Tennis

Naomi Osaka says she sent someone to grab her daughter’s birth certificate from her LA home

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — While Naomi Osaka is busy competing — and winning — at the Australian Open, she needed to send someone to retrieve her 1 1/2-year-old daughter's birth certificate from their California home in case it got caught up in the wildfires ravaging the greater Los Angeles area.

After a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory against Caroline Garcia of France in the first round at Melbourne Park on Monday night, Osaka said during an on-court interview at Rod Laver Arena that she had learned that there was a fire burning three blocks from her house.

Osaka said she figured it would be a good idea to keep the birth certificate safe. Her daughter, Shai, was born in July 2023 and has traveled with Osaka on the tennis tour.

Osaka announced this month on social media that she and Shai's father, rapper Cordae, had ended their relationship.

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Australian Open: Novak Djokovic and new coach Andy Murray get a win against US teen in debut

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic's first match with former rival Andy Murray as his coach did not start all that well, even against a 19-year-old making his Grand Slam debut.

Still, after dropping his opening set at the 2025 Australian Open on Monday night to Nishesh Basavareddy, an American who left Stanford University and turned pro last month, Djokovic eventually asserted himself for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory to begin his bid for an 11th championship at Melbourne Park and a record 25th major title overall.

Not entirely clear: Did Murray's presence at courtside make much of a difference, one way or another?

Before heading out into Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic and Murray chatted in the gym. They wrapped up the conversation with a fist bump, before Djokovic hopped on the treadmill to warm up.

Australian Open: Novak Djokovic and new coach Andy Murray get a win against US teen in debut

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic's first match with former rival Andy Murray as his coach did not start all that well, even against a 19-year-old making his Grand Slam debut.

Still, after dropping his opening set at the 2025 Australian Open on Monday night to Nishesh Basavareddy, an American who left Stanford University and turned pro last month, Djokovic eventually asserted himself for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory to begin his bid for an 11th championship at Melbourne Park and a record 25th major title overall.

“I’m obviously thrilled to have him in my corner,” Djokovic said about Murray. “I must say, it was a little bit of a strange experience to have him at courtside in my box. We played for over 20 years against each other at the highest level. Great to have him on the same side of the net. He gave me some great advice mid-match.”

Before heading out into Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic and Murray chatted in the gym. They wrapped up the conversation with a fist bump, before Djokovic hopped on the treadmill to warm up.

Auger-Aliassime downs Struff to reach Australian Open second round

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia - Montreal's Félix Auger-Aliassime cruised into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with a 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

The 29th-seeded Canadian, who won the Adelaide International last week for his sixth ATP title, controlled the match, firing 19 aces to Struff's 15 and committing just one double fault to Struff's four. Auger-Aliassime won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and broke Struff eight times.

Auger-Aliassime will face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.

Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo makes his Australian Open main-draw debut Monday night against Italy’s Luca Nardi, while Denis Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut early Tuesday.

Auger-Aliassime downs Struff to reach Australian Open second round

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia - Montreal's Félix Auger-Aliassime cruised into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with a 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

The 29th-seeded Canadian, who won the Adelaide International last week for his sixth ATP title, controlled the match, firing 19 aces to Struff's 15 and committing just one double fault to Struff's four. Auger-Aliassime won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and broke Struff eight times.

Auger-Aliassime will face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.

Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo makes his Australian Open main-draw debut Monday night against Italy’s Luca Nardi, while Denis Shapovalov, of Richmond Hill, Ont., faces Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut early Tuesday.

Nick Kyrgios says his Australian Open loss might have been his last singles match in Melbourne

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — If this was the last Australian Open singles match of Nick Kyrgios' career — and, to be sure, it's hard to know with him, no matter what came out at his news conference — the big-hitting, big-talking tennis player went out rather quietly Monday night.

Sure, Kyrgios delivered the occasional ace and his favorite sort of trick shots, delighting a home crowd as he usually does. But his much-anticipated return to Melbourne Park after two seasons filled with injuries and surgeries did not last long or go particularly well, and the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up was hampered by a recent abdominal strain while losing 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2) to unseeded Jacob Fearnley in under 2 1/2 hours.

Afterward, Kyrgios said he doubts he ever will be back to compete in singles at his nation's Grand Slam tournament, although he does plan to remain in the doubles bracket this year alongside countryman and good pal Thanasi Kokkinakis. They won the Australian Open doubles trophy together in 2022.

“I mean, realistically, I can’t really see myself probably playing singles again here,” Kyrgios said.

Nick Kyrgios says his Australian Open loss might have been his last singles match in Melbourne

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 3 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — If this was the last Australian Open singles match of Nick Kyrgios' career — and, to be sure, it's hard to know with him, no matter what came out at his news conference — the big-hitting, big-talking tennis player went out rather quietly Monday night.

Sure, Kyrgios delivered the occasional ace and his favorite sort of trick shots, delighting a home crowd as he usually does. But his much-anticipated return to Melbourne Park after two seasons filled with injuries and surgeries did not last long or go particularly well, and the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up was hampered by a recent abdominal strain while losing 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2) to unseeded Jacob Fearnley in under 2 1/2 hours.

Afterward, Kyrgios said he doubts he ever will be back to compete in singles at his nation's Grand Slam tournament, although he does plan to remain in the doubles bracket this year alongside countryman and good pal Thanasi Kokkinakis. They won the Australian Open doubles trophy together in 2022.

“I mean, realistically, I can’t really see myself probably playing singles again here,” Kyrgios said.

Frances Tiafoe picks up a tough victory after throwing up at the Australian Open

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frances Tiafoe threw up during his first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday along the way to a five-set victory and said afterward he might have quit if this had been just a run-of-the-mill tournament.

The 17th-seeded Tiafoe, who turns 27 in a week, managed to win the topsy-turvy match against Arthur Rinderknech of France 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in 4 hours, 8 minutes.

“If it was any other, probably, event, I probably would have let it go,” Tiafoe said about getting sick late in the fourth set. “But here, you got to lay it all on the line.”

His Grand Slam breakthrough came at Melbourne Park in 2019, when he made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Rafael Nadal.

Australian Open 2025: How to watch on TV, betting odds and more to know

The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Get caught up on the Australian Open with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the year’s first Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is and more:

How to watch the Australian Open on TV

— In the U.S.: ESPN and Tennis Channel.

— Other countries are listed here.

Jannik Sinner starts his Australian Open title defense with a straight set win

The Associated Press 4 minute read Monday, Jan. 13, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — After wasting a set point in the second tiebreaker with an ill-conceived drop shot, Jannik Sinner quickly reverted to what's been working for him and finished off a straight-set win over Nicolas Jarry to begin his Australian Open title defense.

The 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena extended Sinner’s winning streaks to 15 on both the tour and on hard courts in Grand Slams.

After all the pre-tournament attention on the 2024 doping cases of Sinner and long-time women's No. 1 Iga Swiatek, both started the year's first Grand Slam tournament about the same time on nearby courts on Day 2.

“Yeah, I was curious to see how it was,” Sinner said of the reception at Rod Laver, where he became a fan favorite last year. “You never know what’s happening. I was happy about the crowd. It was a nice atmosphere.”

Lajal goes from Wimbledon to Winnipeg

Zoe Pierce 4 minute read Preview

Lajal goes from Wimbledon to Winnipeg

Zoe Pierce 4 minute read Monday, Jul. 8, 2024

Wimbledon one week and Winnipeg the next?

That’s the story of Mark Lajal, a 21-year-old Estonian who’s competing in the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger, a stop on the Association of Professional Tennis (ATP) Tour.

The young tennis player got his first taste of Centre Court last Monday, competing in the first round against Carlos Alcaraz — the 2023 Wimbledon champion.

Lajal put up a strong performance, but Alcaraz ultimately won the match by a score of 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-2.

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Monday, Jul. 8, 2024

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press

Mark Lajal reaches for a shot Monday at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger.

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
                                Mark Lajal reaches for a shot Monday at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger.

Tennis players to get protection from online abuse through new monitoring service

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Tennis players to get protection from online abuse through new monitoring service

The Associated Press 1 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

LONDON (AP) — A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats, the International Tennis Federation and other governing bodies said Wednesday.

In their joint announcement, ITF, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour said the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1.

“Tennis players are subject to significant levels of social media abuse and other inappropriate online contact, which poses risks to preparation, performance and mental health,” the statement read. “The Threat Matrix service will support the identification of abusers, against whom all available measures will be taken.”

Threat Matrix is “a specialist service developed by AI company Signify Group.”

Read
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

FILE - Spectators shade from the sun under an umbrella on Court 10 on day five of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 7, 2023. A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats. In their joint announcement the International Tennis Federation, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour say the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - Spectators shade from the sun under an umbrella on Court 10 on day five of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 7, 2023. A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats. In their joint announcement the International Tennis Federation, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour say the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Tennis players to get protection from online abuse through new monitoring service

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Tennis players to get protection from online abuse through new monitoring service

The Associated Press 1 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

LONDON (AP) — A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats, the International Tennis Federation and other governing bodies said Wednesday.

In their joint announcement, ITF, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour said the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1.

“Tennis players are subject to significant levels of social media abuse and other inappropriate online contact, which poses risks to preparation, performance and mental health,” the statement read. “The Threat Matrix service will support the identification of abusers, against whom all available measures will be taken.”

Threat Matrix is “a specialist service developed by AI company Signify Group.”

Read
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023

FILE - Spectators shade from the sun under an umbrella on Court 10 on day five of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 7, 2023. A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats. In their joint announcement the International Tennis Federation, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour say the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - Spectators shade from the sun under an umbrella on Court 10 on day five of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 7, 2023. A new monitoring service will help protect tennis players from online abuse and threats. In their joint announcement the International Tennis Federation, U.S. Tennis Association, the All England Club and the women's WTA tour say the “Threat Matrix” service will operate in 35 languages when it launches Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Reidi, Peniston clash today in National Bank Challenger tourney

By Donald Stewart 3 minute read Preview

Reidi, Peniston clash today in National Bank Challenger tourney

By Donald Stewart 3 minute read Friday, Aug. 18, 2023

The underdogs triumphed over the top dogs in Friday’s semifinal matchups at the National Bank Open Challenger tournament on Friday afternoon.

Both unseeded players took down the remaining seeded players in the semifinals. In the first match, Swiss youngster Leandro Reidi defeated No. 4-seed Liam Broady in straight sets by a score of 6-2, 6-3. The second semi-final was a three hour slugfest that saw Great Britain’s Ryan Peniston defeat No. 6 seed Arthur Cazaux 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

Reidi has been taking down top seeds all week. The 21-year-old defeated former world No. 7 David Goffin in the opening round. Reidi says that his ability to stay present and keep a cool head when playing has been instrumental to his success so far.

“I think it was key that I mentally stayed calm no matter what happened, ” said Reidi after his semifinal win.

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Friday, Aug. 18, 2023

DAVE MAHUSSIER

Leandro Reidi reaches for a shot in his semifinal match against Liam Broady during National Bank Challenger action Friday.

DAVE MAHUSSIER
                                Leandro Reidi reaches for a shot in his semifinal match against Liam Broady during National Bank Challenger action Friday.

From Wimbledon to Winnipeg

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

From Wimbledon to Winnipeg

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023

Liam Broady brought his A-game from Wimbledon to Winnipeg.

The 29-year-old from Great Britain enjoyed the biggest win of his career last month when he took down Casper Ruud, the No. 4-ranked player in the world at the time, in five sets to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

The victory earned him a cheque for nearly $200,000.

“I remember sneaking into Wimbledon when I was 10 years old with my dad and pretending to be under the age of eight so we could get in for free. We’d sneak onto the centre court there to watch guys like (Andre) Agassi,” Broady, who went on to lose to Canadian Denis Shapovalov, told the Free Press on Thursday.

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Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023

MIKE THIESSEN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Britain’s Liam Broady, who beat the No. 4 ranked player in the world at Wimbledon last month, plays Billy Harris at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger Thursday

MIKE THIESSEN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
                                Britain’s Liam Broady, who beat the No. 4 ranked player in the world at Wimbledon last month, plays Billy Harris at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger Thursday

Montreal’s Diallo wins opener at Winnipeg National Bank Challenger tennis tourney

By Donald Stewart 4 minute read Preview

Montreal’s Diallo wins opener at Winnipeg National Bank Challenger tennis tourney

By Donald Stewart 4 minute read Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023

Fresh off a historic first round win at the National Bank Open just one week ago, Montreal native Gabriel Diallo continues his ascension in the tennis world at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger tournament this week at the brand new Tennis Manitoba Hub in West St. Paul.

Diallo won his first match at the Winnipeg tournament against Frenchman Enzo Couacaud by a score of 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 on Tuesday morning. He moves on to the round of 16 where he will face Mattia Bellucci at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night.

Diallo turned pro at the beginning of 2023 and has quickly shot up the ATP world rankings. His ranking at the beginning of the year was 227, he has moved up nearly 100 spots since then and currently ranking 134th. The 21-year-old is the third ranked Canadian in the world trailing only Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov who sit at 14, and 22, respectively.

The highlight of Diallo’s young pro career came on August 8 in Toronto, when the 21-year-old faced 28th ranked Daniel Evans in the first round of the National Bank Open. The Canadian shocked everyone, defeating Evans 7-6, 7-5 on home soil in front of a spirited crowd.

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Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023

Mike Thiessen / Winnipeg Free Press

Montréal’s Gabriel Diallo turned pro at the beginning of 2023 and has quickly shot up the ATP world rankings.

Mike Thiessen / Winnipeg Free Press
                                Montréal’s Gabriel Diallo turned pro at the beginning of 2023 and has quickly shot up the ATP world rankings.

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