Tag: Tennis

Pandemic Helped Swiatek Deal With French Open Success

French Open champion Iga Swiatek says the COVID-19 pandemic has been beneficial for her as the restrictions allowed the 19-year-old from Poland to settle into her life as a first-time Grand Slam winner. Swiatek went from being a largely unknown teenager to acquiring celebrity status when she became the youngest woman to win the French…


Cloud 9: Djokovic Wins 9th Australian Open, 18th Slam Title

MELBOURNE, Australia—Maybe, just maybe, the thinking went, Novak Djokovic would be just a tad more susceptible to trouble this time around at the Australian Open. After all, he wrenched his midsection during a slip in the third round and said he’d torn a muscle. Entering Sunday, Djokovic already ceded five sets in the tournament, the…


4 for 4: Osaka Wins Australian, Stays Perfect in Slam Finals

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — As Naomi Osaka strode through the Champion’s Walk leading to the court for the Australian Open final—headphones on her ears, racket bag strapped to her back—she reached out her left hand to tap a panel marked with her name and the year of her previous title there. Not a big deal,…


Osaka Overpowers Serena in Open Semi-Final

Naomi Osaka has ended Serena Williams’ latest shot at tennis history to storm into the Australian Open final at Melbourne Park. The Japanese superstar defeated Williams 6-3 6-4 in 75 minutes to leave Williams stranded one grand slam shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 singles majors. Osaka out-Serena’d Serena with her brutal back-court…


Australian Open Proceeds With No Spectators Following Victoria’s Third Lockdown

Australian Open spectators have been barred from watching tennis players battle it out following Victoria’s “short, sharp circuit breaker” five-day lockdown announced on Friday. The lockdown is in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at Melbourne Airport’s Holiday Inn with genomic testing confirming that infected individuals have the “hyper-infectious” UK strain of the CCP virus. One…


NFL Viewership Losing Key Demographic for 9th Consecutive Year

Super Bowl ratings have declined for their ninth consecutive year in the key demographic of 18- to 49-year-olds, hitting the lowest number since at least 1992. This year’s Super Bowl 55 experienced a 37 percent decline in the crucial young adult demographic viewership, reported Sports Media Watch. Four years ago, the game lost 43 percent in…


Day One Crowd of 17,922 at Australian Open

The total crowd at Melbourne Park on the first day of the Australian Open hit 17,922, including day and night sessions in three divided zones. It was well down on the 64,387 fans that crammed onto the grounds on the opening day of last year’s championship but way more than any other grand slam held…


Australian Open Concerns Ease as Victoria Records No New COVID-19 Cases

Australia’s second-most populous state of Victoria reported no local coronavirus cases on Saturday for the second straight day, boding well for the Australian Open tennis tournament due to start in Melbourne on Monday. More than 500 staff and players in the Grand Slam event tested negative for the coronavirus virus on Friday in re-testing required…


Tony Trabert, 5-time Major Singles Champion, Dies at 90

MIAMI—Tony Trabert, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1 player who went on to successful careers as a Davis Cup captain, broadcaster and executive, has died. He was 90 years old. The Tennis Hall of Famer’s death Wednesday night at his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was confirmed by his daughter,…


Nadal Still Struggling With Back Problem Ahead of Australian Open

World number two Rafa Nadal on Thursday said doubts remain over his fitness ahead of next week’s Australian Open.