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.

Leylah Fernandez has already shared the doubles court with Venus Williams, but the American’s influence has continued well after their partnerships ended.

The two first joined forces at last year’s US Open and immediately made an impact, upsetting the sixth seeds and 12th seeds on their way to the quarter-finals before falling to Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.

They reunited in March at the Miami Open, though that campaign was brief, with Asia Muhammad and Erin Routliffe ending their run in the opening round.

Even so, the connection has remained strong. Williams, her husband Andrea Preti and members of her team have continued to keep Fernandez in mind, often sending messages after matches.

“It’s been super fun. Venus has definitely a welcoming aura where she always wants to support and help as much as possible,” Fernandez revealed.

“I always see her or her husband or someone from her team sometimes watching my matches. At the end of my matches, they would send me a message either congratulating me or, like, telling me to keep my head up.

“That definitely helps in those tough moments, in those good moments to keep going because I know she’s gone through those wins and losses, and she’s always found a way to bounce back.

“So it motivates me. It encourages me, and it definitely kind of brings me back to why I play tennis. It’s more like I just want to enjoy my time on court, just the same way that she’s doing right now playing tennis and competing and winning matches. I always see her smiling, so it’s always nice.”

A return for the pair at this year’s US Open appears unlikely, with the seven-time Grand Slam winner expected to partner her sister Serena Williams at the home major.

Fernandez, however, is not closing the door on another chance to team up.

“I don’t know what the plan is. I’ve been taking it one tournament at a time, so we’ll see. We’ll see what’s in the cards for us, but it would be cool to run it back with her,” the 23-year-old said.

“If it does happen, it will be fun. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll always wish her the best of luck, and I’m sure she’ll do the same for me.”

The tennis schedule is moving back into focus after a quiet spell since Wimbledon, and the Washington Open is first up as the North American hardcourt swing gets underway.

The ATP 500 event is often treated as a launch pad for the bigger events that follow. Over the next six weeks, players will look ahead to the Canadian Open, the Cincinnati Open, and the US Open, which is why Washington regularly draws a strong field.

This year, though, the picture is different. Only two players from the top 10 are set to compete in the US capital: Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. That limited elite presence comes after Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev withdrew just three days before the tournament was due to begin.

They are the only main-draw withdrawals listed so far, but qualifying has also lost several notable names. Mattia Bellucci, Arthur Fery, Luca Van Assche, Adam Walton, and Eliot Spizzirri are all confirmed absentees.

Fery is the most eye-catching withdrawal among them after his memorable run to the Wimbledon semi finals at his home Grand Slam. Even so, he had already indicated that Washington was not part of his main North American plan. “Cincinnati, Winston-Salem and the US Open, they’re pretty much locked in,” said the British star when asked which tournaments he would be playing on the North American hardcourt swing.

He also spoke about the US Open seeding picture, saying, “I might already be in there [the top 32] if I’m lucky, a few withdrawals,” he said. “I don’t think I will be able to contribute to the ranking anymore before the list comes out for the US Open, because it’s going to come out soon.

“Being seeded obviously protects you a little bit from the top guys, but it’s my first main draw that I qualify for directly with my ranking so just going to take it as it goes.”

With so few top-ranked players in the draw, the Washington Open could still offer a breakthrough moment for someone lower down the list. The entry sheet also includes Lorenzo Musetti, Learner Tien, Jakub Mensik, Frances Tiafoe, Arthur Fils, Tommy Paul, Rafael Jodar, Arthur Rinderknech, Ugo Humbert, Brandon Nakashima, Tomas Etcheverry, Alejandro Tabilo, Matteo Arnaldi, Zizou Bergs, Adrian Mannarino, Kamil Majchrzak, Alex Michelsen, Tallon Griekspoor, Ethan Quinn, Terence Atmane, and wildcard entries Ben Shelton, Jack Draper, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Kei Nishikori.

Among the names to watch, Rafael Jodar will be aiming for his first hardcourt title, while Jack Draper is hoping to show the US Open that he deserves a wildcard. Arthur Fils, Tommy Paul, and Learner Tien, meanwhile, will be trying to extend the strong form they have shown throughout 2026.