American WTA Star Faces Major Setback as Family Tragedy Hits Amid Cincinnati Open

Tennis demands sacrifice, often stealing precious moments players might otherwise spend with loved ones, and when loss strikes, the grind feels heavier. Earlier this year, Iga Swiatek endured such heartbreak, competing at the 2025 Madrid Open while mourning her grandfather, a loss confirmed by her PR manager, Daria Sulgostowska, who revealed she had attended the funeral just before the tournament began. Now, tragedy has touched the sport again, this time for rising American star Alycia Parks. As she dives into the unforgiving Cincinnati Open grind, she does so carrying the weight of personal grief alongside the demands of elite competition.

Just hours ago, 24-year-old American tennis ace Alycia Parks took to her Instagram stories to share heartbreaking news: the passing of her grandmother. In a raw and emotional message, she wrote, “I love you. R.I.P grandma when I hear ppl saying enjoy every moment I understand never would’ve thought it would’ve been this soon.” The words carried the weight of sudden loss, a poignant reminder of how fleeting time can be. 

For Parks, the moment was not just a farewell, but a deeply personal reckoning with love, memory, and the cruel swiftness with which life can change forever.

(More to come…)