Tennis

Coco Gauff said online racist abuse had left her feeling exhausted after she went out of the China Open with her loss to Elise Mertens on Wednesday. The American world number four, who is Black, turned in an uncharacteristically listless performance in Beijing, double-faulting eight times as she went down 6-3, 6-3 to her Belgian opponent. Hours after the upset, ‌Gauff withdrew from the Wuhan Open, a WTA 1000 hardcourt event she won last ‌year, citing fatigue. Gauff, 22, was playing a day afte

Novak Djokovic won his seventh China Open title after Australia's Alex ⁠de Minaur retired with a groin injury during the final on Tuesday. De Minaur left the court for ‌a medical timeout after losing the first-set tiebreak but played on with ‌his left thigh heavily bandaged. He had to ‌stop after winning the first game of the second set, ‌leaving him trailing 7-6(3) 0-1. "I don't feel great... ‌I want to say sorry to all the amazing fans," said De Minaur at the trophy presentation. "I didn't

Novak Djokovic produced a trademark comeback to defeat top ⁠seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and reach the China Open semi-finals ‌on Sunday, extending his unbeaten run to a record-breaking 32-0, surpassing Rafael Nadal's streak at Roland Garros (2005-2009). Playing ‌the ATP 500 event in Beijing ‌for the first time since 2015, the ‌six-time champion was pushed to the limit ‌by reigning French Open and US Open champion Zverev, who delivered 19 aces in the ‌match. Meeting for the first time i

A dialogue between the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments and disgruntled players has moved a step closer, as sources confirmed to AFP on Monday the 12 members of a proposed advisory council. Novak Djokovic, who has won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and women's No.1 Elena Rybakina head the list posted on social media earlier Monday by Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated. The four Grand Slams - the US Open, Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon - announced the creation of the counc

Alexander Zverev has revealed to rival Carlos ⁠Alcaraz what was going through his head as he served for the ‌US Open title in New York earlier this ‌month — absolutely nothing. Zverev secured his first ‌title at Flushing Meadows with a four-set ‌victory over Ben Shelton but returned to ‌the baseline as if to prepare for another game after his American opponent hit ‌long on championship point. "I thought ⁠it was 4-1," ‌Zverev said after Alcaraz quizzed him about the moment as the Team Europe te

Elena Rybakina denied Aryna Sabalenka a third straight US Open title on Saturday, punctuating her rise to number one in the world with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over the player she's replacing at the summit. Rybakina, already assured of supplanting Sabalenka atop the rankings by reaching the semi-finals in New York, triumphed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her third Grand Slam title. She won her first at Wimbledon in 2022 and beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open title to claim her second in January. "

Ben Shelton shook off an erratic start to power past Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American US Open semi-final on Friday and book a championship showdown with top seed Alexander Zverev. Eighth-seeded Shelton, who knocked off defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, will play his first Grand Slam final on Sunday, when he'll be aiming to end American men's 23-year drought in the majors and deny French Open champion Zvereva second Grand Slam title of 2026. He makes h

Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday and book a US Open championship showdown with two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. In Saturday's final Rybakina will try to deal another blow to Sabalenka, having knocked her out of the number one world ranking just by reaching the semi-finals. "I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive," Rybakina said of her looming clash with Sabalenka. Gauff's

Coco Gauff bested rising US star Iva Jovic on Monday to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open for the first time since winning the title three years ago. Gauff, seeded fourth this year, beat the 14th-seeded Jovic 6-1, 6-4 in 80 minutes. The match marked a rare instance in which two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff, still only 22, faced a younger American in the 18-year-old Jovic, who pushed Gauff in the second set after being routed in the first. "She plays beyond her years," Gauff said. "I'm

American Frances Tiafoe outclassed former champion Daniil Medvedev 7-6(1), 6-4, ⁠7-6(6) to reach the U.S. Open quarter-final on Sunday, bringing his best level to finally get the upper ‌hand on an all-too-familiar foe. Tiafoe trailed Medvedev 1-6 in career head-to-head before ‌Sunday - his only victory coming at the team ‌competition Laver Cup - but cracked the code when it mattered to ‌him the most, repeatedly striking near the net with ‌surgical precision. "Daniil has been so good, he's beat

Serena and Venus Williams electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in three thrilling sets in their return to the US Open women's doubles on Friday. The superstar sisters, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Opens, rallied from a break down in the third set and led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7). Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, hadn't played Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open and last won a title together at

Coco Gauff battled into the third round of the US Open on Thursday with a straight sets victory over Spain's Paula Badosa. Gauff advanced to a meeting with another Spaniard, Cristina Bucsa, after powering past Badosa 6-4, 7-6(5) in just under two hours. The 22-year-old American star, who is chasing a repeat of her 2023 US Open victory, had lost five of her eight previous meetings with Badosa. But Gauff never looked like letting their latest encounter slip with a largely confident performance

"Kinda chic to play with your sister in the US Open" - that's the verdict of Venus Williams, who will launch a women's doubles campaign alongside sister Serena on Friday in Flushing Meadows. The legendary sisters' first doubles foray at Flushing Meadows in four years is sure to ignite the Arthur Ashe Stadium fans, who will also be treated to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and American hopes Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton as they vie for fourth-round berths. Women's defending champion Aryna

France's Gael Monfils turned back the clock Tuesday, making the most of a US Open wild card and an adoring New York crowd to advance to the second round. Playing on his 40th birthday, Monfils opened shakily against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay, but decisively turned the tables after the first set for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 win. Monfils, who will retire after this season, played with his trademark showmanship, offering exaggerated bows after embellishing a putaway shot in the fourth set with

Naomi Osaka channelled NBA fashion trailblazer Allen Iverson on Monday as she battled into the second round of the US Open. The Japanese 13th seed, US Open champion in 2018 and 2020, was made to work hard by Russia's Anastasia Zakharova before winning 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in just over two hours on the Arthur Ashe Stadium show court. As ever, Osaka's entrance on court grabbed the headlines, with the 28-year-old walking out in a billowy custom-made gown which contained sewn-in news clippings detailing

Four-time champion Novak Djokovic headlines the first night session of the US Open, kicking off his latest quest for an elusive 25th Grand Slam title against Argentina's Mariano Navone on Sunday. Djokovic will be in familiar territory under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, where balmy evening temperatures could be a boon for the 39-year-old Serbian superstar last seen struggling physically with the heat in an upset loss in Cincinnati. Djokovic seized his 24th Grand Slam trophy at the U

Arthur Fils surged past Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati on Sunday. The 22-year-old bagged his biggest career title and, with the US Open starting in one week, he is projected to jump from 21st in the world rankings to a career-high 11th. Fils swept through the opening set, dropping just three points behind his serve. Tiafoe turned the tables as Fils's errors mounted in the second, but after receiving treatment before the third set, Tiafoe was

Coco Gauff made a statement with the US Open approaching, dominating Jessica Pegula 6-2, 6-4 to win her first title of 2026 at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati. World number four Gauff claimed her first WTA title since last October in Wuhan, having come up short in finals in Miami and Rome this year. Her victory over third-ranked Pegula gave her a second Cincinnati crown. Gauff earned her first in 2023, going on to claim the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the US Open that year. THE MOMENT! �

Serena Williams will ⁠make a competitive return to ‌the US Open alongside ‌defending men's champion ‌Carlos Alcaraz in ‌the mixed doubles after ‌the pair were handed a ‌wildcard entry, tournament organisers ⁠said on Saturday. It will be Williams' first competitive match at the US Open since 2022. ⁠The American 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and six-time US Open ‌winner won the mixed doubles title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi. World number one Aryna Sabalenka will partner Serbia's Novak Djokovi

Two-time US Open singles champion Venus ⁠Williams has received a wildcard entry into this year's ‌tournament, organisers said on Tuesday. Seven-time Grand Slam ‌winner Williams, 46, was ‌eliminated in the first round ‌at Flushing Meadows last year after ‌falling to Czech Karolina Muchova. She and sister Serena also returned ‌to doubles action for the ⁠first ‌time since 2022 on Monday, suffering an opening round defeat at the Cincinnati Open. Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, was also

Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the fourth round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto on Friday while French Open winner Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Canada's Leylah Fernandez. World number two Rybakina from Kazakhstan defeated American 28th seed Ann Li 6-2, 7-5 in 90 minutes, winning five of six break chances while saving two of four against her. Rybakina, who also won the 2022 Wimbledon title, advanced to a last-16 meeting with the winner of a later match be

Serena Williams and Venus Williams ⁠are set to make their Cincinnati Open ‌doubles debut this month after being ‌awarded a wild ‌card on Monday, marking their ‌return to doubles action for ‌the first time since 2022. The Williams sisters have ‌won 14 major doubles ⁠titles, ‌including six at Wimbledon, plus three Olympic gold medals. They last played doubles together at the 2022 US Open, where they lost ⁠to Czechs  Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova. Venus. Serena. Back in Cincy. 👊 The William

Coco Gauff fought back from a ⁠set down to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time after ‌beating friend and former doubles partner Jessica ‌Pegula 4-6 6-3 6-3 in ‌an all-American Centre Court clash on Tuesday. The ‌seventh seed and two-time Grand Slam ‌winner, now the highest-ranked player left in the women's singles draw, was ‌on the back foot from ⁠the start ‌against a fourth-seeded opponent who broke her in the opening game. In truth, Gauff was fighting herself almost as much as

Seventh seed Coco Gauff reached the fourth round and matched her ⁠best Wimbledon display with a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 victory over fellow American Claire Liu on Thursday to keep her ‌bid for a third Grand Slam title alive. The 22-year-old former US Open and ‌French Open champion, who crashed in her opener at the ‌All England Club 12 months ago, arrived under pressure to improve ‌her modest grasscourt record and appeared to be in cruise ‌control early on against Liu. She eased through the opening se