimbledon 2025 at The All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club on July 11, 2025, in London, England.

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Djokovic vows to play at Wimbledon 'at least one more time'

LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner overwhelmed a not-fully-fit Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the Wimbl...

LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner overwhelmed a not-fully-fit Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the Wimbledon semifinals on Friday to set up a showdown for the championship against Carlos Alcaraz.The No. 1-ranked Sinner's victory at Centre Court put him in his first final at the All England Club.No. 2 Alcaraz defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) earlier Friday to move within one victory of a third consecutive Wimbledon title.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian, and Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard, now head into a rematch of their epic final at the French Open four weeks ago. Alcaraz won that one after fending off a trio of match points."Hopefully it's going to be a good match, like the last one," Sinner said. "I don't know if it'll get better, because I don't think it's possible."Alcaraz is 5-0 so far in Grand Slam title matches. Sinner owns three major trophies.They are far and away the leaders of men's tennis — and are at the height of their games right now. This will be the seventh straight major tournament won by one or the other."The things we are doing right now are great for tennis," Alcaraz said.For the 38-year-old Djokovic, his lopsided loss brought an end to his latest bid for an eighth Wimbledon title — which would tie the men's mark held by Roger Federer — and for an unprecedented 25th major trophy in all.Djokovic was diminished two days after slipping and doing the splits on what he called a "nasty" and "awkward" fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory. He canceled a practice session Thursday, had his upper left leg checked by a trainer during a medical timeout after the second set against Sinner and was simply unable to move the way the world is so used to seeing.Right after that treatment, Djokovic grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third set and was a point from going up 4-0. But Sinner took six of the remaining seven games."We all saw, especially in the third set, that he was a bit injured," Sinner said. "He's been in a very difficult situation."When it ended, Djokovic picked up his equipment bags and was given a standing ovation as he headed toward the locker room. He paused to smile, wave and give a thumbs-up to the crowd.Djokovic exited in the semifinals at all three Slams this season, including quitting after a set against Alexander Zverev because of an injured hamstring at the Australian Open, then losing to Sinner at Roland-Garros.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates winning match point against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the Gentlemen's Singles semi-final match on day twelve of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2025 in London, England.

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Sinner storms into Wimbledon final with 3-set rout of Djokovic

LONDON (AP) — Let everyone else ponder what Carlos Alcaraz already has accomplished at Wimbledon ...

LONDON (AP) — Let everyone else ponder what Carlos Alcaraz already has accomplished at Wimbledon and elsewhere — and what might come next for a guy who is unbeatable right now. Alcaraz himself just wanted to enjoy his latest victory for a bit.Moving within one victory of a third consecutive championship at the All England Club and a sixth Grand Slam title overall at age 22, Alcaraz defeated Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the semifinals Friday.The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz takes a 24-match winning streak into the final, where he will face No. 1 Jannik Sinner.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Not thinking about the winning streak. Not thinking about the results at all. Thinking about … my dream," Alcaraz said. "Right now, I don't want to think about Sunday, to be honest. I just want to enjoy this moment, enjoy that I qualified (for) another final."He beat Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 title matches at the All England Club and is 5-0 so far in major finals. That includes a five-set comeback win over Sinner at the French Open a month ago.The fifth-seeded Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner at last year's U.S. Open, was trying to become the first American man in the Wimbledon final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer in 2009.And Fritz came quite close to pushing Alcaraz to a fifth set on Friday, leading 6-4 in the tiebreaker. But Alcaraz collected the next four points to finish off the win, then rocked back on his heels, spread his arms wide and screamed."I'm just really proud about the way that I stayed calm," Alcaraz said, "and then (was) thinking clearly."That wasn't the only time Fritz made things interesting. He accumulated more total points than Alcaraz through the first two sets, and finishing the afternoon with more winners — 44 to 38 — and 19 aces to 13.When Alcaraz double-faulted, then missed a forehand, to drop the second, they were even at a set apiece.But with five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg and celebrities such as Anna Wintour and Leonardo DiCaprio looking on, Alcaraz quickly recovered from that lapse, marking some of his best shots with a shout of "Vamos!" or a raised index finger. He never faced a break point the rest of the way, while stealing two of Fritz's service games in the third set.Even when Fritz did get an opportunity to get back into things, Alcaraz was ready. In the fourth set's first game, Alcaraz provided Fritz a bit of an opening by missing two forehands for love-30. But Alcaraz shut that door just as quickly with four points in a row, including a 134 mph ace and 135 mph service winner.Amid the tension of the tiebreaker, Fritz took time to delicately lift a butterfly off the grass and out of harm's way. Soon, he had grabbed five straight points to reach the precipice of going to a fifth set. But Alcaraz never let Fritz get any closer, forcing four errors.The temperature topped 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), with no clouds interrupting the blue sky overhead to offer protection from the sun. For the second consecutive day, spectators had trouble in the heat; there were two brief delays in one second-set game while fans needed to be helped.The pop of a Champagne cork could be heard in the stands just before the start, and the Spaniard burst out of the gate, taking 10 of the initial 12 points, including a break for a 1-0 lead. That game featured glimpses of why Alcaraz is so great already. Indeed, the very first point was illustrative: He returned a 135 mph serve, then capped a 10-stroke exchange with a delicate drop shot.There would soon be a forehand winner, then a good return that drew a netted response by Fritz. A return of a 128 mph serve that found chalk led to a net-cord winner for the break.More was to come in a terrific set for Alcaraz. He even managed to out-serve Fritz, delivering six aces and 20 of his 24 service points while reaching 137 mph. Alcaraz won the point on all three of his serve-and-volley tries, including one perfect stop volley. By the end, Alcaraz was 31-for-41 when at the net.To be clear, Fritz played exceedingly well himself, conjuring a quality with his neon-orange racket frame that would have been good enough to overcome most any foe on grass.As everyone paying attention knows by now, Alcaraz is not just any foe."He has so many different ways to win," Fritz said, "and he's very good at making adjustments."___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning match point against Taylor Fritz of United States during the Gentlemen's semi-final match on day twelve of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 11, 2025 in London, England.

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GENEVA (AP) — UEFA demoted Crystal Palace to the third-tier Conference League on Friday because o...

GENEVA (AP) — UEFA demoted Crystal Palace to the third-tier Conference League on Friday because of the English cup winner's ownership ties to French club Lyon through American businessman John Textor.Textor's 43% minority stake in Palace — even though he had limited decision-making influence there — while he owned Lyon outright, conflicted with UEFA rules on multi-club ownership designed to protect the integrity of its competitions.UEFA said its club finance panel accepted Lyon's entry into the second-tier Europa League instead. Lyon qualified on merit by placing sixth in Ligue 1 this season but its entry was in jeopardy because of persistent financial turmoil.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The decision follows the financially troubled French club being reprieved this week from demotion to Ligue 2.UEFA's decision came after six weeks of uncertainty for the south London club which has taken the shine off the first qualification for European competitions in its history. Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.Palace can challenge the UEFA ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A fast-track case would need to be held within about one month before Conference League qualifying playoffs.Textor has been an increasingly controversial figure in global soccer, also owning Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgium's Molenbeek while being linked with a failed bid to buy Everton.He has reportedly agreed on a deal to sell his Palace stake to Woody Johnson, the New York Jets owner and former U.S. Ambassador to Britain in the first Trump administration.<h3>Forest may replace Palace</h3>Nottingham Forest should now step up into the Europa League from the Conference League, which is potentially worth 20 million euros (dollars) more in UEFA prize money.Forest has had its own potential multi-club issues because Evangelis Marinakis also owns Greek league winner Olympiakos which will play in the Champions League.UEFA has repeatedly warned in recent years about the growing trend for investors to take stakes or full ownership in multiple clubs in different countries, and the potential threats to the integrity of games and the transfer market.Multi-club ownership has been especially popular with investors from the United States. One of the most notorious networks was built by Miami-based 777 Partners which failed in the last year after also being linked to an Everton bid.Longer established international multi-club groups were built by the Red Bull drinks giant, which includes Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, and the Abu Dhabi-backed City Football Group centered on Man City.The multi-club phenomenon presents UEFA with several cases to review toward the end of each season, assessing if clubs that have close ties and qualify for the same competition can comply with the rules.In 2023, UEFA required AC Milan and Toulouse, Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise, plus Aston Villa and Vitoria Guimaraes to change their ownership structures to comply. This could involve owners selling stakes or putting shares in a one-year blind trust, plus putting embargoes on related clubs transferring players between each other or sharing scouting databases.In 2024, UEFA took decisions against Man City and Girona for the Champions League, and Manchester United and Nice for the Europa League.This season, Palace-Lyon was the signature case, though UEFA fully removed two clubs from the Conference League: Drogheda from Ireland and FC DAC 14 of Slovakia.Key to the Palace judgement was the club not meeting a March deadline set by UEFA to create separation from Lyon. UEFA framed an earlier deadline this season in part because of the uncertainty created each June by the increasing workload for its club finance monitoring panel.The panel is chaired by Sunil Gulati, a professor of economics at Columbia University in New York and a former president of the U.S. Soccer Federation.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Olympique Lyonnais' (OL) US President John Textor looks on from the stands prior to the French L1 football match between AS Monaco and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) at the Louis II Stadium (Stade Louis II) in the Principality of Monaco on May 10, 2025.

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UEFA demotes Crystal Palace to Conference League due to Lyon ties

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest said on Friday it has signed Brazilian center back J...

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest said on Friday it has signed Brazilian center back Jair Cunha from Botafogo.The Premier League club said the 20-year-old was given a five-year contract. Financial details were not given.Cunha with the Brazilian side Botafogo reached the round of 16 at the Club World Cup in the United States. Cunha scored one goal at the tournament.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>He joined Botafogo in February after making his first 24 senior appearances with another Brazilian club, Santos, for which he played since he was 10.Forest will return to European football for the first time since 1996 after finishing seventh in the Premier League."Jair has flourished in Brazil and now has new ambitions as he moves to the Premier League," Forest's chief football officer Ross Wilson said.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 28: Jair Cunha of Botafogo FR looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 round of 16 match between SE Palmeiras and Botafogo FR at Lincoln Financial Field on June 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Nottingham Forest bring in defender Jair Cunha from Botafogo

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Austin forward Brandon Vazquez tore his right ACL, an injury that will hampe...

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Austin forward Brandon Vazquez tore his right ACL, an injury that will hamper his chances of making the U.S. roster for next year's World Cup.The 26-year-old was hurt during Tuesday night's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against San Jose. Austin said Thursday he will have season-ending surgery.Vazquez fell without contact in the 69th minute, four minutes after converting a penalty kick that tied the score 1-1. He was removed from the field on a stretcher.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>An MLS All-Star, Vazquez joined Austin from Monterrey in January and leads the team with nine goals in all competitions this season. He has four goals in 11 appearances for the U.S. but was not on the CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.Austin won 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw and plays Minnesota on Sept. 16.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

SAN JOSE, CA - JULY 08: Brandon Vázquez #9 of Austin FC celebrates a goal in the second half of a 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals match against the San Jose Earthquakes on July 8, 2025 at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA.

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NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — Jake Knapp is loving links golf so much he'd like to extend his st...

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NORTH BERWICK, Scotland (AP) — Jake Knapp is loving links golf so much he'd like to extend his stay another week, and he took a step toward that Thursday with a 6-under 64 that put him in a four-way share of the lead after the opening round of the Scottish Open.
The blustery conditions at The Renaissance Club were not enough to keep more than half of the 156-man field at par or better, although Rory McIlroy had to birdie his last three holes — and make a 25-foot bogey putt on the 15th hole — for a 68.
Sepp Straka had eight birdies in his round of 64, also joined by Nico Echavarria and Victor Perez atop the leaderboard alongside Knapp. Four other players were one shot behind, while Scottie Scheffler had to settle for a 67 and was three back.
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Knapp is among those who have not qualified for the British Open next week at Royal Portrush. The Open is offering spots to the leading three players at The Renaissance Club who are not already in the field.
His current itinerary is to leave Monday for Boston and then to home in California.
“As of right now,” he said. “Hopefully, I can change that.”
Perez isn't set for Portrush, either. He birdied three of his last four holes, finishing with a birdie putt from 25 feet on the 18th hole that played into the wind.
Scheffler, who missed the Scottish Open last year to spend more time at home with his newborn son, played in the morning and started with a 30-foot eagle putt. He gave himself plenty of chances the rest of the way, but failed to hole enough birdie putts inside 10 feet.
There were a few mistakes, but otherwise very little stress.
“I feel like I could have gotten a little bit more out of my round,” Scheffler said. “I felt like I did some good things that I didn't quite get rewarded for after my start. But 3 under, I wish I could have had a couple of bogeys back, but overall not too bad.”
McIlroy figured he was about 80% of where he wanted to be ahead of his return home to Northern Ireland next week. He struggled with the wind, particularly off the tee, hitting only four of 13 fairways.
One tee shot landed just short of a wall on No. 5, forcing him to play out sideways to the fairway. Another found a bunker on the 15th. McIlroy tried 9-iron to clear a steep lip and failed, the ball roll back into a depression caused by the swing. He got the next one out, hit wedge that rolled over the back of the green and holed a 25-foot bogey putt to limit the damage.
He birdied the last three holes — a two-putt on the par-5 16th, a 25-footer on the 17th and a final birdie from 20 feet — to salvage a reasonable score. Also at 68 was Xander Schauffele, the defending British Open champion, who played alongside him.
“It was a great finish,” McIlroy said. "Felt like the rough was a bit stop-start, a little bit of rust in there taking a couple of weeks off. But I found my rhythm and started hitting better shots on the way in. It's the sort of golf course and the sort of conditions where I feel like the field is going to be pretty bunched.
“So to only be four behind after the first day, feeling like I’ve still got my best stuff ahead of me, that feels good.”
Knapp skipped the Scottish Open last year as a rookie. He won the Mexico Open in February and played more golf than usual, leading to fatigue and a body that needed a rest. So this is his first trip to Scotland, and he began having a blast from the time he arrived.
“I haven’t played a ton of links golf but I feel like it fits my game pretty well,” Knapp said. “I like to be creative and hit different shots and it just fits my eye.”
On the advice of Rickie Fowler, he landed Monday and headed to North Berwick, a course just down the Firth of Fourth that has been around nearly two centuries. He played with his father and his caddie, with his mother and girlfriend walking along.
“It was awesome,” he said.
Scheffler had a large gallery, not all for him. He played alongside Robert MacIntyre, who last year became the first Scot in 25 years to win his national open. He had quite the opposite start to Scheffler, failing to birdie the par-5 10th at the start and then hitting a shot on the 12th that he feared was out-of-bounds.
“Thankfully, I didn't listen to the marshals,” he said. “Managed to find it a yard-and-a-half inbounds, got the drop and made bogey. From there on, it was back to the basics.”
He wound up with a 68, right in the thick of it along with most everyone else.
___
AP golf: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/golf">https://apnews.com/hub/golf</a>
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NORTH BERWICK, SCOTLAND - JULY 10: Jake Knapp of the United States plays his second shot on the 18th hole on day one of the Genesis Scottish Open 2025 at The Renaissance Club on July 10, 2025 in North Berwick, Scotland.

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LONDON (AP) — More comfortable on grass courts than ever, Iga Swiatek played as well as she ever ...

LONDON (AP) — More comfortable on grass courts than ever, Iga Swiatek played as well as she ever has on the slick surface — well, better than ever, actually — to reach her first Wimbledon final by defeating Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 at Centre Court on Thursday.Swiatek will face Amanda Anisimova for the trophy on Saturday. Whoever wins will be the eighth consecutive first-time women's champion at the All England Club."I never even dreamt that it's going to be possible for me to play in the final," said Swiatek, who has won five Grand Slam titles elsewhere and spent most of 2022, 2023 and 2024 at No. 1 in the WTA rankings.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Good as she is on clay courts, especially, and hard courts, too, Swiatek only once had been as far as the quarterfinals at Wimbledon until this week."I'm just super excited and just proud of myself," the 24-year-old from Poland said after wrapping up the victory over Bencic in just 71 minutes. "Tennis keeps surprising me. I thought I lived through everything, even though I'm young. I thought I experienced everything on the court. But I didn't experience playing well on grass. That's the first time."There were signs of a breakthrough right before Wimbledon: She made her first career final on grass in a tournament at Bad Homburg, Germany — losing to Jessica Pegula, then crying on court — and that also happened to be her first final at any event in more than a year.The last 12 months also including a doping case in which Swiatek wound up with a month ban after it was determined she was exposed to a contaminated medical product used for trouble sleeping and jet lag.Now she is one win away from ending her overall championship drought and adding to the Grand Slam hardware she already has earned: four titles at the French Open and one at the U.S. Open.She is 5-0 in major finals, while Anisimova, a 23-year-old from the United States, will be making her debut in that round at a major on Saturday.They played each other as juniors when they were teens but never have met as professionals."She can play amazing tennis and she loves fast surfaces, because she has a flat game," Swiatek said about Anisimova. "So you have to be ready for fast shots, for her being proactive. But I'm just going to kind of focus on myself."So what is the secret to Swiatek's grass prowess lately?"I improved my movement and I am serving really well and I feel really confident, so I'm just going for it," said Swiatek, who listened to AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses before her semifinal. "For sure, it's working."___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates winning match point against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during the Ladies' Singles semi-final match on day eleven of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2025 in London, England.

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EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Leona Maguire made a hole-in-one at the Evian Championship on the ...

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Leona Maguire made a hole-in-one at the Evian Championship on the way to a 6-under 65 in the first round Thursday and a five-way share of the lead.Having started on the back nine at the fourth major of the year, Maguire aced the par-3 second hole — her 11th — at Evian Resort Golf Club, sinking her tee shot from 164 yards.“It was just taking a little bit off an 8-iron for me. Looked good in the air. You’re never sure on that hole until the ball actually lands,” she said. “Sort of a perfect morning for it. Not much wind which is nice, especially on that tee box.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Irishwoman was joined on 65 by American duo Andrea Lee and Jennifer Kupcho as well as Australians Grace Kim and Gabriela Ruffels, a former tennis player in doubles.Minjee Lee, who won the Women’s PGA Championship last month for her third major title, was alone in sixth place after carding a 66.Top-ranked Nelly Korda was a stroke behind her in a tie for seventh. Korda is seeking her first win of the season and third major title.No. 2-ranked Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, bidding to win a major for the first time, was tied for 16th after a 68 in a group featuring Lottie Woad. The 21-year-old college student from England was thrust into the spotlight after delivering one of the most stunning wins by an amateur — by six shots over a strong field at the Women’s Irish Open on Sunday.Woad, the world’s No. 1 amateur and winner of last year's Augusta National Women’s Amateur, is now on the cusp of securing a place on the professional tours.English golfer Charley Hull had to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3310222" href="https://thescore.com/news/3310222">withdraw</a> from the first round after collapsing to the ground twice because of a virus. Organizers said Hull underwent medical checks but did not have any serious health issues.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 10: Leona Maguire of Ireland celebrate hitting a hole in one on the second hole during Round One of The Amundi Evian Championship 2025 at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 10, 2025 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

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Maguire's ace gives her share of 1st-round lead at Evian Championship

LONDON (AP) — A little more than two years ago, Amanda Anisimova took a break from tennis because...

LONDON (AP) — A little more than two years ago, Amanda Anisimova took a break from tennis because of burnout. A year ago, working her way back into the game, the American tried to qualify for Wimbledon but lost and was unable to participate in the main bracket at the All England Club.Look at Anisimova now: She's a Grand Slam finalist for the first time after upsetting No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a compelling contest at a steamy Centre Court on Thursday.The 13th-seeded Anisimova, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Florida, was playing in her second major semifinal after losing at that stage at the 2019 French Open at age 17.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"This doesn't feel real right now," Anisimova said after ending the 2-hour, 36-minute contest with a forehand winner on her fourth match point. "I was absolutely dying out there. I don't know how I pulled it out."She will face Iga Swiatek on Saturday for the trophy. The winner will be the eighth consecutive first-time Wimbledon women's champion.In May 2023, Anisimova took time off from the tour, saying she had been "struggling with my mental health" for nearly a year.Now 23, she is playing as well as ever, her crisp groundstrokes, particularly on the backhand side, as strong and smooth as anyone's. She is guaranteed to break into the top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time next week, no matter what happens in the title match."To be honest, if you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you," Anisimova said with a laugh. "At least not this soon, because it's been a year turnaround since coming back and to be in this spot, it's not easy. So many people dream of competing on this incredible court. It's been such a privilege to compete here, and to be in the final is just indescribable, honestly."For Sabalenka, who replaced Swiatek at No. 1 in October, this defeat prevented her from becoming the first woman to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals since Serena Williams won four major trophies in a row a decade ago.Sabalenka missed Wimbledon last year because of an injured shoulder, then won the U.S. Open in September for her third Slam title.She was the runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January, and to Coco Gauff at the French Open in June, when Sabalenka's post-match comments drew criticism and led her to apologize both private to Gauff and publicly. Sabalenka and Gauff smoothed things over before the start of play at the All England Club, dancing together and posting videos on social media."I mean, she's such an incredible competitor," Anisimova said about Sabalenka. "She's an inspiration to me and, I'm sure, so many other people."Anisimova improved to 6-3 against Sabalenka and was every bit the equal of the 27-year-old Belarusian as two of the hardest hitters in the game traded booming shots and loud yells throughout.They both smacked big serves — Sabalenka reached 120 mph, Anisimova 112 mph — and groundstrokes. Both looked to end points quickly, frequently applying first-strike aggressiveness.The average exchange was over after just three shots. By the end, 167 of the 214 total points lasted fewer than five strokes, and just seven contained nine or more.Probably a good thing, too, given the heat.The temperature hit 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius) in the first set, which was delayed twice because spectators in the lower level — with no shade — felt unwell. Sabalenka went over to offer water bottles and a blue ice pack that she was using to keep cool during changeovers; Anisimova draped a white, ice-filled towel around her neck while seated on the sideline.There was a particularly lengthy shout by Sabalenka in the second set, shortly after Anisimova made some noise during another back-and-forth. When the game ended, with Sabalenka making the score 3-all, she let out another scream.Sabalenka, who double-faulted to end the opening set, pulled even by closing the second set with a 114 mph service winner.Then she broke to begin the third. Could have been daunting for Anisimova.Instead, she didn't waver, breaking right back to start a four-game run for a 4-1 lead that soon was 5-2. Only then did some tension arrive anew, as she let her first match point get away at 5-3 with a wide backhand, and soon Sabalenka broke to get within 5-4.Anisimova stayed right there, and with another break, she had won, then covered her mouth with her right hand.___Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

US player Amanda Anisimova celebrates after winning against Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka during their women's singles semi-final tennis match on the eleventh day of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2025.

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Anisimova upsets Sabalenka at Wimbledon to reach 1st Grand Slam final

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic canceled his afternoon practice session at Wimbledon on Thursday, a ...

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic canceled his afternoon practice session at Wimbledon on Thursday, a day after the seven-time champion had a "nasty" fall moments before clinching his quarterfinal victory.The 38-year-old Djokovic, who faces No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals on Friday, slid and fell on his second match point against No. 22 seed Flavio Cobolli. He then won the next two points to advance.The 24-time Grand Slam champion's practice session at Wimbledon’s Aorangi Park had been scheduled for 1-3 p.m. The All England Club confirmed that the session was canceled.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Djokovic has the option to reschedule practice time later.Sinner had similarly canceled his own practice session a day after hurting his right elbow during his fourth-round victory over Grigor Dimitrov. Then he went out and beat No. 10 Ben Shelton in straight sets on Wednesday.Djokovic described his tumble as "a nasty fall. It was very awkward.""Obviously, (my) body is not the same today like it was before, so I guess the real impact or effect of what happened I will feel tomorrow," he said at Wednesday's news conference. "So let's see. I'm hoping the next 24, 48 hours that the severity of what was happening on the court and what happened is not too bad, that I'll be able to play at my best and free of pain in two days."Djokovic has dealt with other injuries in recent years. He withdrew before the quarterfinals of the 2024 French Open because of a knee injury that required surgery.Djokovic also stopped during his semifinal match at the Australian Open this January because of a torn hamstring muscle.The Serbian was runner-up the past two years at Wimbledon, losing both times to Carlos Alcaraz. Before that, he had won four consecutive titles at the All England Club. He won his first Wimbledon title in 2011.Djokovic has stopped playing on two occasions at Wimbledon: in 2017 during a quarterfinal match against Tomas Berdych because of an elbow injury; and in 2007 during a semifinal match against Rafael Nadal because of a foot problem.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 9: Novak Djokovic (SRB) [6] during his Gentlemen's Singles Quarter-Final match against Flavio Cobolli (ITA) during day ten of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 9, 2025 in London, England.

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Djokovic cancels practice session ahead of semifinal with Sinner

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — English golfer Charley Hull withdrew from the first round of the E...

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — English golfer Charley Hull withdrew from the first round of the Evian Championship on Thursday after collapsing to the ground twice because of a virus, organizers said. French organizers said Hull felt unwell on the fourth tee and received medical attention after collapsing. She then got up and hit her tee shot before going to the ground again. Organizers said Hull underwent medical checks that showed she had a virus but was otherwise OK. Hull, who had started on the back nine and was 1-under par after 12 holes, was taken off on a stretcher by a golf buggy at Evian Resort Golf Club, which is hosting the fourth women's major of the year.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The 29-year-old Hull has won two tournaments on the LPGA Tour and four on the Ladies European Tour. She has never won a major but has finished second three times — twice in a tie — and tied for third place once, at Evian in 2022.Last year, Hull grabbed headlines for smoking at the U.S. Women’s Open, when a social media post of her signing autographs with a cigarette dangling between her lips went viral.Earlier this year, Hull said she was giving up smoking after making a bet with a friend that she could stop.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 10: Charley Hull of England falls as she climbs out of a bunker on the third hole, before later withdrawing from play, during Round One of The Amundi Evian Championship 2025 at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 10, 2025 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

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Hull withdraws from Evian Championship with illness after collapsing

Sachin Tendulkar said, "Life has truly come full circle" after a portrait of the India cricket gr...

Sachin Tendulkar said, "Life has truly come full circle" after a portrait of the India cricket great was unveiled at Lord's on Thursday. Tendulkar is one of the greatest batsmen cricket has known, scoring 34,357 runs in Test matches, one-day internationals and one T20 for India in an international career that spanned 24 years from 1989 to 2013.That total is over 6,000 more runs than the next highest of 28,016 compiled by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I remember standing near the pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly," Tendulkar said of his first visit to Lord's in 1988 as a teenager in a post on X."Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that's hard to put into words. Life has truly come full circle. I’m grateful, and filled with wonderful memories."The portrait, by Stuart Pearson Wright, is painted from a photograph taken by the artist in Tendulkar's home in Mumbai 18 years ago and was unveiled before the first day of the third Test between England and India.It is the fifth portrait of an Indian player in the collections of Marylebone Cricket Club, the owners of Lord's.

Sachin Tendulkar rings the five minute bell during day one of the Third Rothesay Men's Test at Lord's, London. Picture date: Thursday July 10, 2025.

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Tendulkar: 'Life has come full circle' with Lord's portrait

LONDON (AP) — Players and fans felt the impact of high temperatures at Wimbledon when Thursday's ...

LONDON (AP) — Players and fans felt the impact of high temperatures at Wimbledon when Thursday's semifinal match between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova was delayed twice in the first set because of spectators feeling unwell.The affected fans at Centre Court were seated in the lower level — not shaded — and on both occasions Sabalenka walked over to offer a bottle of water. The first time, she also offered a blue ice pack.The temperature during the first set reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31 degrees Celsius).<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The grass-court tournament experienced record-breaking Day 1 heat when the temperature rose to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius).___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 10: Aryna Sabalenka gives water to a member of the crowd during the Ladies' Singles semi-final against Amanda Anisimova of United States on day eleven of The Championships Wimbledon 2025 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 10, 2025 in London, England.

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Heat returns to Wimbledon as Sabalenka offers water, ice pack to fans

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Olympic wrestler and MMA star Ben Askren, who has been hospitalized in Wi...

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Olympic wrestler and MMA star Ben Askren, who has been hospitalized in Wisconsin after a severe case of pneumonia, said in a post on social media Wednesday that he had undergone a double lung transplant and is in recovery.Askren said during the Instagram video that he recalls very little of what happened over a monthlong stretch from late May through the first two days of July. His wife, Amy, had said in a series of social media posts that Askren was put on a ventilator in June and placed on the donor list for a lung transplant on June 24."No recollection, zero idea, no idea what happened," Askren said of most of the past six weeks. "I just read through my wife's journal. It's like a movie. It's ridiculous. I only died four times, where the ticker stopped for about 20 seconds."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Askren said he lost about 50 pounds during the 45-day stretch."The thing that was most impeccable to me was all the love I felt," Askren said. "It was almost like I got to have my own funeral."<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ben Askren provided an update on his health after receiving a double lung transplant. Askren has been in the hospital for the last month in his home state of Wisconsin, due to severe pneumonia. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/Benaskren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Benaskren</a>) <a href="https://t.co/ggiZeKB4l4">pic.twitter.com/ggiZeKB4l4</a>— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) <a href="https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1943064567157756333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The 40-year-old Askren was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but has lived primarily in Wisconsin, where he runs a youth wrestling academy. He won back-to-back NCAA titles at Missouri and competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics for the U.S. before moving into MMA, where he fought for Bellator and ONE Championship before moving into the UFC.Askren retired from MMA after a loss to Demian Maia in October 2019. He had a record of 19-2 with one no contest.Askren made a brief return to combat sports in April 2021, when he fought social media star Jake Paul in a boxing match. Paul won by technical knockout in the first round of a fight that sold about 500,000 on pay-per-view.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 26: Ben Askren attends a news conference for Triller Fight Club's inaugural 2021 boxing event at The Venetian Las Vegas on March 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Askren will face Jake Paul in the main event that will take place on April 17, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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Ex-MMA star Askren gives 1st update since lung transplant

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton exited Wednesday's game with a left hand...

<div>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins All-Star Byron Buxton exited Wednesday's game with a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch from Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton.
Buxton led off the bottom of the first inning when he was hit, although the play was initially ruled a foul ball. Minnesota challenged the call and it was overturned after video review showed the ball hitting a pad on the top of Buxton's hand.
After being looked at by a team trainer, Buxton stayed in the game and eventually scored on a hit by Ryan Jeffers. But Brooks Lee pinch hit for Buxton in the second inning.
<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>
Buxton was named to his second All-Star team and was also selected for the Home Run Derby. The 31-year-old Buxton has 20 home runs through 75 games this year, tied for sixth in the American League.
Injuries have been an issue for Buxton throughout his career. He has played in more than 100 games just twice since he debuted with the Twins in 2015.
___
AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/MLB">https://apnews.com/hub/MLB</a>
</div>

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 08: Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (25) runs to second on a double during the first inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs on July 8, 2025, at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN.

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Twins' Buxton exits with contusion after being hit on hand

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala says "there's no one to blame" for the left leg fr...

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala says "there's no one to blame" for the left leg fracture he sustained in a tackle from Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Club World Cup.The Germany star posted an update on Instagram on Wednesday, when he thanked people for their support after he fractured his fibula (bone in the lower leg) during Bayern's loss to PSG in the quarterfinals on Saturday."It's nice to see how the football world comes together in a time like this and I really appreciate it," Musiala said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Musiala was flown back to Munich on Sunday for surgery on the injury that Bayern said was "associated with an ankle dislocation."Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had criticized Donnarumma for his action, suggesting his Italian counterpart "didn't necessarily have to go in like that" and that he had knowingly risked causing an injury.Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl also criticized Donnarumma, saying there was a "big danger something can happen" with the goalkeeper jumping in to secure the ball and that the action was "not without risk."Donnarumma, who was visibly upset after seeing Musiala's injury, posted a message tagged to Musiala: "All my prayers and well wishes are with you.""Thank you for your wishes and don't worry! That's part of football," the German player responded.In his own post, Musiala appeared to address Neuer and Eberl's criticisms."The surgery went really well, I'm in good care, and I wanted to say there's no one to blame for this," the 22-year-old forward said. "I think situations like this happen and now I'm just going to use the next period of time just to build up my strength and positivity again. I'm looking forward to seeing you guys again."Musiala spent much of last season injured. He missed around 2½ months with a muscle tear in his left hamstring and had only made his comeback at the Club World Cup. He previously missed around a month in October with a hip injury.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

ATLANTA, GA JULY 05: Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala (42) is entangled with PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (1) during the FIFA Club World Cup match between FC Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain FC on July 5th, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

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Musiala blames 'no one' for serious injury suffered at Club World Cup

LONDON (AP) — At least Novak Djokovic could laugh about it afterward.  Yes, he took what he calle...

LONDON (AP) — At least <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-3be0841d3d30435c03a1d9134642e143">Novak Djokovic</a> could laugh about it afterward.Yes, he took what he called a “nasty slip” on his second match point at <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wimbledon">Wimbledon</a> on Wednesday. Yes, he slid into the splits and ended up face-down on the Centre Court grass. And, yes, those sorts of things aren't ideal for a 38-year-old seeking an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.Still, Djokovic dusted himself off and took the next two points, reaching the semifinals at the All England Club for a men's-record 14th time with a 6-7 (6), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 victory over No. 22 seed Flavio Cobolli to set up a showdown against No. 1 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-jannik-sinner-grigor-dimitrov-6ec427a415f8d8f8a7e8c933e194a332">Jannik Sinner</a>.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“Well, I finished the match,” Djokovic said with a chuckle. “It did come at an awkward moment, but somehow I managed to … close it out. Obviously, I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio and hopefully all will be well in two days.”That's when he will take on three-time major champion Sinner, who didn’t play like someone dealing with an injured right elbow while using terrific serving and his usual booming forehand to beat 10th-seeded <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-shelton-sonego-ef80530be5784c2219baabb90bf58429">Ben Shelton</a> 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4.“I look forward to that,” said Djokovic, who has lost his last four meetings with Sinner, including in the French Open semifinals last month. “That's going to be a great matchup.”Djokovic is 2-0 against Sinner at Wimbledon, eliminating him in the 2023 semifinals and 2022 quarterfinals.Against Cobolli — like Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy — the late-match tumble was not the only thing that was far from smooth for Djokovic. He served for the opening set at 5-3 but got broken at love. He later was a point from owning that set before first-time major quarterfinalist Cobolli came through.Djokovic did stretches and breathing exercises at changeovers. He whacked his shoe with his racket after one miss in the fourth set. He seemed bothered at times by the bright sun above Centre Court.He also showed off all of his considerable skills, accumulating 13 aces, holding in 19 of 21 service games, using a drop-shot-lob-drop-shot combination to take one point and limiting his unforced errors to 22 — half as many as Cobolli.On Friday, Djokovic will try to reach his seventh consecutive final at the All England Club and get closer to equaling Roger Federer's men's mark of eight trophies there. The other men's semifinal is two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals, against Taylor Fritz.___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

Novak Djokovic celebrates his victory over Flavio Cobolli following their Gentlemen's Singles match on day ten of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Wednesday July 9, 2025.

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Djokovic to face Sinner in Wimbledon semis as quest for 25th Slam continues

LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner sure didn't play like someone dealing with an injured right elbow Wed...

LONDON (AP) — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-jannik-sinner-grigor-dimitrov-6ec427a415f8d8f8a7e8c933e194a332">Jannik Sinner</a> sure didn't play like someone dealing with an injured right elbow Wednesday, using terrific serving and his usual booming forehand to dismiss 10th-seeded <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-shelton-sonego-ef80530be5784c2219baabb90bf58429">Ben Shelton</a> 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 and earn a second appearance in the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wimbledon">Wimbledon</a> semifinals.The No. 1-ranked Sinner wore a white sleeve on his right arm with strips of tape visible underneath — one above the elbow, one below it — two days after he was hurt when he slipped and fell in the opening game of his fourth-round match against Grigor Dimitrov.Sinner said he felt pain when he hit serves or forehands in that contest, and he dropped the first two sets before moving into the quarterfinals when Dimitrov quit in the third set because he tore a chest muscle.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam champion and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alcaraz-sinner-rivalry-french-open-wimbledon-0f83d29c58eeab9229cb312822516cc7">the runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open</a> last month, had an MRI exam on Tuesday and initially canceled a practice session that day but did hit some balls in a 20-minute session at an indoor court later.“When you are in a match with a lot of tension, you try to not think about it,” said Sinner, who reached his fourth consecutive major semifinal and next faces 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. “It has improved a lot from yesterday to today.”The other time Sinner made it this far at the All England Club, in 2023, he was eliminated by Djokovic.Against Shelton at <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-2025-court-walkway-memorabilia-5286e67df5ef0a7af29f67a3ca8f630f">No. 1 Court</a>, Sinner came out as though not a thing were wrong, grabbing 27 of his 29 service points in the first set while accumulating a total of 15 winners to just one unforced error.Still, Shelton stayed right with him until 2-all in the tiebreaker. That's when Sinner surged in front, helped by a double-fault and four consecutive forehand errors by Shelton.At the outset of the second set, Shelton finally made some headway in a return game, getting a pair of break points at 15-40.On one, Sinner produced a forehand winner. On the other, he pounded a 132 mph serve — his fastest of the match — and rushed forward, getting to deuce when Shelton’s backhand pass attempt found the net. That was followed by a 118 mph ace and a 125 mph service winner.Those were Shelton's only break chances.Later in that set came a brief moment where Sinner did appear to have an issue with his arm after trying to return a 141 mph serve from Shelton, a 22-year-old American who was trying to reach his third Slam semifinal. Sinner shook his right wrist and then held that elbow with his left hand. But that was about it.At 2-all in third set, Shelton’s father, former tour pro Bryan — who is also his coach — leaned forward in his seat and told Ben: “Just takes one little dip from him. Be ready for the opportunity to take it. Come on! Keep staying there! Let’s go!”There never was a dip from Sinner. He finished with nearly twice as many winners as unforced errors, 33 to 17, and took 50 of his 56 first-serve points.Sinner has now won their past six matchups, all in straight sets, including a year ago at Wimbledon and in January at the Australian Open.On Wednesday, Shelton tried to stay with Sinner in baseline exchanges, which didn’t really work. Not at all.Sinner won 55 baseline points, Shelton 24. Of the points that lasted five strokes or more, Sinner claimed 44, Shelton just 18.As for the elbow, Sinner said afterward that it's “no excuse.”“There is no better stage to play tennis,” he said, “and I think I showed this today.”___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

Jannik Sinner celebrates his victory over Ben Shelton on day ten of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Wednesday July 9, 2025.

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Sinner, wearing sleeve on injured elbow, cruises into Wimbledon semis

LONDON (AP) — Iga Swiatek reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time with a 6-2, 7-5 vic...

LONDON (AP) — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-2024-iga-swiatek-aa5940fbc49aa4c8e75d8c79e4205452">Iga Swiatek</a> reached the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/wimbledon">Wimbledon</a> semifinals for the first time with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over 19th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova that went from a stroll to a bit of a struggle in the late stages Wednesday."Even though I’m in the middle of the tournament, I already got goosebumps after this win," said Swiatek, who will face unseeded Belinda Bencic on Thursday for a spot in the final. “I’m super happy and super proud of myself.”Bencic beat No. 7 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2019 U.S. Open. The other semifinal is No. 1 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-results-7-8-2025-684592c397f91f97ed920d0161463007">Aryna Sabalenka</a> against No. 13 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wimbledon-anisimova-pavlyuchenkova-f64139a9d0ae2704392a2881de623b6a">Amanda Anisimova</a>; they advanced with wins Tuesday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Swiatek is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iga-swiatek-french-open-1cb2b58b3d03739a545f06c7d6bf51fb">a five-time major champion</a>, with four of those titles on the red clay of the French Open, and the other on the hard courts of the U.S. Open. She's also twice been a semifinalist at the hard-court Australian Open.The grass courts of the All England Club always had given her the most trouble as a pro, even though she did claim a junior championship there in 2018. In her five appearances in the Wimbledon women's bracket before this year, she had made it as far as the quarterfinals just once, exiting in that round in 2023.But the 24-year-old from Poland is enjoying a career-best run on the slick surface, thanks in part to being more comfortable with the footing required.“I, for sure, feel like I really worked hard to progress here on this surface,” Swiatek said. “So this year, I feel like I can just work with it and work with myself. I’ll just keep doing that.”Before the start of Wimbledon, Swiatek was the runner-up in Bad Homburg, Germany, her first final at a tournament played on grass — and her first final at any event in more than a year, a drought that resulted in her falling from the No. 1 ranking and being seeded No. 8 at the All England Club.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iga-swiatek-ball-boy-indian-wells-058f3d28ba44f54f8211f9c003e04aa9">Her rough stretch</a> included a one-month ban last season in a doping case after an investigation determined a failed out-of-competition drug test was caused by an unintentional contamination of non-prescription medication for issues with jet lag and sleeping. On the court, a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/french-open-semifinals-swiatek-sabalenka-gauff-boisson-fb2327785605efe1c59ff81db4b58fb7">semifinal loss to Sabalenka at Roland-Garros</a> last month ended Swiatek's 26-match French Open winning streak.Swiatek led by a set and 3-0 in the second against Samsonova, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.Soon, though, it was 4-all, then 5-all. But Swiatek held for a 6-5 lead, then broke to end it, and a smile spread across her face.“I’ll just recover today, try not to celebrate too much, but already focus on the next one,” Swiatek said. “Prepare in the evening, and I’ll be ready tomorrow.”Bencic, who at 28 is a decade older than Andreeva, is competing in her second major tournament since returning to the tour after giving birth to a daughter, Bella, in April 2024.“I’m very proud, actually. All my career, I didn’t say it a lot to myself, but after having Bella, I really say it to myself every day,” Bencic said. “We are just enjoying life on tour with Bella, traveling. It’s been beautiful to create these memories together. And obviously, to play great is so amazing, but for me, it’s a bonus. I’m generally just really happy to be able to play again.”___AP tennis: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tennis">https://apnews.com/hub/tennis</a>

Iga Swiatek celebrates victory over Liudmila Samsonova following their Ladies' Singles match on day ten of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Wednesday July 9, 2025.

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