Tennis

5:54 PM ET NEW YORK — Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka drew attention to the double standard between fans and players when it comes to vaccinations at the US Open, saying it was “bizarre” that fans have to be vaccinated while players do not. In order to enter Flushing Meadows, fans have to show

11:35 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com NEW YORK — For a moment on Tuesday night, it seemed as if the opening round of the US Open could be the site of Novak Djokovic‘s latest implosion. Playing 18-year-old qualifier Holger Rune, who was making his major main draw debut, Djokovic dominated from the start and rolled to

3:05 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev opened his bid for a second straight US Open final appearance with an impressive win, needing only 1 hour, 40 minutes to beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 on Tuesday in a first-round match. Zverev, the No. 4 seed from Germany,

4:32 PM ET Associated Press Ash Barty, the No. 1 seed on the women’s side of the U.S. Open, held off 2010 runner-up Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 7-6 (7). Barty won Wimbledon for her second major title and now is back in New York after remaining in Australia last year when the event was played with

11:36 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com NEW YORK — Andy Murray was on the shuttle to practice ahead of the US Open on Thursday when he discovered he would be playing Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No. 3 seed and 2021 French Open finalist, in his first-round match at the tournament. He knew it wouldn’t be the easiest

8:12 PM ET ESPN News Services NEW YORK — Andy Murray tumbled to the ground on his artificial hip, losing his balance in sweat-soaked shoes and leaving splotches on Arthur Ashe Stadium’s blue court from his soggy clothing. Murray muttered to himself, as he often does. He yelled toward his team about needing new footwear.

2:38 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Simona Halep and Garbine Muguruza, a pair of two-time Grand Slam champions who have had their difficulties in New York, pulled out tough two-set victories on Monday in the opening round of the US Open. Sloane Stephens then had one even tougher, needing 2 hours, 10 minutes

7:21 AM ET By winning the 2021 US Open, Novak Djokovic would both lock up the first calendar Grand Slam on the men’s tour in more than 50 years and become the first man to ever win 21 Slams in his career. With his natural athleticism and defensive abilities, Djokovic was destined to become a

11:08 AM ET Associated Press SAN DIEGO — If Novak Djokovic wins the US Open two weeks from now to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969, “Rocket” Rod Laver will be there to welcome him into a remarkably exclusive group. “I’d be very happy to shake his hand if he

8:00 AM ET ESPN staff With no Roger Federer and no Rafael Nadal on the men’s side, and no Serena Williams and no Venus Williams on the women’s side, this year’s US Open will have a little bit of a different feel. But Novak Djokovic is still in it, and he’s eyeing that elusive calendar

8:00 AM ET Simon Cambers It’s been four years since the ATP announced the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, an event for the best under-21 players in the world. Though Hyeon Chung of South Korea won the title, the qualifiers for the first event in 2017 included Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov

9:24 PM ET Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ilya Ivashka beat Mikael Ymer 6-0, 6-2 on Saturday in the Winston-Salem Open to become the first player from Belarus to win an ATP Tour singles title in 18 years. Ranked 63rd in the world, the 27-year-old Ivashka is the lowest-ranked champion in the event’s 10-year history,

8:00 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com There will be no Serena Williams at this year’s US Open. Nor Roger Federer. Or Rafael Nadal. Or Venus Williams. The heralded foursome has a combined 17 career singles titles at the year’s final major, but all four players were forced to withdraw because of injury in 2021. Their collective

8:06 AM ET Simon Cambers As Novak Djokovic begins the final stage in his quest for the coveted Grand Slam, Rod Laver will be as eager as anyone to see the world No. 1. Victory for Djokovic in New York would not only give him a men’s record 21st major title, but would also make

3:41 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Naomi Osaka addressed her decision to skip media obligations at the French Open earlier this summer during a news conference at the US Open on Friday and explained she didn’t think it would be become the firestorm that it ultimately did. “Honestly, I feel like there’s a lot of things

4:28 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Novak Djokovic said winning the calendar-year Grand Slam would be the highlight of his career in a news conference on Friday at the US Open. “I think it’s an easy question — yes, it would be,” he said when asked if winning all four majors in 2021 would be his

8:23 AM ET Associated Press LONDON — The twice-postponed finals of the Billie Jean King Cup will be played in Prague from Nov. 1-6, the International Tennis Federation said Friday. The tournament, formerly known as the Fed Cup, was originally scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, in April 2020 but was postponed for a

10:43 PM ET Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ilya Ivashka, Emil Ruusuvuori and Mikael Ymer all took down seeded opponents — including No. 1 Pablo Carreno Busta — on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Winston-Salem Open. Ivashka beat Carreno Busta 7-6 (2), 6-3, upending the world’s 12th-ranked player. That sent the 27-year-old from Belarus