INSIDER
Djokovic wins his opener at the Italian Open after a month off. Defending champ Rybakina withdraws
Read full article: Djokovic wins his opener at the Italian Open after a month off. Defending champ Rybakina withdrawsNovak Djokovic took a little while to get going in his first match in nearly a month.
Coco Gauff advances to Miami Open fourth round vs. Garcia, who beat Osaka
Read full article: Coco Gauff advances to Miami Open fourth round vs. Garcia, who beat OsakaThird-ranked Coco Gauff came from behind in the first set to beat OcƩane Dodin and advance to the fourth round of the Miami Open for the second time in her career.
Alcaraz defeats Medvedev to defend his Indian Wells title. Swiatek beats Sakkari for women's title
Read full article: Alcaraz defeats Medvedev to defend his Indian Wells title. Swiatek beats Sakkari for women's titleCarlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev for the second straight year in the BNP Paribas Open final.
Sakkari outlasts Gauff in 3 sets of rain-delayed semi at Indian Wells. She plays Swiatek for title.
Read full article: Sakkari outlasts Gauff in 3 sets of rain-delayed semi at Indian Wells. She plays Swiatek for title.Maria Sakkari outlasted Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2 after blowing three match points in the second set of their rain-delayed semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open.
Navarro beats Sabalenka in 3 sets, Gauff advances to quarters on her birthday at Indian Wells
Read full article: Navarro beats Sabalenka in 3 sets, Gauff advances to quarters on her birthday at Indian WellsEmma Navarro beat second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open for the biggest win of the young Americanās career.
Djokovic says his wrist is OK. He plans to start 2024 like he does most years: with an Aussie title
Read full article: Djokovic says his wrist is OK. He plans to start 2024 like he does most years: with an Aussie titleNovak Djokovic says his injured right wrist is OK and āit's all looking goodā as he bids for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title.
Former champion Wozniacki awarded one of the first wild cards for 2024 Australian Open
Read full article: Former champion Wozniacki awarded one of the first wild cards for 2024 Australian OpenFormer No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki has been awarded one of the first wild cards for the 2024 Australian Open and is planning on bringing her two young children to the scene of her biggest Grand Slam triumph.
The WTA Finals match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina was suspended because of rain
Read full article: The WTA Finals match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina was suspended because of rainAryna Sabalenkaās bid to clinch the year-end No. 1 ranking has been put on hold because her WTA Finals round-robin match against Elena Rybakina was suspended in the second set by rain.
WTA defends its court after No. 1 Sabalenka calls conditions at finals 'another level of disrespect'
Read full article: WTA defends its court after No. 1 Sabalenka calls conditions at finals 'another level of disrespect'The womenās tennis tour has defended the court built for the WTA Finals as meeting its āstrict performance standardsā after No_ 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka called the conditions at the season-ending championship āanother level of disrespect.ā.
Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff all advance to the semifinals at the China Open
Read full article: Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff all advance to the semifinals at the China OpenElena Rybakina advanced to her eighth semifinal of the year by beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-5, 6-2 at the China Open.
Coco Gauff defeats Maria Sakkari in Washington for her fourth title. Dan Evans wins the men's final
Read full article: Coco Gauff defeats Maria Sakkari in Washington for her fourth title. Dan Evans wins the men's finalCoco Gauff has defeated Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 in the DC Open womenās final for the fourth WTA Tour singles title of her career.
Maria Sakkari gets past top-seeded Jessica Pegula to reach the DC Open final
Read full article: Maria Sakkari gets past top-seeded Jessica Pegula to reach the DC Open finalMaria Sakkari has recovered to take the last four games and beat top-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 after letting a huge lead slip away in the DC Open semifinals.
Germany to roll out measures against heat wave deaths, drawing lessons from France
Read full article: Germany to roll out measures against heat wave deaths, drawing lessons from FranceThe German government says it is launching a campaign against deaths from heat waves that are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.
Murray out of US Open in 3rd round; Serena eliminated
Read full article: Murray out of US Open in 3rd round; Serena eliminatedMatteo Berrettini has ended Andy Murrayās bid to return to the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament by beating the the three-time major 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-3 at the U.S. Open.
Nadal hits nose with racket, tops Fognini | US Open updates
Read full article: Nadal hits nose with racket, tops Fognini | US Open updatesRafael Nadal has come back to win at the U.S. Open after cutting himself on the bridge of his nose when his racket bounced off the court and smacked him in the face during the fourth set against Fabio Fognini.
Wimbledon wild-card entry outside top 100 gets Djokovic next
Read full article: Wimbledon wild-card entry outside top 100 gets Djokovic nextThree-time defending champion Novak Djokovic's next opponent is an oft-injured guy ranked outside the top 100 and making his Grand Slam debut thanks to a wild card.
At surprise-filled French Open, tennis prodigy makes good
Read full article: At surprise-filled French Open, tennis prodigy makes goodThe surprising results in the women's draw at the French Open keep piling up and now only three of the top 10 women's seeds are still in the field before the third round has even started.
The Latest: Berrettini into Australian Open quarterfinals
Read full article: The Latest: Berrettini into Australian Open quarterfinalsWimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini has completed a Grand Slam set by advancing to the Australian Open quarterfinals with a 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over 19th-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta.
Barty opens her 2022 season with win over Gauff in Adelaide
Read full article: Barty opens her 2022 season with win over Gauff in AdelaideTop-ranked Ash Barty has started her 2022 season with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 comeback win over 17-year-old American Coco Gauff in the second round of the Adelaide International.
Teen dream: Raducanu, 18, Fernandez, 19, into US Open final
Read full article: Teen dream: Raducanu, 18, Fernandez, 19, into US Open finalBritish teenager Emma Raducanu has become the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final in the professional era by beating 17th-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4 at the U.S. Open.
What makes Novak Djokovic great? Shots, yes, but also mind
Read full article: What makes Novak Djokovic great? Shots, yes, but also mindNovak Djokovic enters his U.S. Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev needing two wins to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man in more than a half-century.
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 womenās match in tournament history to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time.
Prodigy no longer? Gauff makes breakthrough in Paris at 17
Read full article: Prodigy no longer? Gauff makes breakthrough in Paris at 17American 17-year-old Coco Gauff completely overwhelmed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 at the French Open to become the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam tournament in 15 years.
Osaka's 23-match win streak ends against Sakkari in Miami
Read full article: Osaka's 23-match win streak ends against Sakkari in MiamiMaria Sakkari, of Greece, reacts after winning a point against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the quarterfinals of the Miami Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Sakkari won 6-0, 6-4. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)MIAMI ā As Naomi Osaka's 23-match winning streak neared an end Wednesday, she paused before serving to crane her neck and study the sky, as if seeking intervention from above. 23-seeded Maria Sakkari, who upset Osaka 6-0, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. Good job.āOsaka made just 41% of her first serves and paid a price, because Sakkari aggressively attacked the second set. āI just did what I had to do.āOsaka took a 40-0 lead in the opening game, but didnāt win another point on her serve until the second set.
Barty goes distance, tops Azarenka to reach Miami quarters
Read full article: Barty goes distance, tops Azarenka to reach Miami quartersAshleigh Barty of Australia, returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)MIAMI ā Ash Barty is tough to beat under any circumstances, especially when sheās on the ropes. The worldās top-ranked player has reached the Miami Open quarterfinals, getting there by holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. This, too, was cool: The match lived up to its showdown potential, with the reigning Miami Open champion and current world No. 1 in Barty facing someone who has won the Miami title three times and a previous world No. Svitolina will play unseeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in the quarters; Sevastova was a 6-1, 7-5 winner over wild-card Ana Konjuh of Croatia.
The tennis crowd: players thrive with fans back in Australia
Read full article: The tennis crowd: players thrive with fans back in AustraliaThere was no certainty until last month that the Australian Open would even be staged. Wimbledon was canceled in 2020, there were no fans permitted at the U.S. Open and very few allowed at Roland Garros. The three-week delay to start the Australian Open this year will mean a slightly different atmosphere ā the summer holidays are over, for a start ā but thatās unlikely to upset organizers or players. āThatās the first thing Iām looking forward to when I come to Australia, so it was great. AdāI donāt have a professional tournament back home, so ... every time I come back to Australia, it feels like Iām at home.ā___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Kenin beats Putintseva to reach Abu Dhabi quarterfinals
Read full article: Kenin beats Putintseva to reach Abu Dhabi quarterfinalsKenin is the top-seeded woman in Abu Dhabi, where the first womens tour-level tennis event of 2021 begins main-draw play on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)ABU DHABI ā Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States came back from match point down to beat Yulia Putintseva and reach the quarterfinals of the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday. Kenin posted 57 unforced errors to Putintseva's 43 but still prevailed 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 over the 13th-seeded Putintseva. Kenin dropped the opening set for the second consecutive match in Abu Dhabi. Also, Aryna Sabalenka recorded her 12th consecutive win in tour matches with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur.
Serena Williams into US Open semifinals, closer to 24th Slam
Read full article: Serena Williams into US Open semifinals, closer to 24th SlamSerena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Tsvetana Pironkova, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in New York. Two more victories for Williams would allow her to claim a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Williams last lost before the semifinals in New York all the way back in 2007, when Justine Henin eliminated her in the quarterfinals. Another 15 strokes followed, with Williams hitting a forehand passing shot that Pironkova volleyed into the tape of the net. That afforded Williams a third break point, which was converted for a 1-0 lead when Pironkova sent a forehand long.
'It's how you finish': Serena Williams into Open semifinals
Read full article: 'It's how you finish': Serena Williams into Open semifinalsSerena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Tsvetana Pironkova, of Bulgaria, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in New York. Williams last lost before the semifinals in New York in 2007, when Justine Henin eliminated her in the quarterfinals. Another 15 strokes followed, with Williams smacking a forehand passing shot that Pironkova volleyed into the net tape. A couple of times, Pironkova drew Williams forward with a drop shot, then took the point with a perfectly arced lob. But after compiling only five unforced errors in the first set, Pironkova had 21 over the last two.
The Latest: Serena Williams in 4th-round action at US Open
Read full article: The Latest: Serena Williams in 4th-round action at US OpenNEW YORK The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times EDT):12:05 p.m.Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari are on court in Arthur Ashe Stadium to warm up for their fourth-round meeting at the U.S. Open. It is a rematch of a contest Sakkari won less than two weeks ago at the Western & Southern Open, a hard-court tournament played this year at Flushing Meadows. Williams owns six U.S. Open titles and 23 Grand Slam singles championships in all. Sakkari, a 25-year-old from Greece, is trying to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The winner will face Alize Cornet or Tsvetana Pironkova next.
Down but not out, Serena Williams yells herself to Open win
Read full article: Down but not out, Serena Williams yells herself to Open winSerena Williams, of the United States, reacts after defeating Maria Sakkari, of Greece, during the quarterfinals of the US Open tennis championships, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK Theres no crowd at the U.S. Open this year to pull for Serena Williams and try to push her to victory. Shouting at herself point after point, Williams came back from a third-set deficit against a woman she lost to less than two weeks ago, and took another step closer to Grand Slam title No. When the match ended, Williams turned and yelled toward her husband, who stood at his front-row seat and yelled right back. She sent a backhand return long to give Sakkari her fifth set point, then pushed a forehand out.
The Latest: Williams-Stephens on tap at sunny US Open
Read full article: The Latest: Williams-Stephens on tap at sunny US OpenNEW YORK The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):11:30 a.m.Day 6 has started at the year's second Grand Slam tournament the U.S. Open normally closes the major tennis championship season but the pandemic caused changes to the calendar. The sun is shining and the temperature is in the mid-70s Fahrenheit (mid-20s Celsius) as the third round continues Saturday. The highlight of the afternoon is expected to be Serena Williams against Sloane Stephens in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including six in New York. Stephens won the 2017 U.S. Open.
Williams takes 10 of 12 games to beat Stephens at US Open
Read full article: Williams takes 10 of 12 games to beat Stephens at US OpenSerena Williams, of the United States, reacts during a match against Sloane Stephens, of the United States, during the third round of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK In danger of her earliest exit at the U.S. Open since her debut 22 years ago, Serena Williams turned things around and took over against Sloane Stephens. Williams collected 10 of the last 12 games by lifting her level, to be sure. You know, Serena is Serena," Sakkari said after advancing earlier Saturday by beating 19-year-old American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-1. Quickly, that set belonged to Stephens, who held at love when all four points ended with Williams miscues.
Osaka withdraws in protest; W&S put on hold Thursday
Read full article: Osaka withdraws in protest; W&S put on hold ThursdayNaomi Osaka, of Japan, leaves the court after winning her match with Anett Kontaveit, of Estonia, during the quarterfinals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in New York. Soon after, the whole tournament was put on hold for a day. Osaka tweeted that as a Black woman, she feels compelled to pull out of the tournament to put a focus on police shooting Black people. "Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I have to be patient, to try to enjoy every single match I play here after six months without competing.
Djokovic's neck better, as is his play; now 20-0 in 2020
Read full article: Djokovic's neck better, as is his play; now 20-0 in 2020Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, returns a shot from Tennys Sandgren during the third round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK Novak Djokovics neck felt much better, and his tennis looked much better, in a 6-2, 6-4 victory over unseeded American Tennys Sandgren at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday that improved the No. The Western & Southern Open is usually held in Ohio but was moved to the U.S. Opens site in Flushing Meadows this year to make for a two-event, no-spectator bubble amid the pandemic. He has won five of the past seven Grand Slam tournaments, including at the Australian Open in February. Womens quarterfinal matchups set earlier in the day were two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka against Anett Kontaveit, former No.
Pain in the neck: Djokovic gets by in 1st post-hiatus match
Read full article: Pain in the neck: Djokovic gets by in 1st post-hiatus matchA trainer works on the neck of Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during his match with Ricardas Berankis, of Lithuania, during the second round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in New York. 1-ranked Djokovic was playing his first ATP match in six months because of the coronavirus pandemic; he pulled out of the doubles event Sunday because of his neck. That major championship's site in Flushing Meadows is hosting the Ohio-based Western & Southern Open, too, as part of an unusual doubleheader with no spectators. Like Djokovic, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka emerged with difficult wins, while two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, the No. Djokovic now meets American Tennys Sandgren, a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (5) winner over No.
AP Interview: Palermo Open to mark the return of tennis
Read full article: AP Interview: Palermo Open to mark the return of tennisFILE -- In this June 8, 2017 file photo Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko plays a shot against Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France. With second-ranked Simona Halep joined by 2017 French Open champion Jeena Ostapenko and last years Roland Garros finalist Markta Vondrouov, this years Palermo Ladies Open, the Aug. 3-9 event marking the return of tour-level tennis following a five-month break for the coronavirus pandemic, will be like no other. A finalist from last years French Open. With second-ranked Simona Halep joined by 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and last years Roland Garros finalist Markta Vondrouov, this years Palermo Ladies Open tennis tournament will be like no other. Theyre coming just because they want to play and return to their normal lives.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports___Andrew Dampf is at https://twitter.com/AndrewDampf