12:14 AM ET ESPN News Services MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal has missed a lot of tennis since last September. He hasn’t missed a beat. The No. 2-seeded Nadal had a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over Australian wild-card entry James Duckworth on Monday in the first round of the Australian Open, his first match back
Tennis
10:58 AM ET Andy Murray will face a difficult but “not impossible” task to compete at Wimbledon later this year, according to his hip surgeon Dr. John O’Donnell. Murray, 31, announced in an emotional press conference at the Australian Open that he intends to end his playing career after Wimbledon, but O’Donnell is pessimistic about
10:57 PM ET Simon Cambers MELBOURNE, Australia — The draw is out and the players know their fates. For some, the Australian Open brings a sense of optimism — a new year, a fresh start and a favorable bracket. For others, say, Nick Kyrgios, not so much. Unseeded Kyrgios drew No. 16 Milos Raonic and
11:17 PM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — As the players took their turn addressing the media over the past few days at Melbourne Park, one common theme came to light: They’re ready. They’re pumped. They’re feeling good. Bring on the Aussie Open! OK, perhaps the news of Andy Murray was a bit of a downer, but
7:13 AM ET Associated Press SYDNEY — Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Ashleigh Barty 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the women’s singles final on Saturday at the Sydney International. Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic holds the trophy after beating Australia’s Ashleigh Barty in the women’s final match at the Sydney International. Photo by PETER
1:34 AM ET Simon Cambers MELBOURNE — Praise continued to pour in for Andy Murray at the Australian Open on Saturday, 24 hours after his announcement that he plans to retire from tennis after Wimbledon because of a hip injury. But amid all the tributes for his on-court achievements, which included three Grand Slam titles,
1:22 AM ET With a maiden WTA title under her belt, American youngster Sofia Kenin has her sights fixed on doing some damage at the Australian Open. The 20-year-old claimed the Hobart International on Saturday, surging past unseeded Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 6-0 in her first top-level singles final. Sofia Kenin with the 2019
3:48 AM ET MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic has hailed Andy Murray a “great champion” after learning the Scot is likely to hang up his tennis racquet at the conclusion of 2019’s Wimbledon championship. Murray, 31, fought back tears in Melbourne on Friday as he announced that this would be the final time he will
6:51 AM ET Associated Press SYDNEY — Ashleigh Barty continued her strong run at the Sydney International with a semifinal win over Kiki Bertens, beating the Dutch player 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 on Friday. Barty withstood 15 aces from Bertens in the 2-hour, 18-minute match to advance to her second consecutive final in Sydney. She
7:48 PM ET Andy Murray said Friday he plans to retire and is targeting this year’s Wimbledon as the final tournament of his career. “Not feeling good. Been struggling for a long time,” Murray said at the Australian Open. “I’m not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months.” Murray,