Page 11 - Tennis

Aryna Sabalenka clinches WTA year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time

Aryna Sabalenka clinched the year-end No. 1 spot in the women's rankings for the first time when Iga Swiatek lost at the WTA Finals. Sabalenka, a 26-year-old from Belarus, was assured of finishing 2024 atop the WTA without swinging her racket on Tuesday, thanks to Swiatek's 6-3, 6-4 setback against Coco Gauff at the season-ending tournament in Saudi Arabia. A year ago, Sabalenka briefly overtook Swiatek in the rankings in September to get to No. 1 for the first time, but relinquished the top spot when Swiatek won the WTA Finals. This time, Sabalenka moved past Swiatek who took a break from competition after the U.S. Open and hired new coach Wim Fissette in October. Sabalenka is 2-0 in round-robin play in Riyadh so far. She is 56-12 this season with four titles, including Grand Slam trophies that she earned at the Australian Open and U.S. Open to raise her major championship total to three. Her first came at the 2023 Australian Open. Sabalenka has long been equipped with a powerf

Sofia Kenin advances to WTA Tokyo final, continues impressive comeback

Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has advanced to the final of the Pan Pacific Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win over ninth-seeded Katie Boulter on Saturday. Kenin, who won the Australian Open in 2020 and was a French Open finalist the same year, broke the British player's serve in the seventh game of the second set and the American served out to win the match for her best tournament performance of the season. Kenin will play No. 1 seed and Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen. who beat Diana Shnaider 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the other semifinal. The 25-year-old Kenin was ranked as high as No. 4 early in 2020, but a series of injuries, including ankle and quadricep ailments, has seen her WTA ranking drop to its current 155. Boulter, ranked 33rd, had not lost a set during the Tokyo hard-court tournament. Kenin beat Boulter in the only other time they have played but it was when Boulter retired with an injury in the second set while trailing 4-1 to Kenin after losing the first set in ..

Dominic Thiem ends Lawn Tennis career with first-round loss in Vienna

Dominic Thiem played his last professional match on Tuesday, losing 7-6 (6), 6-2 to Luciano Darderi in the first round at the Erste Bank Open. The 2020 U.S. Open champion had earlier announced he would retire after struggling to return to his top form following a wrist injury. The 31-year-old Austrian played in front of a home crowd but the former world No. 3 lost steam after having built a 4-2 lead. He received a huge applause as he left center court. Thiem also was runner-up at three Grand Slams: the 2018 and 2019 French Opens and the 2020 Australian Open. Darderi will next play either Jack Draper or Kei Nishikori. Marcos Giron beat Alex Michelsen 7-6 (4), 6-3 to set up a round-of-16 match against top-seeded Alex Zverev. Frances Tiafoe, Lorenzo Musetti, Gael Monfils and second-seeded Alex de Minaur were among the other winners Tuesday.

Aryna Sabalenka overtakes Iga Swiatek to reclaim WTA No. 1 ranking

U.S. Open champion Aryna Sabalenka is officially No. 1 in the WTA rankings again after ending Iga Swiatek's 11-month reign. Sabalenka led Swiatek by 41 points in the latest rankings published Monday, overturning a 69-point deficit from the week before, even though neither of the two played last week. Instead, the Belarusian took back the No. 1 spot following continuing year-end adjustments for falling short of certain tournament quotas, the WTA said. Sabalenka, who was previously top of the rankings from September through November last year, laid the groundwork for regaining the No. 1 spot when she won the Wuhan Open on Oct. 13. Swiatek has taken time out for a coaching change since she last played at the U.S. Open. Swiatek reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jessica Pegula, who was in turn beaten by Sabalenka in the final. Sabalenka also defended her Australian Open title in January. The next chance for Swiatek to regain the top spot is at the WTA Finals next month in Riy

Sinner beat Alcaraz for Six Kings title after Djokovic edges out Nadal

Jannik Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3 for the championship in the Six Kings Slam exhibition Saturday after Novak Djokovic topped Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the third-place match. While Sinner and Alcaraz probably have plenty of future matchups in store, Djokovic and Nadal may have been playing for the final time in one of tennis' great rivalries. Djokovic won the match between rivals who have combined for 46 Grand Slam singles titles. Nadal, who won 22 Slam titles, is planning to retire after playing for Spain next month in the Davis Cup. They shared a warm embrace at the net after Djokovic's victory. He also beat Nadal in the Olympics and had a 31-29 lead in their head-to-head. The last dance was an epic one, Djokovic wrote on social media. And of course emotional. I'll cherish our rivalry forever, (at)rafaelnadal. Tennis will miss you. Sinner then emerged with a victory over Alcaraz in a matchup between the winners of all four major titles this season. The top-ra

Serena Williams has a benign cyst removed from her neck, says 'all is OK'

Serena Williams says she had a benign branchial cyst the size of a small grapefruit removed from her neck and all is OK. The retired tennis star, who turned 43 last month, posted Wednesday on social media that she found a lump on her neck in May, had an MRI exam, and was told she didn't need to get it removed if she didn't want to. So she didn't then, but it kept growing, Williams said. After more tests, including a biopsy that was negative for cancer, Williams said, her doctors said she should have a procedure. She showed video of herself in a hospital bed and wrote: So this is me removing it. I am feeling so grateful, and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all I'm healthy. In a separate social media post, she said she is still recovering, but getting better. Health always comes first. Williams announced her retirement famously eschewing that term and saying instead she was evolving away from professional tennis shortly before playing in the 2022 U.S. Open, her last .

Shanghai Masters 2024: Novak Djokovic to face Jannik Sinner in the finals

Novak Djokovic overcame physical discomfort to beat Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-6 (6) and move closer to a 100th career title and a record-extending fifth at the Shanghai Masters. By also reaching the final on Saturday night, top-ranked Jannik Sinner ensured he will be the ATP year-end No. 1 and the first Italian to achieve that feat. "(I've won) many titles, had great battles and great performances," the 37-year-old Djokovic said. "I did come here definitely with a vision and a desire to get to the final and fight for a 100th title. I get that chance against the best player in the world, and let's see what happens." Fellow great Roger Federer has 103 titles and Jimmy Connors leads men with 109 in the Open era. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will chase his seventh ATP title of the year after beating Tomas Machac 6-4 7-5. Djokovic improved to 10-0 in career matches against Fritz, who blew a 5-3 lead in the second-set tiebreaker and a set point at 6-5 up. Djokovic was clearly struggling for mobi

Rafael Nadal announces retirement from professional tennis at end of season

The winner of a staggering 22 Grand Slams will be making his final appearance at the Davis Cup in Malaga next month

Veteran French tennis player Richard Gasquet to retire after French Open

Once known as the little Mozart of French tennis, Richard Gasquet is set to end his career without a major to his name. At 38, the French player renowned for his exceptional one-handed backhand told L'Equipe newspaper Thursday that he will end his career after the French Open in front of his home fans. "I'll be stopping at Roland Garros next year," Gasquet said. I think this is the best time for me to do it. It's the best tournament to do it. It's wonderful, and we're lucky as Frenchmen to be able to retire in such unbelievable places. The end is always complicated, as all the former great players have often told me. You never know when, how, where. As far as I'm concerned, it was obvious. Gasquet, who reached a career-best ranking of No. 7 back in 2007, was once regarded as a potential Grand Slam winner but could never get past the semifinals at any major. Gasquet reached the Wimbledon semifinals twice and was also a semifinalist at the U.S Open. He claimed 16 Tour titles, most ..

'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal bids farewell after illustrious tennis career

Nadal's decision to retire comes full circle, as he made his Davis Cup debut for Spain back in 2004, in the early stages of a career that would later become one of the greatest in tennis history.

Rafael Nadal announces retirement from tennis | Rafa

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has officially announced his retirement. Watch the video to know more.

Rafael Nadal announces retirement from tennis, posts video on social media

Nadal has been struggling with multiple injuries lately and has faced numerous delays and frustration in getting ready for tournaments.

Circle of life playing out: Leander Paes on Indian tennis' decline

The legendary Leander Paes on Wednesday lamented the decline of Indian tennis, describing it as part of the "circle of life" while emphasising the need for patience. The Indian team endured a 0-4 defeat against Sweden in its Davis Cup World Group I tie recently, which relegated them to the play-off stage for the upcoming year. "Like anything in life, when you go up, you have to come down, and then you come back up again. I am a big believer in the circle of life," the former world No 1 in doubles said. "I think we all need to have a little bit of patience as far as tennis goes. We have all enjoyed such an upswing over the last 40 years, proving that we can be number one in both women's doubles and men's doubles." Currently, Sumit Nagal is the only Indian player in the top 100 of the ATP men's singles rankings, positioned at 83, while Ramkumar Ramanathan follows at 332. At 44 years, Rohan Bopanna remains the flag-bearer of men's doubles in India, currently ranked sixth, with anothe

Wimbledon replaces line judges with AI technology in break with tradition

That long-held Wimbledon tradition of line judges dressed in elegant uniforms is no more. The All England Club announced Wednesday that artificial intelligence will be used to make the out' and fault' calls at the championships from 2025. Wimbledon organizers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and builds on the existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years. We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating, said Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club. For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour. Bolton said Wimbledon had a responsibility to balance tradition and innovation." Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at the championships for many decades

Shanghai Masters: Fritz, Dimitrov win rain-soaked second-round games

Two days after starting, seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz and 10th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov finally got to complete their second-round matches at the Shanghai Masters on Monday. Fritz, the U.S. Open finalist, had led 4-3 in the opening set against Frenchman Terence Atmane when rain suspended play on Saturday at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, and then washed out all matches on the outside courts until Monday. The 26-year-old American needed two tiebreakers to see off the No. 161-ranked Atmane 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), with only one break of serve for each in the 122-minute match. Fritz will play Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki in the third round. Dimitrov, playing in his 100th Masters event, resumed Monday with a set lead but down a break in the second against Zizou Bergs. The No.73-ranked Belgian converted his advantage to take the second set before Dimitrov responded by breaking Bergs three times for the loss of one of his own service games, to clinch the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. The ...

Shanghai Masters 2024: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz enters round 2

Carlos Alcaraz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner showed no signs of fatigue from their China Open final earlier this week to advance with comfortable straight-set victories in their opening matches of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday. The second-ranked Alcaraz, who beat the Italian in Beijing on Wednesday for his fourth title of the year, recorded his 10th consecutive win with a 6-2, 6-2 result against 19-year-old Shang Juncheng of China. The 21-year-old Spaniard won the first nine points of the match and four of seven break points as he rushed into a third-round meeting with another Chinese player, Wu Yibing. I'm not used to playing against players younger than me, Alcaraz said. He has been playing good tennis lately, lifting his first ATP (title in Chengdu), so I'm pretty sure he's going to climb the rankings. I'm just happy to to be able to win these kinds of matches." Sinner, who is dealing with an ongoing doping case, had a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 outing against Taro Daniel of Japan

Muchova ends Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak in China Open quarters

Karolina Muchova ended second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak with a 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4 victory in the China Open quarterfinals on Friday. The 49th-ranked Muchova saved set points in the first set and came from 4-2 down in the third to win in 2 hours, 46 minutes. It was the third consecutive time that Muchova, a U.S. Open semifinalist last month, has won against the three-time major winner and the Czech player now leads their head-to-head series 3-1. Sabalenka's streak had started with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open last month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year. She also had a previous career-best streak of 15 wins across the 2020-21 seasons. Muchova will meet Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals after the 21-year-old rallied to beat Mirra Andreeva of Russia and keep alive her bid to become Beijing's first home-grown champion. The fifth-seeded Zheng had to fight

Shanghai Masters: Pair of Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig enters round 2

India's Rohan Bopanna and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig cherished their first win after joining forces, moving to the second round of the ATP Shanghai Masters with a straight-set victory over Pablo Carreno Busta and Pedro Martinez, here Friday. The fifth-seed Indo-Croatian pair won 6-4 6-3 in the opening round match that lasted 63 minutes. Bopanna and Dodig fired five aces to none of their rivals, and converted three of the eight break points they faced. They also saved four break chances on their service games, dropping serve only once in the match. India's singles challenge has already ended with both Sumit Nagal and Ramkumar Ramanathan making first round exits. Ramkumar had made it to the main draw through qualifying round while Nagal had earned a direct entry.

Jannik Sinner to play Alcaraz in China Open final, Pegula crashes out

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will play rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open after recording a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory against home favorite Bu Yunchaokete in the semifinals on Tuesday. Sinner and Alcaraz accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this year between them. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 5-4 including wins at both their meetings this year but Sinner doesn't believe that recent history will have a bearing on Wednesday's final. It's going to be a tough match," Sinner said. "We know each other very well now, but every match is different, so the situation on the court is also a bit different than it was the last two matches. But let's see. The 23-year-old Italian is the defending champion and hasn't appeared distracted by the World Anti-Doping Agency announcing Saturday it was seeking a ban of one to two years for the U.S. Open champion, who tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March. Chinese wild card Yunchaokete, ranked 96th, held his own in th

Aryna Sabalenka extends winning streak, Osaka to play Gauff at China Open

Aryna Sabalenka's dominant hard-court season showed no signs of slowing down as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ashlyn Krueger at the China Open on Monday for her 14th consecutive victory. The three-time Grand Slam winner started her streak with a title at Cincinnati in August and continued with a run to the championship at the U.S. Open earlier this month. She also won the Australian Open earlier in the year. The second-ranked Sabalenka converted five of her seven breakpoint opportunities in a lopsided contest against Krueger and will next face Madison Keys, hoping to equal her career-best 15 consecutive victories set in 2020-21. Keys had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Beatrice Haddad Maia of Brazil. Haddad Maia won the Korea Open last week but struggled to combat the baseline power of Keys. Former No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her positive start with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katie Volynets, advancing to a round of 16 match against sixth-ranked Coco Gauff.