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Djokovic follows Nadal to early exit at Italian Open in first match after being hit by water bottle
The Associated Press | Updated May 12 - 3:58 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic put on one of his worst performances at one of his favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open. Djokovic started off with a double-fault and it didn't get much better for the six-time Rome champion. The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service games and went on to lose the match 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes amid boos at the Foro Italico. It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win on Friday.
4A boys tennis: Desert Hills back on top for 1st time since 2011
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 12 - 12:26 a.m. | Save Story
In a state tennis tournament that has been dominated by Southern Utah schools since the start of the decade, an unfamiliar name rose to the top.
6A boys tennis: Lone Peak gets assist from region rival Skyridge for 6th title since 2016
Sean Walker, KSL.com | Posted May 11 - 9:08 p.m. | Save Story
Lone Peak's boys tennis team did just enough, and got a little help from one of a region rival, to clinch its sixth 6A state championship since 2016.
A'ja Wilson and Nike announce the Las Vegas Aces star is getting a signature shoe
The Associated Press | Posted May 11 - 2:11 p.m. | Save Story
Two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson is getting a Nike signature shoe. The deal was announced Saturday as the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces prepared to play a preseason exhibition against the Puerto Rican national team at South Carolina. Wilson starred for the Gamecocks during her college career. The former No. 1 draft pick, five-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold-medal winner joins tennis greats Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, soccer standout Megan Rapinoe and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu on Nike's roster of signature athletes. Wilson says, "I hope when girls wear this shoe, they believe in themselves."
Rafael Nadal reconsidering his status for the French Open after a lopsided loss in Rome
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 11 - 9:10 a.m. | Save Story
Fifteen days before he is scheduled to play in what will likely be his final French Open, Rafael Nadal is so unsatisfied with his level of tennis that he's still debating whether or not to go to Roland Garros. Nadal's surgically repaired hip and his 37-year-old legs didn't provide him with the necessary means to be competitive enough on Saturday as ninth-ranked Hubert Hurkacz overwhelmed the 22-time Grand Slam champion on the Spaniard's beloved clay for a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the third round of the Italian Open. It was Nadal's first match against a top-10 player in 1½ years.
Djokovic says he's 'fine' after being hit on the head by a water bottle
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 10 - 4:57 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open. A man was leaning over the railing to hand Djokovic a notebook for a signature and an aluminum-type water bottle fell out of his backpack and hit the top-ranked player on the top of his head. Organizers say Djokovic had a bump on his head and was checked by doctors. The incident happened shortly after Djokovic's 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match.
Djokovic wins his opener at the Italian Open after a month off. Defending champ Rybakina withdraws
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 10 - 2:40 p.m. | Save Story
Novak Djokovic took a little while to get going in his first match in nearly a month. He cleaned up his game after dropping his first two service games with some sloppy play and completed a 6-3, 6-1 win over French qualifier Corentin Moutet in his opening match at the Italian Open. Djokovic then needed medical attention after accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while leaving the court. Defending women's champion Elena Rybakina withdrew before her opening match against Irina-Camelia Begu because of illness. Also advancing in second-round matches were 2017 Rome champion Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and Ben Shelton. Sofia Kenin eliminated eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Two more tennis players banned over links to Belgian match-fixing syndicate
The Associated Press | Posted May 10 - 8:21 a.m. | Save Story
The International Tennis Integrity Agency says two more low-ranking tennis players linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium have been banned from the sport. Bolivian player Alejandro Crespo was banned for life and fined $250,000 for his "continuous pattern of corruption." Peru's Jorge Panta Herreros was suspended for three years and fined $10,000 after he was involved in fixing the result of two matches. They join at least 15 other players who have been suspended for having links with the syndicate.
Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem to retire at the end of the season
The Associated Press | Posted May 10 - 6:32 a.m. | Save Story
Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem plans to retire at the end of the year after struggling to return to his top form following a wrist injury. He announced his decision on a video posted on Instagram, calling it a "very sad but also very beautiful message." The 30-year-old Austrian player won the 2020 U.S. Open and has a total of 17 career titles. He reached a career-high No. 3 ranking in 2020 and stayed in the top five until he injured his right wrist in June 2021. That injury sidelined him for nine months and has continued to hamper his game. Thiem says that one reason behind his retirement was that his wrist "is not exactly the way it should be."
Rafael Nadal shows he's not quite ready for retirement in a comeback win at the Italian Open
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 9 - 3:12 p.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs in the first round of the Italian Open. Nadal is a record 10-time champion in Rome and this is likely his final tournament at the Foro Italico. Nadal was playing only his 10th match this year after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. He's hoping to be competitive one last time at the French Open with Roland Garros starting on May 26. Nadal will next face seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz.
Naomi Osaka is in a good place mentally. And her clay game is improving as she heads back to Paris
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Posted May 9 - 1:10 p.m. | Save Story
A first career victory over a top-20 player on clay. In heavy and slow conditions. In a match that was suspended for about an hour because of rain. Naomi Osaka couldn't be happier with her progress at the Italian Open after beating 20th-ranked Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-2 to follow up another straight-set win a day earlier. Osaka is also in a good place mentally after returning to the tour from maternity leave that resulted in her missing all of 2023. Osaka revealed issues with depression and anxiety when she withdrew from the French Open in 2021. This year's French Open starts in less than three weeks.
Wimbledon girls finalist suspended for doping on pro tour
The Associated Press | Posted May 9 - 5:36 a.m. | Save Story
Wimbledon girls finalist Nikola Bartunkova has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for doping. The agency says the 18-year-old Czech player tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine at tournaments in Slovakia and Slovenia in February and March. The medication known as TMZ also was found in high-profile positive tests given in 2021 by Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva and 23 Chinese swimmers who were preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. Bartunkova was beaten by Clervie Ngounoue in last year's Wimbledon girls singles final. She is ranked 282nd. Bartunkova is banned from all sanctioned tennis events pending an ITIA hearing.
Osaka plays solidly in her opening match at the Italian Open. Darderi eliminates Shapovalov
The Associated Press | Updated May 8 - 3:11 p.m. | Save Story
Naomi Osaka looked comfortable in her opening match at the Italian Open. She beat 45th-ranked Clara Burel 7-6 (2), 6-1. It was Osaka's first victory over a top-50 player on clay since defeating Victoria Azarenka at the 2019 French Open. Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi had strong crowd support in a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Denis Shapovalov on Campo Centrale. Rafael Nadal opens against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs on Thursday. Top-ranked Novak Djokovicis also back in Rome after a month out.
Another tennis player suspended for corruption linked to match-fixing syndicate in Belgium
The Associated Press | Posted May 8 - 11:05 a.m. | Save Story
A low-ranked Argentinian tennis player linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium has been suspended for five years for corruption. The International Tennis Integrity Agency says Eduardo Agustín Torre was sanctioned for offenses from 2017 in connection with the criminal case of syndicate leader Grigor Sargsyan. Sargsyan was given a five-year custodial sentence last year. Torre did not respond to the ITIA's charges of 35 breaches including the facilitation of wagering and contriving the outcome of matches. The ITIA says he admitted liability by failing to respond.
Nadal's clay game is rounding into form just in time for the French Open. 'Things are happening.'
Andrew Dampf, Associated Press | Updated May 8 - 10:51 a.m. | Save Story
Rafael Nadal's clay-court form is slowly rounding into shape. Not that nearly invincible shape that the tennis world grew accustomed to over the past two decades. But a shape that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is starting to feel good about as he prepares to play what will likely be his final French Open. Nadal says at the Italian Open that "it's a good moment even if the results are not what (they) used to be. He adds that "I am increasing my level" and "I want to keep going." Roland Garros starts on May 26.
Andy Murray to return from ankle injury at Geneva Open this month
The Associated Press | Posted May 8 - 4:30 a.m. | Save Story
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is set to return from his ankle injury at the Geneva Open this month. Tournament organizers say they've given the 36-year-old Murray a wild-card entry for the clay-court event that starts May 18. Murray damaged ligaments in his left ankle during a match at the Miami Open last month. He opted against surgery. The former world No. 1 has been hoping to compete for Britain again in the Paris Olympics.
Badosa shows signs of her old form in a win over Andreeva at the Italian Open
The Associated Press | Updated May 7 - 11:20 a.m. | Save Story
Paula Badosa showed signs of her former top-five form during a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the first round of the Italian Open. Badosa was ranked as high as No. 2 before she missed the second half of last year due to a back injury that has also slowed her this season. She's now No. 126. Badosa jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first set before a 45-minute rain delay and then picked up where she left off against the 40th-ranked Andreeva. Ana Bogdan beat 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-1. The men's tournament on the red clay of the Foro Italico starts on Wednesday.
A jury awards $9 million to a player who sued the US Tennis Association over sexual abuse by a coach
The Associated Press | Updated May 7 - 11:03 a.m. | Save Story
A tennis player has been awarded $9 million in damages by a jury in federal court in Florida after accusing the U.S. Tennis Association of failing to protect her from a coach she said sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was 19. The lawsuit filed by Kylie McKenzie in March 2022 said Anibal Aranda, who was employed by the sport's national governing body for about seven years and later fired, used his position as a USTA coach to get access to vulnerable female athletes and commit sexual battery against them. McKenzie said she feels validated by the outcome of the case. The USTA said it would appeal.
Rublev overcomes fever and praises doctors after winning Madrid Open for the 1st time
Tales Azzoni, Associated Press | Updated May 5 - 6:11 p.m. | Save Story
Andrey Rublev has rallied to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets and win the Madrid Open for the first time. Rublev won 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 Sunday after Auger-Aliassime double-faulted on the last point of the final at the clay-court tournament in the Spanish capital. It was the second Masters 1000 title for the eighth-ranked Rublev. The 26-year-old Russian also won at Monte Carlo last year. Auger-Aliassime was playing in his first final at this level.
