Tennis

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

6:12 AM ET SYDNEY, Australia — Three-time major winner Andy Murray is through to his first ATP semifinal since 2019 after David Goffin retired hurt in their Sydney Tennis Classic match with a leg injury. Murray took the first set 6-2 against Goffin in Thursday’s quarterfinal showdown before the Belgian world No.45 called an early

6:22 AM ET American Coco Gauff said her loss to world No. 1 Ash Barty in last week’s Adelaide International 1 WTA tournament was an important lesson on what she needs to do to raise her level ahead of the Australian Open. Gauff, ranked No. 19 in the world, took the opening set before Australian

3:45 PM ET Novak Djokovic, at least for the time being, has won his case against Australian authorities attempting to revoke the visa that would allow him to compete in the Australia Open, which begins Monday morning in Melbourne — Sunday evening for U.S. viewers. The moment Djokovic takes the court at Rod Laver Arena,

10:14 PM ET ESPN News Services Responding to what he called “continuing misinformation,” Novak Djokovic issued a statement Wednesday to clarify his movements leading up to his positive COVID-19 test result in mid-December that was used as grounds for his exemption to enter Australia ahead of tennis’ first major of the year. Djokovic wrote on

2:21 AM ET SYDNEY, Australia — Tunisian Ons Jabeur got past Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-4 at the Sydney Tennis Classic on Wednesday for her first win over the two-times Wimbledon champion in four meetings, while Spain’s Garbine Muguruza also reached the quarterfinals. World number 10 Jabeur, whose most recent defeat to Kvitova came at Cincinnati

9:14 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Opinions about Novak Djokovic’s visa status ahead of the Australian Open are strong — on and off the record, apparently. Video of a conversation between a pair of TV anchors on Seven Network in Australia blasting Djokovic — and apparently unaware they were being recorded — went