Naomi Osaka made a confident start to her Canadian Open run, easing past Panna Udvardy in straight sets in her opening match.

The Japanese player has put together a strong season so far, even if a singles title still eludes her. Her closest chance came at the Washington Open, where she reached the semi finals of the WTA 500 event before being defeated in straight sets by Alex Eala.

Osaka also had plenty to say about Eala’s rise on the WTA Tour. After her own match, she was asked about the Filipina’s growing support and responded with praise for both the atmosphere and the fans.

“I think it’s great. Like, just now I finished my match and the little go cart was taking me back, I looked at the practice court and it was completely full,” said Osaka in her post-match press conference when asked about Eala.

“I was like, who’s practicing right now? She didn’t even go on court yet and then I saw the Filipino flags and I was like, um-hum. But, no, I think it’s awesome. Like, they’re so kind, too, the fans.

“Like, I think she’s playing late tonight and some of them were on my court cheering for me. I just felt really grateful. So it’s so cool that she’s building a new community.

“And then obviously her fans probably, like, watch tennis enough now to have like other favorites too. So I think it’s amazing, and obviously great for the tournament, because she sells a lot of tickets.”

Both players remain alive in the Canadian Open and are among the leading contenders for the title. Eala advanced with a three-set win over Alycia Parks and will face Caty McNally in the third round after McNally beat Linda Noskova in straight sets. Osaka is scheduled to meet Elise Mertens in the third round.

They are positioned in the same section of the draw, leaving open the possibility of another meeting in the semi finals if both continue to progress. Their Washington Open match was their first on the WTA Tour, and with both in form, it may not be their last meeting in 2026.

The two are separated by six places in the rankings. Eala is world No 20 after her Washington Open victory, while Osaka sits at world No 14. With only two of the top 20 already out of the Canadian Open, the women’s field remains particularly strong.

Teenager Kristina Liutova has joined a short list in WTA history after capturing the Memphis Open, becoming the second-youngest player to win a tour title on debut.

The 16-year-old moved through qualifying and then completed a remarkable run by beating Czech Darja Vidmanova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the final to claim the first singles title of her career. The result is set to bring a substantial rise in the WTA Rankings.

Liutova opened her WTA 250 campaign with a tense qualifying win over Mariia Kozyreva, recovering to prevail 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the second round. In the first round that followed, she was level with top seed Ekaterina Alexandrova at 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 5-4 when the former world No 10 retired because of illness.

From there, Liutova kept advancing with a three-set victory over Maja Joint, then a straight-sets win against sixth seed Caty McNally, before finishing her route to the final with another straight-sets result over Elvina Kalieva.

The final itself tested her again. Vidmanova, aged 23, broke three times in the opening set to seize control. Liutova answered by breaking twice in the second set to force a decider. She then moved 4-0 ahead, but Vidmanova reacted well, saving three match points in game eight before Liutova converted on her fourth match point in the next game.

At 16 years and 175 days, Liutova sits behind only Mirjana Lucic in the list of youngest players to win a title on debut. Lucic won Bol in 1997 at 15 years and 50 days, while Angelique Widjaja now ranks third after taking the Bali title in 2001 at 16 years and 286 days.

The ranking gains were equally striking. Liutova began the event at No 229, four places above her previous best, and rises 103 spots in the Live WTA Rankings to No 126. She earns 268 points in total, including 250 for the title and 16 from qualifying. Vidmanova collects 151 points and moves up 22 places to No 92.

Prize money also reflected the scale of the breakthrough, with Liutova taking home $37,390. Before the final, her 2026 earnings stood at $42,944 and her career total at $49,499. Vidmanova, playing in her first WTA singles final, earned $22,125.

Ekaterina Alexandrova’s first-round match at the Memphis Classic ended in troubling fashion when she collapsed and was forced to retire against 16-year-old Kristina Liutova.

The conditions at the Leftwich Tennis Centre in Tennessee were severe, with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius and humidity described as extremely high. That created a demanding setting for both players in what developed into a marathon first-round contest. Liutova, appearing as a WTA Tour debutant, matched the world No 19 for long spells in a match that became a battle of survival as much as tennis.

The opening set lasted more than an hour, and the teenager needed one hour and 11 minutes to win her first-ever set at the top level. Alexandrova responded by taking the second set, which pushed the contest into a decider and extended the strain on both players.

Late in the third set, Alexandrova began to struggle. The match was paused briefly, and she was then handed a time violation after taking too long to serve. She tried to continue, but at 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 5-4 in Liutova’s favour, she collapsed to the ground.

Medics rushed to her aid, and the scene became especially tense as Liutova grew emotional and started crying while the veteran received treatment. Alexandrova eventually got back on her feet, but she could not go on and forfeited the match. The official match time was three hours and 11 minutes, and Liutova secured her first-ever singles win on the WTA Tour.

Liutova had reached the main draw by winning her qualifying match and now faces Australian Maya Joint for a place in the quarter-final. She began the tournament at No 229 in the official WTA Rankings and has climbed 25 places in the Live WTA Rankings to a career-high No 204.

Before the WTA 250 Memphis Open, the 16-year-old had earned $49,499 in career prize money and is now guaranteed another $4,285. If she beats Joint, she will face either sixth seed Caty McNally or fellow qualifier Ma Yexin in the quarter-final, a round worth $7,025 and 54 ranking points.

Alexandrova was not the only seed to fall on Tuesday. Second seed McCartney Kessler lost 6-4, 6-1 to Renata Zarazua, third seed Viktorija Golubic was beaten 5-7, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7) by Katie Volynets, and eighth seed Yuliia Starodubtseva went down 4-6, 7-5, 2-6 to wildcard Sloane Stephens.