Tennis

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

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

7:00 AM ET SWEAT DRIPS OFF Nick Kyrgios‘ face as he stands near the edge of the tennis court. It’s a blistering August day in Mason, Ohio, and the 27-year-old, fresh off his maiden trip to a Grand Slam final, wipes down his body with a white towel. His eyes narrow as he looks in

12:33 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns

1:09 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Four-time major champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka announced she is pregnant and indicated she will miss the entire 2023 tennis season. “I realize that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure,” Osaka tweeted Wednesday, including

5:24 AM ET Former World No. 1 Andy Murray said he has “no time frame” on retirement after notching his first win of the season on Wednesday. The three-time Grand Slam champion finally got his first victory of the year with a 2-6, 6-3 .10-2 super tiebreaker win over Zhang Zhizen at the Kooyong Classic

1:45 AM ET HOBART, Australia — One-time Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has declared she is feeling like herself again on court after struggles with form and injury led her ranking to nosedive. The 24-year-old progressed to the quarter-finals of the Hobart International on Wednesday, breezing past Belgian qualifier Maryna Zanevska 6-2 6-3. Kenin, who

4:09 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Ons Jabeur, the WTA’s No. 2-ranked player in the world and a finalist at last year’s Wimbledon and US Open, was one of eight announced as members of the inaugural player executive committee for the Professional Tennis Players Association on Tuesday. Jabeur joins co-founders Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil on

4:47 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Former semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco‘s hopes of reaching an 18th Australian Open main draw remain alive after he fought his way into the second round of qualifying. The former world No.7, who lost a five-set Open semi to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in 2009, fought back from a set down

2:15 AM ET HOBART, Australia — Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has made a bright start at the Hobart International, beating higher-ranked Lin Zhu in straight sets. Kenin, who sits at world No.143 three years after her Melbourne Park triumph, was too strong in a 6-2 6-2 first-round win over her 85-ranked opponent on

12:18 AM ET Associated Press AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Belgium’s David Goffin has ousted fifth-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the ASB Tennis Classic in a match which produced an engrossing clash of styles. Goffin, a baseliner who won his seventh ATP singles title last year on clay in

12:34 AM ET Associated Press ADELAIDE, Australia — Petra Kvitova issued a reminder of her ability ahead of the Australian Open when she beat Elena Rybakina on Monday in a clash of Wimbledon champions at the Adelaide International. The 32-year-old Kvitova who won at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 relied on a powerful serve to

11:04 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — With calls urging the hierarchy of the Australian Open to change the timing of the event to allow players a longer offseason gaining momentum, tournament director Craig Tiley described the claims as “ridiculous” and “bizarre.” Tiley was responding to an Australian media report which suggested the first

5:16 AM ET Associated Press AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Top-seeded American Coco Gauff has capped a commanding start to the new season Sunday by beating Spanish qualifier Viktoria Masarova 6-1, 6-1 in the final of the ASB Classic. Gauff claimed her third WTA Tour title but her first in years on hard courts, boosting her

7:12 AM ET Associated Press ADELAIDE, Australia — Novak Djokovic showed no signs of an injury that might derail his Australian Open campaign when he beat unseeded American Sebastian Korda 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3), 6-4 Sunday to win the Adelaide International. Djokovic worried Open organizers when he said after his semifinal in Adelaide against Daniil

11:51 PM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has confirmed she will not play at the Australian Open, adding her name to a growing list of notable withdrawals. Organizers confirmed in a tweet on Sunday that Japan’s Osaka, the Open champion in 2019 and 2021, will not be playing in Melbourne.

1:16 AM ET Associated Press AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Top-seeded Coco Gauff advanced to the final of the ASB Classic by beating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-0, 6-2 on Saturday. The American hasn’t yet dropped a set at the Auckland hardcourt tournament and needed a little more than an hour to defeat seventh-seeded Kovinic to