Karen Khachanov: Russian tennis player sparks political row over disputed territory of Artsakh at Australian Open January 24, 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist Karen Khachanov is at the centre of a political row after using his matches to voice support for the breakaway region of Artsakh. Historically part of Armenia, Artsakh, or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan and has been the source of two conflicts since 1990 as well as [...]
Ed Warner: Cricket has a membership dilemma January 19, 2023 English cricket is braced to be declared institutionally racist. The results of an independent inquiry are imminent. The England and Wales Cricket Board is corralling the boards of the 18 first-class counties to prepare their statements of contrition. Quite what the hundred thousand-plus members of said counties will think is another matter, though. All but [...]
Australian Open: What it costs to buy tickets, flights from London, hotel and visa January 14, 2023 So you like two people hitting balls at each other and fancy spending a day in the air to see it happen? Here’s how you can get to the Australian Open finals weekend. Visa As Novak Djokovic learned the hard way last year, you cannot simply hop on a plane and expect to be welcomed [...]
Kyrgios, Jabeur and Nadal: How Netflix’s Break Point looks to grow tennis January 12, 2023 Tomorrow morning the latest sports docu-series goes live on streaming giant Netflix as Break Point – the tennis version of Formula 1’s Drive to Survive – offers a peek behind the scenes of the sport. Here’s what we learned from the series. Tennis’ special Ks Break Point grips you instantly, using Nick Kyrgios and his [...]
Naomi Osaka withdraws from Australian Open a week before first round January 8, 2023 Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from next week’s Australian Open. The 25-year-old did not give a reason for her surprise withdrawal but has not featured on the WTA singles circuit since September. The Japanese star won the Grand Slam in Melbourne in 2019 and 2021 but has since slipped in the world [...]
Why tearful Emma Raducanu is now a major doubt for the Australian Open January 5, 2023 Emma Raducanu’s hopes of playing in this month’s Australian Open have been plunged into doubt after her latest injury retirement left the Briton in tears. The tennis star abandoned her last-16 match at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, today after appearing to roll her ankle. It leaves Raducanu facing a race to be [...]
Djokovic likely to miss duo of US tennis competitions over Covid-19 rules January 4, 2023 Former world No1 tennis star Novak Djokovic is set to miss the Miami Open and Indian Wells in the United States this year due to changes in the country’s Covid-19 vaccination requirements. The United States have extended its requirement for visitors to prove they’re vaccinated against Covid-19 until 10 April and the Serbian has previously [...]
Ed Warner: Everybody Wants to Rule the World December 8, 2022 Hop to it! Harking back to an innocent ‘70s youth of balmy summers and winter power cuts, when even Space Invaders had yet to land, a friend gets in touch to sense-check his vision for an organised sport of space hopper racing. Sad sack that I am, my thoughts instantly turn to governance, and the [...]
Laver Cup: Federer’s farewell, the big three and reliable London September 22, 2022 After runs in Prague, Chicago, Geneva and Boston, the Laver Cup will mark its fifth year this weekend by arriving at London’s O2 Arena. The tennis tournament pits Team Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, against Team World, captained by John McEnroe, with the visiting side looking to win the cup for the first time. So [...]
Roger Federer announces retirement from tennis after Laver Cup in London this month September 15, 2022 Roger Federer, perhaps the greatest men’s tennis player of all time, has announced that he will retire from the sport after this month’s Laver Cup in London. The 41-year-old, who won 20 Grand Slams including a record eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon, said it was “time to end my competitive career”. Federer had a [...]