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Aryna Sabalenka overcame a rusty start in Wuhan as she fought back to beat Rebecca Sramkova in her first appearance since winning the US Open.

The world number one secured her first Grand Slam trophy of the year in New York, retaining her title as she defeated Amanda Anisimova in the final.

But in her first match for over a month, Sabalenka’s game was initially riddled with errors and she struggled with the power of Slovakia’s Sramkova, ranked 68th in the world.

However, after losing the first set she settled into her game in the second set before steamrolling through the third to wrap up a 4-6 6-3 6-1 victory.

“I knew it would be not easy after the break [following the US Open] to get into my rhythm but I am glad in the second set I found my game, I stepped in and I played really great,” Sabalenka said.

“I have to say she played incredible tennis, especially in the first set and there was not much I could do.”

Sabalenka is the three-time defending champion in Wuhan, having won in 2018 and 2019, and again in 2024 following the tournament’s three-year hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked what it was like to be nicknamed the “Daughter of Wuhan”, Sabalenka replied: “First I was ‘Daughter of China’, then ‘Queen of Fried Rice’ [a nickname she says is in honour of her love of the dish].

“And then I talked to [China’s world number 10 Zheng] Qinwen and they actually call me ‘Tiger’. So many nicknames.

“I won so many tournaments here and it feels like home, I hope I can go all the way.”

Given a bye to the second round, Sabalenka cut a frustrated figure as she struggled with her serve, with a handful of double faults handing Sramkova an early break.

The Slovak played Sabalenka at her own game, beating the top seed with deep, aggressive hitting to the baseline and huge serves as she took the opener 6-4.

But Sabalenka eventually regained some rhythm to strike first in the second set and she fended off several break points to open up a 5-2 lead on her way to forcing a decider.

With more momentum behind her, the four-time major champion took control in the third set, breaking twice and saving four more break points at 5-1 before securing the victory with another break of serve.

Earlier, Coco Gauff breezed into the third round with a 51-minute win against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, who won just five points on the American third seed’s serve.

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula avoided an upset in the second round, winning 6-4 4-6 7-6 (8-6) after converting her seventh match point in a gruelling two hour and 55 minute encounter with fellow American and world number 55 Hailey Baptiste.

Pegula will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova next, while Gauff will play Shuai Zhang, the world number 142 who beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

Meanwhile, the heat and humidity continued to cause problems for some players, with Czech 12th seed Karolina Muchova forced to retire while trailing 7-6 (7-1) 4-1 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech.

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A former WWE Superstar answered Mercedes Monéâ€s open challenge for the TBS Championship on AEW Dynamite.

Mercedes Moné put her TBS Championship on the line in an open challenge during this weekâ€s special Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite. Answering the challenge was none other than Lacey Lane, formerly known as Kayden Carter in WWE.

The commentary team noted that Lane made her AEW Dynamite debut by stepping up to the challenge. She had previously competed for Ring of Honor during a taping held in September.

Lacey Lane is best known for her time in WWE as one-half of the tag team Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. The duo previously held the NXT Womenâ€s Tag Team Championship, as well as the WWE Womenâ€s Tag Team Championship.

Carter and Chance were released as part of WWE roster cuts in May. Reacting to her exit, Lane thanked WWE management, her colleagues, and fans, noting that it wasnâ€t the end for her career. Her no-compete clause expired on August 1, 2025.

Catch up on everything happening on AEW Dynamite here.

READ MORE: Tony Khan Hilariously Casts AEW Stars As DC Heroes And Villains

What did you make of Mercedes Monéâ€s open challenge tonight? Who did you think the opponent was going to be? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comment section below.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

AEW DYNAMITE REPORT
OCTOBER 7, 2025
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AT DAILY’S PLACE
AIRED ON TBS & HBO MAX
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Bryan Danielson

Ring Announcer: Justin Roberts

Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 2,413 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 2,796. The arena has a capacity of 5,500 spectators when configured for pro wrestling.

JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…

PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorchâ€s Joshua White to review AEW Dynamite LIVE tonight right after Dynamite. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Dynamite during the show.

Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Dynamite. Weâ€ll read your emails live during the post-show.

VIP VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE

Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller†(or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so donâ€t share. Itâ€s just for VIP members at this time.

Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller†and “pwtorch†in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.

LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER AEW DYNAMITE TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

[HOUR ONE]

Announced Matches & Other Notes

• “Hangman†Adam Page and Samoa Joe face-to-face
• Brodido (Brody King & Bandido) vs. Kazuchika Okada & Konosuke Takeshita – Double Jeopardy Eliminator match
• Jon Moxley vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Pac vs. Orange Cassidy
• Kyle Fletcher vs. Kyle Oâ€Reilly – TNT Championship Kyle vs. Kyle 2
• The Hurt Syndicate (MVP & Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) vs. The Demand (Ricochet & Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) – Street Fight
• Mercedes Moné TBS Championship Open Challenge
• Jurassic Express (Jack Perry & Luchasaurus) to be in action

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Emma Raducanuâ€s brutal run of form and luck in Asia continued at the Wuhan Open as she retired because of illness from her first-round match at the WTA 1000 event, while trailing 6-1, 4-1 against the American Ann Li.

Raducanu is the latest player to crumble in tough conditions across China, with temperatures rising to 31C with 67% humidity in Wuhan on Tuesday afternoon.

Raducanu looked out of sorts throughout the match before getting her blood pressure checked late in the second set and citing dizziness as she retired.

Jannik Sinner, the menâ€s world No 2, remains the most high-profile competitor to come undone in suffocating humidity as he was forced to retire from his third-round match at the Shanghai Masters against Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday night.

Raducanu, whose mother is Chinese, has repeatedly expressed her excitement at competing in Asia and, after being injured at this point of the season over the past few years, this marks the 22-year-oldâ€s first full Asian swing. It has turned into quite a disastrous series of tournaments, with Raducanu enduring her worst results since February.

This miserable afternoon in Wuhan had been preceded by two excruciating defeats in back-to-back events despite performing at a good level against top opponents. Raducanu held three match points against the two-time grand slam title winner Barbora Krejcikova in the second round at the Korea Open in Seoul before falling away in a one-sided third set, then she endured an identical scenario at the China Open in Beijing last week, losing against Jessica Pegula in the third round after also holding three match points.

Her poor form against Li, whom she had beaten at Eastbourne in June in their only previous encounter, seemed initially to be a direct result of those confidence-sapping defeats.

Despite opening the match with a break, Raducanu played a dire opening set, her forehand in particular haemorrhaging errors. After losing all three service games, Raducanu ended the set with three winners and 15 unforced errors.

While the Briton struggled to put forehands in court with any consistency, Li played well. She struck her own forehand impressively, sweeping up all short balls behind it, she soaked up Raducanuâ€s first strike well and she offered her opponent very few unforced errors.

Although Liâ€s form began to cool in set two, Raducanu was in no position to mount a comeback. She started to struggle with her second serve, her double faults rapidly piling up, and her movement looked increasingly laboured.

After somehow surviving four double faults in the opening game of set two to hold serve for the first time, Raducanu served a double-fault on break point at 1-3 to hand Li a double break in the second set. Down 1-6, 1-4, Raducanu requested the doctor and, after having her blood pressure checked, she quickly retired.

These past few weeks have underlined the thin margins at the top of the sport. Having put herself in position for two strong wins in recent weeks, she instead finds herself in the midst of some of her most difficult results of her season. She will not have many more opportunities to turn things around before the end of the year. Raducanu is scheduled to compete in the Ningbo Open next week before returning for the final week of the regular season at the Hong Kong Open.

Raducanu had a new face in her player box in the form of Daniel Pohl, who sat next to her coach, ,Francisco Roig, during the match. Pohl is a prominent German physio and fitness trainer who has worked with numerous top players including Naomi Osaka, Ben Shelton, Matteo Berrettini and Petra Kvitova.

Raducanu had been travelling without a fitness trainer since Yutaka Nakamura stopped working with the Briton on-site at tournaments in April for personal reasons.

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Novak Djokovic overcame the humidity to reach the quarter-finals in Shanghai. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters

Later on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic survived another oppressively humid evening in Shanghai as he dragged himself into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win against Jaume Munar despite vomiting on court and struggling physically throughoutin the second half of the match.

Djokovic had been troubled by an achilles injury at the beginning of the match, taking a medical time out early in the first set. As the match wore on, however, it was the harsh humidity that increasingly broke him down. He struggled with cramp and vomited in the second set and, after conceding that in 74 minutes at the end of a long, attritional rally, the 38‑year‑old fell to the ground and lay there for nearly a minute. He was helped to his chair by a doctor, where his vital signs were checked and he received some tablets.

Djokovic eventually found enough energy and intensity to hold off his more physically durable challenger and return to the last eight, where he will be the highest-ranked player left in the draw. He will face Zizou Bergs of Belgium for a place in the semi-finals.

Elsewhere, Jack Draper has hired Jamie Delgado, Andy Murrayâ€s former coach, as his new primary coach as he continues his recovery from a left forearm injury that forced him to end his season prematurely, after the US Open.

Draper will continue to work closely with James Trotman, his coach since 2021, but Delgado, whose longtime partnership with Grigor Dimitrov ended last month, will handle the majority of Draperâ€s tournament weeks. Draperâ€s decision to expand his team was made partially due to Trotman intending to spend less time on the road.

Although he will not officially return to action until the 2026 season begins in January, Draper will make his first appearance since the US Open at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown finals exhibition event, which takes place in London between 5 and 7 December.

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WUHAN, China — Naomi Osaka dropped the first set before rallying to beat Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday to advance to the second round of the WTA’s 1,000-level Wuhan Open.

Osaka was back in the central Chinese city for the first time since 2017 and, in the day’s first match on center court, facing the player who produced a major upset to beat her at the 2021 US Open.

Fernandez converted one of her two first-set breakpoint chances and served consistently. But Osaka stepped up pressure on the service returns in the second set, which featured five service breaks, and finished over the top of the 2021 US Open finalist.

Emma Raducanu, who beat Fernandez to win the US Open title four years ago, was trailing Ann Li 6-1, 4-1 when she retired from their first-round match due to dizziness.

In other early matches, Sofia Kenin edged Anastasia Zakharova 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 to set up a second-round meeting against No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova, who beat Emiliana Arango 6-1, 7-5.

No. 2 Iga Swiatek was scheduled to make her Wuhan tournament debut in a second-round match against Marie Bouzkova in the night session.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Coco Gauff were due to open Wednesday. No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, the runner-up at both the US Open and Wimbledon this year, withdrew from the Wuhan Open citing a left calf muscle injury after winning the China Open title.

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Amateur players will have the chance to win a million-dollar prize when they face tennis’ top professionals – including Carlos Alcaraz – in a single-point showdown before January’s Australian Open.

Organisers of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament announced the ‘Million Dollar One Point Slam’ on Tuesday, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals.

Headlined by Spain’s world number one Alcaraz, the winner of the event will take home one million Australian dollars (£490,360).

For context, players that reached the semi-finals of the men’s or women’s singles main draw in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m (£539,500).

Players will play ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to determine who serves or receives.

Whoever wins the point also wins the match and progresses to the next round, with the final to be played on Rod Laver Arena.

It follows the US Open’s decision to stage a revamped, stand-alone mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m (£736,880).

The Australian Open held its inaugural ‘One Point Slam’ event earlier this year, but the prize fund was considerably lower at A$60,000 (£29,400).

Australian professional Omar Jasika won the tournament, which pitted 16 amateurs – eight men and eight women – against 16 professionals.

The amateurs were aged between 15 and 72 in the inaugural edition.

A coin toss was used to determine who served rather than ‘rock, paper and scissors’, while the professionals were only allowed to serve once and the amateur players could serve twice – as is the norm in traditional tennis.

Eight amateurs will qualify through events in each state and territory for the 2026 tournament, while an extra two spots will be up for grabs during the opening week, which starts on Monday, 12 January.

“I can reveal today that world number one Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up in the Million Dollar One Point Slam,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tilley said.

“Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs across the country, and during opening week, finalists will compete for a chance to face the pros on Rod Laver Arena.”

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Defending champion Jannik Sinner retired with cramp in the third round of the Shanghai Masters this week, while 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic vomited during his win over Yannick Hanfmann.

A deep run in Wuhan would have boosted Raducanu’s chances of being seeded for January’s Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the season.

The 2021 US Open champion broke in the first game before Li won six successive games – dropping only one point on serve – to wrap up the opening set in 28 minutes.

Raducanu looked fatigued as she recovered from three double faults to hold serve at the start of the second set.

But she failed to convert two break points in the next game and a series of sluggish unforced errors then helped Li break for a 2-1 lead.

A double fault handed Li another break, and Raducanu called for a medical timeout before retiring.

“I hope she feels better. I don’t know what happened, but you could tell towards the end she was maybe not moving as much. But, for me, it was good match,” Li said.

The world number 46 will face Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3 6-2 on Monday, in the second round.

Earlier on Tuesday, Japanese four-time major winner Naomi Osaka beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 4-6 7-5 6-3 to reach round two.

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Naomi Osaka showcased custom Labubu dolls during her US Open semi-final run in New York. (AP) Naomi Osaka, the four-time Grand Slam champion, has completed her viral US Open Labubu collection by revealing the sixth and final member on social media this weekend. The tennis star’s collection of custom zoomorphic monster dolls gained significant attention during her run to the US Open semifinals this summer, where she showcased bedazzled keychain versions inspired by tennis legends.The former world No. 1 commissioned New York City-based artist Kerin Rose Gold of A-Morir Studio to create the sparkly Labubu dolls. Each doll was revealed after her victories at the US Open, featuring designs inspired by tennis icons like Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and Andre Agassi.WATCH: Naomi Osaka shows off her sixth and final US Open LabubuAfter her three-set loss to Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals, Osaka expressed disappointment about missing the opportunity to reveal a special Labubu she had planned.”I wanted to make one of myself in last year’s outfit, and it was the green one. I would have had the bow, and I’m sick about it,” Osaka revealed through laughter. “Oh, my God, that’s, like, the worst thing. Honestly, I’m fine losing, but don’t ask me about this Labubu, man. Yeah, it would have been me.”
The unrealised design has now become reality. Osaka unveiled the green doll on Instagram, featuring the “Lolita goth”-inspired look and bow as originally planned. The reveal video was accompanied by a British voice-over discussing a “24-karat Labubu,” incorporating current trends surrounding these collectible dolls.Osaka’s Labubu collection generated substantial buzz during the US Open, matching the attention received for her impressive return to form on the court. Her tournament run marked her first Grand Slam semifinal appearance in four years.The tennis star is scheduled to continue her season at the Wuhan Open, where she will face former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the first round on Tuesday. Spectators may spot the newest addition to her Labubu collection, “Naomi Glowsaka,” among her tennis equipment.

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Harry Kane says his interest in returning to the Premier League has cooled and he is willing to open talks with Bayern Munich about a new contract.

Kane is halfway through the four-year deal he signed when joining from Tottenham Hotspur for £86.4m in the summer of 2023.

The 32-year-old has scored 103 goals in 106 appearances for the German club, helping them win the 2024-25 Bundesliga title – the first honour of his career.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has said he would like to see Kane return to England, where he needs 48 goals to eclipse Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record of 260.

But the England captain says he is no longer as keen on returning home as he once was, and would consider extending his stay in Bavaria.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” he said.

“I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back.

“Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learned in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

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Harry Kane says he is open to extending his stay at Bayern Munich and believes a return to the Premier League is no longer guaranteed.

The England captainâ€s deal expires in 2027 and suggestions of a £56.7m release clause that can be activated at the end of this season led to speculation over his future. Thomas Frank, the Tottenham manager, has said Kane would be welcomed back if he wanted to move.

That remains a distant prospect, even though coming back to England would give Kane an opportunity to get the 48 goals he needs to break the Premier Leagueâ€s scoring record. The 32-year-old is hungry for more success after winning the Bundesliga last season to end his wait for a trophy, and his views on playing in English football again have evolved in the two years since he left Spurs for Bayern.

“In terms of staying longer I could definitely see that,†Kane said. “I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet but if they were to arise I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation. Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes, what we achieve together. We are in a fantastic moment and I am not thinking about anything else.

“In terms of the Premier League, I donâ€t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back. Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldnâ€t say I would never go back.

“I am fully all in with Bayern. If there was a conversation about extending then we will see, but I have still got this season and another season. It is not like I am in my last year, it is not like there is any panic. I am calm, I love the manager at Bayern and as long we are improving and I am improving then I am happy to see what we can achieve.â€

Kane has made a sensational start to the season, scoring 19 goals for club and country. But he knows that being crowned the best player in the world will require winning the Champions League with Bayern or the World Cup with England next summer.

“I would love to win the Ballon dâ€Or,†Kane said. “Essentially it is a team trophy that the best individual from that team wins, so it is going to be a Champions League winner or a World Cup winner … It would be an accumulation of doing something great individually and as a team. It would be almost the perfect season.â€

Harry Kane is preparing for Englandâ€s matches against Wales and Latvia. Photograph: George Wass/PPAUK/Shutterstock

Kane considered whether he has become a better player at Bayern. His analysis was that he is “seeing the game at the highest level Iâ€ve ever hadâ€. It was interesting to note that Vincent Kompany, Bayernâ€s manager, talked about Kaneâ€s work out of possession after he scored twice against Chelsea last month.

“When you win a title maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like: ‘OK Iâ€ve done what I wanted to achieve,â€â€ Kane said. “But itâ€s given me motivation to do more. My numbers are 11km a game, a lot of high‑speed running. Sometimes when Iâ€m watching the games back, Iâ€m more looking forward to watching tackles or one of my defensive actions than watching my goals back. I donâ€t know if that means Iâ€m getting a little bit bored of my goals or like the tackling part as well but itâ€s been enjoyable.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. It could have been easy to be a bit more relaxed. I pushed myself the other way, being even better, eating even cleaner, doing more gym.

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“I do eat clean anyway. Itâ€s just whether the cheat meals after games are not so much, or when youâ€re out with the family not having as much ice cream. Small details, but at the highest level those make a big difference.â€

Kane is preparing for Englandâ€s friendly against Wales on Thursday and World Cup qualifier against Latvia next Tuesday. The focus has been on Thomas Tuchel leaving Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden out of his squad. Tuchel has said he wanted to reward the players who excelled in training and against Serbia last month.

“There are a lot of players who are different from past tournament squads,†Kane said. “But I think the boss has made it pretty clear that those players, itâ€s not like theyâ€re out of the squad for sure. A lot of them are maybe just coming back into form. Some of them, Jude especially, heâ€s not been fit, and just played one or two games. It is a big change, but thatâ€s not my decision. Thatâ€s the boss – he will feel the feeling amongst the players.â€

Kane urged England to maintain the standards set during the 5-0 win over Serbia. “The energy around the place was in a really good place,†he said. “Probably the best camp since Gareth [Southgate] left I would say was the September camp but now that is the standard.â€

England have added Manchester Cityâ€s Nico Oâ€Reilly to the squad after the Chelsea right-back Reece James withdrew with a minor injury. Declan Rice reported after going off in Arsenalâ€s game with a back injury.

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