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‘A double entendre in every crevice’: what, beyond near-naked tennis, is Sydney Sweeney’s game?
Sydney Sweeney’s new semi-nude advertisement for sports prediction platform Novig has reignited debate over whether her provocative marketing is a knowing performance, calculated controversy, or something more troubling dressed up as empowerment. Writing in the Guardian, the columnist argues that Sweeney’s evident self-awareness and delight in stirring reaction suggest genuine skill, but questions remain about…
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British tennis player flying to Lithuania mistakenly told he had been deported and escorted from plane
A British tennis player, Stuart Burden, was wrongly identified as a deportee and marched off a Wizz Air flight in Vilnius, despite wearing a Great Britain tracksuit and holding a valid UK passport. The mistake, which he only escaped after his teammates alerted cabin crew, raises concerns that a genuine deportee may have gone unquestioned…
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Ben Shelton loses in US Open final to Zverev, but America has found its next big men’s tennis star
Ben Shelton fell short of ending America’s 23-year wait for a men’s Grand Slam singles champion, losing the US Open final 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 to Alexander Zverev on Sunday in New York. Despite the defeat, the article argues Shelton’s run to his first major final has given American men’s tennis a genuine star…
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Zverev caps transformational year with US Open triumph
Alexander Zverev won his first US Open title, beating American Ben Shelton in the men’s singles final at Flushing Meadows to complete a remarkable turnaround in a season that had begun with doubts over whether he would ever claim one of tennis’s biggest prizes. The win, coming just months after his maiden Grand Slam title…
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How Zverev and Shelton emerged from ‘Sincaraz’ shadow
Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton meet in Sunday’s US Open men’s final, with both players already having reason to view their 2026 Grand Slam season as a success regardless of the result. German top seed Zverev has broken free of the shadow cast by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who dominated the last two years’…
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‘Tough to control emotions’ as Sabalenka suffers another near miss
Aryna Sabalenka fell to a 6-4 5-7 6-2 defeat by Elena Rybakina in the US Open final, extending her run of near misses in Grand Slam finals and leaving her without a major title in a season for the first time since 2022. The loss also cost the Belarusian her world number one ranking, which…
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Only Roland Garros towel left, says Ukraine tennis player after Russian strike hits flat
Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska has said her family’s flat in the Black Sea port of Odesa was destroyed in a Russian missile strike, with only a Roland Garros towel surviving the blaze. The 26-year-old shared images of the burning building on social media, describing it as “a direct hit by a Kalibr cruise missile”…
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Zverev through to third Grand Slam final in a row
Alexander Zverev reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final by beating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) in the US Open semi-finals. The German top seed continues his strong run in 2026, having already won the French Open in June and reached the Wimbledon final in July, and he now goes into Sunday’s showpiece…
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US Open tennis finals, the Manchester derby and Solheim Cup – follow with us
This Guardian live blog rounds up a busy day of sport on Saturday, spanning tennis, football, Formula One and golf. Elena Rybakina will face defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final after beating Coco Gauff in a thrilling semi-final, while a full Premier League and Championship programme includes the Manchester derby-style clashes involving…
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How 9/11 ‘shattered the guise of safety’ for tennis’ travelling circus
The US Open is marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday, with Arthur Ashe Stadium lit blue overnight and American flags flown at half-mast in memory of the 2,977 people killed. Former world number four James Blake, who was born in New York and was competing at that year’s tournament, has told…