Lawn Tennis

February 5, 2025 1:48 PM

Former world number one Simona Halep announces retirement

Former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis on Tuesday after losing in the first round at her home event in Cluj. Halep, whose career stalled due to a doping ban that was reduced on appeal last year, lost 6-1 6-1 to Italy's Lucia Bronzetti in her first match in 2025 before announcing her decision. The 33-year-old Romanian had delayed the start of her season due to pain in her knee and shoulder. "I don't know if it's w...

February 4, 2025 2:02 PM

Two times Wimbledon champion Kvitova to make comeback this month after maternity break

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will return to action this month after a 15-month maternity break, with the Czech set to play in three tournaments in the United States. The 34-year-old had announced in January last year that she was expecting her first child with husband and coach Jiri Vanek and gave birth to their son Petr in July, during the Wimbledon fortnight. Kvitova will play in the Feb. 24-March 2 WTA 250 tournament in Austin, Texas before ramping up her return at WTA 1000 eve...

December 20, 2024 4:44 PM

Tennis-Australian Open to provide platform for pickleball from 2025

The Australian Open will embrace one of the fastest growing sports in the world when it hosts the inaugural AO Pickleball Slam on the final weekend of next month's tennis major with $100,000 in prize money. Invented in 1965 by a group of American friends, pickleball is a fast-paced paddle sport similar to tennis and badminton played on smaller courts using a perforated plastic ball, and interest has skyrocketed in recent years. Melbourne Park's court three will transform into pickleball centra...

May 13, 2024 9:59 AM

Flawless Tabilo beats Djokovic in massive upset at Italian Open

Chile's Alejandro Tabilo took the world by surprise when he claimed the biggest win of his career. He defeated world number one Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Italian Open on Sunday (May 12) in a match that lasted just 67 minutes. Djokovic has won the tournament six times, with his last title coming in 2022, but Tabilo was almost flawless on Centre Court, breaking the top seed four times while not conceding a single break point. "It's incredible. I came on court just looking ...