Tennis

Iga Swiatek has secured her place in the Australian Open semifinals with a commanding 6-1 6-2 victory over eighth seed Emma Navarro. She will face Madison Keys, who fought back to defeat Elina Svitolina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a gripping contest. The quarterfinals showcased contrasting matches at Melbourne Park. Swiatek's performance reinforced her position as a title contender, while Keys demonstrated resilience to reach her first Australian Open semifinal in a decade. A minor controversy emerged during Swiatek's match when she retrieved a drop shot that appeared close to a double-bounce in the second set's fifth game, a crucial moment that impacted Navarro's momentum. Despite the one-sided scoreline, Swiatek, who maintained high energy throughout, acknowledged the match was "much tougher" than it appeared. She holds a 4-1 record against Keys but remains cautious, recalling her previous loss to the American […]

American tennis star Coco Gauff expressed disappointment over TikTok becoming unavailable in the United States while competing at the Australian Open. The 20-year-old athlete marked the occasion by writing "RIP TikTok USA" with a broken heart on a camera lens after defeating Belinda Bencic in the fourth round. The social media platform went offline for American users ahead of new legislation banning the platform due to concerns about its connections to the Chinese government. Gauff, who has amassed over 750,000 TikTok followers, shared her thoughts after her 5-7 6-2 6-1 victory over Switzerland's Bencic in Melbourne. "Hopefully it comes back. It's really sad. I love TikTok," said Gauff, who will face Spanish 11th seed Paula Badosa in the quarter-finals. She described the platform as an escape and part of her pre-match routine, adding "I guess it'll force me to read […]

Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals through a straight-sets victory over Jiri Lehecka, setting up a highly anticipated match against Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic, pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam title, defeated the Czech 24th seed 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4). His upcoming opponent Alcaraz secured his spot after British player Jack Draper withdrew due to a hip injury. The matchup carries significant history, with Alcaraz winning their last two Wimbledon finals, while Djokovic prevailed in their Olympic final in Paris last summer - an achievement he considers his greatest in sports. During the match against Lehecka, the crowd's reaction turned negative as the Czech player showed potential to extend the match to a fourth set. Following his victory, Djokovic departed Rod Laver Arena promptly, offering brief remarks: "Thank you very much for being here tonight. I appreciate your support […]

A packed John Cain Arena witnessed Nick Kyrgios's return to Grand Slam tennis end in disappointment as British player Jacob Fearnley defeated the injured Australian favorite in straight sets during the Australian Open's first round. Kyrgios, playing his first match at Melbourne Park in three years, struggled with an abdominal strain throughout the contest, ultimately falling 7-6(3), 6-3, 7-6(2). The injury visibly impacted his serving ability and movement on court. Following the match, Kyrgios, who has missed most of the past two seasons due to knee issues and wrist surgery, suggested this might have been his final singles appearance at Melbourne Park. "I went out there, I would say 65 percent of my capacity," he reflected post-match, expressing gratitude for the crowd's support while acknowledging his extensive dedication to tennis. Meanwhile, the tournament's top seeds advanced to the second round, […]

World number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner made a successful return to the Australian Open with a straight-sets victory, expressing satisfaction with the crowd's reception amid his ongoing doping case. Sinner, who won his maiden major title in Melbourne last year, secured a 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 win over Chile's Nicolas Jarry in his first appearance at the tournament since failing two doping tests in March. The 23-year-old Italian, who faces a Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) hearing in April, acknowledged his uncertainty about the crowd's response: "I was curious to see how it was. You never know what's happening," Sinner said of the reception on Rod Laver Arena. "I was happy about the crowd. It was a very nice crowd. There were some for my opponent and some for me. It was a nice atmosphere." While […]

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 […]