INSIDER
Stan Wawrinka, who is 39, beats Andy Murray, who is 37, at the French Open. Alcaraz and Osaka win
Read full article: Stan Wawrinka, who is 39, beats Andy Murray, who is 37, at the French Open. Alcaraz and Osaka winStan Wawrinka repeatedly used his trademark one-handed backhand to get the better of Andy Murray at the French Open once again.
Carlos Alcaraz is 'scared' to hit his forehand with full force as the French Open approaches
Read full article: Carlos Alcaraz is 'scared' to hit his forehand with full force as the French Open approachesEven Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t tell you exactly what’s been wrong with his right forearm, the part of his body that is responsible for his thunderous forehands.
Grand Slam tournaments are getting hotter. US Open players and fans are feeling that this week
Read full article: Grand Slam tournaments are getting hotter. US Open players and fans are feeling that this weekAfter a mild start to the U.S. Open, much higher temperatures have arrived in the second week at Flushing Meadows.
Andy Murray pulls out another 3-set victory at Indian Wells
Read full article: Andy Murray pulls out another 3-set victory at Indian WellsAndy Murray grabbed the last three games to come back and beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 across more than three hours in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
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.
Cloud 9: Djokovic wins 9th Australian Open, 18th Slam title
Read full article: Cloud 9: Djokovic wins 9th Australian Open, 18th Slam titlePlus, he's still gaining on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, now up to 18 overall, two shy of the men’s record those rivals share. Ad“Definitely, emotionally, the most challenging Grand Slam that I ever had, with everything that was happening — injury, off-the-court stuff, quarantines,” Djokovic said. Put Djokovic’s nine triumphs in Australia alongside five at Wimbledon, three at the U.S. Open and one at the French Open. 4-seeded Medvedev was appearing in his second Slam final; he was the runner-up to Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open. “There are a lot of mixed feelings about what has happened in the last month or so with tennis players coming to Australia,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic keeps perfect record in Australian Open semifinals
Read full article: Djokovic keeps perfect record in Australian Open semifinalsSerbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating Russia's Aslan Karatsev in their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021..(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic had a perfect record in Australian Open semifinals, and he was playing almost flawless tennis to protect it. He's now 9-0 in semifinals at the season-opening major, and one win from a ninth Australian title. Ad“The more I win, the better I feel coming back," the top-ranked Djokovic said. Given his past success in Melbourne, Djokovic should feel confident going into another championship match. After the win, Djokovic said Karatsev deserved plenty of praise for his amazing major breakthrough.
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.
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.
Players arrive for Australian Open; straight into quarantine
Read full article: Players arrive for Australian Open; straight into quarantineSpain's Rafael Nadal, center, arrives at Adelaide Airport ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship, Adelaide, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. The Australian Open is set to start Feb. 8. To do so, they are having players undergo COVID-19 tests before they board their charter flights, again after they arrive and frequently during the quarantine period. Totally recovered!”The Australian Open has already been delayed three weeks because restrictions in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. All other tournaments will be in Melbourne, including the 12-team ATP Cup starting Feb. 1 and two WTA events in the week leading into the Australian Open.
The Latest: Australian champ Kenin cries after French loss
Read full article: The Latest: Australian champ Kenin cries after French lossKenin was looking to win her second major title of the year after winning the Australian Open. ___4 p.m.Polish teen Iga Swiatek won the first set 6-4 against fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin in the French Open final. The women’s French Open final between fourth-seeded American Sofia Kenin and unseeded teen Iga Swiatek has begun on Court Philippe Chatrier. Kenin is looking to win her second major title of the year after winning the Australian Open. The 31-year-old Gerard was playing in his second major final after losing in the Australian Open final four years ago.
Djokovic leads been-there-done-that crew at wild French Open
Read full article: Djokovic leads been-there-done-that crew at wild French OpenIs it the two-week gap from the end of the U.S. Open to the start of the French Open? The women’s matchups established Saturday: Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin against Fiona Ferro; two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova against Zhang Shuai; Paula Badosa against Laura Siegemund; and No. “You can go out any round,” said Garbiñe Muguruza, the 2016 French Open champion who was beaten by the 57th-ranked Collins 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in Saturday's last match. The 22-year-old from Spain, ranked 87th, defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-3. “It’s really nice, I think, overall for tennis to see new faces, young players,” Djokovic said.
Tennis players at French Open rattled by sonic boom
Read full article: Tennis players at French Open rattled by sonic boomSwitzerland's Stan Wawrinka plays a shot against Germany's Dominik Koepfer in the second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – A tennis player at the French Open was visibly startled by a sonic boom Wednesday just as he was about to serve a ball. But with no forewarning, residents around Paris — along with fans and players inside Roland Garros — expressed their fears of an explosion on social networks. On Court Suzanne Lenglen, the second-biggest stadium at the French Open, Dominik Koepfer was interrupted mid-serve by the bang's loud clap. Elina Svitolina was playing Renata Zarazua on Court Philippe Chatrier, the tournament's biggest stadium, when she heard the noise.
Wawrinka routs Murray in Slam champ matchup at French Open
Read full article: Wawrinka routs Murray in Slam champ matchup at French OpenMurray and Wawrinka met in the 2017 semifinals in Paris and neither has been quite the same since. “To me, also.”But 2015 French Open champion Wawrinka’s road back from two procedures on his knee has been less arduous than Murray’s journey. VENUS DONE FOR 2020Venus Williams finished 2020 with an 0-3 record in Grand Slam matches, adding a first-round exit at the French Open to those she had at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. So I’m looking forward to that.”She is a seven-time major champion and was the 2002 runner-up at the French Open to her younger sister, Serena. The 20-year-old American’s father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open and was the runner-up at the 1992 French Open; his mother, Regina, reached the top 30 in the WTA rankings.
No chill for Coco: Gauff ousts 9th seed in French Open debut
Read full article: No chill for Coco: Gauff ousts 9th seed in French Open debut(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – Prepping in the relative warmth of a gym before heading out with leggings and long sleeves to make her French Open debut against the tournament’s No. I realized it’s just a tennis match. Such a far cry from last year’s French Open: Gauff failed to make it out of qualifying, while Konta was making her way to her third Grand Slam semifinal. She also made it to the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open, beating 2019 champion Naomi Osaka en route. The lack of match play coming in.
No set guidelines for calling off US Open if COVID outbreak
Read full article: No set guidelines for calling off US Open if COVID outbreakFILE - In this Sept. 3, 2017, file photo, tennis fans move in and out of Arthur Ashe Stadium during the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a 2019 U.S. Open semifinalist, and No. Bertens cited concerns about needing to quarantine when returning to Europe for clay-court tournaments in Rome and Paris that are scheduled for after the U.S. Open. If coaches or guests exit the bubble, theyll lose their 2020 credential and not be allowed to get one next year. Aside from two official hotels for players and their guests, there will be private housing available for rent.
2 more top-10 women -- Svitolina, Bertens -- out of US Open
Read full article: 2 more top-10 women -- Svitolina, Bertens -- out of US OpenNEW YORK Two more top-10 women -- Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens -- will miss the U.S. Open, joining No. 1-ranked Ash Barty in skipping the Grand Slam tennis tournament during the coronavirus pandemic. The French Open -- where Bertens reached the semifinals in 2016 -- is scheduled to begin Sept. 27. Defending mens champion Rafael Nadal also has said he wont play at the U.S. Open, citing concerns about traveling during the pandemic. The womens circuit returned to action this week in Palermo, Italy; the men are scheduled to begin play later this month.