Page 12 - Tennis

Veteran ace Gael Monfils reaches his 35th ATP final in Auckland aged 38

Gael Monfils has become the second oldest player in more than 30 years to reach the final of an ATP Tour event after beating American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals at Auckland on Friday aged 38 years, 131 days. Ivo Karlovic is the oldest, having won through to final in Pune, India in 2019 at the age of 39 years, 311 days. Monfils edges Stan Wawrinka who was aged 38 years and 124 days when he reached the final at Umag, Croatia in 2023. Karlovic also reached the final at Den Bosch in 2017 aged 38 years, 110 days while Roger Federer (Basel in 2019 aged 38 years and 80 days) and Rafael Nadal (the 2024 Swedish Open at 38 years and 48 days) also are in the top five. Frenchman Monfils has been breaking records steadily in his winning run at Auckland. When he beat Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the quarterfinals, he became the oldest player in the professional era to reach the last eight in Auckland. He became the oldest-ever semifinalist in Auckland when he beat Facundo

Australian Open 2025: Kyrgios eyes Grand Slam return after 2 years away

Love him or hate him, Nick Kyrgios is good for tennis and the sport will get a boost from his return to Grand Slam action at the Australian Open or so he says. We watch sport because we want personalities. ... It's like drama, theater. For me, being personally back, it adds a bit of question marks to, like, What is going to happen today?' I love that. Every time I step out on court, I don't know if I'm going to be super controversial in a good or bad way, 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios said on Friday, when he indicated he thinks he'll be able to compete despite a recent issue with an abdominal muscle. Throughout my career, it hasn't always been good, continued the 29-year-old Australian, wearing a green hat in support of his favorite NBA team, the reigning champion Boston Celtics, but it's added a lot of excitement to the game. As play begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday (Saturday EST), Kyrgios is sure to be among the players garnering the most attention from spectators, media and

Australian Open 2025 schedule, draw and key stats you need to know

The final of the Australian Open will be played at the Rod Laver Arena on January 26th.

Injury clouds Kyrgios' comeback to Grand Slam stage at Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios' planned return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open is in doubt after he sustained an abdominal injury and was forced to withdraw from an exhibition with Novak Djokovic this week. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist, sidelined with wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 U.S. Open, said in an Instagram post Wednesday that an ultrasound scan had revealed an abdominal strain and unfortunately (I) won't be able to play my good friend (Djokovic) this Thursday. He said he'd be resting and doing everything possible to be ready for the Australian Open, which starts Sunday at Melbourne Park. The mercurial Australian, who has become a popular commentator during his lengthy stints on the injured list, made his competitive comeback last week at Brisbane, where he played one singles match and partnered with Djokovic in two doubles matches. Djokovic and Kyrgios won their opening doubles match, a crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping affair by both players at Pat Rafter Arena before a 6-2, 3-

Novak Djokovic opens up about 'trauma' tied to Australia deportation

Novak Djokovic said he still feels a bit of trauma when he travels to Australia, stemming from his deportation in 2022 because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. The last couple of times that I landed in Australia, to go through passport control and immigration, I had a bit of trauma from three years ago," Djokovic said in an interview with Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper published Monday, ahead of the Australian Open. And some traces still stay there when I'm passing passport control, just checking out if someone from immigration zone is approaching. Djokovic, who has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam championships at Melbourne Park, continued: The person checking my passport are they going to take me, detain me again or let me go? I must admit I have that feeling. Back in 2022, Djokovic sought, and initially obtained, an exemption that would allow him into the Australian Open and the country even though there were strict rules requiring shots to protect against the coronavirus.

Osaka suffers injury scare ahead of Grand Slam return at Australian Open

Naomi Osaka's fitness for the Australian Open is in question after the four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 suffered an apparent abdominal injury Sunday while playing the final of a WTA tournament in Auckland. Osaka had won the first set of the final 6-4 against Denmark's Clara Tauson when she spoke to her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the chair umpire and a tour trainer before deciding to withdraw. The nature of her injury wasn't immediately clear but seemed to be abdominal, not the back injury she suffered at the China Open in October and which ended her 2024 season. Osaka was in tears as she sat waiting for the trainer. She then left the court to a subdued ovation as spectators before returning for the prizegiving. I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city," Osaka said. "I had a lot of fun playing here and I'm really sorry about how it ended but I hope that you enjoyed the tennis that we did play. I'm just really grateful to be here. Osaka h

Coco Gauff beat Iga Swiatek in straight sets to secure United Cup for USA

Coco Gauff overcame second-ranked Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the opening singles of the United Cup mixed teams tennis event and the United States went on to win the final by beating Poland 2-0 on Sunday. Taylor Fritz beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4) at the Ken Rosewall Arena as the Americans secured their second United Cup title in three years. It's great to win a team event, the only team event I've ever won, so I'm super excited, the third-ranked Gauff said. The 20-year-old American won all five of her singles matches at the United Cup in straight sets, in an ideal build-up for the Australian Open starting Jan. 12. It was also the second straight win for Gauff over Swiatek after victory on her way to winning the WTA Finals event in Riyadh in November. I have the belief that I'm one of the best players in the world and when I play good tennis I'm hard to beat, Gauff said after her latest triumph. Poland was runner-up for the second straight year after losing the previous editi

Novak Djokovic's achievements overshadowed in debate over tennis' GOAT

The unanswerable question, of course, is whether Djokovic is the GOAT. That's a complex issue over which fans will forever bicker

Djokovic, Kyrgios dazzle fans with flashy play in doubles triumph

Exchanging smiles, laughs and flashy shots, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios teamed up in doubles on Monday as they both returned to the court in preparation for the Australian Open. The two former Wimbledon final opponents reached the second round of the Brisbane International with a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 10-8 win against Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies. It was Kyrgios' first match in 18 months due to wrist and knee injuries, while Djokovic missed the season-ending ATP Finals last month with an unspecified injury. They had the crowd on their feet several times at Pat Rafter Arena, including when Djokovic flicked an around-the-net backhand winner during the first set. Djokovic then turned to point at a grinning Kyrgios, who slapped Djokovic's outstretched hand in celebration. That's just an iconic Novak moment. The way the guy moves around the court, I've never moved like that in my life. I was just loving it, said Krygios, who treated the crowd to some shot-making of his own. When Kygrio

Max Purcell, US Open doubles champion, suspended for doping violation

Two-time Grand Slam winning doubles player Max Purcell has entered a voluntary provisional suspension under tennis' anti-doping rules. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced the sanction in a statement on Monday after the 26-year-old Australian admitted to violating Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program relating to the use of a Prohibited Method. The ITIA said the suspension came into effect on 12 Dec., and time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction. The length of time of the voluntary suspension was not specified by the ITIA. During the provisional suspension, Purcell is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fdration Franaise de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association," the ITIA statement read. Purcell, with compatriot Jordan Thompson, won the U.S. Open in September and won Wimbledon w

Russian tennis star Daniil Savelev suspended for 2 years for doping

Russian tennis player Daniil Savelev has accepted a two-year suspension for doping, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Friday. The ITIA said that Savelev tested positive for the prohibited substance meldonium in July 2024. He has been provisionally suspended since August of this year. That means his suspension will end in August 2026. Savelev had reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 1,486 in August 2022. The ITIA said that it believed that Savelev had not intentionally taken the banned substance, saying that Savelev admitted to ingesting meldonium tablets, confusing family medication for supplements of a similar appearance. The doping watchdog said that Savelev agreed to accept the suspension since he did not take any steps to mitigate the rules violation.

ATP Guarantees $1.3M in Income to 26 Players in 2024 Tennis Tour

The ATP men's tennis tour paid out $1.3 million to a total of 26 players in 2024 under a new financial program called Baseline that guarantees minimum annual incomes for players ranked in the top 250. Players received money in each of three categories, the tour said Wednesday, without naming most of the individuals: 17 got paid as part of minimum guarantees that make up the difference if players do not reach certain thresholds in singles prize money, three through injury protection that helps those whose tournament participation is limited by health issues, and seven via newcomer investment that provides funds to new members of the top 125. One player received money from both the minimum guarantee and income protection parts of the plan, which was announced in August 2023. This season was the first of a three-year trial. As a professional tennis player, you're focused on results. Relying on your performance to succeed can be difficult, especially when dealing with setbacks like ...

Sumit Nagal to play fifth Grand Slam after earning Australian Open spot

Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal is set for his fifth appearance in a Grand Slam after earning a direct entry for the main draw of next year's Australian Open. The 98th-ranked Nagal, who features in the entry list released by Tennis Australia on Friday, had to go through the qualifying rounds in the competition's previous edition. In the first round, Nagal had stunned the 31st seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in straight sets to record a win by 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5), becoming the first Indian player to beat a seeded player in the main draw in singles at Grand Slam in 34 years. However, Nagal's journey ended in the following round with a defeat to wild-card Shang Juncheng of China. Nagal's career maintained an upward spike when he became the 10th player from India to break into top 100 in ATP rankings. Meanwhile, reigning world No 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner is top seeded for the Australian Open, followed by Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. Novak Djokovic is seeded ...

Rafa retires! Full list of Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam titles in Tennis

Now 38, Nadal bid farewell to the sport he ruled for nearly two decades. His exit comes after Spain's defeat to the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday night

Swiatek helps Poland oust host Spain from Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Poland's Iga Swiatek beat home favorite Paula Badosa of Spain to knock out the host of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in the opening round on Friday, while Britain eliminated Germany. The world No. 2 Swiatek sealed Poland's spot in the quarterfinals against the Czech Republic after she beat No. 12 Badosa 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-1 on the indoor hard-court. Badosa scrapped to get back in the match by winning the second-set tiebreaker. But Swiatek roared back with a dominant third set and a break advantage of 8-3. The match was delayed late in the third set for what organizers called a medical incident apparently among the spectators inside Malaga's Palacio de Deportes. She pushed me," Swiatek said after the tie was won 2-0. "There was a lot of pressure in the tiebreaker and it went her way, but I knew I could get back in it in the third set. She underscored the importance of Magda Linette's opening win in the tie. We both did it, and also the whole Polish team, the five-time Grand Slam wi

Sinner and Alcaraz headline the ATP Finals with Novak Djokovic out

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are poised to add another entry into their rapidly developing rivalry when the ATP Finals open Sunday without any members of the Big Three for the first time in nearly a quarter century. The top-ranked Sinner and No. 3 Alcaraz evenly split the year's Grand Slam titles between them with two apiece and it would be fitting if the pair meet again in Turin. And since Alcaraz was overtaken by Alexander Zverev in the rankings this week, the Spaniard could be placed in the same round-robin group as Sinner. The draw for the eight-man event is scheduled for later Thursday. After the round-robin stage, the top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals. The other qualifiers are: Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev. The big name missing is that of defending champion Novak Djokovic, who withdrew on Tuesday due to an unspecified injury. 23 years since Djokovic, Federer and Nadal missed the finalsNot s

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