Saturday, March 14, 2026 | 01:38 AM ISTहिंदी में पढें

Tennis

Jack Draper beats Novak Djokovic in three sets at BNP Paribas Open

Defending champion Jack Draper beat five-time champ Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open. The 24-year-old Draper, who is coming back after missing eight months due to an arm injury, advanced to the quarterfinal round and will face Daniil Medvedev, who beat Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 to advance. Djokovic led 6-5 in the third set before Draper rallied and forced a tiebreaker. "I still don't feel like I'm playing anywhere near the way I want to play," Draper said. "I came out here and I won that match through determination." In addition to his win at Indian Wells last year, Draper won the Stuttgart Open and the Vienna Open, both in 2024. The 38-year-old Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, won at Indian Wells in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016. Djokovic nearly won an 11th Australian Open title earlier this year, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

Updated On : 12 Mar 2026 | 10:55 AM IST

Venus Williams awarded a wild card at Indian Wells for singles and doubles

Venus Williams is getting a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the BNP Paribas Open next month in the Southern California desert. The 45-year-old will be making her first appearance in the tournament since 2024, when she lost in the first round as a wild card. She's a three-time semifinalist, most recently in 2018. She boycotted the event between 2002 and 2016 after a controversial incident in 2001. "It's an honor to award the first wild card of this year's event to Venus Williams," tournament director Tommy Haas said Friday. "Venus is a legend of the game, and one of the most accomplished players our sport has ever seen." It will be Williams' 10th career appearance in the tournament, which runs March 4-15. A year ago, she was given a wild card, but didn't accept it. "I'm so excited to be heading back to Indian Wells and can't wait to return home to play in California," Williams said. She most recently competed in the Australian Open, losing in the first round in si

Updated On : 21 Feb 2026 | 2:55 PM IST

Dhakshineswar says new approach paid off, calls it just the beginning

India's newest Davis Cup hero Dhakshineswar Suresh says his dream run for the country is "just the beginning" as he prepares to step into full-fledged competition on the ATP Tour after completing his studies at a US university. Pursuing communication studies at the Wake Forest University, the 25-year-old will complete his degree in May this year. In just two ties since making his debut in September 2025, Dhakshineswar boasts an impressive 4-0 record, with three of those wins coming against the Netherlands in Bengaluru last weekend. "It's a long way to go. It's just the beginning," said Dhakshineswar, who matched Leander Paes' feat of winning three matches in a single tie back in 2004 against Japan. Following Dhakshineswar's superlative show, India edged the Netherlands 3-2 to progress to the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers, where they will meet Korea in September. "I'll go back to the US to finish my studies, then come down in May and figure out my schedule. Once that's .