Mladenovic Thrives Despite Narrow Loss at Singapore Tennis Open
Kristina Mladenovic showcased her skills and pain-free play in a hard-fought match at the Singapore Tennis Open before being narrowly defeated.
Encouraging Performance
SINGAPORE – Kristina Mladenovic delivered an impressive display of tennis at the Singapore Tennis Open, demonstrating skill and agility throughout her match against Japan's Nao Hibino.
During a thrilling round of 32 clash at the OCBC Arena, the 33-year-old French player executed a stunning volley and showcased a backhand that perfectly placed the ball, thrilling the audience as she fought for every point in a 140-minute battle.
Despite her best efforts, Mladenovic ultimately fell short against Hibino, losing the match with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. The crowd was captivated by the intensity and skill displayed by both players, particularly Mladenovic, who showed no signs of her previous injuries.
A Joyful Return
Mladenovic expressed her happiness after the match, saying, "I have no pain anywhere, so this is why I could produce some good tennis today and a good fight. I felt physically well on court, and it’s been a long journey to come back." The excitement of the event, with a passionate audience filling the venue, added to her positive experience.
The former women's doubles world No. 1 has faced significant challenges recently, including a serious foot injury that hindered her game since 2025. After significant hard work, she successfully returned to competitive play, notably capturing the Wimbledon women’s doubles title in July alongside her partner Guo Hanyu. With this victory, she now boasts an impressive collection of seven women's doubles Grand Slam titles and three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, and she recently climbed to 11th in the women’s doubles world rankings.
Singles Challenge
However, Mladenovic's singles performance hasn’t mirrored her doubles success. Once ranked as high as 10th in 2017, she currently sits at No. 822 in the singles rankings. She candidly discussed the difficulty of regaining her singles form post-injury.
“It’s a very tricky situation for me in singles because it takes way more in terms of fitness,” she explained. “I’m definitely lacking singles matches this year because I’m just coming back from an injury where I wasn't sure if I would even be able to play again.”
Despite her challenges, Mladenovic remains positive, stating, "I’m glad that the work is paying off, and that I could show a good fight and some good rallies. That gives me joy." Even in defeat, her injury-free existence has ignited a passion for competing, particularly in singles.
Next Steps
Mladenovic’s journey at the Singapore Tennis Open isn’t over yet; she is set to team up with Alexandra Panova in the doubles competition. “I’m always competitive,” she said about her upcoming matches. Although Hanyu is busy competing in the Billie Jean Cup, Mladenovic is looking forward to partnering with Panova despite the challenges of forming a new doubles team.
They will face off against Estonia’s Ingrid Neel and Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos in the round of 16 on September 22.
In other tournament news, fifth seed Maja Chwalinska continued her strong performance from the French Open, defeating wild card Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-2. Chwalinska will next take on either Oleksandra Oliynykova or Vivian Wolff in the second round. Additionally, Aliaksandra Sasnovich triumphed over Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 6-0 and will meet top seed Mirra Andreeva in the next round.
