WTA stars Alexandra Eala and Emma Raducanu have both 2026 Wimbledon seeding after strong grass-court campaigns.

Eala claimed the No. 29 spot — her first ever Grand Slam seeding — while London native Raducanu sits at No. 30.

Alexandra Eala & Emma Raducanu See WTA Rankings Boosts

The two climbed the WTA rankings on the back of strong tour showings.

Eala reached the Berlin Open semifinals and won a WTA 125 title in Birmingham during a breakout stretch on grass. Raducanu, meanwhile, made the Queen's Club final in her only 2026 warm-up tournament before Wimbledon.

Both players enter with something to build on at the All England Club. Eala made her Wimbledon main-draw debut just last year, becoming the first Filipina in the Open era to compete at the tournament. She fell to former champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round, but showed she belonged at that level.

Raducanu has deeper roots on the grass. She reached the fourth round in her 2021 main-draw debut, matched that run in 2024, then fell to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round last year.

Because both players are seeded between 25 and 32, each is guaranteed to face a Top 8 third-round opponent. That path could produce early tests for the draw's higher seeds.

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka Leads 2026 Wimbledon Field

Among that group are Sabalenka, who leads Wimbledon as the No. 1 seed, and Elena Rybakina, who follows at No. 2.

Defending champion Iga Świątek sits at No. 3, while Jessica Pegula rounds out the Top 4.

Mia Hamm wants the 2026 World Cup's mandatory hydration breaks gone. The two-time Women's World Cup champion told USA TODAY's Studio IX that she's "not a fan" of the three-minute stoppages FIFA now requires at each half's 22-minute mark.

When Hamm led the USWNT to titles in 1991 and 1999, hydration breaks didn't exist. But her concern over this year's tournament centers on momentum.

Inside the Mounting Backlash to FIFA's World Cup Rule

According to Hamm, teams building pressure lose their rhythm, and coaches gain an advantage. The decorated striker pointed to sideline iPads and real-time tactical data that turn a water break into a strategy session.

"You can make big tactical changes in those three minutes that are given," Hamm said. "That can really change the course of the way your team is playing."

She did acknowledge the reasoning behind the rule, recognizing it as FIFA's attempt at promoting uniformity.

Historically, hydration breaks are at the discretion of game officials, usually implemented due to extreme heat and player safety concerns. The federation's new blanket rule takes any guesswork off the refs and lets teams plan for the delay, while — somewhat controversially — allowing networks to cut to commercial.

But Hamm and her fellow hydration break critics would rather players push through 45 minutes with added time than pause mid-half. In her view, soccer's identity depends on players solving problems on the pitch instead of coaches directing from the sideline between whistles.

Naomi Osaka advanced to the 2026 Bad Homburg Open semifinals on Thursday, beating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-2 in just 59 minutes. The four-time Grand Slam champion is now one win from her first-career grass-court final.

Naomi Osaka Continues Dominant Grass-Court Run

Osaka fell behind with a break in the opening set. But she recovered quickly, rattling off eight straight games and 15 consecutive points to take the first frame and jump out to a 3-0 lead in the second.

Alexandrova held serve twice late. However, she couldn't hold off the former US Open winner, as Osaka closed out the match without much trouble.

"Obviously I can't say that I've had much experience on grass, but I feel really good right now," Osaka said after the win. She pointed to coach Tomas Wiktorowski, who came on board last July, as a key reason for her comfort on the surface.

The sixth seed has yet to drop a set at the German tournament, following wins over Magdalena Frech (6-4, 6-1) and world No. 26 Elise Mertens (6-3, 6-3).

With Wimbledon days away, the world No. 15 is building form at the right time.

Where to Watch Naomi Osaka's Bad Homburg Open Semifinal

Osaka now advances to face Wang Xinyu in Friday's semifina, with live coverage starting at 7 AM ET on The Tennis Channel.

Gotham FC has already set an NWSL record before the first whistle at Citi Field.

The reigning NWSL champions announced Wednesday that ticket sales for July's Queens Classic have passed 29,000, breaking the New York City attendance record for a women's sporting event. Coco Gauff previously held that mark, when 28,144 fans witnessed her 2023 US Open title run.

NWSL Aims for Historic Night at Citi Field

The Gotham FC match will also be the first professional women's sporting event hosted by the Mets' home stadium, and the first NWSL game played within New York City limits.

To mark the milestone, the club launched a 24-hour flash sale with tickets priced at $28.14 — a nod to the old record.

Still, the draw goes beyond the venue. The standalone showcase is a 2025 NWSL Championship rematch between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit. USWNT teammates Rose Lavelle and Trinity Rodman are set to lead their squads yet again with kick-off at 8 PM ET on ESPN.

Pregame festivities include a 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal watch party, a live recording of the Welcome to the Party podcast featuring USWNT legends Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, and Footy Fest hosted by World Cup champion Sam Mewis.

In addition, the first 7,500 fans through the gates at Citi Field will receive a commemorative Rose Lavelle bobblehead.

Columbus is officially joining the NWSL as the league's 18th expansion team, with the Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide, and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards steering the franchise toward a 2028 debut.

But the city's soccer pedigree already runs deep. ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, where the new team will be based, has hosted 13 USWNT matches and multiple 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup games.

Entering a New Chapter for NWSL Teams in Columbus

Fans will get a preview of a women's home team environment this week when the NWSL Challenge Cup comes to the city on Friday.

The single-match competition will pit defending champion Gotham FC against 2025 Shield winner Kansas City Current. With the league on break for the 2026 Men's World Cup, the event is the only women's soccer match on the calendar this month.

"I think it's a great sort of taste of what this league will be like once we're playing in 2028 here," Columbus Crew President of Business Operations Mary Shepro told Axios.

Behind the scenes, the ownership group is in a sprint to bring the women's game to Columbus. Plans for a McCoy Park training facility face a September rezoning vote despite an October groundbreaking target. A team name and brand launch are expected later this year, with community input.

Shepro emphasized that though the city has a men's MLS squad, the NWSL operation won't play second fiddle to the Crew, pointing to very little crossover between MLS and NWSL fan bases.

"We envision these teams as siblings, but that doesn't mean they're identical twins," she said.

Where to Watch the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup Game

Celebrations surrounding the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup in Columbus begin Thursday, with the match scheduled for Friday at 8 PM ET on Prime.

The official countdown to the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil has begun.

While most of the soccer world is focused on the men's 2026 World Cup, FIFA is prepping for next year's action in South America with a series of celebrations that kicked off in the host country yesterday.

Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer monument lit up in Brazil's national colors on Wednesday, marking exactly one year until the city welcomes fans and players to soccer's biggest stage. The tournament opens June 24th, 2027, making Brazil the first South American country to host the women's event.

2027 Women's World Cup Format Change & Qualified Teams

Next year's tournament will also signal another milestone for the growing women's game, as 2027 will be the final tournament featuring a 32 team format. In 2031, the competition expands to 48 teams — mirroring the men's World Cup.

As qualifying for the Women's World Cup continues later this year, 14 teams have already locked in their spots. Past champions Spain and host country Brazil have booked their tickets, as have Denmark, France, Germany, Australia, China PR, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Philippines, Argentina, Colombia, and New Zealand.

Major players like the USWNT, England, Sweden, and Canada will get their chance to slot in their names in late 2026.

FIFA Chief Football Officer and former USWNT coach Jill Ellis said Brazil "sleeps and breathes football," and pointed to the country's deep soccer culture as a natural fit for the tournament next year. Meanwhile, Brazilian federation president Samir Xaud described the event as a "source of great pride" for the Brazilian people.

"It will be an opportunity to show the world our passion for football and, above all, the strength of Brazilian women’s football," he said. "We are certain that this will be a transformative World Cup, capable of inspiring girls in all regions of Brazil and leaving a lasting legacy."

The physical rivalry between the Indiana Fever and Mercury boiled over on Wednesday night, as Caitlin Clark exited the Phoenix Mercury Game with a back injury.

Fever coach Stephanie White didn't hold back after the 111-109 loss, slamming WNBA officials over two uncalled plays she thought endangered her franchise player.

Alyssa Thomas, Valeriane Ayayi Plays Against Clark Go Uncalled

The incidents that drew White's ire came early.

In the second quarter, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas appeared to push her fist into Clark's neck during a loose-ball scramble. Officials let it go. Then, minutes later, Phoenix forward Valeriane Ayayi closed into Clark's landing space on a 3-point attempt. Refs declined to upgrade the call to a flagrant foul.

"We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called," White said in a postgame press conference, calling the non-calls "utterly disrespectful."

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Clark eventually left the court with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not return.

Before exiting, the Fever star put up 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes of play. She has dealt with lingering back issues throughout the season, and this latest setback against the Mercury only adds to Indiana's roster concerns.

Last night's heated Fever vs Mercury battle followed a chaotic meeting between the teams just two days earlier. That clash featured six technical fouls and an ejection for Indiana forward Myisha Hines-Allen.

Where to Watch WNBA Games This Weekend

The Mercury travel to Toronto on Saturday at 2 PM ET, before Fever look to regroup against LA on Saturday at 8 PM ET. Both matches air live on CBS.

Madison Keys made quick work of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second round of the 2026 Lexus Eastbourne Open on Wednesday. The world No. 27 needed just 53 minutes to close out the 6-0, 6-1 win on the English grass-court.

Madison Keys Quickly Overpowers Eastbourne Open Opponant

Madison Keys controlled play from the baseline throughout, pairing deep groundstrokes with sharp placement that left the 48th-ranked Spaniard scrambling. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro had entered with momentum after wins over Katie Volynets and Himeno Sakatsume, but she had no answer for Keys's shot strength.

The result continues an impressive grass-court stretch for Keys.

She opened her season on the surface in Berlin last week, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula. Now in her sixth appearance at Devonshire Park, the 2025 Australian Open winner is chasing a third Eastbourne title after victories in 2014 and 2023. Her 54-20 career record on grass backs up that ambition.

Beyond the surface, Keys has stayed consistent across the 2026 WTA season, reaching a clay-court final in May alongside multiple hard-court quarterfinals earlier in the year.

By finishing this match so quickly, she saved energy for the later rounds as she pursues another WTA trophy and sharpens her grass-court game ahead of next week's 2026 Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Emma Navarro knocked off top-seeded Iga Świątek 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 on Wednesday at the 2026 Bad Homburg Open, emerging victorious from a match that lasted over two hours.

Emma Navarro Overcomes Slow Start to Topple Iga Świątek

Emma Navarro's first-serve percentage lagged early. Still, Iga Świątek handed her an opening by committing seven double faults in the first set alone. Navarro subsequently converted enough chances to take the lead before Świątek leveled the match with a dominant second set.

However, the six-time Grand Slam champion couldn't maintain her momentum.

Navarro came out sharper in the decider, hitting 14 winners against just three unforced errors to close out the match.

The win gives Navarro consecutive victories over Świątek and evens the pair's head-to-head record at 2-2. The US star now advances to her fourth straight Bad Homburg Open quarterfinal — where Elena-Gabriela Ruse awaits.

Meanwhile, Świątek heads to Wimbledon looking to defend her 2025 title with only one grass-court WTA event on her 2026 dance card.

Elsewhere in the draw, Elina Svitolina withdrew from her quarterfinal against Wang Xinyu due to a right hip injury. Wang received a walkover into the Bad Homburg semifinals, next facing either Naomi Osaka or Ekaterina Alexandrova for a spot in the final.

Elina Svitolina has pulled out of the 2026 Bad Homburg Open with a right hip injury. The No. 3 seed announced the decision on Wednesday, one day before her scheduled quarterfinal against Wang Xinyu.

Hip Injury Curbs Grass-Court Form for Elina Svitolina

Elina Svitolina's issue first appeared during Tuesday's Round of 16 win over Liudmila Samsonova.

Svitolina fell behind a set before rallying for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in a match that stretched over two hours. She needed a medical timeout between the first and second sets and appeared to favor the hip at times, but managed to finish.

However, the toll of winning that grass-court battle proved too heavy.

"Last night was a hard-fought victory, but it took a little bit more than expected out of my body, so therefore I need a few more days to recover," Svitolina said in a video posted to X.

Wang Xinyu Moves to Semis, Svitolina Shifts Focus to Wimbledon

The Ukranian star expressed her best wishes to her fellow competitors and promised fans she'd return to the WTA 500 tournament next year.

Her withdrawal gives Wang Xinyu a bye into the Bad Homburg semifinals, where she will face either No. 6 seed Naomi Osaka or Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Meanwhile, with Wimbledon just five days away, 31-year-old Svitolina is turning her full attention to the grass-court major where she's reached the semifinal stage twice before.