Tennis

10:11 PM ET Samantha Stosur’s decorated doubles career is almost over following a first-round exit from the Australian Open with Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. The retiring great and Cornet lost 6-3 6-4 to the Chinese-Taiwanese pairing of Zhaoxuan Yang and Hao-Ching Chan on Thursday. Stosur, who is quitting professional tennis after the Open, remains alive in

3:31 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — A despondent Rafael Nadal dipped his head and appeared to fight back tears as he sat courtside on Rod Laver Arena, trailing American Mackenzie McDonald 4-6, 4-5 in the second round of the Australian Open. His eyes locked with wife Xisca, who was having no luck hiding her emotion

5:53 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Emma Raducanu bowed out of the Australian Open at the hands of No. 7 seed Coco Gauff on Wednesday, but there may be lingering concerns about Raducanu’s fitness after the British No. 1 clutched at her left side throughout the 6-4, 7-6 (4) loss. Early in the second set

11:07 PM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — What’s in a ball? Well, quite a lot, especially if you’re Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. The 2022 champion and other top players are claiming this year’s balls are vastly different to those which graced the courts last year. Editor’s Picks Nadal’s main complaint is that the balls

9:40 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Emma Raducanu‘s face lit up with excitement during her first-round press conference at the Australian Open when she learned her next opponent at Melbourne Park would be fellow WTA rising star Coco Gauff. The pair will meet Wednesday evening on Rod Laver Arena, and while it may only be

6:29 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Extreme heat, followed by monsoonal rain, caused significant delays during Day 2 of the Australian Open, resulting in 19 matches having to be rescheduled, most likely to Wednesday. Play had been stop-start for much of the day at Melbourne Park but it was eventually called off on the outside

11:49 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Italian tennis player Camila Giorgi has denied allegations that she obtained a false COVID-19 vaccine certificate to allow her to travel. A doctor is under investigation in Italy for supplying false certificates and fake vaccines and Giorgi’s name was revealed in a long list of people implicated

7:30 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Flanked by security personnel and members of his traveling entourage, Novak Djokovic strode briskly through a near-empty Tullamarine Airport, his eyes fixed on the white tiles shining underneath his feet. A KN95 mask concealed a large portion of his face, but there was still no hiding the utter dejection.

6:47 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Iga Swiatek went into her first-round Australian Open match with strong memories of what a tough go of it she had against Jule Niemeier the last time they met. So the No. 1-ranked Swiatek came in ready for another tussle, and possibly another three-setter, but grabbed the

7:30 PM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Glorious sunshine, bumper crowds, and an unmistakably Australian laid-back atmosphere has seen the Aussie Open unofficially dubbed the “Happy Slam”. But perhaps the greatest reason behind the smiles on players’ faces at Melbourne Park is thanks to the eye-watering prize money on offer. The tournament’s total prize pool has

11:16 AM ET Is Novak Djokovic unstoppable on his way to a 10th Australian Open title? Can Iga Swiatek cement her status as the best in the world? And what about Rafael Nadal? Can he re-create the magic from a year ago? Our experts attempt to answer these questions and make their own predictions as

7:59 AM ET Sam Stosur will call time on her distinguished tennis career after a 21st Australian Open campaign. The conqueror of Serena Williams in the 2011 US Open singles final made an emotional departure from that domain last year. On Saturday, she announced the mixed doubles with Matt Ebden and the women’s event alongside

8:16 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com With Novak Djokovic making his return to Melbourne after his ill-fated trip to Australia in 2022, and much speculation on who will fill the 43-major-trophy-size voids left by Serena Williams and Roger Federer, there are more than a few storylines to watch going into the 2023 Australian Open. But, perhaps,

8:28 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com NEARLY EVERY TIME Kiranpal “KP” Pannu tells someone what he does for a living, he’s bombarded with questions about his seemingly glamorous lifestyle as a professional tennis player. It happens almost every day. “Unfortunately, all of their assumptions are wrong,” Pannu said recently, sighing. “And I’m like, ‘Well, if only

12:24 AM ET HOBART, Australia — American Lauren Davis has claimed a second WTA title six years after her first, beating Italian rookie Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Hobart International final. The 29-year-old, who came through qualifying, outlasted her younger and higher-ranked opponent 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 on Saturday afternoon. World No.84 Davis upset fourth seed and

9:48 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Ajla Tomljanovic, who beat Serena Williams in her final match at last year’s US Open, and Paula Badosa, who was seeded 11th at Melbourne Park, withdrew from the Australian Open on Saturday because of injuries. Tomljanovic is dealing with a bad knee that forced her to skip

9:38 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The return of Novak Djokovic. The quest for continued dominance by one of the sport’s brightest young stars in Iga Swiatek. The start of a brand-new season. That’s right, it’s summertime Down Under and that means just one thing — it’s Australian Open time. And needless to say, there is

5:20 AM ET Big guns Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic have taken strong steps forward in their respective Australian Open title bids, dispelling injury fears during an entertaining exhibition clash. Djokovic was given a warm welcome by fans at a sold-out Rod Laver Arena on Friday night as he returned to Melbourne Park for the