12:10 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Nick Kyrgios was forced Monday to withdraw from the Australian Open, just 24 hours ahead of his scheduled first-round match against Roman Safiullin, because of an injury to his left knee that will require arthroscopic surgery. Kyrgios, Australia’s highest-ranked men’s tennis player, called an impromptu news conference during Day
8:30 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff made strong starts to their quests for a first Grand Slam singles title as they reached the second round of the Australian Open on Monday. Third-seeded Pegula overwhelmed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-0, 6-1, while seventh-seeded Gauff overcame a second-set wobble to
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
Jan 14, 2023 MELBOURNE, Australia — World No. 4 Caroline Garcia said on Saturday she may not have opened up about her battle with bulimia had she known the reaction her revelation would provoke within the tennis world ahead of the Australian Open. Garcia, who capped an impressive second half of the 2022 season by
7:59 AM ET Lucky loser Soonwoo Kwon has become a deserved winner, prevailing in a fluctuating Adelaide International 2 final against Roberto Bautista Agut. The South Korean lost in qualifying for the event but was a late call-up for the first round. He made the most of it, combining aggressive stroke play with a keen
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
8:28 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
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,
12:24 AM ET AUCKLAND, New Zealand — On course for an Australian Open second-round clash with Nick Kyrgios, veteran Richard Gasquet has shown he is far from washed up. The 36-year-old Frenchman rolled back the years with an inspired finish to upset second seed and British No.1 Cameron Norrie 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the ASB
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
2:44 AM ET Italian youngster Elisabetta Cocciaretto is on the verge of a maiden WTA title after knocking out former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin at the Hobart International. World No.67 Cocciaretto, who has beaten two seeded players at the tournament including Alize Cornet in the first round, progressed to the final with a 7-5
2:12 AM ET New Zealand-raised Briton Cameron Norrie stormed into the final of the Auckland Open with a 6-3 6-4 win over Jenson Brooksby on Friday, continuing his unbeaten start to the season ahead of the Australian Open. The world number 12 will face Richard Gasquet for the title on Saturday after the French veteran
12:33 AM ET Associated Press Paula Badosa has withdrawn from her Adelaide International semifinal with a thigh injury, handing fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina a walkover into the final. Kasatkina will play the winner of Friday’s later semifinal between Belinda Bencic and Veronika Kudermetova in the Saturday final. Badosa, who is seeded 11th for the Australian Open,
9:00 AM ET Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin is two wins away from her first title in three years after coming from behind to make the semi-finals of the Hobart International. The 24-year-old, whose battles with poor form and injury saw her ranking nosedive last year, finished with a flurry to beat Ukrainian fifth
9:00 AM ET Spain’s top female player Paula Badosa has overcome the heat and a plucky showing from improved Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia to make the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 2. World No.11 Badosa clinched a 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 victory on Thursday after spending two hours and 34 minutes on court. Haddad Maia, coming
4:45 PM ET Associated Press LONDON — The International Tennis Federation is ending its Davis Cup partnership with the private investment group fronted by former Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique, which helped revamp the storied competition in 2018. The ITF signed a 25-year partnership with Kosmos Tennis in 2018, when a new Davis Cup format