Novak Djokovic wins the French Open men's singles, securing his 23rd Grand Slam title
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates winning the men's singles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Norway's Casper Ruud in three sets at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday.Thibault Camus/AP PARIS Novak Djokovic made clear for years that this was his goal.What drove him.What inspired him.
Alcaraz vs. Djokovic: The Next Kid Up Faces the Game's Steeliest Brain
A moment arrives nearly every time a younger player seizes the advantage over Novak Djokovic, with designs of toppling him from his perch at the top of tennis.It doesn't matter how deep a hole Djokovic has dug for himself, or how well the whippersnapper on the other side of the net might be playing.
Sometimes Tennis Is a Waiting Game. And Waiting and Waiting.
When Felix Auger-Aliassime won the first two sets of his men's quarterfinals against Daniil Medvedev at last year's Australian Open, Gonzalo Escobar started prepping for his mixed doubles semifinals, the next match in Rod Laver Arena.As the third set progressed, Escobar and his partner Lucie Hradecka, along with their opponents Jason Kubler and Jaimee Fourlis, began loosening up.
In recent decades, many courts, including the grass at Wimbledon and the indoor hard courts like the ones hosting the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, have been drained of some of their speed.One goal was reducing the wham-bam serve-and-volley style that had dominated the men's tour, but was boring to television audiences, replacing it with the drama of hard-hitting baseline rallies enhanced by modern improvements in racket and string technology.
Nick Kyrgios Upsets No. 1 Daniil Medvedev at the U.S. Open
Nick Kyrgios's finest season continues to get finer, and on Sunday he defeated No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, the defending U.S. Open men's singles champion, 7-6 (11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, with a deeply convincing display of power and finesse to reach his first quarterfinal in New York.
Andy Murray reached his first singles final on British soil in almost seven years by beating Jordan Thompson in straight sets at the Surbiton Trophy.Murray, 36, came through a tricky test against the Australian but saw off the defending champion 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.He meets Austria's Jurij Rodionov or Belgian Zizou Bergs in Sunday's final.
Coverage: Daily radio commentaries on 5 Sports Extra/BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app
Rising British star Jack Draper will play top seed Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open first round, with Andy Murray also handed a difficult draw.
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Daily radio commentaries across BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries and match reports on the website and app
British men's number one Cameron Norrie made light work of unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire as he started his US Open bid in style.
Wimbledon tickets fetch up to 36,000 as Cameron Norrie faces Djokovic in semi-final
The clash between Norrie, 26, and Djokovic - seeking a seventh SW19 title - is one of most hotly anticipated tennis matches in recent years as the mercury was set to hit a sweltering 29C.
Fans celebrate return of feelgood factor after Katie Boulter's stunning victory
K atie Boulter's family on Friday said they were incredibly proud of the tennis ace's stunning Wimbledon performance two days after her beloved grandmother died.
Wimbledon kicks off with capacity crowds for first time in three years
W imbledon kicks off on Monday with full-capacity crowds descending on the grand slam tournament in south-west London for the first time in three years.
Novak Djokovic Downs Carlos Alcaraz to Reach French Open Final
Novak Djokovic is headed back to the final of the French Open.Djokovic scored a victory for the old guard Thursday afternoon in Paris, registering a kind of technical knockout against a cramping Carlos Alcaraz.Djokovic prevailed in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, in a match the had figured to be one for the ages.
Will Alcaraz and Djokovic Finally Get to Play Each Other at the French Open?
Eight days ago, 128 men began competing in singles at the French Open.Pretty much everyone has been focused on two of them.Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic moved one step closer on Sunday to a potential semifinal showdown.They clinically disposed of overmatched opponents who often struggled to get points and games, much less sets, in back-to-back matches in front of a packed house on the Philippe Chatrier court, offering a look at what may be coming to that stadium before the week ends.
Antes de que Carlos Alcaraz fuera impresionante, fue bastante bueno como para tener suerte
Carlos Alcaraz es tan bueno y tan joven, y gana tantas veces, que su exito parece predeterminado.Por supuesto, alguien asi de rapido, con manos tan suaves como las de un artesano y un fisico que lo coloca justo en la zona Ricitos de Oro de los grandes del tenis moderno ni demasiado alto ni demasiado bajo, se convertiria en el numero uno del mundo mas joven en los 50 anos de historia del ranking de la Asociacion de Tenistas Profesionales (ATP).
Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have won a combined five Grand Slam singles titles.Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won 64.Swiatek, Rybakina and Sabalenka have been at the top of the sport for roughly a year.Some combination of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic has been there the last 20.
When Alexander Zverev left the French Open last year, it was in a wheelchair.He was in tears.After tearing ligaments in his right ankle while running for a ball, Zverev was forced to retire in the semifinals to the eventual champion, Rafael Nadal.Zverev had hopes of winning his first major title after twice winning the ATP Finals and capturing a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Tommy Paul and American Tennis Are Having a Moment
MELBOURNE, Australia The tennis breakthroughs keep coming for Tommy Paul and his American friends.Taylor Fritz became the first of their peer group to win a Masters 1000 title last year at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.A few months later, Frances Tiafoe became the first of their group to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in singles, pushing eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz to five sets.
Tension Overshadows the Tennis Between Sabalenka and Svitolina
In hindsight, this French Open was probably destined to come down to a moment like the one that unfolded Tuesday.For 10 days in Paris, and for months on the women's professional tennis tour, Ukrainian players have made it clear that they will not shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus after their matches.
Sania Mirza, India's Superstar, Exits the Australian Open and Soon, a Career
MELBOURNE, Australia Keep fighting, Serena Williams said to an 18-year-old Sania Mirza when they met at the net after a match at the Australian Open.That was in January 2005, and Mirza, strong-minded to begin with, took even more strength from the advice.A Muslim from Hyderabad, India, who started playing tennis on courts made of cow dung, Mirza became the most successful women's tennis player in India's history at an early age but kept pushing for more, experiencing success above all in doubles and in inspiring women from South Asia and beyond to think bigger.
Ben Shelton Masters a Tricky Fifth Set at the Australian Open. Holger Rune Does Not.
MELBOURNE, Australia Two young tennis players born just six months apart were in different arenas but in the same predicament on Monday: trying to figure out how to prevail in a fifth set.Neither Holger Rune nor Ben Shelton had been this far at an Australian Open.Shelton, a 20-year-old American lefty with a friendly manner and an unfriendly serve, had never played in the Australian Open at all until this month: not even as a junior.
On Monday, the girlfriend of the American tennis player Frances Tiafoe posted a video from what she called a fashion show.In it, Mr. Tiafoe, ranked 17th in the world, tried on a kit sent to him by Nike, his sponsor, as he readied for the Australian Open.It's definitely a lot, but I'm here for it, his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, a tennis player from Canada, says as Mr. Tiafoe walks to a mirror to see the outfit: a sleeveless top and shorts covered in multicolored waves, like an oil slick rainbow or a lava lamp.
Iga Swiatek, U.S. Open Winner, Is Ready for Global Stardom
At 21 years old and already a superstar in her home country of Poland, Swiatek is a bona fide No. 1 with a package of tennis skills both innate and acquired.
Coco Gauff makes progress but French Open loses Elena Rybakina to illness
Coco Gauff fought off the challenge of 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva to reach round four on Saturday while the French Open lost one of its favourites to illness.Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew minutes before she was due to take to Philippe Chatrier to face Sara Sorribes Tormo, revealing she was struggling with a virus.
Tagovailoa, Zaporizhzhia make list of most mangled words
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa explained the significance of the Chicxulub impact crater to actor Domhnall Gleeson over a drink of negroni sbagliato in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia," is the kind of sentence that just might tie your tongue up in knots.It contains five examples from this year's list of the most mispronounced words released Wednesday by The Captioning Group, which since 1991 has captioned and subtitled real-time events on television in the U.S. and Canada.
Congrats, You Made the French Open. You Get to Play Djokovic and Alcaraz.
Aleksandar Kovacevic did plenty of tossing and turning Sunday night before finally settling in for what he thought was about six hours of restless sleep.He had good reason to be nervous.Kovacevic, who is 24 years old and the world's 114th-ranked player, had a noon tennis date in the first round of the French Open with Novak Djokovic, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.
A hero's journey, ending in a wrenching farewell sports historians will debate whether Roger Federer was the greatest men's tennis player of all time, but few will deny that he was among its most dignified.
Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury unable to rescue Davis Cup tie against USA
Andy Murray was unable to be the hometown hero again as Great Britain fell to an agonising late-night defeat against the USA in their Davis Cup tie in Glasgow.
Federer Ends Career with Loss in Laver Cup, Paired With Nadal
A ceremonial adieu on Friday night against the Team World doubles team of Sock and Tiafoe would have been understandable, but Federer managed rather more than that."I always felt I was a team player at heart."That concept still made sense on Friday night, even after more than a year away from the game for Federer and even if his 41 years and aching knees clearly limit his movement.There has been a grace and purity to Federer's game since he joined the tour in the late 1990s and was still losing his temper and serve on a regular basis.
Serena Williams gets through the first round in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Aug. 29, 2022, 9:13 p.m. ET
Credit... Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times
Serena Williams's Grand Slam singles career will live on for at least another match.
Great Britain handed tough draw in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals
Great Britain have been handed a tough draw in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, where they will take on last year's runners-up Australia along with France and Switzerland at Manchester's AO Arena in September.Leon Smith's side qualified for the group stage by defeating Colombia 3-1 away in February.
Felix Auger-Aliassime let out a bellow that pierced through the cheers inside the arena in Basel, Switzerland, two weeks ago.He had just beaten Holger Rune to win his 13th match in a row and his third consecutive ATP Tour title.After flopping onto his back on the court following match point, then shaking his opponent's hand, Auger-Aliassime returned to the middle of the court and stood with his mouth agape.
Federer on His Exit and Holding Nadal's Hand: 'It's Maybe a Secret Thank You'
In an interview, Roger Federer opens up about the emotions of his goodbye at the Laver Cup and about the future of men's tennis."Nobody needs to play like me, by the way," he said.
Federer will pair up with Rafael Nadal for a doubles match at the Laver Cup for the last competition of his career.They will play two Americans, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.
Federer said he hoped to return to the tournament he has won eight times before.His absence from the field this year left a void over Wimbledon's early rounds.
Shapovalov drops 2nd-round match to Mmoh at Delray Beach Open | CBC Sports
Canada's Denis Shapovalov has fallen out of the Delray Beach Open, losing 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to American Michael Mmoh in second-round action on Wednesday in Delray Beach, Fla.The Richmond Hill, Ont., native hit four aces and 30 winners but also committed four double faults and 30 unforced errors.Shapovalov broke on two of his 10 opportunities and won 75 per cent of his first-serve points.
Elliott: Pro tennis is at a crossroads. Who will step up at the Paribas Open in Indian Wells?
The BNP Paribas Open begins this week just as professional tennis hits a crossroads, navigating toward an uncertain future without the great rivalry among the "Big Three" of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the men's side and without Serena Williams ' charisma and historic feats to set standards for the women.
Elliott: Frances Tiafoe finds his American dream in stunning upset over Rafael Nadal
Frances Tiafoe 's parents left war-torn Sierra Leone for a better life in the United States.His mother, Alphina, was a nurse and often worked two jobs.
A video appears to show Novak Djokovic's father with pro-Putin tennis fans at the Australian Open.
Footage taken at the Australian Open appears to show Srdjan Djokovic, the father of the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, posing with fans who were carrying Russian flags and symbols.In the video, posted on a prominent pro-Putin YouTube account, Srdjan Djokovic is briefly seen alongside the fans, one of whom is wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the pro-war Z emblem and carrying a flag featuring an image of President Vladimir V. Putin.
Boris Becker Returns to Germany After Release From British Prison
Boris Becker, the three-time Wimbledon champion, returned to his home country of Germany on Thursday after he was freed from prison in Britain, his lawyer said.The Southwark Crown Court in London sentenced Mr. Becker to 30 months in prison in April for hiding his assets after he was declared bankrupt.
At the Australian Open, American Men Advance en Masse
MELBOURNE, Australia There were 94,854 fans at the Australian Open on Saturday, setting a single-day attendance record.But perhaps even more surprising than the size of the audience was that four American men remained in contention for the men's singles title: Sebastian Korda, Ben Shelton, J.J. Wolf and Tommy Paul.
Gauff and Raducanu Deliver at the Australian Open, but Only One Advances
MELBOURNE, Australia Coco Gauff versus Emma Raducanu sounded like quite a tennis match for a new age.The Australian Open organizers clearly agreed and gave the youngsters top billing: 7 p.m. in Rod Laver Arena to open the night session Wednesday.I'm glad we got the prime spot, Gauff said.I hope we delivered.
Andy Murray Has a Late Nightat the Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia It was a night worthy of a knight, and Sir Andy Murray's stirring comeback victory from two sets down against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open also turned into one of the latest nights in tennis history.That is saying something in a sport that is often, too often, played into the wee hours of the morning, but Murray, a stouthearted Scotsman now playing tennis with an artificial hip, needed 5 hours 45 minutes to find a way to prevail against Kokkinakis, a big-serving Australian nearly 10 years his junior.
Nick Kyrgios Withdraws From Australian Open With Knee Injury
MELBOURNE, Australia After spending the past week receiving all the laurels of a hometown favorite, Nick Kyrgios suddenly withdrew from the Australian Open on Monday with a knee injury, a little more than 24 hours ahead of his scheduled first-round match.In an interview Friday, Kyrgios, the temperamental Australian star who was a finalist at Wimbledon last year, said he had been battling soreness in his left knee during the off-season, but he expected to be able to play in the year's first Grand Slam.
U.S. Open Winner Carlos Alcaraz to Miss Australian Open With Injury
The year's first major tennis tournament suffered a major blow on Friday when Carlos Alcaraz, the precocious men's world No. 1 from Spain, announced that he was withdrawing from the Australian Open with a right leg injury.Alcaraz, a 19-year-old phenom with an acrobatic and all-court game, won his first Grand Slam singles title in September at the U.S. Open in often-spectacular fashion, prevailing in a series of compelling and frequently lengthy matches.
Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic awaiting word on Australian Open
Novak Djokovic is still awaiting word on whether he will be allowed to return to the Australian Open in January after missing the tournament this year because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Rafael Nadal Loses His Serve and His Way at the U.S. Open
His loss to Frances Tiafoe was Nadal's earliest defeat at a major tournament in more than five years and the first time he had been beaten in any major in 2022.
Jannik Sinner Beats Carlos Alcaraz in a Match Befitting the Stage
The young talents made their Centre Court debuts hours after Wimbledon celebrated the main stage's 100th anniversary, and they provided a foil to a contentious match the day before.
Boris Becker speaks about emotional turmoil he felt before being sentenced
Boris Becker has spoken openly about the emotional turmoil he felt before being sentenced over bankruptcy offences.The 55-year-old tennis star, who won Wimbledon at the age of 17 along with six grand slams, is expected to be released imminently after spending nearly eight months in prison.He was convicted in April of hiding 2.5 million-worth of assets and loans to avoid paying his debts.
Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic opens up about friend and fallen star Boris Becker
Novak Djokovic has revealed that three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker will be visited in jail by his son and brother for the first time in the coming days.
Wimbledon kicks off with full capacity crowds for first time in three years
Wimbledon kicks off on Monday with full-capacity crowds descending on the grand slam tournament in south-west London for the first time in three years.
Opinion | Yes, the Players in the World Cup Do Keep Falling Over for No Reason
LONDON It is a part of the viewing experience of World Cup football (soccer, as Americans know it).At the slightest physical contact with an opponent, a player throws himself to the ground and writhes around in mock agony, grabbing a body part (an ankle, a knee) that has been offended by an instance of pretend contact.
As tennis honors Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine, he reflects on shifting his focus from sports to the war.
TURIN, Italy When professional tennis took a few minutes on Friday night at the ATP Tour Finals to honor a handful of players who had announced their retirement from the sport this year, one of them walked onto the court at the Pala Alpitour stadium wearing military fatigues.That was Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine, whose retirement has unfolded differently from all the others.
TURIN, Italy He has been detained and then deported from one country and barred from entering two others that are major stops on the tennis circuit.His steadfast refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 has forced him to miss large chunks of the season and to figure out how to stay sharp as he waited by the phone for calls that never came telling him that travel rules had changed.
When Stan Smith won the ATP's first year-end finals in December 1970, the tournament was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.The arena was unheated, prompting Japanese fans to wrap themselves in blankets, fur coats and scarves, but there was a small gas heater in the locker room, installed so the players wouldn't have their muscles tighten up before matches.
During the Rolex Paris Masters, you will consistently see players taking a circuitous route to a ball, running around what should be a backhand to take a whack from their forehand side.Most players hit forehands harder and with more spin, seeking a better chance to seize control of the point.And yet that greatest strength may also be the greatest weakness.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, So Near the Greats, but Not One of Them Yet
LONDON Stefanos Tsitsipas stood behind the courtside sofa in the O2 Arena on Sept. 22 watching Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray practice their doubles game.Tsitsipas applauded when Federer hit a classic backhand down-the-line passing shot a stroke Tsitsipas has modeled his own picturesque one-handed backhand after well out of Murray's reach.
Federer's Goodbye a Reminder of the Events and Shots That Make His Legacy
Federer kept alive a one-handed backhand, tried rushing the net on returns and helped popularize the between-the-legs shot.And with the Laver Cup, he showed that tournaments can be different, too.
Federer and Nadal Were the Best of Rivals. In the End, They'll Be Partners.
One of the greatest rivalries in tennis history will end in harmony on Friday when Roger Federer plays his final competitive match with Rafael Nadal as his doubles partner.
For Roger Federer, London Is a Sensible End to a Long Career
Wimbledon may have been more fitting.But the Laver Cup, which Federer helped create, will surely offer a poignant send-off at O2 Arena for one of the greatest male players of this era.
Analysis | Federer and Williams Were the Best Ever. Or Maybe Not.
With this week's retirement of Roger Federer coming hard on the heels of last week's news that Serena Williams had played her final match, encomia have rung out from every corner lamenting the loss of the two greatest tennis players in history.
On the Quiet Hardcourts in Spain, Carlos Alcaraz's Star Was Already Shining
No matter how clear the potential, you never truly know what a tennis player is capable of until they have to fight for the biggest points on the biggest occasions.
Carlos Alcaraz Wins U.S. Open Men's Singles Title, and Becomes No. 1
His forehand is powerful, and his ability to chase down balls that other players would not bother trying for is thrilling to watch.
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A minute later, he was embracing his longtime coach - the former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero - who has piloted the journey, along with Alcaraz's father, a former pro himself, and his grandfather, who helped develop the tennis club where he started to play as a 3-year-old.
U.S. Open Live Updates: Frances Tiafoe vs. Carlos Alcaraz
Those who have been worried about the state of men's tennis when the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are retired have nothing to worry about.
Frances Tiafoe Gets the Next American Shot at the Big Three
The next generation of top American players has yet to beat Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer in a Grand Slam tournament.What will it take to get over the wall?
Novak Djokovic beats Nick Kyrgios in four sets to win Wimbledon title
Novak Djokovic won his fourth consecutive Wimbledon men's singles titles, holding off the combustible Nick Kyrgios in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Sunday.
Djokovic vs. Kyrgios: How to Watch the Wimbledon Men's Singles Final
Sunday, the final day of Wimbledon, features the men's singles championship at 9 a.m. Eastern between Novak Djokovic, a six-time Wimbledon champion, and Nick Kyrgios, who is playing in his first Grand Slam singles final.
Rafael Nadal closes on Leg 3 of Grand Slam with Taylor Fritz up next at Wimbledon
Rafael Nadal has never won the Grand Slam, clinching all four major championships in the same calendar year, something that has been done only twice on the men's side (both by Rod Laver).
The New (Cushy Seats) and the Familiar (Novak, Nerves) Mix at Wimbledon
One hundred years after the opening of Centre Court, it's a season of change at the All England Club, what with the barring of Russian players and a new set of green doors.