Tennis

World number one Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise quarter-final exit at the Brisbane International, losing 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to Reilly Opelka, ranked 293rd globally. Returning from a two-year injury break, the American defeated Djokovic in 100 minutes. Opelka, seeking his fifth career title, will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the semifinals after the Frenchman's 7-5 7-6 (7-5) win over Jakub Mensik. Opelka acknowledged the advantage of playing without pressure against Djokovic, who was pursuing his 100th ATP title. The other semifinal pairs defending champion Grigor Dimitrov, who advanced via walkover, against Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Nicolas Jarry 6-4 6-4. In women's singles, top seed Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals by overcoming Marie Bouzkova 6-3 6-4. She'll face 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4 7-6 (7-2). Their previous encounter at the 2024 French Open saw Andreeva become the youngest […]

Great Britain's path to the United Cup semi-finals now requires Katie Boulter to defeat world-class player Iga Swiatek following Billy Harris's competitive loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Sydney. Harris, ranked 125th globally, displayed a strong performance against the 16th-ranked Hurkacz before ultimately falling 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 in the opening match of their best-of-three tie. The 29-year-old Harris, who has shown remarkable improvement over the past two years, aimed to secure Britain's advancement with what would have been his career-defining victory. Following this result, Boulter, 28, must now overcome Swiatek to force a decisive mixed doubles match. Harris stepped into the role of Britain's top male player due to Jack Draper's hip injury and Cameron Norrie's commitment to an ATP event in Hong Kong. Despite strong serving throughout, Harris couldn't break Hurkacz's service games. The first set remained close, with neither […]

Great Britain secured their place in the United Cup quarter-finals in Sydney after Katie Boulter's decisive straight-sets victory over Australia's Olivia Gadecki. Boulter's efficient 6-2 6-1 win, completed in under 70 minutes, guaranteed Britain's progression as Group F winners, despite Australia claiming victories in the subsequent matches. After Boulter's opening victory, Australia's Alex de Minaur, who is Boulter's fiance, responded with a dominant 6-2 6-1 performance against Britain's Billy Harris. De Minaur then partnered with Gadecki in the mixed doubles, where they defeated the British pair of Charles Broom and Olivia Nicholls 6-3 7-6 (7-3). The British team had previously beaten Argentina 2-1 in their opening tie on Tuesday. Although all three teams in Group F finished with equal points, Great Britain claimed top spot by virtue of winning the most sets overall. Boulter later revealed the pressure she felt, […]

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were eliminated from the Brisbane International men's doubles competition, losing their second-round match to top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in a tight three-set contest. The match came just days after Kyrgios' return to singles tennis, where he faced a challenging three-set defeat against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Following that match, the Australian expressed concerns about significant pain and uncertainty regarding his participation in the upcoming Australian Open. Despite these concerns, Kyrgios honored his commitment to partner with Djokovic in doubles. During the match, he appeared to move well, though occasionally tended to his right arm between serves. The pair struggled initially, dropping the first set 6-2, but regained momentum to claim the second set 6-3. The deciding first-to-10-points tie-break proved dramatic, with Djokovic and Kyrgios leading 8-6 before a crucial double fault from Djokovic […]

Nick Kyrgios has expressed strong criticism of recent high-profile doping cases in tennis, particularly those involving world number ones Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. The Australian player described the situations as "disgusting" for the sport and criticized how they have been handled. Sinner, the men's world number one from Italy, faces a potential suspension following two positive tests for an anabolic steroid in March. The case is currently under appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the World Anti-Doping Agency challenged his initial clearance by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). Swiatek, who was women's world number one at the time, served a one-month suspension ending December 4 after testing positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August. The ITIA accepted that her positive test resulted from contaminated melatonin medication. These cases have sparked controversy, with former champion Simona Halep […]

Zhang Zhizhen concludes 2024 as he began it, representing China in international competition, now at the United Cup starting Friday in Perth. The 28-year-old's landmark year saw him reach World No. 31, achieve his first tour-level final at the Hangzhou Open, and secure an Olympic mixed doubles silver medal with Wang Xinyu in Paris. His success has broader implications for Chinese tennis. "If people are watching us do something and then trying to follow us, that's great news for us," Zhang shared in Perth. "Most Chinese people are watching table tennis or badminton at the Olympics, not tennis. But suddenly they're watching [our] final live on TV. Right away, more people are knowing us and more people are trying to play, trying to learn." Zhang's pioneering role has coincided with the emergence of fellow Chinese players Shang Juncheng and Buyunchaokete […]

The United Cup mixed teams event kicks off Friday in Perth, with Sydney's competition set to begin Saturday. Australian hope Alex de Minaur enters the tournament with momentum, following his career-best season that included ATP Finals qualification and a memorable victory over Novak Djokovic in Perth last year. De Minaur's preparation continued Thursday under national captain Lleyton Hewitt's guidance, including practice with Czech player Tomas Machac. A historical footnote connects the teams, as Czech captain Daniel Vacek holds a 1-1 record against Hewitt, including a five-set victory at the 1998 Australian Open. Italy's campaign features WTA World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, alongside men's singles representative Flavio Cobolli and potential mixed doubles asset Andrea Vavassori, who was part of 2024's Fans' Favourite doubles team with Simone Bolelli. Argentina's hopes rest with Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Group F, which includes Australia and […]

Former world number one Simona Halep has withdrawn from Australian Open qualifying and the Auckland Classic due to knee and shoulder pain experienced after competing in the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. The 33-year-old Romanian had recently received a wildcard entry from tournament organizers. Halep, who was cleared to return to competition after her four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months, announced her decision on Instagram after consulting with her team. Currently ranked 877th in the world, the former French Open and Wimbledon champion plans to make her comeback at her home event in Cluj, Romania in early February. The two-time Grand Slam winner, who finished runner-up at the 2018 Australian Open to Caroline Wozniacki, had maintained her innocence throughout the doping case. The Australian Open qualifying tournament is scheduled for January 6-9, with the main […]