Tennis

3:20 AM ET A vintage Andy Murray weathered a gallant fightback from Matteo Berrettini before dumping the 13th seeded Italian out of the Australian Open first round with an epic 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (10-6), win on Tuesday. With the crowd largely in the palm of his hand, the 35-year-old raced out of

7:09 PM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags at the Australian Open after a Russian flag spotted hanging courtside during Monday’s first-round match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova sparked controversy. “Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open,” Tennis Australia said in a

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.

3:46 AM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal never truly seemed in danger of becoming the first Australian Open defending men’s champion to lose in the first round since his current coach, Carlos Moya, managed to beat Boris Becker a quarter of a century ago. Still, this was not a vintage performance

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

7:59 AM ET Sam Stosur will call time on her distinguished tennis career after a 21st Australian Open campaign. The conqueror of Serena Williams in the 2011 US Open singles final made an emotional departure from that domain last year. On Saturday, she announced the mixed doubles with Matt Ebden and the women’s event alongside

8:16 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com With Novak Djokovic making his return to Melbourne after his ill-fated trip to Australia in 2022, and much speculation on who will fill the 43-major-trophy-size voids left by Serena Williams and Roger Federer, there are more than a few storylines to watch going into the 2023 Australian Open. But, perhaps,

8:28 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com NEARLY EVERY TIME Kiranpal “KP” Pannu tells someone what he does for a living, he’s bombarded with questions about his seemingly glamorous lifestyle as a professional tennis player. It happens almost every day. “Unfortunately, all of their assumptions are wrong,” Pannu said recently, sighing. “And I’m like, ‘Well, if only

12:24 AM ET HOBART, Australia — American Lauren Davis has claimed a second WTA title six years after her first, beating Italian rookie Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Hobart International final. The 29-year-old, who came through qualifying, outlasted her younger and higher-ranked opponent 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 on Saturday afternoon. World No.84 Davis upset fourth seed and

9:38 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The return of Novak Djokovic. The quest for continued dominance by one of the sport’s brightest young stars in Iga Swiatek. The start of a brand-new season. That’s right, it’s summertime Down Under and that means just one thing — it’s Australian Open time. And needless to say, there is

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