Tennis

1:22 AM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal moved into the third round at the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over 126th-ranked German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann on Wednesday. Nadal didn’t get it all his own way in an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, needing five match points and

6:32 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Athletes spend decades trying to trick the mind. But what happens when the mind tricks the athlete? Aryna Sabalenka arrived in Australia earlier this month with her focus set squarely on achieving her longtime dream of winning a Grand Slam. Having had a breakthrough season in 2021 in which she

10:10 PM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Top-ranked Ashleigh Barty is breezing through the Australian Open. Things could get a lot more interesting soon enough. Barty extended her streak of service holds to 48 games and moved into the third round at Melbourne Park for the sixth consecutive year by beating 142nd-ranked qualifier

7:59 AM ET Emma Raducanu got her Australian Open campaign off to a winning note as she saw off Sloane Stephens in three sets in the first round. US Open champion Raducanu ended up winning 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 in an entertaining match on day two of the first Grand Slam of the year. After Raducanu

3:07 AM ET ESPN News Services The board of Tennis Australia issued a statement two days after nine-time champion Novak Djokovic lost a legal challenge against his visa cancellation to say that the entire saga would be subject to a review after the Australian Open. “We recognise that recent events have been a significant distraction

9:28 PM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Garbine Muguruza extended her first-round success at Melbourne Park on Monday, and did so in straight sets. The 2020 Australian Open finalist and winner of the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon tournaments has never lost a first-round match in 10 years of competition at the

6:57 AM ET Associated Press BEIJING — Former NBA great Yao Ming said Monday he and others had a pleasant talk when they met last month with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, whose disappearance after making a sexual assault allegation against a former government official raised international concern. He also said it is unfortunate that

12:42 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Defending champion Naomi Osaka didn’t need luck to win her opening-round match over Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-3 at the Australian Open on Monday. But that didn’t stop her from trying to create some. In an act of superstition that would surely make Rafael Nadal proud, Osaka took great lengths, literally

8:42 PM ET Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic arrived early Monday in Dubai after his deportation from Australia over its COVID-19 vaccination requirement ended the No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player’s hopes of defending his Australian Open title. The Emirates plane carrying Djokovic touched down after a 13 1/2-hour flight from Melbourne,

7:53 AM ET It’s been a wild ride to the start of this year’s Australian Open, but on Monday the tournament will officially begin. With Sunday’s court decision upholding the decision that Novak Djokovic is to be deported and will not play, the drama over his visa cancellation is over — but that leaves other

2:01 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic‘s hopes of playing at the Australian Open were dashed Sunday after a court dismissed the top-ranked tennis star’s appeal against a deportation order. Three Federal Court judges upheld a decision made on Friday by the immigration minister to cancel the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public

12:53 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal‘s first Grand Slam match in more than seven months is on the horizon. He is coming back from a painful left foot problem that limited him to one tournament over the last half of last season, and he got COVID-19 in December. Plenty to talk

6:20 AM ET Andy Murray has missed out on his first title in three years as clinical Russian Aslan Karatsev took out the Sydney Tennis Classic title on Saturday night. A surprise semi-finalist at last year’s Australian Open after entering the tournament as a qualifier, Karatsev went on to be one of the big improvers

3:14 AM ET Associated Press ADELAIDE, Australia — Former US Open finalist Madison Keys has warmed up for the Australian Open in strong form winning an all-American final of the WTA tournament in Adelaide against Alison Riske. Keys, 26, never allowed her compatriot a look into the contest powering her way to a 6-1, 6-2

Jan 13, 2022 It was short, simple and yet so damn complicated. I got a text on Dec. 7. “I can’t talk right now, but the pathology report came back today and revealed I have a malignant tumor in my fallopian tube; going in for more surgery next week then chemo … f— me…” I

7:29 AM ET ON THE OUTSKIRTS of Hyde Park in the middle of London is the Royal Albert Hall. A place commissioned by Queen Victoria in the late 19th century, it has hosted rock stars and royalty. Synonymous with glitz and glamour, the steeping banks of chairs all focus down in the vast auditorium. It

2:09 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis star Novak Djokovic faces deportation again after the Australian government revoked his visa for a second time. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said Friday he used his ministerial discretion to revoke the 34-year-old Serb’s visa on public interest grounds three days before the Australian Open is to

12:30 PM ET Novak Djokovic intends to pursue a 10th Australian Open title as the first tennis major of the year begins on Monday. But before the Serbian player can turn his attention to breaking a 20-Grand Slam singles titles tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the world’s top-ranked men’s player must first resolve