Tag: Tennis

Djokovic Backs ATP Cutting Wimbledon Ranking Points Over Russia Ban; Plans to Play in Wimbledon

PARIS—Novak Djokovic intends to defend his title at Wimbledon and supports the decision by the ATP men’s tour to withhold ranking points from that tournament as a show of unity among players—even though the move will negatively affect his hold on the No. 1 spot. In response to a reporter’s question after his first-round victory…


French Open: Top-Seeded Swiatek Extends Winning Streak to 29

PARIS—World number one Iga Swiatek put on a commanding display against Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko with a 6–2 6–0 opening victory on Monday to kickstart her bid for a second French Open title and extend her winning run to 29 matches. Swiatek, who won the 2020 Roland Garros title without dropping a set, arrived in…


Djokovic Eases Past Nishioka Into Round Two of French Open

PARIS—World number one Novak Djokovic cruised past Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6–3 6–1 6–0 on Monday to advance to the French Open second round in a comfortable start to his quest for a record-equalling 21st Grand Slam. The Serb, who turned 35 on Sunday, needed less than two hours to beat the Japanese world number 99…


Osaka Loses in 1st Round of French Open, May Skip Wimbledon

PARIS—A year ago, Naomi Osaka left the French Open of her own volition, never beaten on the court but determining that she needed to pull out before the second round to stand up for herself and protect her mind. On Monday, Osaka departed Roland Garros against her will—via a 7–5, 6–4 loss in the first…


Muguruza’s Freefall Continues With French Open First-Round Loss

PARIS—Former champion Garbine Muguruza suffered a second consecutive first-round exit at the French Open, biting the red dirt in a 2–6 6–3 6–4 loss to Estonian Kaia Kanepi on Sunday as she continued on her downward trend. Muguruza, who lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 2016 and reached the semifinals at Roland Garros two years…


Jabeur Exits French Open After Shock Defeat by Linette

PARIS—Tunisian Ons Jabeur became the first major casualty on the opening day of the French Open on Sunday when the in-form sixth seed crashed out with a 3–6 7–6(4) 7–5 loss to Poland’s Magda Linette. Jabeur, seen as one of the big threats to world number one Iga Swiatek at the claycourt Grand Slam, came…


French Open: Number 1 Swiatek Enters on 28-Match Winning Streak

PARIS—Here’s one measure of just how dominant Iga Swiatek has been as the French Open begins Sunday: The 28-match winning streak accumulated by the new No. 1 in the WTA rankings has been surpassed by only three women since 2000—Venus Williams (35 in 2000), Serena Williams (34 in 2013) and Justine Henin (32 in 2008),…


Djokovic Strikes a Blow for Medical Freedom in Rome

Commentary The Tennis Channel’s Jason Goodall, in wrapping up his commentary on Novak Djokovic’s victory in the Italian Open over Stefanos Tsitsipas (6-0, 7-6), acknowledged that the world’s No. 1 tennis player (for an astounding 370 weeks) is back in form in time to defend his title at the French Open, which begins May 22….


Djokovic Wins Italian Open to Claim First Title in Over 6 Months

ROME—World number one Novak Djokovic claimed his first title in over six months after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–0 7–6(5) to win the Italian Open on Sunday. Djokovic did not drop a set en route to the final in Rome, having picked up his 1,000th tour-level victory by beating Casper Ruud in the semifinal to book…


Swiatek Defends Italian Open Title With 28th Straight Win

ROME—Iga Swiatek is going into the French Open on quite a run. The top-ranked Swiatek overwhelmed Ons Jabeur 6–2, 6–2 to defend her Italian Open title on Sunday and extend her winning streak to 28 matches. Swiatek was a surprise champion at the French Open in 2020 when she was ranked No. 54. Now the…