The week following a Grand Slam rarely delivers headline-defining moments — but this one made up for it in volume. From veteran comebacks and unexpected finalists on the WTA Tour to unusual storylines on the ATP side, here is a complete, expert breakdown of the key tennis events of the past week.
A Quiet Calendar, but Plenty of Stories
The first full week after a Grand Slam traditionally sits in a transitional zone of the tennis calendar. Many top players rest, others rebuild momentum, and mid-level tournaments often produce unpredictable outcomes. This week followed that script — yet it stood out for the sheer number of noteworthy developments across both tours.
WTA Tour: Breakthrough Finals, Surprise Titles, and Russian Storylines
Raducanu Reaches Her First Final in Over Four Years
At the WTA event in Cluj, Emma Raducanu reached her first tour-level final since her stunning US Open triumph in 2021. After more than four years marked by injuries, coaching changes, and fluctuating form, the former Grand Slam champion finally put together a full week of convincing tennis.
Raducanu ultimately lost the final to home favorite Sorana Cîrstea, who, remarkably, has collected more WTA titles in the past six months than she had in the previous 16 years combined. For Raducanu, however, the result signals tangible progress rather than disappointment — a meaningful step in her long-anticipated comeback.
Katie Boulter Wins in Ostrava — and Returns to the Top 100
In Ostrava, Katie Boulter captured the WTA title — complete with a racket-shaped trophy — in a tournament that defied conventional expectations. Her highest-ranked opponent en route to the championship was world No. 89 Viktoria Golubic, highlighting the unusually open nature of the draw.
The victory marked Boulter’s first WTA title since 2024 and propelled her back into the top 100. Off the court, the tournament also produced a lighter storyline: the trophy reportedly doubled as inspiration for wedding ring ideas, adding a personal footnote to her professional success.
Abu Dhabi: Russian Players Everywhere — With Mixed Results
The largest WTA tournament of the week, held in Abu Dhabi, featured multiple storylines involving players from Russia and the Russian tennis system.
- Oksana Selekhmeteva suffered a painful opening-round loss to Jelena Ostapenko, failing twice to serve out the match and missing two match points.
- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova extended her losing streak to four matches — a run that would later grow to five after Doha. Her last victory came back in August.
- Former Russian Daria Kasatkina also recorded her third straight defeat, though she later managed to stop the slide with a win in Doha.
Alexandrova Plays Two Finals in One Day
Despite the mixed results around her, Ekaterina Alexandrova emerged as one of the week’s most prominent figures. In Abu Dhabi, she reached her fourth final of the past year, a testament to her consistency at the upper tier of the WTA Tour.
However, she fell short again — this time losing to 20-year-old Czech player Sara Bejlek, who was playing her first WTA final. The win propelled Bejlek from outside the top 100 straight into the top 40, marking one of the most dramatic ranking jumps of the week.
Alexandrova did not leave Abu Dhabi empty-handed. Teaming up with Maya Joint, she secured the doubles title — meaning she played two finals in a single day and walked away with silverware.
Vera Zvonareva: A Veteran Defying Time
The most striking achievement of the week came at a tournament that had only just begun.
At the WTA 1000 event in Doha, 41-year-old Vera Zvonareva advanced through two qualifying rounds and won a main-draw match — an extraordinary feat given her current ranking near the bottom of the top 600.
The former world No. 2 defeated opponents ranked inside the top 90, top 60, and top 50 in succession. It marked her first appearance in a WTA main draw since 2023 and her first main-draw win at this level since 2022.
Zvonareva is now one of only two players over the age of 40 inside the top 600 — the other being Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion. Her next opponent, Victoria Mboko, is 22 years younger. The year Mboko was born, Zvonareva finished the season inside the world’s top 25 — a statistic that underscores the scale of her longevity.
ATP Tour: Debut Semifinalists, Fatherhood Benefits, and a Painful Accident
Montpellier: New Names and a Familiar Champion
The lone ATP event of the week, held in Montpellier, featured two debut semifinalists:
- Frenchman Titouan Droguet (world No. 150), and
- American Martin Damm (world No. 160), the son of the 2006 US Open doubles champion.
Despite the fresh faces, the title once again went to Félix Auger-Aliassime, who successfully defended his championship for the second consecutive year.
Mpetchi Perricard’s Unfortunate Self-Inflicted Injury
The tournament, however, will be remembered most for an unusual incident involving Giovanni Mpetchi Perricard. In his first-round match, the Frenchman suffered an eye injury that he inflicted on himself, forcing him to retire mid-match — one of the most bizarre withdrawals of the season so far.
Casper Ruud Becomes the First to Use the New Parenthood Rule
Another notable ATP storyline involved Casper Ruud, who withdrew from the Dallas tournament shortly after it began. The decision followed a joyful life event: the birth of his daughter.
Ruud became the first ATP player to use the tour’s new regulation, which allows players to withdraw from tournaments without penalty due to recent parenthood. His partner waited for his return from Australia — where Ruud reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in 18 months — before giving birth, highlighting a carefully coordinated balance between professional and personal life.
Conclusion: A Transitional Week That Delivered Depth
While the calendar suggested a quieter stretch, the past week offered a dense collection of meaningful tennis narratives. Veteran resilience, emerging talents, personal milestones, and rare on-court incidents combined to make it one of the most story-rich post-Grand-Slam weeks in recent memory.
For more in-depth news, analysis, and updates on the world’s top tennis players, visit our tennis news section, where we cover the latest stories from the ATP and WTA Tours.
