INSIDER
Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz comes back to beat Frances Tiafoe in the third round
Read full article: Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz comes back to beat Frances Tiafoe in the third roundDefending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has come back to eliminate Frances Tiafoe 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 to reach the fourth round.
Carlos Alcaraz saves match point to remain in French Open
Read full article: Carlos Alcaraz saves match point to remain in French OpenRising star Carlos Alcaraz has saved a match point in the fourth set and erased an early deficit in the fifth to overcome Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-7 (7), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4 at the French Open.
7-time champion Serena Williams won't play Australian Open
Read full article: 7-time champion Serena Williams won't play Australian OpenNot long after Serena Williams’ name was absent from the entry list for the Australian Open, she confirmed the obvious: the seven-time champion won’t play the 2022 edition of the season-opening major in January.
The Latest: Sakkari beats 2019 champ Andreescu at US Open
Read full article: The Latest: Sakkari beats 2019 champ Andreescu at US OpenMaria Sakkari has eliminated 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu in the latest-finishing women’s match in tournament history to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time.
Djokovic's true Slam bid at US Open starts against qualifier
Read full article: Djokovic's true Slam bid at US Open starts against qualifierNovak Djokovic will begin his bid to win the U.S. Open for a men’s-record 21st major tennis championship and to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by facing a player who comes through qualifying.
Indian Wells tennis returns to California desert in October
Read full article: Indian Wells tennis returns to California desert in OctoberThe BNP Paribas Open is returning to the Southern California desert this fall after being knocked out of its usual March dates this year and last because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Latest: Miami Open tennis allows 750 fans per session
Read full article: The Latest: Miami Open tennis allows 750 fans per session(AP Photo/File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Miami Open plans to allow 750 fans on the grounds per session for this year’s tennis tournament, and they’ll be allowed to watch matches on the showcase court. Those matches will be played in the grandstand, which seats 5,000, meaning crowds there will be limited to 15% of capacity because of COVID-19 restrictions. The tournament will again be held at the Miami Dolphins’ stadium site, where it moved in 2019. The stadium court for showcase matches in 2019 will not be used this year. That’s less than 5% of the 2019 attendance total of 388,734 for an event that typically attracts most of the world’s top players.
Down but not out, Serena Williams into Australian Open QFs
Read full article: Down but not out, Serena Williams into Australian Open QFsUnited States' Serena Williams falls during her fourth round match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – Serena Williams tumbled to the ground, her heavily taped right ankle turning, her body contorting, her racket flying. Grabbing the last two games, Williams pulled out 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over No. Oh, my goodness.”Sabalenka — a 22-year-old from Belarus playing in only her second fourth-round Slam match — was visibly and audibly frustrated. Dominic Thiem — the Australian Open runner-up and U.S. Open champion in 2020 — looked physically compromised in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 loss to three-time major semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov.
Djokovic holds off Tiafoe; Venus hobbles out in Australia
Read full article: Djokovic holds off Tiafoe; Venus hobbles out in AustraliaSerbia's Novak Djokovic makes a forehand return to United States' Frances Tiafoe during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. 1, had never beaten anyone in the Top 5, and now he'd just won a tiebreaker against Novak Djokovic to level their second-round match at the Australian Open. But it wasn't quite enough to beat the eight-time Australian Open champion, who won the 3 1/2-hour afternoon match 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3. AdAnother U.S. Open champion, Naomi Osaka, needed only an hour to sweep Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3. 29 Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a rollicking night cap full of turns and twists.
The Latest: Shapovalov edges teenage Sinner in 1st round
Read full article: The Latest: Shapovalov edges teenage Sinner in 1st roundThe 10th-seeded Frenchman is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, but he can't seem to win anywhere at the moment. ___4:55 p.m.U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem has moved into the second round at the Australian Open, where he was the runner-up to Novak Djokovic a year ago. Thiem had been 0-3 in Grand Slam finals until emerging for the championship at Flushing Meadows in September. The first tournament of this year’s Grand Slam season began after a three-week delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. Serena Williams begins her latest bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title in the following match against Laura Siegemund.
Serena Williams, Osaka drawn in same half at Australian Open
Read full article: Serena Williams, Osaka drawn in same half at Australian OpenUnited States' Serena Williams makes a forehand return to compatriot Danielle Collins during a tuneup event ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. 3 Naomi Osaka, the U.S. Open champion. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta and Elina Svitolina are also in Kenin's quarter. Williams already has won seven Australian Open titles and her 23 major titles is a record in the Open era. In the top half, Djokovic’s bid for a third consecutive Australian title — and ninth overall — could get tricky.
Nadal sidelined; team Djokovic wins to open ATP Cup defense
Read full article: Nadal sidelined; team Djokovic wins to open ATP Cup defenseSerbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Canada's Denis Shapovalov in their ATP Cup match in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – Rafael Nadal didn't make it for Spain's ATP Cup opener because of a sore back, deciding it wasn't worth the risk a week ahead of the Australian Open. Nadal played more of a hand in that, with Djokovic limiting his time on court because of a blister. Back at Melbourne Park, where he has won a record eight Australian Open titles, he had plenty of energy to consume. Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in 2019, will next face No.
With quarantines almost over, tennis set to start Down Under
Read full article: With quarantines almost over, tennis set to start Down UnderIt was a controversial start to the government-mandated quarantine ahead of the Australian Open beginning Feb. 8, 2021. The government-mandated quarantine ahead of the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open had a controversial start. There was some considerable doubt during that second wave whether the Australian Open would even be remotely possible in Melbourne. Players, coaches and officials were flown in on 17 jets chartered by Tennis Australia and met by biosecurity officials and placed immediately into hotel quarantine. They include 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, whose coach was among those who tested positive, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka.
Lockdown: Tennis players getting on with life in Australia
Read full article: Lockdown: Tennis players getting on with life in AustraliaItalian tennis player Simone Bolelli, left, and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez are escorted to their training session in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (Luis Ascui/AAP Image via AP)With no way out, tennis players in lockdown are figuring out ways to keep themselves fit within the confines of their Melbourne hotel rooms as they prepare for the Australian Open. Angelique Kerber, who won the Australian Open in 2016, spent her birthday in quarantine on Monday. But local government, tennis and health authorities have said all players were warned of the risks well in advance. “We’ve got to do whatever we can to make it as fair as possible for those players that are in lockdown.”___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
72 tennis players in lockdown after virus cases on flights
Read full article: 72 tennis players in lockdown after virus cases on flightsItalian tennis player Simone Bolelli, left, and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez are escorted to their training session in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. The number of players in hard quarantine swelled to 72 ahead of the Australian Open after a fifth positive coronavirus test was returned from the charter flights bringing players, coaches, officials and media to Melbourne for the season-opening tennis major. Some players have expressed anger at being classified as close contacts merely for being on board those flights with people who later tested positive. But local government, tennis and health authorities have said all players were warned of the risks in advance. The Australian Open starts Feb. 8 following a week of warmup tournaments at Melbourne Park and the ATP Cup.
The Latest: Memphis women's basketball cancels another game
Read full article: The Latest: Memphis women's basketball cancels another gameNotre Dame forward Juwan Durham (11) drives to the basket against North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) and guard Leaky Black (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Memphis women’s basketball game against USF scheduled for Sunday has been canceled. It's the sixth game this season the team has been affected by health and safety concerns. ___The men's basketball game between Notre Dame and Howard scheduled for Monday has been canceled because of COVID-19 concerns in the Howard program. “This was a tremendous opportunity to bring national exposure to our basketball team and the university.
Australian Open arrivals hit by 4 COVID-19 positive tests
Read full article: Australian Open arrivals hit by 4 COVID-19 positive testsHealth authorities confirmed there'd been three positive tests for COVID-19 returned on Saturday, and another on Sunday. The Australian Open starts on Feb. 8. Kei Nishikori, the 2014 U.S. Open runner-up, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka were among a group of players who arrived on the flight from Los Angeles. Also, Americans Madison Keys and Tennys Sandgren returned positive tests, but Sandgren was given permission to fly after Australian health authorities determined he was no longer contagious though still shedding viral particles. South Australia health officials “confirmed that there is no one who has an active COVID-19 infection in the entire tennis cohort based in Adelaide,” the Australian Open said on Twitter.
Original 9 trailblazers stood for tennis equality in 1970
Read full article: Original 9 trailblazers stood for tennis equality in 1970In this Sept. 23, 1970, photo provided the Houston Library, tennis players hold up $1 bills after signing a contract with World Tennis magazine publisher Gladys Heldman to turn pro and start the Virginia Slims tennis circuit. The Original 9 will gather by Zoom to celebrate the inaugural Virginia Slims event. It included the Welsh Open Women’s Championship, the U.S. Eastern Women’s Grass Court Championship and the U.S. She called it “perfect timing” when tobacco ads were banned on TV in 1971, making a budget available for Philip Morris to sponsor the women's tennis circuit. Heldman quickly set up the $7,500-purse Virginia Slims Invitational in Houston for the same week as Kramer’s event.
Barty opts out of French Open title defense amid pandemic
Read full article: Barty opts out of French Open title defense amid pandemicBRISBANE Top-ranked Ash Barty will not defend her French Open title because of concerns over traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. After skipping the U.S. Open, which is being contested in New York without crowds, Barty has also decided against traveling to Europe for an event in Rome starting Sept. 14 and the Sept. 27-Oct. 10 French Open. Last years French Open was the most special tournament of my career so this is not a decision I have made lightly, Barty, who won her first major title on the clay courts of Roland Garros, said in a statement Tuesday. Nadal is expected to return to the French Open, which was postponed in May during the height of the lockdown. Organizers of the Australian Open remain confident the season-opening major will go ahead as scheduled in Melbourne in January.
Osaka-Goff rematch could happen in US Open's 3rd round
Read full article: Osaka-Goff rematch could happen in US Open's 3rd roundTwo-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 16-year-old Coco Gauff could face each other at the U.S. Open again after Thursdays, Aug. 27, 2020, draw for the Grand Slam tournament set up a possible third-round rematch. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)American teenager Coco Gauff and two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka could face each other at the U.S. Open again after Thursdays draw for the Grand Slam tournament set up a possible third-round rematch. Osaka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open, beat Gauff, then just 15, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round at Flushing Meadows a year ago. 1-ranked Ash Barty and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The defending mens champion, Rafael Nadal, and 20-time Grand Slam title winner Roger Federer are also among those absent in New York this year.
Top-ranked Barty pulls out of US Open, citing travel risks
Read full article: Top-ranked Barty pulls out of US Open, citing travel risksTop-ranked Ash Barty has withdrawn from the U.S. Open because she is not comfortable with traveling during the coronavirus pandemic. 1-ranked Ash Barty is skipping the first tennis major since January after deciding it's too risky to travel for the U.S. Open during the coronavirus pandemic. The 24-year-old Australian is the highest-profile player so far to opt out of the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 Grand Slam tournament in New York because of the global health crisis. The clay-court Grand Slam event was postponed earlier in the year and rescheduled to start Sept. 27, after the U.S. Open. Barty reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in January, the only major tennis tournament completed this year.
Naomi Osaka ends Bianca Andreescu's win streak
Read full article: Naomi Osaka ends Bianca Andreescu's win streak(CNN) - For the first time since March, Bianca Andreescu has lost a tennis match. In a blockbuster between the past two U.S. Open champions, it was Osaka, the world No. It ends the 17-match unbeaten streak of Andreescu, who last lost in the fourth round in Miami in March. After failing to defend her title at the US Open last month, Osaka has rebounded in Asia. She has won eight matches in a row, including winning her fourth career title, coming in the city of Osaka.
Is Meghan Markle Jinxing Serena Williams' Matches?
Read full article: Is Meghan Markle Jinxing Serena Williams' Matches?Is Meghan Markle a jinx? That's what some tennis fans are saying after her friend Serena Williams lost to 19-year-old sensation Bianca Andreescu Saturday at the U.S. Open. Just hours after Meghan landed in New York on Friday, she headed to a yoga studio in the West Village. Meg, love you friend for surprising me on my special day," Martin posted on Instagram. The Royal Line of Succession: 59 Brits in Line for the ThroneHow Meghan Markle Dressed Up Her Baby Bump
Fake check inspired US Open champion
Read full article: Fake check inspired US Open championThe check served as motivation, driving a hope that one day she would get her hands on the real thing. On Saturday evening in New York, she did just that, defeating Serena Williams 6-3, 7-5 to become Canada's first ever Grand Slam singles champion. Now 19, she's the first teen since Maria Sharapova in 2006 to win a Grand Slam title and is on a run of 14 consecutive victories. Williams was condemned to a fourth successive defeat in Grand Slam finals, meaning her goal of a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title remains elusive. "Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to win a Grand Slam and hopefully (will win) many more to come, become No.
Meghan cheers on friend Serena Williams at US Open
Read full article: Meghan cheers on friend Serena Williams at US OpenMeghan, Duchess of Sussex, cheers for Serena Williams of the United States during her Women's Singles final match against Bianca Andreescu of Canada at the US Open. NEW YORK (CNN) - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, attended the women's singles final of the US Open to support her friend Serena Williams on Saturday. This isn't the first time Meghan has seen the tennis star and dear friend play. Meghan, along with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, watched Williams compete in the 2018 and 2019 Wimbledon ladies' singles final in London. Meghan and Williams have been close friends for years after meeting at a charity event.
Bianca Andreescu upsets Serena Williams in US Open final
Read full article: Bianca Andreescu upsets Serena Williams in US Open finalBianca Andreescu of Canada reacts during her Women's Singles final match against Serena Williams of the United States. NEW YORK (CNN) - Bianca Andreescu just doesn't know how to lose a tennis match these days while Serena Williams suddenly is struggling to win a grand slam final. The two players exchanged a hug at the net after Andreescu ripped a return winner on her third match point. Appearing in her first grand slam final, Andreescu not yet born when Williams won her first US Open title in 1999 wasn't shy to let out one "come on" after another. The US Open was only the 15th seed's fourth grand slam event and last year she lost in the first round of qualifying.
Meghan Markle Cheers on Serena Williams at U.S. Open Final -- See the Pics!
Read full article: Meghan Markle Cheers on Serena Williams at U.S. Open Final -- See the Pics!Meghan Markle attended the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Saturday, to cheer on her longtime pal, Serena Williams, in her final match against Canadian Bianca Andreescu. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty ImagesTIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty ImagesClive Brunskill/Getty ImagesClive Brunskill/Getty ImagesIn addition to Markle, Williams has had some high-profile cheerleaders at the U.S. Open, including Gigi Hadid and Priyanka Chopra. This also marks her return NYC following her baby shower which was held there and hosted by Williams. After her quick NYC getaway, Markle is next set to travel to South Africa on an official royal tour with Prince Harry and 5-month-old Archie. The 10-day trip will have Markle focusing on women in the region and making efforts in higher education.
Serena Williams to face Canadian Bianca Andreescu in US Open final
Read full article: Serena Williams to face Canadian Bianca Andreescu in US Open finalSerena Williams moved into a 10th US Open final and picked up a record-equaling 101st win in New York by routing Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1. On the other side of the net will be fellow North American Bianca Andreescu, the 19-year-old Canadian who rallied to defeat Belinda Bencic 7-6(3) 7-5 and make a maiden grand slam final. Williams booked a spot in the final almost exactly 20 years after appearing in her first grand slam final at the 1999 US Open, before Andreescu was even born. Williams was once unbeatable in grand slam finals, winning eight straight from 2012-2015. If she upsets Williams, Andreescu would become her country's first grand slam singles champion and the first female teen to win a major since Maria Sharapova at the 2006 US Open.
Serena Williams Breaks Down in Tears After Retiring From Rogers Cup Final Match Due to Injury
Read full article: Serena Williams Breaks Down in Tears After Retiring From Rogers Cup Final Match Due to InjurySerena Williams' got emotional on Sunday at the 2019 Rogers Cup Finals before and after her shocking loss to 19-year-old Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu. Youre a f--king beast.Serena Williams had to retire from the Rogers Cup with an injury, and her opponent Bianca Andreescu came over to comfort her. And Bianca, you're a great sportswoman. The loss follows Williams' defeat at Wimbledon in July to Romania's Simona Halep after making it to the women's singles final. RELATED CONTENT:Serena Williams Appreciates 'Great Friend' Meghan Markle's Support at WimbledonMeghan Markle and Kate Middleton Attend Wimbledon Together to Cheer on Serena WilliamsUS Women's Soccer Team Wins World Cup: Serena Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and More Stars Celebrate