U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu splits from 2nd coach in 7 months
Djokovic allowed to play at Wimbledon, Federer targets Swiss Indoors for return
U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu has parted ways with coach Torben Beltz six months after hiring him.
The 19-year-old British player said Tuesday she's seeking "a new training model" despite rising to a career-high ranking of No. 11 this week after reaching the quarter-finals at the Stuttgart Open.
"I want to thank Torben for his coaching, professionalism and dedication over last half a year," Raducanu, who was born in Toronto, said in a statement. "He has a huge heart and I have enjoyed our strong chemistry during the time together.
"I feel the best direction for my development is to transition to a new training model with the [British tennis federation] supporting in the interim."
WATCH | Raducanu wins U.S. Open title, defeating fellow teen Fernandez:
Raducanu split from coach Andrew Richardson after last year's U.S. Open — where she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title — and later hired Beltz, former coach of three-time major champion Angelique Kerber, saying she wanted someone with tour experience.
Raducanu is scheduled to play at the Madrid Open this week.
Unvaccinated Djokovic can play at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic will be allowed to defend his title at Wimbledon, despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19, because the shots are not required to enter Britain, All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said Tuesday.
Djokovic, a 34-year-old Serb who is ranked No. 1, missed the Australian Open in January after being deported from that country because he was not vaccinated against the illness caused by the coronavirus that has led to the deaths of millions during the pandemic that began in 2020.
During the annual spring briefing ahead of Wimbledon, which starts June 27, Bolton said that "whilst, of course, it is encouraged" that all players get vaccinated, "it will not be a condition of entry to compete" at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament this year.
Djokovic, in addition to being unable to defend his championship at Melbourne Park after an 11-day legal saga over whether he could remain in Australia, had to sit out tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami because he couldn't travel to the United States as a foreigner who is unvaccinated.
The U.S. Tennis Association has said it will follow whatever governmental rules are in place regarding COVID-19 vaccination status when the U.S. Open is held starting in late August.
Djokovic, who has said he got COVID-19 twice, once each in 2020 and 2021, owns 20 Grand Slam singles titles, tied with Roger Federer for the second-most for a man. They trail Rafael Nadal, who won his 21st at the Australian Open.
Six of Djokovic's trophies came at Wimbledon, including victories each of the past three times the tournament was held -— in 2018, 2019 and 2021. It was not held in 2020 because of the pandemic.
After what happened in Australia, Djokovic said he would be willing to sit out other Grand Slam tournaments if getting vaccinated were a requirement to compete. The next major event is the French Open, which begins on May 22, and tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said last month there was nothing preventing Djokovic from defending his 2021 title in Paris.
The Italian Open, a clay-court tune-up for Roland Garros, also has said Djokovic can play there next month.
Federer eyes October return
Roger Federer intends to return to tournament tennis after what will have been more than a year away from the tour by playing at the Swiss Indoors in October.
The event in Basel announced in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday the 20-time Grand Slam champion "has officially entered the tournament and will appear on the entry list with the protected ATP ranking" of No. 9.
His agent, Tony Godsick, confirmed to The Associated Press that is Federer's plan.
Federer's first match there is scheduled for Oct. 25, according to the website.
The 40-year-old Swiss star has not played a competitive match since losing to Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-0 in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on July 7. Soon after that defeat, Federer had surgery to repair damage to his meniscus and cartilage in his right knee — the third time in a span of 1 1/2 years that knee was operated on.
Federer has won a men's record eight championships at the All England Club. He and Novak Djokovic are tied for the second-most overall major tennis titles won by a man; they trail Rafael Nadal, who has 21.
Federer said in an interview with a Swiss newspaper in November that he expected to miss Wimbledon this year — it starts on June 27 — and was not sure when, if ever, he might be able to play again at a high level, although he did "want to see one last time what I'm capable of as a professional tennis player."
In February, Federer and Nadal announced they were planning to participate in the Laver Cup in London on Sept. 23-25.
That would mark Federer's return to action for the first time since last July, albeit not at a full-fledged tournament but at a team event founded by his management company.
Federer has won the Swiss Indoors trophy 10 times. The tournament will return this year after being called off in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
