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[ad_1] MADRID: Carlos Alcaraz said on Wednesday that his competitive fires burn so intensely that he not only wants to become the world's greatest tennis player, he also plans to reign supreme at marbles. World number two and US Open champion Alcaraz made the Madrid Open semi-finals by beating Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-5 for his 27th win in 29 matches in 2023. "I want to be one of the best tennis players in history," said Alcaraz who turns 20 on Friday when the semi-finals in the Spanish capital take place. "I'm ambitious. I don't want to lose -- even at marbles. I'm not going to get tired of winning, I live from day to day, I love playing tennis so I'm not afraid that I'll get tired of winning because that's not going to happen." Alcaraz has already played 150 ATP Tour matches, winning 117 times. That run has included nine career titles while his 2022 US Open triumph saw him become the sport's youngest ever world number on...

[ad_1] TOKYO: Russia's Veronika Kudermetova won the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday, upsetting tennis' world number four Jessica Pegula in straight sets. The 19th-ranked Kudermetova overwhelmed the American 7-5, 6-1 in an hour and 24 minutes. "I knew it would be a tough final... I need to fight for every ball and today it worked really well," she said. "I'm really happy that I managed to win my second title," said the 26-year-old, who won her first WTA singles title in Charleston in 2021. She beat Pegula in three sets on the clay in Madrid this year. "I played better today than in Madrid," Kudermetova said, adding that Pegula "always fights and plays solidly every match". "Today I followed my game and my plan" to play aggressively, she said. Kudermetova had a tough semi-final, needing three hours and 25 minutes to defeat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She stunned four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in t...

[ad_1] LONDON: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) named Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka as its 'world champions' of 2023 after their performances at this year's Grand Slams. Djokovic was given the men's singles award for a record-extending eighth time after winning three out of the four majors, the game's global governing body said in a news release. The 36-year-old Serb took his Grand Slam tally to 24, matching Margaret Court with the most major singles crowns, and won the ATP Finals title for a record seventh time, finishing the year as number one. Sabalenka won her maiden major at the Australian Open, finished runner-up at the U.S. Open and reached the semi-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon. The Belarusian, who was pipped to the yearend top spot by Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals, said 2023 had been "incredible" and was delighted to be named world champion. "I can't wait to get back out on court for the new seaso...

[ad_1] MELBOURNE: The 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem's Australian Open ended in the first round on Tuesday, with the former world number three crashing out to fifth seed Andrey Rublev in a setback on his return from injury. While Russia's Rublev held a clear advantage in terms of current ranking, Thiem had a far greater Grand Slam pedigree as the US Open champion in 2020. He is also a two-time finalist at Roland Garros. But the Austrian, ranked 98, was outplayed in 36 Celsius (96.8 Fahrenheit) heat as he continued his return from a wrist injury which kept him off court for nine months across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Rublev banked a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win on John Cain Arena – his first of the year after two defeats in warm-up events, with either Australia's Max Purcell or Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori his next opponent. "First of all I'm happy that I was able to get through in straight sets. It was super hot today so happy I can save some energy for future ma...

[ad_1] NEW YORK: Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka plans to return to tennis in time for the 2024 Australian Open, saying Wednesday her break from the sport "really fueled a fire in me". The 25-year-old Japanese star gave birth to daughter Shai in July and hasn't played since September 2022, when she made her last tournament appearance at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. In an interview with ESPN at the US Open on Wednesday, Osaka replied "yes" when asked if she would be in Melbourne at the start of next year. Osaka, who participated in a mental health forum with swimming legend Michael Phelps at Flushing Meadows, said she was anticipating making a full-time return to the women's tour in 2024. "It's definitely way more tournaments than I used to play," said Osaka. "I think it's because I realise like I don't know how the beginning of the year is going to go for me," she explained. "I don't know th...

[ad_1] LONDON: World number seven Ons Jabeur said women players should not have to wait to receive the same prize money as their male counterparts at the Italian Open after tournament organisers announced plans to achieve pay parity by 2025. Tennis has sought to be a leader in the battle for equality in the last couple of decades with equal prize money offered to men and women at the four Grand Slams. WTA Tour events, however, still often offer less prize money than those on the separate men's circuit. In the Rome tournament, the total "financial commitment" for the men is $9.51 million while for the women it is $3.5 million. Italian tennis federation chief Angelo Binaghi said last month the event had started a process that would lead to equal prize money over three years, but Tunisian Jabeur called for immediate change. "I don't see why we have to wait," Jabeur told the New York Times. "It's really frustrating. It's time for cha...

[ad_1] BASEL: Holger Rune performed under pressure for new coach Boris Becker on Tuesday, earning a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the second round of the Swiss Indoors. The victory counted as revenge for the 20-year-old who lost to the Serb in his opening match as holder at the ATP event in Stockholm last week. Six-time Grand Slam champion Becker returned from a lightning trip on Tuesday to the ATP event in Vienna in time to watch his young charge's impressive turnaround in their first in-person match together. "The match was not so good in the beginning, but it ended in the best possible way," the sixth-ranked Rune said. "I was able to raise my level and find my focus. I'm super-happy with how I managed my emotions." Top seed Rune ended with 37 winners as he set up a second-round contest at the St Jakobshalle in Basel with Argentine Sebastian Baez. Becker, who flew to Vienna for a conference on the fringes of the ATP even...

[ad_1] LONDON: Daniil Medvedev will head into the Monte Carlo Masters hoping to strike the right balance as the world number four looks to tweak his game for the claycourt swing without compromising on the style that has delivered four titles in 2023. Medvedev has won 18 of his 19 titles, including the 2021 U.S. Open, on hardcourts, the only exception coming at the Mallorca Open when he triumphed on grass the same year. He has been in red-hot form this season having triumphed in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami but the 27-year-old knows clay presents a different challenge for his game. "I definitely have to change my game because my strokes are too flat and clay doesn't let the ball go through the court as much," Medvedev, who plays Lorenzo Sonego or Ugo Humbert first in the ATP 1000 tournament, said. "My opponents can use those (shots against me). "At the same time, you can't change what you do in nine months or a year drastically, so I have to...

[ad_1] MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic will begin his quest for a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown overall against a qualifier, while top-ranked Iga Swiatek faces a tricky test against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin, after the draw on Thursday. Djokovic required treatment for a wrist problem during his United Cup defeat by Alex de Minaur last week - his first loss in Australia for six years - and can put that disappointment behind him with a fast start at his most successful major. The 36-year-old Serb could play Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals in what would be a mouthwatering rematch of last year’s title clash. Defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka also takes on a qualifier first while 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina, who downed the world number two in the final of the tune-up tournament in Brisbane, faces former world number one Karolina Pliskova. Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz heads to Melbourne Park for the y...

[ad_1] INDIAN WELLS: Daniil Medvedev would like nothing more than a return to Wimbledon, but the sixth-ranked Russian isn't getting caught up in reports that the All England Club could rescind its ban of Russian and Belarusian players. The UK's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) came under pressure from the British government to impose the ban last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and an eventual ban extended to the grass court Grand Slam at Wimbledon. Britain's Daily Telegraph reported last week that Wimbledon will likely lift the ban, but Medvedev was not building on it when asked at the hard court tournament in Indian Wells. "Same like last year, you know, we hear rumors," he said, adding when asked that he'd heard nothing from organizers and wouldn't expect to. "I know that I'm not someone who's going to make this decision for them or even help them make this decision," Medvedev said. "They have to make it by...

[ad_1] PARIS: Iga Swiatek can become the first back-to-back women's champion at the French Open in 16 years if she can shake off a worrying injury. Elsewhere, rivals battle inconsistent form and bruised confidence ahead of the season's second Grand Slam tournament which gets underway in Paris on Sunday. AFP Sports looks at three talking points in the women's singles: World number one Iga Swiatek is already a three-time major winner after capturing the 2020 and 2022 French Opens as well as the 2022 US Open. Now the 21-year-old Pole attempts to become the first back-to-back women's champion at Roland Garros since Justine Henin won three on the bounce from 2005-2007. It is a challenge which has defied some of the greats. Maria Sharapova was champion in 2012 but then ended runner-up 12 months later. Serena Williams swept to the title in 2015 before falling short in the 2016 final. Since Henin's triple, Francesca Schiavone also joined the near-miss club...

[ad_1] CANCúN, MEXICO: Poland's Iga Swiatek thrashed Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals on Monday, sealing her return to world number one. Second seed Swiatek dominated Pegula from start to finish to clinch a 6-1, 6-0 victory in a 59-minute masterclass. The 17th win of Swiatek's career ensures that the four-time major singles champion from Warsaw will finish the season as world number one for a second straight year. "The team that's been with me the whole season, we had many ups and downs," a jubilant Swiatek said after her win. "This is for sure an up. We will for sure have many more if we keep working like that," added Swiatek, who lost just 20 games across the tournament -- a new record. Pegula had few complaints about her defeat after an error-strewn display. "It just was one of those days where I felt like I was going for too much," Pegula said. "And she was just playing super solid." Swiatek, 22, had beaten ou...

[ad_1] LONDON: As he continues his quest for a record-extending 24th Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic will once again pit his wits against Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon, with the sidelined Australian serving an advisory role in countryman Jordan Thompson's corner. Defending champion Djokovic faces Thompson on Wednesday, and though the odds will be heavily stacked in the Serbian's favour, his 70th-ranked opponent has an ace up his sleeve, having consulted with Kyrgios ahead of the second-round clash. Kyrgios , who pulled out of Wimbledon with a wrist injury, is part of an exclusive club of tennis players with a superior head-to-head record against Djokovic, with the Australian's sole defeat to the world number two coming in last year's final at the All England Club. "Nick's beaten him a couple of times," Thompson told reporters on Monday. "He played him in the final and it wasn't an easy match. As much as everyone thinks that Nick doesn...

[ad_1] MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal launched his Australian Open title defence with a four-set victory over Britain's Jack Draper as home hope Nick Kyrgios exited through injury without hitting a ball. In the women's draw, in-form Jessica Pegula and teenage prodigy Coco Gauff were both emphatic winners on the first day of the opening Grand Slam of the year. Spanish great Nadal, 36, had been in poor form by his sky-high standards, losing six of his last seven matches stretching back to defeat in the last 16 at the US Open. In fast-rising Draper, 21, the 22-time Grand Slam champion faced a tough test to start his campaign at a sweltering Melbourne Park. But top seed Nadal recovered from a second-set wobble to defeat the 38th-ranked Briton 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, who is now a father, faces American Mackenzie McDonald in round two. "Very exciting, new beginning, just super-happy to be back at Rod Laver with a victory I needed," he said aft...

[ad_1] SYDNEY: World number one Novak Djokovic will open his 2024 season at the mixed teams United Cup in Australia, but injury-plagued Rafael Nadal was not on the Spain team announced Friday. Djokovic will spearhead Serbia at the tournament from December 29-January 7 in Sydney and Perth as he builds towards the defence of his Australian Open title. Nadal was part of the Spain team in 2023 before injuring his hip at the opening Grand Slam of the year. He has been out of action since and underwent surgery in June. Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said this month Nadal planned to make his return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open, which follows the United Cup. Nadal responded on social media by thanking Tiley for his "confidence", without confirming if he would appear. There are ATP events in Brisbane, Adelaide and Auckland in early January that Nadal could also use to prepare for the Australian Open. Nine of the world's top 20 men and five of the...

[ad_1] LONDON: American tennis is in good hands with Coco Gauff , U.S. Open tournament director Stacey Allaster has told Reuters as the charismatic teen looks to end her breakthrough year on a high. Gauff mounted a fierce comeback to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the U.S. Open final, claiming her first Grand Slam title and her place in American tennis royalty. The triumph came amid a 16-match winning streak for Gauff that ended in the China Open semi-final last month at the hands of old foe Iga Swiatek of Poland. "The next generation has arrived and stood on the shoulders of the great Serena Williams and Venus Williams," said Allaster, the chief executive, Professional Tennis, with the USTA. "It feels like she's been around for a long time. She's only 19... She is special. She is humble and kind, she's hardworking. And she is very, very focused on winning." The 19-year-old proved as captivating to fans as the idols who inspired her growin...

[ad_1] LOS ANGELES: Anastasia Potapova surprised top-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia to reach the WTA San Diego Open quarterfinals on Wednesday as second-seeded Caroline Garcia made it safely through. Potapova, ranked 27th in the world, said patience was the key to her 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over world number seven Jabeur, who reached her third Grand Slam final at Wimbledon this year. "Ons is very tough to play," said Potapova , who had edged Alycia Parks in three sets in the first round as Jabeur enjoyed a first-round bye. "She is truly one of the best in the world and with her style it's very uncomfortable. She likes to mix it up a lot, and actually I'm really proud of myself today that I was able to stay calm, focused and just do what I've got to do." Jabeur was coming off a fourth-round showing at the US Open, where she battled illness in the opening rounds. Potapova notched her sixth career victory over a top-10 player and lined up a quar...

[ad_1] PARIS: Twelve months ago, a despondent Wu Yibing was retiring with injury from a low-level clay court tournament in Italy, earning a meagre 530 euros ($570) for his troubles. Fast-forward a year and 23-year-old Wu is his country's highest-ranked male player at 59 in the world and about to spearhead a landmark assault at the French Open where it has been 86 years since a Chinese man last played in the main draw. Wu will not be alone when the season's second major gets underway on Sunday as Zhang Zhizhen is also guaranteed a spot. Shang Juncheng can make it three Chinese men in the tournament if he gets through the final qualifying round on Thursday. "The excitement in China around the top Chinese male players is palpable now and there is strong media interest linked to the breakthrough of these players on tour," ATP executive vice-president Alison Lee told AFP. Kho Sin-Khie and Choy Wai-Chuen were the last men to represent China in the French capi...

[ad_1] BUDAPEST: Teenage lucky loser Maria Timofeeva from Russia won the Budapest WTA title on Sunday by defeating Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl in a three-set final. The 19-year-old Timofeeva, ranked at a lowly 246 in the world, came through 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 over her 100th-ranked opponent. The teenager almost missed this week's main draw entirely, having fallen in the final qualifying round last weekend. But Timofeeva got a second chance and becomes the first lucky loser to win a WTA Tour title since 15-year-old Coco Gauff in 2019 at Linz. "This is all very new to me, and it feels like a dream, because normally I shouldn't be here, but here I am," said Timofeeva. It has been 22 years since a player won a singles title in their main draw debut. Before Timofeeva, the most recent player to pull off that feat was Indonesia's Angelique Widjaja, at Bali in 2001. Other women who won the title in their first WTA main draw appearance include Tracy Austin (19...

[ad_1] NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic ensured he will return to the top of tennis's world rankings with an emphatic first round victory at the US Open on Monday as women's world number one Iga Swiatek and American rival Coco Gauff advanced. Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title in New York, shrugged off a late-night start on the Arthur Ashe Stadium to demolish France's Alexandre Muller 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 in just 1hr 35min. The win means Djokovic is guaranteed to replace defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as world number one when the tennis rankings are next updated after the tournament. Djokovic is playing in New York for the first time since suffering an agonising defeat in the 2021 final in New York. He was barred from entry to the United States in 2022 for his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19, meaning he was unable to play the US Open. On Monday the 36-year-old played like a man making up for lost time, reeling off 32 winn...