Novak Djokovic’s season, derailed in January when he was deported from Australia, finally starts on Monday in Dubai with the world number one insisting players in the locker room “have been positive and welcoming” on his return. Djokovic missed the chance to win a 10th Australian Open, and 21st Grand Slam, due to the cancellation of his … Read more
MELBOURNE: Aisam ul Haq of Pakistan and Alexander Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan qualified for the ATP World Ranking Championship doubles final in Melbourne. Aisam ul Haq and Alexander Nedovyesov defeated Ricardas Berkankis of Lithuania and Denys Molchanov of Ukraine in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-2, in the first semi-final. Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands and Neal … Read more
SYDNEY: World number nine Hubert Hurkacz powered Poland into the ATP Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, overwhelming Argentina’s in-form Diego Schwartzman to ensure his country became the first to book a last-four berth. Both nations went into the tie in Sydney unbeaten in Group D, winning previous clashes with Greece and Georgia, to make their showdown a winner-takes-all … Read more
SYDNEY: Veteran Roberto Bautista Agut upset world number eight Casper Ruud on Monday to give Spain their second straight win at the ATP Cup, a record matched by Hubert Hurkacz’s Poland. The 33-year-old Bautista Agut is the lead singles player for his country in the absence of 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and has stepped up … Read more
MELBOURNE: US Open champion Emma Raducanu on Saturday pulled out of an Australian Open warm-up tournament next week as she continues to recover from coronavirus. The 19-year-old Briton was due to line up alongside defending Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka and former world number one Simona Halep at the Melbourne Summer Set WTA event from Tuesday. But … Read more
SYDNEY: Novak Djokovic has pulled out of this week’s ATP Cup in Sydney, organisers said on Wednesday, heightening doubts over whether he will defend his Australian Open title. There has been intense speculation as to whether he will travel to Australia, having refused to confirm if he has been inoculated against the coronavirus. “World No.1 … Read more
PARIS: Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev became the latest player to have played in an Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament earlier this month to test positive for Covid-19 just weeks away from the Australian Open. The 24-year-old world number five tweeted he was self-isolating which places in doubt his competing in the ATP Cup (Jan 1-9) … Read more
SYDNEY: After months of speculation that Novak Djokovic may miss the Australian Open over tough Covid vaccination requirements, the world number one was on Tuesday named to play in a Sydney tournament weeks before. The 20-time Grand Slam champion had cast doubt on whether he would defend his title at Melbourne Park next month, refusing … Read more
PARIS: International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said Sunday that his organisation will not boycott China over the Peng Shuai affair as “we don’t want to punish a billion people”. The WTA, which controls the women’s game, last week suspended all tournaments in China amid what its chairman called “serious doubts” about the safety of … Read more
PARIS: Italy’s Jannik Sinner climbed into the world top 10 of the ATP rankings on Monday after the ATP Finals. Sinner was knocked out in the pool phase of the end-of-season tournament but climbs above Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime who drops to 11th. Alexander Zverev, who defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4 to win the title … Read more
PARIS: Players on the ATP Tour will be restricted to bathroom breaks of no more than three minutes from next season after a series of lengthy toilet visits led to accusations of gamesmanship. The clock will begin when a player reaches the bathroom, with players allowed an additional two minutes for a change of clothes, … Read more
TURIN: Novak Djokovic refused to reveal whether he would defend his Australian Open title after the tournament’s chief confirmed on Saturday that only vaccinated players would be able to take part in the first Grand Slam of the season. The decision, revealed by Craig Tiley, piled more pressure on world number one Djokovic who has … Read more
TURIN: Alexander Zverev downed Novak Djokovic in a thrilling last-four clash to end the world number one’s bid for a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title on Saturday and set up a final against Daniil Medvedev. The German edged to a 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3 success in Turin and will face reigning champion Medvedev for the trophy on … Read more
Alexander Zverev set up a clash with Novak Djokovic in the last four of the ATP Finals after a straight sets victory over Hurbert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday. World number three Zverev claimed a spot in the semis behind already-qualified Daniil Medvedev in just over an hour and will face Djokovic on Saturday for … Read more
ROME: Novak Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time since their epic French Open title duel in June at the ATP Finals which start on Sunday. World number one Djokovic, who is looking to equal Roger Federer’s record of six end-of-season titles, was drawn with Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud in his group at the … Read more
LOS ANGELES: Andy Murray thanked his Instagram followers for spreading the word Thursday after his missing wedding ring was returned along with his used shoes in the wake of a social media appeal. “Would you believe it — ring and the shoes have come back home!” the three-time Grand Slam winner said in a post from Indian … Read more
METZ: Former tennis world No 1 Andy Murray came back from a set down and under pressure at 3-3 in the second set to beat sixth-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the first round of the Moselle Open in Metz on Tuesday. The Scot, 34, won seven straight games en route to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 … Read more
