6:05 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Someone will end up in the history books as the final opponent of Serena Williams‘ stellar career. It could be Danka Kovinic, a 27-year-old from Montenegro who is “honored” to be the first-round US Open foe of someone she remembers watching on TV as a child. Their
Tennis
11:58 AM ET Associated Press LONDON — A tennis umpire was banned for seven years and six months Friday after admitting to charges of match-fixing in Italy. Lorenzo Chiurazzi, an Italian national-level chair umpire and line judge, was also fined $50,000 — $33,500 of which is suspended — in a case investigated by the International
7:00 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com A farewell to Serena Williams, one of the sport’s most legendary players. The involuntary absence of Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic. The return of last year’s debut major champions Emma Raducanu and Daniil Medvedev. The 2022 US Open truly has it all. After an unexpected, unpredictable and at times chaotic tennis
10:12 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — The tennis players’ association founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil two years ago appointed former NFL Players Inc. president Ahmad Nassar as its executive director and the CEO of a new for-profit affiliate to generate off-court commercial opportunities. The Professional Tennis Players Association — or PTPA
12:11 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Serena Williams‘ first opponent at what she has indicated will be her last U.S. Open — and, indeed, the last tournament of her career — is unseeded Danka Kovinic. Win that, and Williams could face No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the second round. The
10:36 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Novak Djokovic, the 21-time major champion and former world No. 1, has withdrawn from the US Open due to travel restrictions into the United States as a result of being unvaccinated against COVID-19. Djokovic made the announcement Thursday morning, shortly before the draw was to be revealed, tweeting, “Sadly, I
7:05 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The United States Tennis Association on Wednesday addressed the use of different tennis balls for male and female players at the US Open, a week after reigning world No. 1 Iga Swiatek called the balls used at the year’s last major “horrible” and questioned why the disparity was necessary. “The
1:13 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Victoria Azarenka, the two-time major champion from Belarus, will no longer be participating in Wednesday’s “Tennis Plays for Peace” exhibition at the Billie Jean King National Center in New York. The United States Tennis Association announced Azarenka’s removal from the event in a statement. “In the last 24 hours, after
Aug 24, 2022 D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Angelique Kerber, a three-time major champion, announced she will miss the upcoming US Open as well as the next several months on tour. Kerber announced her plans Wednesday in a social media post that included emojis of a baby, a bottle, heart hands and a heart. “I really wanted to
6:11 AM ET Four-time US Open winner John McEnroe said it would be “a joke” if Novak Djokovic is unable to compete at the tournament due to his COVID-19 vaccination status. Djokovic has refused to get vaccinated and appears set to miss out on the year’s last Grand Slam due to current U.S. rules that