Tennis

8:33 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic has backed calls from Andy Murray for the Australian Open to consider altering its schedule early in tournaments to avoid any more 4 a.m. finishes, with the nine-time Melbourne champ declaring “something needs to be addressed” to ensure players are in the best condition possible for Slam

1:15 AM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Fifth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka extended her win streak to seven matches as she beat Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday. The Belarusian player hit 32 winners to beat Mertens, with whom she won the doubles title in Melbourne

4:30 PM ET Only Labradors love chasing a tennis ball more than Sir Andy Murray. He continues to thrill and grind, and every time he defies logic on the court, you feel Britain adores him even more than thought possible. Editor’s Picks 1 Related Thursday afternoon in the UK was another occasion when we were

1:57 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — — American title favorites Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff had convincing third-round wins on Friday at the Australian Open. The third-seeded Pegula, a quarterfinalist the past two years at Melbourne Park, needed 65 minutes for a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Marta Kostyuk. Seventh-seeded Gauff beat Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-2

2:31 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Concern exuded from Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open press room. It was two years ago, the summer of 2021, and he was fielding question upon question about his nagging oblique injury. “I know it’s a tear of the muscle. Definitely,” Djokovic professed to reporters. “I don’t know if

12:32 PM ET Britain’s Andy Murray produced a stunning comeback to claim victory over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in a five-set thriller that ended at 4:05 a.m. local time in Melbourne. The 35-year-old Scot looked down and out against an inspired Kokkinakis as he trailed by two sets and 2-5 but displayed his trademark warrior spirit

9:34 AM ET Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Second-seeded Ons Jabeur became the latest top player to exit the Australian Open in the second round, beaten by 86th-ranked Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 5-7, 6-1. Jabeur had complained of a knee problem after her opening victory at Melbourne Park and seemed out of sorts for much of

1:47 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — World No. 2 Rafael Nadal could miss up to six to eight weeks after an MRI revealed he sustained a grade 2 left hip flexor injury in his second-round loss to American Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open, it was announced Thursday. The diagnosis means Nadal will almost certainly

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

10:32 PM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — The supportive signs and dozens of Serbian flags and loud chants of Novak Djokovic‘s nickname filled Rod Laver Arena, providing a warm welcome marking his return to the Australian Open — a tournament he has dominated in the past but could not enter a year ago.

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

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