Tag: Tennis

Novak Djokovic won Australian Open with hamstring tear

Novak Djokovic won his 10th career Australian Open in straight sets on Sunday, but it turns out it was one of the more difficult victories of his career.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the men’s singles final while dealing with a 3-centimeter — or a little more than an inch — tear in his left hamstring.

Novak Djokovic throws his hands up in victory, clinching his 10th Australian Open title.
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Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning the Australian Open in against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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“He gets a bad rap, but at the end of the day, I don’t think anyone can question his athleticism,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told SEN Sportsday on Wednesday. “This guy, I did see, he had a 3-centimeter tear in his hammy.”

Djokovic, 35, experienced the tear before the tournament at a tune-up event in Adelaide, which he won as well over American Sebastian Korda.

Djokovic has long dominated the Australian Open, where he was won 28 straight matches. He also won the tournament three straight years from 2019 through 2021 before missing last year’s tournament because of his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Despite the slight tear in his hamstring, Djokovic’s latest triumph Down Under tied him with Rafael Nadal for the most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis history and moved him to No. 1 in the world.


Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning the men's singles title over Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece at the 2023 Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning the men’s singles title over Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece at the 2023 Australian Open.
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates in his team’s box after winning the men’s singles final against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece at the 2023 Australian Open.
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“The doctors are … going to tell you the truth,” Tiley said. “I think there was a lot of speculation of whether it was true or not. It’s hard to believe that someone can do what they do with those types of injuries. But he’s remarkable.”

For cautionary reasons, Djokovic took painkiller pills and wore a bandage on his left thigh, which was monitored by trainers throughout the first week in Melbourne.


Novak Djokovic checks the strapping on his hamstring during a medical time out in his second-round singles match against Enzo Couacauo of France during the Australian Open.
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“Let me put it like this: I don’t say 100 percent, but 97 percent of the players, on Saturday when you get results of the MRI, you go straight to the referee’s office and pull out of the tournament,” Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic, said after the final. “But not him. … His brain is working different.”

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Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open for 22nd major title

MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic was simply too good at the most crucial moments and claimed his 10th Australian Open championship and 22nd Grand Slam title overall by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the final at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night.

The victory allows Djokovic to return to No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

The 35-year-old from Serbia did not compete in the Australian Open a year ago after being deported from the country because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.


Novak Djokovic reaches for a backhand during his straight-sets victory in the Australian Open final, his 22nd career major title.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas hits a backhand during his Australian Open loss.
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Government restrictions have eased since, and he was able to get a visa this time despite still not having gotten the shots against the illness caused by the coronavirus.

Now Djokovic has run his winning streak at the hard-court tournament to 28 matches.

His 10th trophy in Australia adds to the record he already held. His 22 major championships — which include seven from Wimbledon, three from the U.S. Open and two from the French Open — are tied with Rafael Nadal for the most by a man in the history of tennis.

Tsitsipas fell to 0-2 in major finals. He also lost to Djokovic at the 2021 French Open.

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Boris Becker faces deportation after being freed from UK prison

LONDON — German tennis legend Boris Becker has been freed from prison after serving eight months of his sentence and now faces deportation from the U.K.

The 55-year-old German, who has lived in Britain since 2012, was released on Thursday morning ahead of his deportation, the British news agency Press Association reported, without citing sources.

Becker’s German lawyer declined to immediately comment on his client’s case.

The three-time Wimbledon champion had been sentenced to 30 months in prison in April for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt.

He had been convicted by London’s Southwark Crown Court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate.

Boris Becker arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London on April 29, 2022.
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The main entrance to HMP Huntercombe prison near Henley on Thames, England, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, where former tennis icon Boris Becker was serving his sentence.
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Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title.

The former world number one was declared bankrupt in June 2017.

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Nick Kyrgios settles case with Wimbledon woman he accused of being drunk

Nick Kyrgios’ Wimbledon rant over a “drunk” woman in the stands turned out to cost the combustible Aussie a lot more than the “700 drinks” he alleged her to have had back in July.

The Wimbledon runner-up paid £20,000 to a children’s charity in settling a lawsuit brought by Anna Palus, the woman in question. Kyrgios also apologized for the remarks he made about her during the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.

“I told the umpire that a fan, who I now know to be Anna Palus, was distracting me during the match, believing that she was drunk,” Kyrgios said in a statement released to the media by Knight Temple Law, which represented Palus.

“I accept that belief was mistaken, and I apologize. To make amends, I have donated £20,000 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, a charity chosen by Ms. Palus. I will not be commenting on this matter again.”

Nick Kyrgios talks to chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein during his Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.
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Nick Kyrgios accused a fan of being drunk and distracting during his Wimbledon final in July.
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That’s not the end of Kyrgios’ legal troubles, though.

The 27-year-old is also facing an assault charge stemming from an alleged incident in December 2021 against ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari.

Passari also recently revealed that she turned to alcohol and drugs in the aftermath of her breakup with Kyrgios.

On the court, Kyrgios reached his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon and followed that by winning the singles and doubles titles at the Citi Open in Washington D.C. He also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open before being knocked off by Karen Khachanov, a night that ended with Kyrgios going on an epic racket-smashing tantrum.

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YouTube star JiDion gets haircut during Kyrgios’ US Open match

The U.S. Open turned into a barbershop on Tuesday night.

YouTube star JiDion, who was sitting in the front row during a night session match between Nick Kyrgios and Karen Khachanov, was shown getting a haircut as spectators looked on with a mixture of shock and bemusement.

Believe it or not, this wasn’t the first time a sporting venue served as a makeshift barbershop.

A couple of weeks ago during a Yankees’ loss to the Rays, the Bleacher Creatures decided to get into the hair-cutting business.

And JiDion apparently wanted a viral clip, too.

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Carlos Alcaraz vs. Marin Cilic odds, tennis picks

We’re now into Week 2 of the 2022 US Open and according to the odds, the men’s side of the draw now looks like a three-horse race between Nick Kyrgios, Carlos Alcaraz, and Rafael Nadal. 

Kyrgios is the new betting favorite to win the tournament at +200, just ahead of Nadal (+260) and Alcaraz (+360), but those numbers should become even tighter on Monday night if the two Spaniards join the Aussie in the quarterfinals. 

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Marin Cilic
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US Open predictions: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Marin Cilic

While Nadal takes on American Frances Tiafoe on Monday afternoon, Alcaraz is set to lock horns with 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. The 20-year-old wunderkind is a -550 favorite over the Croatian, who comes into the Round of 16 having dropped just one set (in a tie-breaker to Dan Evans) in the tournament so far. 

Cilic is something of an anomaly to handicap, as he does seem to find a new level when he plays in the biggest tournaments. The 33-year-old has made 14 quarterfinals, six semi-finals and three finals in his Grand Slam career, with his lone win coming at this event eight years ago. A shot-maker with a great serve, Cilic can be unplayable if everything is working right, but that’s not something you can count on at this stage of his career — especially against a physical phenom like Alcaraz.

Already one of the best players in the world at 20 years of age, Alcaraz’s ability to defend and extend rallies should prove vital against Cilic, who often relies on his serve to get himself out of jams. If Alcaraz is on, Cilic’s powerful serve won’t be a get-out-of-jail card like it is against other players. 

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates
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You don’t have to go that far back to see how a matchup between these two very different tennis players can look like. Alcaraz made relatively light work of Cilic in the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters, winning 7-6, 6-1 in a match that Alcaraz grew into as it went on. 

A similar pattern could play out on Monday night as Alcaraz’s ability to defend against the serve and keep rallies going should tire out the Croatian as we get into the deep part of the match. That should allow Alcaraz to score a dominant set or two to get the separation needed to cover a 6.5-game spread.

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Marin Cilic tennis pick

The Bet: Carlos Alcaraz -6.5 games (+105, BetMGM)

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Rafael Nadal beats Richard Gasquet for 18th time

Rafael Nadal could not find his form Thursday night in a second-round struggle at the U.S. Open, a squeaker of a win over Fabio Fognini during which the Spaniard bloodied himself when his own racket ricocheted off the court and hit the bridge of his nose.

One round and two days later, Nadal found the perfect remedy: his personal punching bag.

The second-seeded Nadal cruised past Richard Gasquet for the 18th time as a professional, remaining undefeated against his childhood friend, in a 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 win Saturday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, will face American Frances Tiafoe, the 22nd seed, in the Round of 16.

Until the fourth game of the second set, Nadal did not lose a game to Gasquet. By that point, a pro-Nadal crowd had temporarily switched its allegiance and had begun pulling for the underdog, trying to power Gasquet, perhaps not to a win, but at least to a competitive match.

Rafael Nadal celebrates after his third-round win over Richard Gasquet.
Larry Marano

The crowd got on its feet to applaud the 36-year-old Gasquet as he took the game — more than an hour into the match — but one game could not bring him far. The Frenchman has not won a set from Nadal since 2008, losing 34 straight, though he came close in the third set Saturday.

Gasquet made his first and only charge when he won four straight games in the third set by rushing the net more often, and went ahead 5-4.

But Nadal, both 36 and ageless, responded by winning the last three games of the match. Nadal finished off Gasquet with a powerful serve that led to a backhand forced error, and then allowed his emotion to turn into a pumped fist.

Nadal won 100 points to 71 from Gasquet, who seemed to have chances all match, but never could win them when they mattered.

Gasquet won just one of seven break points in a match that, until the third set, was filled with long rallies from behind the baseline, playing right into Nadal’s hands.

Better than playing into his nose.

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Frances Tiafoe tops Jason Kubler in US Open second round

Frances Tiafoe launched the ball into the stands and threw both his fists high in the air. 

The 22nd-seeded American punched his ticket to the third round of the U.S. Open by defeating Australia’s Jason Kubler 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-6(2) in a tight match at the Grandstand on Thursday night. 

The second-round matchup was seemingly Tiafoe’s to lose, but Kubler’s steady improvement as of late made the 29-year-old an intriguing player heading into the match. Tiafoe will now face the 14th-seeded Diego Schwartzman, who also advanced with a three-set win over Alexei Popyrin on Thursday. 

“I think anybody can win,” Tiafoe said after defeating fellow American Marcos Giron on Tuesday before referring to the effect of then-world No. 40 Nick Kyrgios’ runner-up finish at Wimbledon. “I mean, anyone who’s really got the game.” 

Frances Tiafoe advanced to the third round of the US Open.
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Similarly to the tiebreaker of the first set, which he secured 7-3, Tiafoe jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead before ultimately edging Kubler 7-2. Known for having a big service game, Tiafoe played to his strength and won 70 percent of his first-serve points. He also blasted 13 aces in comparison to Kubler’s 10 and double faulted only three times. 

Having reached the ATP Houston quarterfinals in addition to losing to Sebastian Baez in the title game of the Estoril Open, Tiafoe has had a relatively strong season thus far. He also went on a run to the semifinals of the Atlanta Open and the quarterfinals of the Citi Open. 

Kubler, who has a heavy-hitting style and plays defensively from the baseline, has primarily done well as a doubles player this season. He reached the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open and the men’s doubles summit clash at the Atlanta Open. After his first-round matchup against Mikael Ymer was suspended due to rain on Tuesday, Kubler ultimately won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. 

A 24-year-old, unseeded Tiafoe memorably advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open in 2020 before he ultimately lost in three straight sets to Daniil Medvedev.

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Nick Kyrgios complains about smelling marijuana at US Open

First, there was the woman at the Wimbledon final who looked like she’d had “700 drinks, bro.” This time, it was the smell of weed that set off Nick Kyrgios.

The 27-year-old Aussie was deep in the second set of his second-round match against Benjamin Bonzi Wednesday evening at the U.S. Open when he turned to the chair umpire and started complaining about the whiff of marijuana apparently in the air at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Up a set and at 4-3 on serve in the second, Kyrgios asked the umpire to issue a warning to the crowd after claiming he had seen and smelled someone smoking marijuana. On the way to his bench during a changeover, Kyrgios sniped, “You don’t even want to remind anyone not to do it?”

The umpire seemed to think Kyrgios was complaining about the smell of food, though, which didn’t go over well with the combustible Aussie.

“It was f–king marijuana,” he shot back. “Obviously I’m not going to be complaining about food stuff. Obviously not.

Nick Kyrgios
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“Obviously when athletes are running side-to-side and they have asthma already it’s probably not ideal.”

The umpire addressed the crowd as the two players returned to the court, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, a reminder that you cannot smoke on court.”

The ESPN broadcast also said their reporter on the scene likewise confirmed the smell of marijuana. Then Kyrgios went on to close out the second set, 6-4.

It was hardly the last of his blow-ups, though. Kyrgios was issued a code of conduct warning for spitting on the court after being broken late in the third set, which he went on to lose, 6-4.

It also wasn’t the first time Kyrgios found himself amid a marijuana controversy at the U.S. Open. Six years ago, he caused a stir during the tournament when he responded to a Twitter follower confirming that players on tour are allowed to smoke weed. A WADA spokesperson later confirmed that marijuana is prohibited during competition but is not banned when used outside of competition.

The good news for Kyrgios? Marijuana is also legal in New York, so there’s little chance anyone will sue him for defamation.

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Bianca Andreescu begs for US Open outfit swap after wardrobe issue

Bianca Andreescu pleaded with an umpire Monday to make an outfit change during her first-round match at the 2022 U.S. Open, voicing how her attire was “so bad” in the blustery conditions.

The 22-year-old Canadian faced France’s Harmony Tan in the opening round on the Grandstand, where the wind gusts appeared to impact her wardrobe and performance, per Reuters. Andreescu then implored the chair umpire as to why she needed to swap her apparel.

Bianca Andreescu is seen chatting with the chair umpire about her apparel at the 2022 U.S. Open.
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“But can this not count as one of my changeovers? I mean it’s not my fault, it’s Nike’s fault,” Andreescu said of her sponsor. “This dress is so, so bad… I need to go, this is really bad.”

Andreescu ultimately got her wish and changed into a white tank top and skirt. A short time after the former world No. 4 defeated Tan, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1, she apologized to Nike during her post-match press conference.

“I meant no disrespect with what I said to the umpire. I was trying to convince him to not take away that washroom break, cause I know we only get two. He was very nice to say it was totally okay,” Andreescu said.

Bianca Andreescu during her first-round match against Harmony Tan at the 2022 U.S. Open on August 29, 2022.
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Bianca Andreescu defeated Harmony Tan in her first-round match at the 2022 U.S. Open on August 29, 2022.
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“I could have definitely used a different choice of wording. So I apologize to anyone I disrespected. I love Nike and I hope I can be with them for the rest of my life,” Andreescu said.

Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champ, will battle Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil on Wednesday in the second round.

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