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[ad_1] CNN  —  Novak Djokovic is the odds on favorite for the men’s title at the Australian Open this year and he will begin the tournament against Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena, seeking a record-equaling 22nd grand slam and 10th Australian title. Meanwhile, women’s world No. 2 Ons Jabeur is in action in the match beforehand, as she aims to better the two grand slam finals she reached last season, while USA’s Sloane Stephens takes on Russia’s Anna Potapova on Court 7. From 7pm ET Aryna Sabalenka (5) vs. Tereza Martincova Katherine Sebov vs. Caroline Garcia (4) Matteo Berrettini (13) vs. Andy Murray From 3am ET Tamara Zidansek vs. Ons Jabeur (2) Roberto Carballés Baena vs. Novak Djokovic (4) From 7pm ET Garbiñe Muguruza vs. Elise Mertens (26) Xiyu Wang vs. Karo

[ad_1] CNN  —  Roger Federer has announced that he will retire from the ATP Tour and grand slams following the Laver Cup next week in London. “I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career,” the 20-time grand slam winner said in an Instagram post. The last few years of Federer’s career have been marred by a series of injuries, as he underwent two knee surgeries in 2020 and another after he was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinal – his last competitive match to date. “As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” he said. “I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and lim

[ad_1] CNN  —  The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced Tuesday that it will return to hosting tournaments in China in 2023 after previously suspending all events in the country, including Hong Kong, last November due to the uncertainty over tennis player Peng Shuai’s safety . Peng was feared to be held incommunicado by the Chinese government after she accused retired Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her into sex during a years-long on-off relationship. The immediate response from Chinese authorities was to censor any mention of the accusation online and block Peng’s Weibo account from search results. Peng disappeared from public view for more than two weeks, prompting the world’s biggest tennis stars and the United Nations to demand answers as to her whereabouts – as well as a full investigation into her allegations against Zhang. Peng, a three-tim