Page 8 - Australian Open

Naomi Osaka sets sight on Tennis return ahead of Brisbane International

Former No. 1 and new mom Naomi Osaka hit the practice court Wednesday ahead of the Brisbane International as she prepared for her much anticipated return to tennis. Osaka will make her WTA comeback at the tournament which begins Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena. A two-time Australian and U.S. Open champion, Osaka pulled out of last year's Australian Open in Melbourne before later revealing she was pregnant. The U.S.-based Japanese player and her American rapper boyfriend Cordae became parents to daughter Shai in Los Angeles in July. Osaka has only played one game since the 2021 U.S. Open in New York. She was leading Daria Gavrilova 1-0 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September 2021, before the Australian suffered a serious knee injury and had to retire in the match. Rafael Nadal is also set to return from injury in Brisbane in a 32-man ATP field so strong that Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and 2020 U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem will have to qualify to feature in it. Thiem

Rafael Nadal to return to playing with Brisbane International in January

Rafael Nadal will return to playing at the Brisbane International in Australia in January, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said Friday. "After a year of not competing, it is time to come back," Nadal said in a video posted on social media. "It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January. See you there." The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played on tour since last January, when he hurt his hip flexor during a loss in the second round of the Australian Open. In May, a little more than a week before the start of the French Open, Nadal announced that he would miss the tournament he's won a record 14 times and wasn't exactly sure when he might return to play.

Australian Open 2024: Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Wozniacki set to return

Three former Australian Open champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are set to return to Melbourne Park in January following maternity leave, joined by 2022 winner Rafael Nadal and hometown favorite Nick Kyrgios. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told the tournament launch Wednesday that Nadal (left hip flexor) and Kyrgios (knee, wrist) are expected to return from major injuries in a bid to challenge Novak Djokovic's dominance at Rod Laver Arena, where he's clinched 10 of his record 24 Grand Slam titles. "Our 2022 champion Rafa Nadal has been working hard on his rehab for most of this year," Tiley said. "He always brings his best to Melbourne and no one can doubt how hard he competes. I've been in touch with his team and he's now back on the court and looking forward to returning to Melbourne in January." Tiley said Djokovic and No. 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz are expected to lead the men's contingent, while leading players Aryna Sabalenk a and I

Australian Open Badminton: Hong scripts historic comeback to beat Prannoy

Star Indian shuttler HS Prannoy capped off an impressive week with a runner-up finish at the Australian Open after his gallant fight ended in a heart-breaking loss to China's Weng Hong Yang in a thrilling men's singles final here on Sunday. Following a marathon 90 minutes of play, it was Prannoy who was left to bear the heartache as the 9-21 23-21 20-22 loss against world number 24 Weng robbed him of a chance to win his second BWF title of the season. With the win, the 24-year-old Weng, who had won the Korea Open last year and 2019 China Masters, settled the scores against Prannoy after going down in three games to the Indian at the Malaysia Masters final in May. Eight times this year, Prannoy has recovered from an opening game loss and went on to claim the match six times like he did against World number 2 Anthony Ginting in the quarterfinals. The script seemed to be going the same way before Weng staged a sensational comeback from 14-19 down in the decider. The 31-year-old from

Australia Open badminton: Mithun Manjunath shocks world champ Loh Kean Yew

Unheralded Indian Mithun Manjunath stunned fourth seed and world number seven Kean Yew Loh of Singapore in the opening round while PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth secured straight-game wins at the Australia Open badminton tournament here on Wednesday. Manjunath, ranked 50th in the world, beat Loh 21-19 21-19 in the men's singles first round match that lasted 41 minutes. Manjunath faces the winner of the match between Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao -- both Malaysians -- in the second round of the BWF Super 500 tournament. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen conceded his men's singles match against compatriot Kiran George due to an injury. Sen was trailing 0-5 in the opening game when he decided to quit. Fifth seed Sindhu, who has lost in the first round at seven different tour events this season and is playing under a new personal coach in Malaysia's Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, defeated compatriot Ashmita Chaliha 21-18 21-13 in 36 minutes in her opening women's singles match. In other men's singles ..

Belgian tennis great Justine Henin receives the Philippe Chatrier Award

The International Tennis Federation has awarded Justine Henin its highest honor, the Philippe Chatrier Award. Henin won seven Grand Slam singles titles, an Olympic gold medal, and was part of Belgium's team that won the Fed Cup now called the Billie Jean King Cup in 2001. The award, named after the former ITF president, was introduced in 1996 and recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the sport on and off the court. She was one of the best players of her generation on the court and since retirement has made a significant and ongoing contribution to our sport at all levels, ITF president David Haggerty said Saturday. The 41-year-old Henin has established a successful academy in Belgium and a charitable foundation that helps provide sporting opportunities for children with disabilities. The award will be presented Saturday at the ITF World Champions Awards at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. I always gave my very best throughout my career and achieved a

Andy Murray's exhausting Australian Open ends after losing to Roberto

Three-time major champion Andy Murray's exhausting run at the Australian Open ended in the third round after a loss to Roberto Bautista Agut

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal can only meet in final at Australian Open

Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it last year when his visa was revoked and he was deported from the country because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19. He also couldn't compete at the 2022 U.S. Open. Fourth-seeded Djokovic will open his bid for a 10th Australian Open title against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in the tournament which begins Monday. Iga Swiatek, the women's No. 1-ranked player, takes on German Jule Niemeier, who is ranked No.68, in the opening round. The Polish player was a semifinalist at Melbourne Park in 2022, a year in which she won the French and U.S. Open titles. But the main first-round focus will be on Nadal, who faces a potentially challenging match against ...

Two time tennis champion Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has confirmed she will not play at the Australian Open, adding her name to a growing list of notable withdrawals. Organizers confirmed in a tweet on Sunday that Japan's Osaka, the Open champion in 2019 and 2021, will not be playing in Melbourne. Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the Australian Open. We will miss her at #AO2023, the tweet said. The 25-year-old Osaka's ranking has slipped to 47 and she hasn't played since September after withdrawing during the second round in Tokyo. She won her first round match at that tournament when Australia's Daria Saville withdrew after one game with a knee injury. Osaka won only one completed match since May and was beaten in the first round of her three previous tournaments, including the US Open at which she also is a two-time champion. Last week she posted pictures on social media of a trip to Europe with her United States rapper boyfriend Cordae and had been considered unlikely to play in the first Grand Slam of

Novak Djokovic to start 2023 in Adelaide ahead of Australian Open

Novak Djokovic will open his 2023 campaign in Adelaide as he prepares for a shot at a 10th Australian Open crown a year after having his visa revoked on the eve of his title defense. The 21-time major winner has been granted a visa by the Australian government and has been listed to play at the Adelaide International, which starts Jan. 1. Serbia isn't contesting the inaugural United Cup team competition, leaving Djokovic free to play regular warmup tournaments head of the Jan. 16-29 Australian Open. He'll be joined in the men's draw at Adelaide by Russians Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada and Andy Murray. Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka will headline the women's draw. Immigration Minister Andrew Giles last month confirmed Djokovic had been granted a visa to compete in Australia in January. The 35-year-old Serbian had been facing a possible three-year ban after being deported last January over his stance against COVID-19 vaccination. Djokovic has won

After Australian Open fiasco, Novak Djokovic set to play in Dubai

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic, will return to competition on Monday when he begins his campaign at the Dubai Open on February 21, after courting controversy at the Australian Open last month.

Federer, Djokovic congratulate Nadal on record 21st Grand Slam title win

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic congratulated Rafael Nadal, who won a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open 2022 in Melbourne.

Rafael Nadal beats Medvedev to win Australian Open for 21st major title

The 35-year-old Spaniard has broken the men's record for most Grand Slam singles titles

Krejcikova-Siniakova pair clinches Australian Open women's doubles title

The Czech Republic's pair of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova clinched their fourth Grand Slam women's doubles title as a team in the Australian Open final

Ash Barty wins drought-breaking Australian title

Barty was the first Australian woman into the singles final of the Australian Open since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and is now the first Australian champion since Chris O'Neil in 1978

Australian Open final: Medvedev dominates Tsitsipas, sets Nadal showdown

The world number two Daniil Medvedev on Friday yet again delivered under pressure as he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to return to the Australian Open final.

Rafael Nadal reaches Australian Open final, within 1 win of record

Rafael Nadal is now within one victory of a record 21st Grand Slam singles title. The 35-year-old Spaniard advanced to the Australian Open final for a sixth time with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win Friday over Matteo Berrettini. He arrived in Australia not knowing how long he'd last after months off the tour recovering from injuries and then a bout of COVID-19. He won a title at a tune-up tournament and now has won six matches at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. One more and he'll break record of 20 majors he shared with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He'll also become just the fourth man in history to win all four of the Grand Slam titles at least twice. In the championship match on Sunday, he will play the winner of the later semifinal between U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Nadal's win over Berrettini, under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena because of heavy local rain, was his 500th on hard courts at tour level. He's only won the title at th

Australian Open: Nadal through to final, on track for record 21st major

Nadal is tied with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on 20 major singles titles

Australian Open: Mladenovic, Dodic win mixed doubles championship

Mladenovic also won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open in 2014

Australian Open: Danielle Collins beats Iga Swiatek to reach finals

World No. 30 Danielle Collins stormed into the 2022 Australian Open final after beating No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, here on Thursday.