Ayoola Atitebi

World number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise quarter-final exit at the Brisbane International, losing 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to Reilly Opelka, ranked 293rd globally. Returning from a two-year injury break, the American defeated Djokovic in 100 minutes. Opelka, seeking his fifth career title, will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the semifinals after the Frenchman's 7-5 7-6 (7-5) win over Jakub Mensik. Opelka acknowledged the advantage of playing without pressure against Djokovic, who was pursuing his 100th ATP title. The other semifinal pairs defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, who advanced via walkover, against Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Nicolas Jarry 6-4 6-4. In women's singles, top seed Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals by overcoming Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-4. She'll face 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4 7-6 (7-2). Their previous encounter at the 2024 French Open saw Andreeva become the youngest […]

Great Britain's path to the United Cup semi-finals now requires Katie Boulter to defeat world-class player Iga Swiatek following Billy Harris's competitive loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Sydney. Harris, ranked 125th globally, displayed a strong performance against the 16th-ranked Hurkacz before ultimately falling 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in the opening match of their best-of-three tie. The 29-year-old Harris, who has shown remarkable improvement over the past two years, aimed to secure Britain's advancement with what would have been his career-defining victory. Following this result, Boulter, 28, must now overcome Swiatek to force a decisive mixed doubles match. Harris stepped into the role of Britain's top male player due to Jack Draper's hip injury and Cameron Norrie's commitment to an ATP event in Hong Kong. Despite strong serving throughout, Harris couldn't break Hurkacz's service games. The first set remained close, with neither […]

Great Britain secured their place in the United Cup quarter-finals in Sydney after Katie Boulter's decisive straight-sets victory over Australia's Olivia Gadecki. Boulter's efficient 6-2 6-1 win, completed in under 70 minutes, guaranteed Britain's progression as Group F winners, despite Australia claiming victories in the subsequent matches. After Boulter's opening victory, Australia's Alex de Minaur, who is Boulter's fiance, responded with a dominant 6-2 6-1 performance against Britain's Billy Harris. De Minaur then partnered with Gadecki in the mixed doubles, where they defeated the British pair of Charles Broom and Olivia Nicholls 6-3 7-6 (7-3). The British team had previously beaten Argentina 2-1 in their opening tie on Tuesday. Although all three teams in Group F finished with equal points, Great Britain claimed top spot by virtue of winning the most sets overall. Boulter later revealed the pressure she felt, […]

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were eliminated from the Brisbane International men's doubles competition, losing their second-round match to top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in a tight three-set contest. The match came just days after Kyrgios' return to singles tennis, where he faced a challenging three-set defeat against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Following that match, the Australian expressed concerns about significant pain and uncertainty regarding his participation in the upcoming Australian Open. Despite these concerns, Kyrgios honored his commitment to partner with Djokovic in doubles. During the match, he appeared to move well, though occasionally tended to his right arm between serves. The pair struggled initially, dropping the first set 6-2, but regained momentum to claim the second set 6-3. The deciding first-to-10-points tie-break proved dramatic, with Djokovic and Kyrgios leading 8-6 before a crucial double fault from Djokovic […]