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Emma Raducanu is gearing up for the upcoming North American hardcourt swing and has arrived in Florida to train for the same. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and retired pro Agnieszka Radwanska practiced together ahead of their charity match for Ukraine relief efforts.
Nick Kyrgios once again expressed his disdain for clay, while Naomi Osaka is set to compete in San Jose. Russia's loss is Italy's gain, with the latter country set to host two more ATP tournaments later this year, replacing the ones held in Russia. Here's a round-up of the day's headlines:
Emma Raducanu begins training at the IMG Academy in Florida
Emma Raducanu has commenced her preparations for the upcoming hardcourt swing in the US. Her results this year haven't been too encouraging, with frequent early exits. However, injuries also played a part in those. With her US Open title defense on the horizon, the Brit will need to step up her game pretty soon.
Raducanu's next tournament is the Citi Open in Washington, which will be held from August 1-7.
Iga Swiatek and Agnieszka Radwanska have a hitting session together
Two-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek has organized a charity match to support people affected in Ukraine. Compatriot Agnieszka Radwanska is also set to be a part of it and the two trained together ahead of their match later this week.
The "Iga Swiatek and Friends for Ukraine" event will take place in Krakow, Poland on July 23, with the proceedings starting at noon.
Nick Kyrgios once again questions the point of clay tournaments in the lead-up to the US Open
2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios' dislike for clay is well documented at this point. He frequently voices his displeasure regarding the red dirt and at times even takes a dig at players who do well solely on the surface.
Following the conclusion of Wimbledon, a few clay tournaments will take place before the tour switches over to hardcourts.
"Why is there clay leading up to the US Open swing...." - Kyrgios on Twitter.
Kyrgios wondered what the point of having events on clay was when the next Grand Slam is the US Open, which is played on hardcourts. The Australian will be aiming to replicate his Wimbledon success at the season's final Grand Slam as well. He'll return to action at next week's Atlanta Open.
Naomi Osaka to participate in the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has joined an already loaded field at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic after she was awarded a wildcard to compete. Back in 2014, she defeated Samantha Stosur for her maiden WTA win here.
Osaka hasn't competed since losing in the first round of the French Open. She skipped the grass season due to an achielles injury she sustained in Paris.
Italy to host two ATP tournaments later this year
International tournaments in Russia have been canceled due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin Cup and the St. Petersburg Open are two events on the men's side that won't be returning to the tour. Instead, Italy is set to host a couple of ATP 250 tournaments to replace the Russian ones.
The first event in Naples was confirmed a while ago, but now a second tournament has been added, which will be held in Florence. The ATP tour will return to the latter venue for the first time since 1994.
