Gigi Salmon displays on the ladies’s Grand Slams and discovering a steadiness to handle the demanding nature of the schedule. She additionally explains why Elena Rybakina is the participant to observe in 2026, and the presenter displays on Brit Joe Salisbury taking a break from tennis as a consequence of his struggles with nervousness in her newest Sky Sports activities column.
If issues are very predictable on the prime of the boys’s recreation the identical cannot be stated of the ladies’s.
The 4 Grand Slams produced 4 totally different winners! 12 months-end No 1 was Aryna Sabalenka and the winner of the WTA Tour Finals was Elena Rybakina.
Add within the rise this 12 months of two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova, who began the 12 months ranked 36 and completed because the world No 4, there’s six-time main champion Iga Swiatek, and regardless of the continued discussions concerning the Coco Gauff serve and forehand, she received the French Open and completed because the third finest participant on the earth.
One factor a variety of the highest feminine gamers spoke about this 12 months was discovering a steadiness, one thing to provide them respite from the relentless nature of the WTA Tour which could be damaging each bodily and mentally.
Sabalenka took time away throughout varied levels of the season
Sabalenka took day trip at varied levels of the season to recharge and swap off, throughout which she stated she needed to repeatedly and politely flip down the tequila that she was supplied at practically each restaurant she went to in Mykonos!
Having spoken to her for Sky Sports activities Tennis after profitable in each Miami and Madrid she did say she could be celebrating with tequila, positively somebody who is aware of the way to work onerous and social gathering onerous!
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Iga Swiatek says enjoying too many tournaments within the season makes her benefit from the sport much less
Swiatek additionally advised that shifting ahead she would look to make the schedule work for her and I believe that it is one thing we’ll see extra of the gamers doing as how typically can we get to the again finish of the 12 months and see seasons shut down early or gamers not at their finest as a consequence of harm or fatigue?
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Ons Jabeur opens up about her struggles on the WTA Tour and says it is time to critically have a look at the tennis schedule
Ons Jabeur who we spoke to not too long ago on the tour finals in Riyadh having stepped again from the tour in July to deal with her wellbeing, revealed that she had been struggling bodily and mentally on the tennis courtroom for 2 years.
She additionally informed us that she hadn’t put a timeline on when she would return, one thing that turned extra comprehensible within the week after the finals when she introduced her being pregnant, such nice information for Ons and husband Karim with the child due in April.
Gigi Salmon, Tim Henman and Laura Robson and the remainder of the Sky Sports activities Tennis groups on the WTA Finals in Riyadh
Might Rybakina clear up in 2026?
Elena Rybakina celebrates profitable the WTA Finals
Somebody who was stuffed with vitality as she sprinted to the end line was Rybakina who received Ningbo and reached the semi-finals in Tokyo to safe her place within the WTA Finals after which go on to win the ultimate – undefeated – and accumulate a cheque for $5.235m!
Rybakina has a recreation which, when she’s on, could make her unplayable. The problem in recent times has been the consistency whether or not as a consequence of sickness or difficulties off the courtroom which noticed her coach Stefano Vukov provisionally suspended from the tour in the beginning of the 12 months. A prolonged investigation by the WTA discovered him to have breached the code of conduct, particularly for ‘abuse of authority and abusive conduct.’
Rybakina maintained all through the method that she was by no means mistreated by Vukov and on attraction, the ban was lifted in August and he returned to the teaching field.
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Highlights of the WTA Finals between Elena Rybakina and prime seed Aryna Sabalenka
A match, wholesome and joyful Rybakina will likely be very harmful in 2026 and all of it bodes nicely for excellent competitors, continued rivalries and a energy in depth within the ladies’s recreation highlighted by the truth that ultimately of season evaluate present on Sky Sports activities Tennis, the place I used to be joined by Tim Henman, Laura Robson and Jonathan Overend, we largely went for various winners of the Grand Slams, with some shocking predictions thrown in!
From a British viewpoint, I touched on Jack Draper when talking concerning the ATP season, but in addition on the boys’s aspect it was so good to see the return to type of Cam Norrie, who was capable of flip his season round from being down at 91 on the earth again in Might, to a place the place he will likely be seeded on the Australian Open subsequent 12 months as the present world No 27.
And bear in mind we begin the 12 months with one of the best two gamers on the earth in males’s doubles proper now, Julian Money and Lloyd Glasspool, after their unimaginable 12 months with 5 Brits within the Prime 10.
Salisbury’s troubles with nervousness
Joe Salisbury is taking a break from tennis as a consequence of his struggles with nervousness
A phrase on Joe Salisbury and to want him nicely, who with accomplice Neal Skupski made it to the ultimate of the Tour Finals earlier than asserting he could be taking a break from the game as a consequence of his struggles with nervousness.
Joe, who’s a former world No 1, stated that he has been experiencing “heart palpitations” happening to say: “I’ve been struggling to sleep and then, because of the feeling in the stomach, struggling to eat well, eat enough. It’s almost like a feeling of dread – that something bad is going to happen.”
Joe has stated that he’s unlikely to return to the tour till subsequent April on the earliest.
On the ladies’s aspect heaps to sit up for. British No 1 Emma Raducanu not too long ago withdrew from a few post-season exhibitions as a consequence of mild bone bruising on her proper foot, however at 29 on the earth and with the continued partnership with coach Francisco Roig and new physio Emma Stewart on board, preparations can now start for the brand new season that may begin in Perth on the United Cup alongside Jack Draper and captained by our very personal Tim Henman!
Sonay Kartal and Fran Jones each completed inside the Prime 100 after good years which they are going to be trying to construct on and Katie Boulter will likely be hoping to remain harm free to place stress on these forward of her.
As at all times there is no relaxation within the tennis calendar, exhibitions will proceed all through the low season and remember on Sky Sports activities Tennis it is possible for you to to see Draper’s return to motion on the UTS after which one of the best of the brand new era with the Subsequent Gen Finals.
It has been one other nice 12 months being a part of and seeing the expansion of Sky Sports activities Tennis. Thanks to everybody concerned in each space of the channel and to you for watching.
As soon as once more now we have made a promise to be higher with our predictions, after seeing a slight enchancment this 12 months and within the shut season. Tim goes to be engaged on his TikTok’s [or is it TimTok’s?] after making fairly an impression with Amanda Anisimova saying that she loved them after which being a part of one on the aircraft out of Riyadh.
And Laura will likely be juggling her tennis with coaching for the London Marathon so heaps to maintain everybody busy and we sit up for being again collectively and again with you in 2026.
Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions in 2026, reside on Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this 12 months at no further price. Discover out extra right here.
