6:07 PM ET Andre SnellingsESPN Earlier this year, ESPN put together their list of The Dominant 20 athletes of the past two decades to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ESPN The Magazine. Roger Federer ranked fifth and Novak Djokovic 15th, but Rafael Nadal wasn’t even on the list. Meanwhile, last month, Maria Sharapova ignited a
Tennis
2:48 PM ET Associated Press STUTTGART, Germany — Denis Istomin upset two-time finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) in the first round of the Stuttgart Open on Tuesday. Kohlschreiber failed to create any break points and was forced to fend off six from the 100th-ranked Istomin. The Uzbek won in 1 hour, 41 minutes
4:21 PM ET Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania — About 20,000 people turned out to applaud Simona Halep for becoming the first Romanian tennis player in decades to win a Grand Slam singles title. The fans gathered on a hot Monday evening in Bucharest’s 55,000-capacity National Arena to see Halep show off her French Open trophy.
Jun 11, 2018 Peter BodoTennis Close Peter Bodo has been covering tennis for over 35 years, mostly recently for ESPN. He is a former WTA Writer of the Year and the author of numerous books, including the classic “The Courts of Babylon” and the New York Times bestseller (with Pete Sampras), “A Champion’s Mind.” While
Jun 11, 2018 Associated Press LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Past French Open finalist Sara Errani‘s doping suspension has been increased from two months to 10 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS announced Monday its rulings on appeals by Errani and Italy’s national anti-doping agency, which asked for up to a two-year punishment. The
2:11 PM ET ESPN News Services PARIS — Rafael Nadal needed less than a set to take command of the French Open final, and he overcame a late problem with his racket-holding hand to earn a record-extending 11th championship at Roland Garros by beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday. At 2-1 in the
7:44 PM ET PARIS — Only Rafael Nadal truly knows what he saw reflected when he glanced into the belly of the big silver bowl, but as he pressed his 11th French Open championship trophy against his cheek, his face began to crumple. His tears were a reminder that as routine as his victory may
3:24 AM ET Manoj BhagavatulaESPN Spain’s Rafael Nadal defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the French Open on Sunday to win the season’s second Grand Slam for a record 11th time. Here are some of the key numbers from the Spaniard’s clay-court season, which culminated in the successful defense of
Jun 10, 2018 PARIS — Tennis’ old guard just keeps getting better. Rafael Nadal successfully defended his French Open crown and clinched a record 11th Roland Garros title with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 final victory over No. 7 Dominic Thiem on Sunday. Following his 32nd birthday last Sunday, Nadal’s victory is the seventh successive major
6:54 PM ET Associated Press SAO PAULO — Brazilian tennis great Maria Bueno, who helped usher in modern women’s tennis, was buried Saturday in her home town shortly after a wake was held for her at the Sao Paulo state Governor’s Palace. Bueno died Friday in a Sao Paulo hospital after battling mouth cancer. She