Emma Raducanu’s stunning breakthrough at the 2021 US Open remains a remarkable chapter in tennis history. At just 18 and ranked No. 150, she won the tournament as a qualifier, becoming the first in the Open Era to do so and ending a 44-year British drought in women’s singles Grand Slams. Despite her early success, Raducanu’s journey since has been a mix of challenges and gradual progress.

Pam Shriver, former world No. 1 in women’s doubles and a 1984 Calendar Slam winner, shared her perspective on Raducanu’s prospects. Shriver acknowledged Raducanu’s decline into a more inconsistent form over the past few years but highlighted the extraordinary nature of her US Open victory. “If you can come out of qualifying and win ten straight matches in straight sets, I’m not going to say she can’t do it again,” Shriver said. She pointed out that without that singular triumph, Raducanu might not be viewed as a potential champion, yet her history shows the mindset of a winner.

Raducanu has struggled to replicate grand slam success, with no further quarterfinal appearances and a notably long wait until mid-2024 before securing a win over a top-10 opponent. Nevertheless, 2025 has seen improvements, highlighted by reaching her first WTA 1000 quarter-final at the Miami Open and climbing from world No. 165 to No. 33.

Shriver also commented on Raducanu’s coaching shifts and health management, noting, “Talking about someone who needs to figure out how to stay healthy it’s Raducanu.” She praised Raducanu’s maturity and clarity in constructing points despite frequent coaching changes, suggesting the player can benefit from multiple perspectives.

Looking ahead, Shriver emphasized the importance of former major winners like Raducanu remaining competitive to enrich women’s tennis. Raducanu is currently competing at the Canadian Open, having won her first-round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-2, 6-4, signaling a positive trajectory in her ongoing season.

Casper Ruud is set to participate in his fifth consecutive Laver Cup, representing Team Europe in the 2025 edition held at the Chase Center in San Francisco from September 19 to 21. The world No. 13 has an impressive record at the event, having played four singles matches with three wins and two doubles matches with one victory.

Ruud expressed his enthusiasm about the tournament, saying, “The Laver Cup is incredible, bringing together Europe, with its rich tennis history, to take on the rest of the world. I love representing Europe, and doing my best for the whole continent, not just my country. The team aspect is unique – getting to play alongside guys who are usually my rivals and to support each other is something we don’t experience often.”

He also looks forward to playing under the guidance of captains Yannick Noah and Tim, stating, “I’m also really looking forward to playing in front of Yannick and Tim for the first time – they are a dynamic duo and it’s going to be really cool. And, I’m excited to visit San Francisco for the first time. I’m a big Golden State Warriors fan, so playing in Chase Center will be something special.”

Ruud’s 2025 season has had its ups and downs, with early exits at the Australian Open and French Open, and a withdrawal from Wimbledon due to a knee issue. His standout achievement this year is winning his first Masters 1000 title in Madrid, defeating Jack Draper in the final.

Joining Ruud on Team Europe are Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Rune. Team World’s lineup includes Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, and Joao Fonseca, with more players to be announced.

In leadership changes, Jannik Noah replaces Bjorn Borg as Team Europe captain, while Andre Agassi takes over from John McEnroe for Team World. Noah praised Ruud, stating, “Casper is a great competitor who brings experience, passion and composure to the team environment. He understands the spirit of the Laver Cup and is exactly the kind of player you want by your side. I’m delighted he’s back.”

Last year’s intense Laver Cup saw Team Europe narrowly defeat Team World 13-11 in Berlin, clinched by Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Taylor Fritz.

Roger Federer, co-creator of the Laver Cup, expressed excitement about the event returning to the U.S.: “For the Laver Cup to come back to America is always great. We were in Chicago and Boston, two very successful Laver Cups, and now we’re going to San Francisco. It’s an amazing stadium, where the Golden State Warriors play. From what I’m hearing, ticket sales are going really well, and I think the Bay Area will embrace tennis.”

Federer added, “Berlin was a huge success in Germany. I was there last year and had the best time. I’m sure San Francisco will be equally successful.”

Alexander Zverev, currently ranked world No. 3, is exploring a potential coaching relationship with Toni Nadal, former longtime coach of Rafael Nadal. The German player was recently seen training with Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, which sparked speculation about an official partnership. However, Toni Nadal has not yet committed to a formal role due to his other commitments.

Zverev described his time in Mallorca as “amazing,” saying, “I spent about 10 days there, and worked really hard and enjoyed it as well. I think Toni enjoyed it probably as well.” He added, “I’m trying to convince him to do more weeks with me, and we’ll see how it goes, but he’s a very busy man. We’re talking about what a potential partnership could look like, for sure, and I can give you an update probably in a few weeks time when we know more. I enjoyed my time there, that’s for sure.”

Throughout his career, Zverev’s coaching has primarily involved his father Alexander Sr. and his older brother Mischa, with brief stints by Ivan Lendl, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and David Ferrer. His coaching situation has faced scrutiny, notably after losing to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros and following an early exit at Wimbledon.

The prospect of Toni Nadal joining his team, a coach esteemed for guiding Rafael Nadal to 16 Grand Slam titles, has drawn significant interest. However, former WTA world No. 1 Dinara Safina emphasized the importance of Zverev’s openness to change in this collaboration. On a Russian podcast, she said, “It will be exciting to watch. Toni is very straightforward. I do not know how willing Alexander is to change and integrate someone else into his team. We will see. It seems to me that a lot will depend on Alexander in this collaboration, on his willingness to change, listen and try new things. Of course, I wish him all the best.”

Since his Wimbledon exit and time training with Nadal, Zverev has begun his Canadian Open campaign with a 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory over Adam Walton. He is set to face 32nd seed Matteo Arnaldi in round three as the top seed in the tournament.