Spaniard Rafael Nadal has beaten world number one Novak Djokovic in the French Open final to claim his 20th Grand Slam men’s singles title. Nadal inflicted one of the most humiliating defeats on his great rival, blasting Djokovic in straight sets (6-0 6-2 7-5) to tie Roger Federer with 20 Slam titles. “I was fine. Everything was okay. I was …

Naomi Osaka has won the US Open title for a second time, beating Victoria Azarenka in the women’s singles final at Flushing Meadows. The Japanese fourth seed was swept aside by a dominant Azarenka in the first set, before hitting back to win the next two sets to take the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in one hour 53 minutes. The …

Grigor Dimitrov has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the highest-profile tennis player to reveal he has the disease. The 29-year-old Bulgarian had been competing in the Adria Tour exhibition tournament in Croatia until he withdrew with illness during the weekend. The final of the event, which would have featured world No.1 Novak Djokovic and Russian Andrey Rublev, was cancelled …

Matildas players, officials and fans alike have shared their joy after Australia and New Zealand won the rights to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. There were exuberant scenes during the early hours of Friday morning as football fans and players across Australia and New Zealand learned they had secured the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A small, socially …

As Jurgen Klopp tried to deliver his assessment of Liverpool’s shock Premier League defeat at Watford, he found himself having to speak louder than he probably would have liked. Despite the microphones and speakers set up in the press conference room within the bowels of Vicarage Road, the noise of celebrating Watford fans just outside was virtually drowning him out. This was …

If you were to come up with the concept now, the idea of two people standing toe-to-toe and belting each other in the head until both were senseless and one was flat on the floor would only ever be a metaphor for modern political debate. Yet in a world where we are so determined to eradicate brain trauma that young …

American Sofia Kenin has broken through for her first grand slam title at just 21 years of age, with a three-set win over two-time major winner Garbine Muguruza. Muguruza, who won the 2016 French Open and Wimbledon 2017, took out the first set before her 14th-seeded opponent took control to take out the title with the 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win. …

Dominic Thiem made a significant breakthrough at the Australian Open on Wednesday night, upsetting World No. 1 Rafael Nadal 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(6) at Rod Laver Arena. The Austrian recorded his first Grand Slam victory against the 2009 champion in six attempts to reach his first semi-final at the opening major championship of the year. Thiem won 78 per cent of first-serve points (65/83) and struck 65 …

For a nation that has been sifting through the dirt for decades for a truly loveable tennis champion, Australia has finally hit the mother lode in Ash Barty. The Queenslander is that rarest of rare gems in sport: a relentless winner who is also universally adored and respected. It’s not something Australia has had in abundance of late, in tennis …

Alexei Popyrin has underlined why he is a rising star of Australian tennis after comfortably progressing to the third round at Melbourne Park via a straight-sets win. Popyrin exerted his command over Spain’s Jaume Munar early in their Australian Open encounter on Court Three en route to winning 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in two hours and four minutes. The win …