Coco Gauff spoke candidly about the political situation in the United States this week, speaking out against recent violence during a press conference at the 2026 Dubai Championships.
In her remarks, the 21-year-old tennis star condemned the recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis involving federal ICE agents.
"Everything going on in the US, obviously I'm not really for it," Gauff told reporters. "I don't think people should be dying in the streets just for existing. I don't like what's going on."
Gauff went on to call out the deaths of Minnesota residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed while using her Honda Pilot SUV to block ICE agents during a residential operation. Pretti, an ICU nurse, was fatally shot after stepping in to help a woman during an ICE protest.
While voicing her concerns, the two-time Grand Slam champion also emphasized her patriotism.
"It is tough to wake up and see something, because I do care a lot about our country," Gauff said from Dubai. "I think people think I don't for some reason, but I do. I'm very proud to be American."
Gauff later pushed back against the idea that athletes should avoid political topics. "I think the biggest thing I hate is when people say stay out of it," she explained. "If you ask me, I'm going to give you my honest answer."
The world No. 4 said her willingness to address controversial issues stems from her own family history. Her grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, became the first Black student to attend public school in Delray Beach, Florida in 1961. As such, supporting Back educational initiatives remains central to Gauff's work off the tennis court.
"My grandma is literally an activist," Gauff told reporters. "This is literally my life. I'm OK answering tough questions."
Alexandra Eala captured one of the biggest wins of her career on Tuesday, defeating world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) at the Dubai Championships to mark the rising WTA star's third career Top 10 win.
Eala dominated the opening set, landing 67% of her first serves and winning 86% of those points. Paolini, however, never earned a single break point opportunity in the set.
The second set proved more competitive for Eala, eventually going to a tiebreak. The 20-year-old Philippines native later converted her fifth match point to close out the victory after 1 hour and 40 minutes on the court.
"All the emotions are coming because the tension was so high, especially during that second set," Eala said postmatch.
“[Paolini] is a great opponent, obviously, being Top 10 and a former champion here, so to be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.
2024 Dubai Championships winner Paolini struggled to find rhythm against Eala's aggressive play, as Eala reached the tournament's Round of 16 for the first time in her career. This win also represents Eala's first Top 10 victory since her historic 2025 Miami Open semifinal run.
What's Next for Alexandra Eala at the 2026 Dubai Championships
The Filipina star continues her WTA Tour campaign this week, advancing to face Romania's Sorana Cîrstea at the Dubai Championships Round of 16 on Thursday at 11:10 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
Forbes named Billie Jean King to this year's Innovator 250 List, recognizing her as one of the country's greatest living innovators at No. 208.
Unveiled February 11th, this list honors transformational business leaders and entrepreneurs. It is part of a year-long Forbes campaign to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Forbes cited King as having "catalyzed women's professional sports" through the founding the WTA. In 1970, King was one of nine players — known as the Original 9 — who signed symbolic $1 contracts to establish the Virginia Slims Tour, the predecessor to the modern WTA.
Three years later, King gathered more than 60 players in London one week before Wimbledon to formally create the WTA. with her peers electing her president.
Few stand as tall in the world of women’s sports as Billie Jean King. The legendary athlete and advocate leveraged her athletic dominance to build a powerful platform for equality, one that she has continued to scale, shattering barriers in sport and society.
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 17, 2026
See where Billie… pic.twitter.com/aQRDKtR5Vn
"Few stand as tall in the world of women's sports as Billie Jean King," Forbes wrote on X.
"The legendary athlete and advocate leveraged her athletic dominance to build a powerful platform for equality, one that she has continued to scale, shattering barriers in sport and society."
Billie Jean King Built Legacy Off and On the Tennis Court
The WTA now spans more than 1,600 players across the tour. In 2025, half of the world's 20 highest-paid women's sports athletes competed on the circuit, reflecting the professional infrastructure King helped build more than five decades ago.
King's influence extends far beyond the tennis court. She currently serves on the advisory board of the PWHL, launched in 2024 with backing from King's BJK Enterprises. She subsequently dropped the puck at the pro hockey league's inaugural game, going on to advocate for rapid expansion.
In 2020, King also joined Angel City FC's ownership group. She continues to play a role in the NWSL team, alongside Natalie Portman, Serena Williams, and other high-profile investors.
The Forbes recognition adds to a long list of King's honors, including a 2024 Congressional Gold Medal.
Czech tennis star Karolina Muchova is through to her third WTA 1000 final, ousting Greece's Maria Sakkari 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Friday to advance to the 2026 Qatar Open final in Doha.
Sakkari won five straight games to open the match with a 6-3, 2-0 lead. Muchova, however, stayed aggressive, responding with five straight victories of her own to go up 5-2 in the second set. Sakkari then closed the gap to 5-4, but the world No. 19 held for the set.
From there, Muchova took control, dominating the third set 6-1 before closing it out with an ace.
Sealed her spot in the final with an ace! ✨
— wta (@WTA) February 13, 2026
Karolina Muchova advances to the final in Doha in a three set comeback against Sakkari!#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/9SLJ0a8Ruq
The win marked Muchova's 11th of the year and kept her perfect record against Sakkari intact with five wins and zero losses. It also sets up her first-ever meeting with Canadian rising talent Victoria Mboko, after the 19-year-old beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to reach her second WTA 1000 final. The world No. 13 enters the final with 13 wins on the year, and will likely break into the WTA's Top 10 next week.
For Muchova, the Doha final marks another step in a strong 2026 season. The 29-year-old won her only WTA singles title at the 2019 Korea Open. A win Saturday would represent her first WTA 1000 title and push her to No. 11 in the WTA rankings.
Meanwhile, Sakkari heads to Dubai with a projected ranking of No. 33 — her best since March 2025.
How to watch Karolina Muchova at the 2026 Qatar Open
The 2026 Qatar Open final between Muchova and Mboko takes place Saturday, live on The Tennis Channel.
Maria Sakkari upset Iga Świątek 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday, advancing to her third Qatar Open quarterfinals. Over two hours and 29 minutes, Sakkari ended a nearly five-year winless streak against the world No. 2.
Świątek, a three-time Qatar Open champion at the event, entered on an 18-2 tournament record. However, she went on to commit 16 backhand errors while struggling at the net throughout the match.
The 30-year-old Greek tennis star took the second set, breaking early for a 2-0 lead. Świątek later leveled, earning two break points while serving in the ninth game. But Sakkari held for 5-4, closing the set on Świątek's 16th backhand error.
In the third set, Sakkari opened a 5-2 lead before Świątek broke back twice to level at 5-5, saving a match point with an ace. A disputed double-bounce call disrupted Sakkari's momentum briefly. She held for 6-5, then earned two more match points. On the third, Świątek put a forehand volley into the net.
"I'm speechless because it's been a while since I had a big win like today," Sakkari said postmatch. "When you drop in the rankings and you're not playing the semis, you start doubting yourself and think you’re never beating those players again."
The Qatar Open win marks the first time Sakkari has recorded two Top 10 wins at the same tournament since the 2022 WTA Finals.
"It's amazing," Sakkari added. "This is one of the best tournaments of the season so it's a huge honor."
How to watch Maria Sakkari in the 2026 Qatar Open semifinals
Sakkari will next face either Karolina Muchova or Anna Kalinskaya in Saturday's Doha semifinals, live on The Tennis Channel.
Daria Kasatkina exited the 2026 Qatar Open on Wednesday, opening strong before top seed Iga Świątek rallied from a set down to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in the third round.
Kasatkina took the opening set 7-5, threatening to hand Świątek her first loss of the tournament and only her second head-to-head defeat. But the three-time Qatar Open champion responded with authority, dominating the final two sets to reach the quarterfinals.
The 28-year-old Australian had been playing her best tennis in months heading into the match, defeating Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-0 in the second round after overcoming qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. The victories marked Kasatkina's first back-to-back wins since August.
"For a long time, I didn't feel like this on the tennis court," Kasatkina said after ousting Mertens. "It's something I was looking for over the past few months."
That momentum carried into Wednesday, as Kasatkina claimed her first set win against the world No. 2 since their lone previous meeting in 2021. But Świątek quickly found her rhythm.
The Polish star dominated the second set 6-1, later closing out the match by the same scoreline. Świątek improved to 7-1 all-time against Kasatkina, extending her head-to-head hardcourt advantage to 5-0.
Kasatkina now holds a 3-5 win-loss record in 2026. The former world No. 8 — currently ranked 61st — had endured a brutal start to the season with just one win across three tournaments, including a first-round loss at the 2026 Australian Open.
Despite the loss, Kasatkina's performance in Doha showed signs of resurgence, perhaps signaling a turnaround after months spent struggling.
Świątek will next face Greece's Maria Sakkari in Friday's quarterfinals as she pursues her fourth Doha title.
Coco Gauff exited the 2026 Qatar Open after a second-round upset this week, with Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto ousting the world No. 5 6-4, 6-2.
At No. 57 in the WTA rankings, Cocciaretto entered the main draw only after McCartney Kessler withdrew, having lost in the final qualifying round. Cocciaretto subsequently dismantled Gauff with aggressive early-ball striking and precise backhands throughout both sets.
The match's defining moment arrived at 3-3, when Cocciaretto won a 33-shot rally to take control. She closed out the set by saving break points in each of her final two service games.
The second set went even smoother for Cocciaretto. The 25-year-old Italian broke immediately, cruising home as Gauff's unforced error count climbed to 39.
"She was just taking the ball early and crushing the ball," Gauff said postmatch.
"I think I need to figure out how to play against players like her who hit super flat and take everything pretty much early. I think the last two matches have shown that I've been struggling with that."
The win marked Cocciaretto's third career Top 10 victory and her first at a WTA 1000 event outside a Grand Slam. She previously scored major upsets at both the 2023 French Open and last year's Wimbledon tournament.
Cocciaretto said she drew inspiration from Italian Olympic skier Sofia Goggia, after Goggia won bronze in Cortina this week. She next faces fellow American Ann Li for a spot in the quarterfinals.
What's next for US tennis star Coco Gauff?
After her early exit in Doha, Gauff now shifts her focus to the 2026 Dubai Championships. There she'll look to regain form as the WTA's hard-court Middle East swing continues.
Emma Raducanu withdrew from her Qatar Open first-round match Monday after trailing Camila Osorio in the third set. The exit comes just two days Raducanu lost the Transylvania Open final.
The British No. 1 called for medical attention during the deciding set, going on to have her blood pressure checked before retiring from the match. Raducanu won the opening set 6-2 in 38 minutes, but lost the second set 4-6 as her accuracy deteriorated.
Osorio broke Raducanu's serve at the start of the third set, with the 23-year-old immediately signaling for the physiotherapist. Following a lengthy discussion on court, she attempted to continue but lost the next game before walking to the net to end the match.
Raducanu is forced to retire at 6-2, 4-6, 0-2 vs Osorio in her Doha opener. 🤕
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) February 9, 2026
Wishing Emma a quick recovery ❤️🩹#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/u58wISD8oP
The retirement came just 48 hours after a taxing week in Romania. At the 2026 Transylvania Open, Raducanu battled through a near-three-hour-long semifinal against Oleksandra Oliynykova on Friday. She subsequently lost to Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-2 in Saturday's final.
Raducanu described the weekend final as extremely difficult, appearing visibly exhausted and requiring medical attention throughout the match.
Emma Raducanu feels the weight of a cramped WTA Tour schedule
The quick turnaround between tournaments proved challenging, with Raducanu first taking on world No. 80 Osorio. Osorio recently won a WTA Challenger event in Manila and maintained consistent pressure throughout this morning's showdown.
Raducanu endured another coaching change following her second-round Australian Open exit. She split with Francisco Roig after working together for six months, bringing on LTA coach Alexis Canter in his stead.
Despite Monday's exit, Raducanu climbed to No. 25 in the WTA rankings after her runner-up finish in Cluj-Napoca. The former US Open champion continues searching for her second career WTA title after breakthrough 2021 victory.
Oleksandra Oliynykova reached her first-career WTA semifinal today, defeating Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-4 at the 2026 Transylvania Open. Draped in the Ukrainian flag, the 25-year-old celebrated the victory wearing temporary bat face tattoos to honor the tournament's theme.
Oliynykova saved 20 of 22 break points during the two-hour match, demonstrating the mental resilience that's defined her breakthrough season. The world No. 91 is now expected to climb 20 spots in the WTA rankings.
Oleksandra Oliynykova, a Ukranian refuge, has been making headlines for refusing handshakes with Russian and Russia-sympathizing competitors. That list includesNo. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
This week, she announced she wouldn't participate in the traditional prematch photo or postmatch handshake with Hungary's Anna Bondar. Her reasoning? Bondar's participation in the 2022 North Palmyra Trophies tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia. Oliynykova subsequently called funder Gazprom a financial pillar of Russia's war machine, saying she would reconsider if Bondar apologized to Ukraine's people.
The victory carried deep significance for Oliynykova, who fled Ukraine with her family in 2011 after her father criticized then-President Viktor Yanukovych. She then returned following the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, and currently trains in Kyiv despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
Nicknamed "Sashka," Oliynykova is on a tear. She recently pushed defending champion Madison Keys to a first-set tiebreaker in her Grand Slam debut. She now stands just two victories away from her first-ever WTA title.
How to watch Oksana Oliynykova at the 2026 Transylvania Open semifinals
Oliynykova takes on top-seeded Emma Raducanu on Friday at 10 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.
Word No. 30 Emma Raducanu is one match away from her first WTA final since her 2021 US Open upset, advancing to the Transylvania Open semifinals with a 6-0 6-4 victory over Poland's Maja Chwalinska.
Top-seeded Raducanu dominated from the opening point, limiting Chwalinska to just seven points in the first set. While the second set proved more competitive, Raducanu broke decisively at 3-3 following a Chwalinska double-fault. She subsequently served out the match with confidence.
Raducanu next faces Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova in Friday's semifinal, marking her fourth-career semis appearance. The 23-year-old British No. 1 hasn't dropped in Romania, demonstrating the aggressive style that secured her Grand Slam win nearly five years ago.
The 2026 Transylvania Open represents significant opportunity for Raducanu, after struggling with injuries and coaching instability. She recently split from coach Francisco Roig following a second-round Australian Open exit, marking her 10th coaching change in five years.
Despite the coaching carousel, Raducanu showed resilience in early rounds, mounting a comeback from 5-0 down against Kaja Juvan to win 13 of the final 14 games. That mental toughness could prove crucial as she pursues her first WTA title since 2021.
Russian-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova lurks in the opposite half of the draw, potentially awaiting a final rematch with Raducanu.
For now, however, Raducanu is focused on Oliynykova, as she seeks to extend her dominant bounce-back run at this year's Transylvania Open.
How to watch Emma Raducanu in the 2026 Transylvania Open semis
Emma Raducanu takes the court against Oleksandra Oliynykova in tomorrow's WTA 250 tournament semifinal, live on The Tennis Channel.