(Madrid) World tennis No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz gave up participating in the group stage of the Davis Cup with Spain on Saturday after his defeat in the semi-final of the United States Open against Daniil Medvedev.
The experienced Albert Ramos (35 years old, 88e world player) will replace Alcaraz for the matches which will take place in Valencia from September 12 to 17, the Spanish tennis federation said in a press release.
In the absence of Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz was expected to lead the Spanish team and notably meet his Serbian rival Novak Djokovic, whom he beat in a thrilling final at Wimbledon in July.
Spain will also face the Czech Republic and South Korea in the group stage, aiming to qualify for the round of 16, which takes place from November 21-26 in Malaga.
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Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina (WTA 12) made a successful start to the Australian Open 2026 by beating the Spanish representative Kristina Buksha (WTA 51).
After the match, Elina published a message on her Instagram page describing her victory in one word: “Beautiful 🔥”, she wrote, and added a few photos from the match to the post.
In the next round of the competition, Svitolina will play the winner of the double between Linda Klimovicheva (WTA 134) and Francesca Jones (WTA 69).
Earlier, Elina talked about Gael Monfils’ important role in her success earlier this season, talking about her victory over Kristina Buksha.
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The first racket of the world, Belarusian Arina Sabalenka, reached the second round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
At the start of the tournament, Sabalenka defeated the Frenchwoman Tiantsoa Rakotomanga-Rajaona with a score of 6:4, 6:1. The meeting lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes.
In the next round, Sabalenka will play against the winner of the match Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) – Bai Zhuoxuan (China, Q).
Grand Slam Tournament. Australian Open. Melbourne (Australia). Hard. Total prize fund: about $75 million
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Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina He shared his feelings after winning the first round match at the Australian Open, where he defeated the Spanish representative. Kristina Bukshaqualified for the second round of the tournament.
– Elina, you started the season very brightly. You won the title in Auckland and now you’re through to the second round of the Australian Open. What did you do in the off-season to be playing tennis this well right now?
– I trained with my husband (laughs). In fact, we had an off-season and quality pre-season preparation process. It’s always nice to get a win and of course the tournament in Auckland was very special for us. So yeah, I’m really happy. I’m also enjoying the warm weather here and looking forward to the next matches.
– You mentioned your husband. He was here today and we know he has given you incredible support throughout your career. What does it mean to you to have him by your side and how beneficial is it to share this experience with someone who understands everything?
– We really support each other in every tournament. It is very valuable for us to have someone next to you who truly understands you and supports you every step of the way.
This year will be special for him with many different emotions and I think it will be very interesting. And for me, it’s important to be close to him and rejoice that we can share this path together.
– Without a doubt. We know you both love playing here. You have played here three times in the quarter-finals and only once lost the first round match against Angelique Kerber. I think you can be forgiven for that. The name of the tournament is Happy Slam. What did you like most here?
– I really like the atmosphere. I think this is the most relaxed of all the “majors”: good vibes, lots of energy from the audience. Even during qualifying the stands are packed and the atmosphere is great. Of course, it is great for the players to go out on the court and show their best tennis in such an atmosphere.
– We really love watching you too. We’ve been doing this for 13 years and it’s an incredible achievement. And finally: What keeps you motivated, what keeps you coming back and getting better every year?
– I think it’s all about taste. Of course, there are ups and downs, but the main thing is to try to enjoy these moments.
And certainly being able to play in front of fans all over the world is something you really start to miss when you stop playing.
I have a great team, my husband is nearby and he supports me too. I try to do my best every year and I really appreciate this moment,” said Elina.
I am a sports journalist who has worked in print and online. I have authored articles for a sports website and have covered sports news for over 6 years.
