The tennis world witnessed one of the craziest 24 hours on Thursday, June 19. Petra Kvitova’s retirement announcement kicked off the day. While the news was surprising considering she embarked on her comeback this year, it was quickly replaced by another item in the news cycle.
Kei Nishikori’s cheating scandal left fans aghast, while Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner’s early losses added another twist to the day. Emma Raducanu’s take on equal prize money led to more discourse.
Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz also made headlines with their promotional video for the US Open mixed doubles. With a lot to catch up on, here’s everything of note that happened on Thursday:
#.1 Kei Nishikori admits to infidelity in an emotional apology
Nishikori had a reputation of being an upright gentleman, both on and off the court. However, his squeaky clean image has taken a massive hit after admitting to adultery. He has admitted to cheating on his wife, Mai Yamauchi, with a 32-year-old model, Oguchi Azuki, from Japan.
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Nishikori has been recuperating from an injury which caused him to miss the French Open. During his ongoing absence, a Japanese tabloid recently broke the news of his affair. He has now issued an apology to his wife and everyone and promised to do better in the future.
"I deeply apologise for causing discomfort to everyone who supports me; tennis fans, tennis associations, sponsors, and other related parties, and for their concern and inconvenience due to my dishonest behavior. In addition, I deeply regret that I made my wife, children, and each ‘parent’ feel hurt,” Kei Nishikori said (via Shukan Bunshun).
Nishikori first crossed paths with Azuki just days before his wedding in 2022. The latter's boyfriend found out about their affair a year later. The tennis pro ended things after the confrontation, though legal negotiations were involved as well. They rekindled their romance last year and have been meeting in secret since then, until they were caught.
#2. Petra Kvitova announces her retirement
Kvitova returned to the tour earlier this year following the birth of her first child. Just months into her comeback, she has now announced her decision to retire. She penned an emotional note to her fans on Thursday, looking back on her career and stating that the upcoming US Open will be the final tournament of her career.
Kvitova has won 31 career titles so far, including two Wimbledon trophies in 2011 and 2014. She peaked at No. 2 in the rankings and won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics 2016. She remains one of the most adored athletes by fans and players alike, and the tour will definitely be less joyful after her departure.
#3. Coco Gauff and Jannik Sinner make a swift exit from their Wimbledon warm-up tournaments
Gauff, who recently won her second Major title at the French Open, was dumped out of the Berlin Tennis Open by Wang Xinyu in the second round. She received a bye into the second round, so she left the tournament without a win. She could never find her footing during the 6-3, 6-3 loss.
Sinner, meanwhile, was sent packing by Alexander Bublik in the second round of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. He was the defending champion and recently beat the Kazakh at the French Open in straight sets.
However, Bublik was well prepared this time and handed the Italian 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss. It marked Sinner's first loss prior to the final and to a player other than Carlos Alcaraz since the Canadian Open in August 2024.
There's more news relating to Sinner. He also released a duet with the great Andrea Bocelli, though the legendary tenor has done most of the heavy lifting on the song. The World No. 1's dip into the world of music left fans scratching their heads.
#4. Andrey Rublev blows two match points to crash out of the Terra Wortmann Open
Rublev suffered a crushing loss at the hands of Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Halle. The match had plenty of momentum shifts and was eventually decided by a third-set tie-break.
Ther Russian overcame a 0-3 deficit in the tie-break to go 6-4 up, bringing up two match points for him. However, Etcheverry won the next four points to seal a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6). It marked his first win over a top 20 player on grass, while it was another disappointing loss for Rublev.
#5. Emma Raducanu gets dragged for her take on equal prize money
Equal prize money on the tennis tour has been a contentious issue for decades. While trailblazers like Billie Jean King and Venus Williams have fought for women to receive the same paycheck as the men, the new generation of players don't seem to share the same drive.
Raducanu's answer regarding equal prize money starting doing the rounds on Thursday. She was asked about it during last week's HSBC Championships, though it only gained traction yesterday.
"I'm never really going to take a stand either way," Raducanu said.
Raducanu's indifference around such a sensitive topic was criticized by fans. Currently all four Majors and some of the Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments offer equal prize money, though that isn't the case at other tournaments.
#6. Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz go viral in a promo video for US Open mixed doubles
The US Open released the early entry list for mixed doubles, featuring a ton of superstar pairings. Out of all the teams, Raducanu and Alcaraz's partnership has gained considerable media attention.
The US Open released a promotional video featuring the duo on Thursday, which quickly went viral. The two could be hilariously seen trying to get on the same page ahead of their campaign in New York.
While Wimbledon is around the corner, the US Open has overshadowed it with its mixed doubles announcement. Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic, Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina, are among some of the other notable pairings.
