Page 27 - Tennis

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

Nick Bollettieri, man who coached Agassi, Courier, Sharapova, passes away

In 2014 Bollettieri was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and in 2015, he became the first white man to be inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame

Canada wins maiden Davis Cup title, ousts Australia 2-0 in final

Felix Auger-Aliassime gave Canada an invincible 2-0 lead against Australia in Malaga on Sunday, advancing his country to its first Davis Cup Finals victory by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4

Manika Batra first Indian woman to reach ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup semifinals

World number 44 Manika beat Chen 4-3 (6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9) in the women's singles quarterfinals

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest year-end ATP world number 1

Alcaraz soared from number 32 to the top of this sport's mountain on September 12, which is also the biggest jump to number one in 50 editions

New dad Rafael Nadal doesn't care about playing for the No. 1 rank

Rafael Nadal is a different man. He's losing sleep over his newborn baby and not so much the No. 1 ranking. Even with all of his absences, Nadal has a shot at finishing the season as the world No. 1. He has racked up 5,820 points, trailing only the top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who has 6,650. But Nadal made clear on Tuesday what his priorities were when he was peppered with questions about fighting for the year-end No. 1 spot. There will be no fight. Nadal has achieved the coveted year-end No. 1 ranking five times, tied with Roger Federer, and trailing only Novak Djokovic (7) and Pete Sampras (6). I don't fight to be No. 1, Nadal said at a Paris Masters news conference. Something that I said since long time ago: I will not fight anymore to be No. 1. I did in the past. I achieved that goal a couple of times in my career that I have been very, very happy and proud about. But I am in a moment of my tennis career that I don't fight to be No. 1. For now, he wants to be a No. 1 dad. He's

It's a dream come true: Carlos Alcaraz after winning World No 1 trophy

The tennis sensation expressed his happiness to have won the trophy and stated that it means a lot to him and added that it's like a dream come true for him

Davis Cup to become part of ATP Tour calendar from next year: ITF

The Davis Cup will become part of the ATP Tour calendar from next year under, the governing body of men's tennis said in a statement on Monday.

I am not retired, the chances of return are very high, says Serena Williams

The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said she has not retired from tennis yet and that the chances of her returning to the court are "very high"

Jessica Pegula beats Maria Sakkari to clinch Guadalajara Open title

Jessica Pegula clinched the first WTA 1000 title of her career on Sunday, as the No.3 seed from the United States overpowered No.4 seed

Fenesta Open Tennis Championship: Mahalingam trumps Tejas in Boys U16

Mahalingam Kandhavel upset the apple cart of Tejas Ahuja, the top seed, as he posted a fluent 6-4, 6-1 win in the under-16 section second round of the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship

Novak Djokovic beats Van de Zandschulp to enter Astana Open quarterfinals

Add Botic van de Zandschulp to the long list of players to have been schooled by Novak Djokovic. Djokovic eased past Van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday in his first career meeting with the 27-year-old Dutchman to reach the quarterfinals of the Astana Open. Van de Zandschulp earned one break point in each set but couldn't seriously threaten Djokovic, who is looking for a second straight indoor hardcourt title after winning in Tel Aviv last week. (In the) second set I think I started to read his serve better and just started swinging through the court more, Djokovic said. Botic is a quality tennis player. When he has time, he can hurt you, so I tried to take away that time from him and I'm very pleased with the way I played, particularly in the second. Djokovic will next face Karen Khachanov, who rallied to beat Marin Cilic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. If the 21-time Grand Slam champion gets past that one, he could come up against fellow former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. The second-seeded Russian

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek, Petra Kvitova enter quarterfinals at Agel Open

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarterfinals of the Agel Open after Ajla Tomljanovic retired with an injury during the second set of their second-round match. The Polish U.S. Open champion was leading 7-5, 2-2 when her Australian opponent retired due to a left knee injury at the indoor hardcourt event in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava. Swiatek, who also won the French Open in June, will next face American qualifier Catherine McNally or Karolina Muchova. Home favorite and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova upset second-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain 7-6 (4), 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal against this year's Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, who rallied to eliminate Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5. Czech players also won the last two first-round matches on the schedule. Muchova knocked out seventh-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-4, 6-4 and Barbora Krejcikova ousted American Shelby Rogers 6-2, 6-2 for her sixth straight victory after she won the Tallinn O

Novak Djokovic defeats Span's Pablo Andujar in Tel Aviv Watergen Open

The 88-time tour-level titlist Novak Djokovic cruised past Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the Tel Aviv Watergen Open here on Thursday.

Still have passion, hunger to play highest level of tennis: Novak Djokovic

Serbian tennis ace and the winner of 21 singles Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic, has said he still had the "passion" and "hunger" to play at the highest level

Maria Sakkari, Sloane Stephens win openers at Parma Ladies Tennis Open

Top-seeded Maria Sakkari rallied past Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Baindl 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 in the opening round of the Parma Ladies Open. Sakkari, who accepted a late wild card to the red clay court tournament, was playing her first event since losing to Wang Xiyu in the second round of the U.S. Open. Also, 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens defeated 121st-ranked Magdalena Frech 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; sixth-seeded Ana Bogdan beat Laura Pigossi 6-1, 6-2 and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova eliminated Reka-Luka Jani 6-2, 6-4. Stephens reached the semifinals last year when the inaugural edition was held in May.

Federer, Nadal, Djokovic set new bar of Tennis for next generations

Here is one way to look at what Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and the now-retired Roger Federer accomplished: The group known as the Big Three of men's tennis accumulated so many Grand Slam titles 63 in all that it seems unlikely anyone will reach the standards they set. Not anytime soon, certainly. Here was another way to think about things as the professional level of the sport began its post-Federer life on Saturday, following the last match of his career: What he and the other two members of that distinguished trio, along with Serena Williams, managed to do was demonstrate that it is possible to dominate for decades, not merely years, at a time. And the 41-year-old Federer, for one, thinks up-and-coming players can learn from the way he and the others of his era went about it, from their self-belief and attitudes about setting goals to their training, nutrition and other methods of ensuring longevity. He laughed when relaying a conversation with Bjorn Borg, who is the captain

Roger Federer's trophy-laden career ends in defeat at London's O2 Arena

It was surely unthinkable that Roger Federer's trophy-laden career would end with a defeat but that is what transpired as the 41-year-old Swiss maestro lost alongside Rafa Nadal on an emotional night

Defending champion Naomi Osaka pulls out of Pan Pacific Open due to illness

The defending champion Naomi Osaka has announced her withdrawal from the ongoing Pan Pacific Open due to illness

Tennis legend Roger Federer's goodbye will be in doubles, maybe with Nadal

Federer said he is now at peace with the decision to walk away, and he wants this farewell to be a celebration.