British tennis player Emma Raducanu defeated Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3 after 1 hour and 22 minutes of play in the first round of Indian Wells 2023 Tennis. The World No. 77 will face Poland's Magda Linette in the second round.
Emma Raducanu after her first-round win. Image- Tennis365
Emma Raducanu comes from a difficult season, in which she made it to the Top Ten but injuries prevented her from competing regularly. Last season her most outstanding result was the semifinals of the WTA in Seoul. In addition, she reached the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Washington. She also reached the third round of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, Madrid, and Cincinnati. However, her 2023 began with losses in the second round of Auckland and the Australian Open.
But on Thursday afternoon in Indian Wells 2023 Tennis, Raducanu gave an impressive demonstration of her resilience and intelligence. She shrugged off her poor preparation, adapted to the gusty desert conditions, and found a way through to the second round of the Indian Wells 2023 Tennis with a win over Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.
On the other hand, Danka Kovinic is close to her best ranking, the one she achieved in 2016 when she entered the Top 50. The Montenegrin maintains an even level that allows her to compete among the best in the world. Last season she became champion of the ITF W100k in Wiesbaden. She also reached the final in the WTA 125k in Buenos Aires. In addition, she played in the semifinals of Marbella and Parma. Her 2023 began with the semifinals in Auckland. After that a quick defeat at the Australian Open, the quarterfinals in Lyon, a setback in the qualy in Dubai, and an early farewell in Austin.
The start of the game of the Indian Wells 2023 Tennis began with a surprise. The Montenegrin pressed with the return and achieved the break to go two games up. However, the British remained focused, began to impose power on her shots, and went up the score. In a flurry, Raducanu strung together six games to take it 6-2 in 33 minutes. Almost like a mirror, Kovinic once again believed in herself to make the break and get back on top. However, Emma did not give up ground, quickly rallied, and then broke once more to set up her triumph. Despite the fact that her rival tried to return to the match, Raducanu never gave her a chance and sealed the 6-2, 6-3 after 1h22m.
Top 10 most-talked about Tennis dresses worn by female players
While tradition mandates all-white ensembles, the game’s gutsiest players have since experimented with a rainbow of uniforms, accessories, and even hairstyles. So, let's take a look at the top 10 most-talked-about Tennis dresses worn by female players.
A distinguished wardrobe has always had its place on the tennis court. Long considered a pastime of the elite, the refined sport has been encouraging smart dress since the turn of the 20th century.
But while tradition mandates all-white ensembles, the game’s gutsiest players have since experimented with a rainbow of uniforms, accessories, and even hairstyles.
Naturally, their taste for forward-thinking fashion extends beyond the confines of the court as well and also their sartorial choices regularly make headlines.
So, let's take a look at the top 10 most-talked-about Tennis dresses worn by female players.
Fashion in Tennis dress
Fashion in Tennis plays a major role.
From the sport’s earliest days to its top moments of controversy, tennis has long been influenced by fashion and has influenced it in turn.
As the sport evolved, a more uniform but still formal style of dress started to form for women.
The tennis look drew from lawn dresses, which were often worn to garden parties, racecourses and other outdoor leisure events. These all-white, cotton and linen garments featured lace inserts and elaborate embroidery patterns.
They eventually transitioned from being worn by spectators to being worn by players on the court. The prominence of these dresses shows that the focus of tennis attire was still on fashion, not performance.
Tennis Dress | Historical Overview
One of the earliest moments that this form-over-function mindset was challenged was at the 1887 Wimbledon Championship.
Tennis star Charlotte Dod, known as Lottie, was only 15 the first time she won a Wimbledon title; because of her youth, she was able to wear clothing that was not as restricting.
Ditching the tight corset, full-length dress and multi-layered gown, she wore calf-length garb more similar to a school uniform than a tennis uniform at the time.
Many older opponents argued that her attire gave her an unfair advantage by allowing her to move in ways and at speeds that the traditional tennis gear could not, bringing to the sport, for one of the first times, the question of designing garments for mobility and agility.
Suzanne Lenglen, center of Wimbledon 1919 fashion scandal
This concept was furthered by the iconoclastic Suzanne Lenglen, who was the center of another Wimbledon fashion scandal in 1919 when she wore a calf-length skirt, short sleeves and a floppy hat.
Despite the backlash from the press, which called her indecent, Lenglen went on to win the tournament.
She often wore a tulle wrap around her head while playing, called the “Lenglen bandeau,” which caught on to become a defining look of the Roaring Twenties.
Most-talked About Female Tennis dress | Top 10 List
1. Naomi Osaka’s girlhood, brat-inspired look (US Open 2024)
Naomi Osaka made a grand return to the US Open 2024 after a two-year break, leaving the internet obsessed with her.
Osaka entered the court to play her match against Jelena Ostapenko in a neon green ruffled dress.
The dress was styled with a detachable matching tulle-adorned mini skirt, a white cropped jacket adorned with a large green bow, and bow-decked accessories - including sneakers and headphones.
Designed by Yoon in collaboration with Nike, the dress was a nod to Naomi and the designer's love for Japan and Japanese subcultures.
2. Serena Williams’ diamond-encrusted Nike outfit (US Open 2022)
Tennis star Serena Williams, who took retirement from the sport in 2022, made a remarkable appearance for her match with Danka Kovinic in the first round of the women's singles event at the US Open 2022.
The star not only won the game but also left her fans impressed with her sartorial choice of attire.
Known to make heads turn with her on-court outfit choices, Serena once again proved her fashion prowess.
Serena turned up wearing a pair of diamond-encrusted Nike shoes, featuring solid gold lace deubre that read mama and queen with a black ensemble.
The black outfit that she wore featured an embellished bodice and sheer sleeves, and flowed into a voluminous skirt.
The tennis star herself worked with the Nike team and took to Instagram to share the details.
3. Emma Raducanu’s Tiffany & Co. Jewellery (Wimbledon 2022)
British tennis star Emma Raducanu made her Wimbledon debut in 2022 wearing approximately $37,000 worth of diamond and pearl jewelry.
The diamond teardrop earrings from the Tiffany Victoria collection, which are priced at $9,300, feature a 11-12 mm pearl suspended from a diamond flower.
The matching diamond and pearl pendant from the same collection is worth $4,800.
Raducanu paired the two pieces with an 18k gold bangle, half set with round diamonds and hinged with a "T" motif at the center.
The gold bracelet worn by Raducanu is priced at $23,000, however Tiffany & Co offers both a rose gold and silver bracelet with a slimmer band for $11,500.
4. Serena Williams’ Wakanda-inspired catsuit (French Open 2018)
Serena Williams stunned fans at the 2018 French Open when she stepped onto the court in a black Nike catsuit, a nod, at least in part, to Black Panther.
Black with a red waistband, the full-length bodysuit looked striking on Williams, a new mom; she was likened to a superhero in the ensemble.
But the catsuit won’t be welcome at Roland Garros.
While fans and the media praised the look, French Tennis Federation banned catsuits and changed the tournament’s dress code in direct response to the look.
Serena's suit was more than a fashion moment, though. It had potentially live-saving functionality.
As a full-body compression garment, it was made to help with blood clots, a health issue she’s dealt with frequently in the past.
The former American tennis star Anne White caused uproar at Wimbledon in 1985 with her choice of clothing, leaving her opponent and officials furious.
Anne was warming up in a tracksuit for her match against fifth seed Pam Shriver in the first round when she removed her suit and revealed an all-white lycra unitard.
Being 1985, it created quite a stir among the crowd and photographers. Play was stopped for the day due to bad lighting with the match tied at one set all.
The umpire Alan Mills instructed Anne to wear a more appropriate outfit the next day; she did, and lost the third set.
She was the first tennis star to be criticised for wearing a catsuit on-court.
6. Venus Williams’ Moulin Rouge-inspired look (French Open 2010)
Every time Venus Williams steps onto a court, spectators are eager to see what outfit she's wearing.
At Roland Garros 2010, Venus once again surprised the crowd when she unzipped her jacket to reveal an anything but ordinary on-court get up.
When the jacket came off, Venus wasn’t just a tennis player, she had the look of a 19th-century can-can dancer.
As she slid into forehands and loaded her legs, flying up to smash serves, Venus also had the movement of an iconic Parisian dancer.
The black and red outfit mostly consisted of lace, with the upper half a tight corset and the bottom flaring out into a flowy tutu.
Coffee-colored spandex, perfectly matching her skin-tone, rounded out the number.
This was no mistake, as Venus designed the Eleven by Venus dress herself, and every inch of this stunning dress was intentional.
7. Bethanie Mattek-Sands’ Lady Gaga look (Wimbledon 2011)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is famous for her unusual fashion taste, decked out in a Lady Gaga-inspired jacket festooned with real tennis balls before her first round defeat in the Wimbledon 2011.
Although the All England Club usually demands a conservative, predominantly white outfit, Mattek-Sands lived up to her flamboyant reputation.
She wore a white jacket covered in tassel and cut-in-half tennis balls, knee-high socks and a top which had one sleeve missing to show off her tattoos.
The American's lengthy list of fashion crimes also includes being fined for wearing a striped cowboy hat during a match at the 2005 US Open and donning a leopard-print outfit at the same event.
8. Serena Williams' silver stud black dress (US Open 2004)
For her third round of women's singles at US Open 2004, Serena Williams opted for an all-black ensemble (also by Nike), wearing a dress featuring silver studs all around the neck, down the midline and at the hips.
The GOAT paired the look with a heart-chain bracelet on one wrist and a matching black studded wristband on the other.
She rounded out her accessories with diamond-encrusted hoop earrings and a black headband that debuted the official Serena logo.
Instead of a typical athletic sneaker, Williams sported what can only be described as knee-high sneaker boots.
9. Maria Sharapova' s Riccardo Tisci little black dress (US Open 2017)
Maria Sharapova created sensation to the US Open 2017 courts with her little black dress designed by Riccardo Tisci for Nike.
Lace, Swarovski crystals, dots and leather details, the Russian carried them all for an ultra daring and glamorous look perfect for night matches in New York.
The tennis fashion queen decided to balance the femininity of the dress with masculine energy of a slightly oversized bomber jacket that is billowy in the back.
The best thing is that the elegant outfit, far from a typical sports look, is by no means compromising performance and Sharapova proved that by ousting world number two Simona Halep in the first-round thriller.
10. Caroline Wozniacki's beige Adidas dress (Toray Pan Pacific Open 2014)
Danish former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki sported a beige Adidas dress at the 2014 Toray Pan Pacific Open.
The Adidas number featured contrasting panels of brown and beige, as well as a side ruffle that added some flair to an otherwise classic look.
Despite being bogged down by a useless ruffle, Wozniacki finds herself back in a Slam final.
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head stats
If Djokovic wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat.
Novak Djokovic moved one win closer to capturing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title when he ended 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti's dream in straight sets and sought revenge on defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match will be the rematch of last year's final which the Spaniard won in five sets.
If the 37-year-old Serbian wins a record-tying 25th major on Sunday, he will become the oldest champion in Wimbledon history. Djokovic, leading Alcaraz 3-2 in the ATP head2head series, will be eager to avenge that defeat and equal Roger Federer's record eight Wimbledon crowns.
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz Match Info
Men's Singles Final: July 14, Sunday
Venue:AELTC Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Ground
Location:London, England
Court Surface:Grass
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head
Year
Event
Round
Winning Player
Losing Player
Score / Result
2022
Madrid Masters
SF
Alcaraz
Djokovic
6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5)
2023
French Open
SF
Djokovic
Alcaraz
6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
2023
Wimbledon
Final
Alcaraz
Djokovic
1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
2023
Cincinnati Masters
Final
Djokovic
Alcaraz
5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4)
2023
Nitto ATP Finals
SF
Djokovic
Alcaraz
6-3, 6-2
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Form against each other
In the past two years against one another, Djokovic has three wins and Alcaraz has one. In their last match, on November 18, 2023, Djokovic won 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic has clinched nine sets against Alcaraz (64.3%), while Alcaraz has taken five. In 136 total games against one another, Djokovic has taken 77, while Alcaraz has claimed 59. When going head-to-head, Alcaraz and Djokovic have averaged 34 games and 3.5 sets in their four matches against each other.
Djokovic's 2024 performance
Djokovic has captured zero tournament victories on the year, with an overall record of 16-6. In 2024, Djokovic hasn't yet played a match on grass. He is averaging 27.3 games per match (33.2 in best-of-five matches) through his 22 matches played this year across all court surfaces, posting a 57.7% game-winning percentage. Djokovic has put up a service game-winning percentage of 82.1% on all surfaces (247-for-301 in service games) and a return game-winning percentage of 33.1% (99-for-299 in return games).
Alcaraz has won two of his nine tournaments this year, with an overall match record of 32-6. He has a match record of 7-1 on grass courts so far this year. Alcaraz has competed in 38 matches this year (across all court types), and 26.6 games per match (34.4 in best-of-five matches). The World No. 3 has won 35.6% of his return games this year, while also winning 83.5% of his service games.
In this article, we will explore the players who have achieved positions in the top 100 ATP rankings in the category of men’s singles since its inception in 1973. So Let's take a look at the 'Highest Ranked Indian Tennis Player'.
Tennis in India is not as popular as cricket. But Indian tennis has been enjoying a good run of late. No doubt, the athletes have been neglected for many years. But thanks to their constant efforts, tennis is already set to be a revolution in the near future. In this article, we will explore the players who have achieved positions in the top 100 ATP rankings in the category of men’s singles since its inception in 1973. So Let's take a look at the 'Highest Ranked Indian Tennis Player'.
Jasjit Singh was the first Sikh player to represent the Indian Davis Cup team. Notably, India advanced to the final in his inaugural Davis Cup appearance. Furthermore, he finished second in the 1975 Australian Open and the 1969 US Open. Jasjit achieved the world ranking of 89 in the men’s singles category on June 3, 1974.
9. Yuki Bhambri | 83
Yuki Bhambri achieved the junior no. 1 ranking in February 2009. During the same year, he secured the Junior Australian Open Boys singles title, thus becoming the fourth Indian in history to achieve such a feat at a Grand Slam championship. In 2015, Bhambri achieved a significant milestone by entering the top 100 ranking in the men’s singles division.
After that, Yuki qualified for the 2015 Australian Open, losing to Andy Murray in the first round. On April 16, 2018, Yuki reached his highest men’s singles ranking, attaining the 83rd position. In 2018, Yuki reached the third-round of the Indian Wells Masters and second round in the Miami Open, both was prestigious ATP Masters 1000 events.
8. Prajnesh Gunneswaran | 75
Prajnesh Gunneswaran turned professional towards the end of 2018. Entering the 2018 season ranked at 243, he consistently performed well, finishing the season with a career-best ranking of 104. On February 11, 2019, Prajnesh achieved a significant milestone by entering the top 100 ranking in the men’s singles division for the first time in his career. Prajnesh attained his highest career ranking of 75 on April 22, 2019. His most notable accomplishment remains the winning of a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
Vijay Amritraj’s younger brother Anand Amritraj has a win-loss record of 195-170. Anand secured seven singles titles throughout his career. He also contributed to India’s 1987 Davis Cup team, which advanced to the final. On November 6, 1974, he attained his highest ranking in the men’s singles division, reaching the 74th position. His most notable performance in a Grand Slam was reaching the third round of the US Open in 1974.
6. Leander Paes | 73
Leander Paes has emerged victorious in 101 matches throughout his career. His most notable performance in a Grand Slam tournament occurred in 1997, when he advanced to the third round of the US Open. Moreover, his highest singles ranking was 73. He reached that position on October 24, 1998. Leander has clinched eight Grand Slam titles in men’s doubles and 10 in the mixed doubles category.
5. Sashi Menon | 71
Sashi Menon actively participated in over 700 matches from 1970 to 1984, 15 years of his career. With a career win percentage of 46.4%, he secured four singles titles. His highest ranking in the men’s singles division was 71, achieved on October 21, 1975.
4. Sumit Nagal | 71
The 4th Indian men’s singles player to enter the highest ranked Indian tennis player list is Sumit Nagal. He achieved this milestone on June 17, 2024, by finishing runner-up at the Perugia ATP Challenger tournament. This performance moved him 6 spots up in the rankings. Nagal was ranked 77th last week.
In 2024, Nagal made it to the second round of the Australian Open. He also won the men's singles title at the Heilbronn Neckarcup 2024 Challenger event in Germany in June and the Chennai Open in February. Nagal has won four ATP Challenger titles since 2023 and Heilbronn was his fourth title on clay.
Somdev Devvarman did not attain any accolades in Grand Slam tournaments, but he secured a gold medal in the men’s singles event at both the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games. On July 25, 2011, Devvarman achieved his career-high ranking, reaching 62nd in the ATP Men’s Singles. Regarding his ATP titles, he attained two runner-up titles in the ATP World Tour 250 series.
2. Ramesh Krishnan | 23
Ramesh Krishnan emerged as a notable figure in the world of tennis during the era of Vijay Amritraj. With a career win-loss record of 319-285, Ramesh attained his highest individual ranking of 23 in the men’s singles category on January 28, 1985. His most notable performances at Grand Slam events include reaching the quarterfinals twice at the US Open and once at Wimbledon. Additionally, he was part of the Indian team that advanced to the Davis Cup final in 1987 and also secured eight ATP 250 series titles throughout his career.
1. Vijay Amritraj | 18
The leading figure in men’s singles tennis in India is Vijay Amritraj. Throughout his illustrious 23-year professional career, he achieved a win-loss record of 399-308. On July 7, 1980, he reached his career-high ranking of 18, a record that still stands as the highest ranked Indian tennis player in the men’s singles category. Furthermore, his notable Grand Slam performances include two quarter-final finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Sumit Nagal reaches highest ranking of his career ahead of Wimbledon 2024
Sumit Nagal also goes past Leander Paes by becoming the joint-fourth highest-ranked Indian man in ATP Rankings history. Paes had a career-high singles ranking of 73 in 1998.
Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal on Monday continued his improvement in the ATP singles rankings and reached the 71st position, the highest ranking of his career.
Sumit Nagal, who was preparing for the Paris Olympics 2024, was ranked 77th last week. He managed to move up six places by finishing runner-up at the Perugia ATP Challenger tournament. Nagal now has 777 ATP points.
Nagal surpasses Leander Paes
Sumit Nagal also goes past Leander Paes by becoming the joint-fourth highest-ranked Indian man in ATP Rankings history. Paes had a career-high singles ranking of 73 in 1998. Ahead of Nagal and Menon, who were ranked 71st in the world in 1975, are Somdev Devvarman (62), Ramesh Krishnan (23), and Vijay Amritraj (18).
Only Indian to make it to the Paris Olympics in men's singles
By performing well recently, Sumit Nagal not only improved his ranking but also managed to secure a place in the men's singles of the Olympic Games. He is the only Indian player to make it into the men's singles draw of the Paris Olympics.
Nagal won Heilbronn Neckarcup 2024 Challenger event
Nagal made it to the second round of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year but was eliminated in the first round at the French Open. Matches in the Paris Games will also be held at Roland Garros where the French Open is played.
Nagal had won the men's singles title at the Heilbronn Neckarcup 2024 Challenger event in Germany earlier this month and the Chennai Open in February. Nagal, who is currently the best-ranked Indian singles player, has won four ATP Challenger titles since 2023 and Heilbronn was his fourth title on clay.
The 44-year-old Rohan Bopanna won the Australian Open Grand Slam at the beginning of the year and reached the semi-finals of the French Open last week.
World No. 4 doubles tennis player Rohan Bopanna secured an automatic quota place for the Paris Olympics 2024 through his ATP rankings in doubles on Tuesday.
Rohan Bopanna represented India in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics but missed out on a place at the Tokyo Olympics. He secured the quota for India by maintaining his position in the top 10 in the doubles rankings since November last year.
The 44-year-old Rohan Bopanna won the Australian Open Grand Slam at the beginning of the year and reached the semi-finals of the French Open last week.
Rohan Bopanna will reportedly partner with world no 67 Sriram Balaji for the 2024 Olympics.
Each country can achieve a maximum of four quotas
64 players each will participate in the men's and women's singles events at Paris 2024. According to the ATP rankings released on June 10, the top 56 men's singles players have secured quotas for their respective countries. However, each country can achieve a maximum of four quotas.
The men's and women's doubles draw at Paris 2024 will consist of 32 teams, with one team being a pair of athletes from the same country, i.e. a maximum of two teams from each country.
The tennis qualification window for Paris 2024 ended on Monday. National Olympic Committees have until June 19 to confirm the use of their quota.
Sumit Nagal made the cut a day before
India's Sumit Nagal has also secured quota places for the Paris Games a day before. Nagal made the cut-off after rising 18 places in the singles rankings last week, according to Olympics.com, making him the last player to earn a quota through the world rankings.
Nagal, who was ranked 95th last week, achieved his career-high ranking of 77th after winning the ATP Challenger title at the Heilbronn Challenger Cup in Germany on Sunday. He defeated Switzerland's world number 184 Alexander Ritschard 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 to clinch the title.
Although Nagal is ranked 77th, he is last among the eligible players to get quota through world rankings.
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