Britain’s Emma Raducanu has made history by becoming the first qualifier to win a major tennis title, beating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows, 6-4, 6-3. Raducanu won three straight matches to get through qualifying, then seven more on the way to securing her first major title without dropping a single set The 18-year-old Brit is the first …

Naomi Osaka says she plans to take a break from tennis following her shock third-round exit at the US Open. Osaka, the defending champion, lost to Canadian Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, before breaking down in tears when she spoke at her post-match media conference. “I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I …

The Tokyo Olympics ended behind closed doors with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach calling them “Games of hope, solidarity and peace” amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to tradition, Bach closed the July 23 to August 8 Summer Games in the presence of Japanese crown Prince Akishino and speaking French invited the youth of the world to the Games of …

Nicola McDermott has bettered the Australian women’s high jump record for the third time this year to win the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. McDermott cleared 2.02m at the second attempt, before just clipping the bar with her third and final try at 2.04m. It meant the gold went to Russian Mariya Lasitskene, the three-time world champion. The 28-year-old …

Matildas icon Sam Kerr is racing the clock to be fit in time for Australia’s semi-final clash against Sweden on Monday. Kerr is the biggest name in a slew of Aussies who are battling the hefty toll of playing four games in nine days in at the Tokyo Games. Kerr was forced to push through injury in the Matildas quarter-final …

Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz became the first ever Olympic gold medallist from the Philippines and used water bottles to train for her Olympic glory during the pandemic. Diaz, who broke down in tears as her country’s national anthem was played, was forced to build her own DIY gym when she became stuck in Malaysia because of a Covid-19 outbreak. She was stranded in the country in April 2020 …

History was made today as the team in Tokyo claimed more gold medals for Australia in a single day than ever before. Emma McKeon led the way with a gold in the women’s 50m freestyle, then jumped back in the pool with the rest of the relay team to clinch gold in the 4x100m medley relay. Matt Wearn held command over the seas to …

Emma McKeon has won two more gold medals in Tokyo, taking her medal tally at this Games to seven — the equal most by any woman in any sport in Olympic history. The dual golds came in the 50m freestyle and the women’s 4x100m medley relay. McKeon has now won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay, the 100m freestyle, 50m …

Rising Australian star Kaylee McKeown is now an Olympic champion, blitzing home to win the 100m backstroke final with an Olympic record time. Fellow Aussie Emily Seebohm finished fifth, nearly a second behind 20-year-old McKeown, whose time of 57.47 seconds was only 0.02 seconds behind the world record time she set in June this year. McKeown turned in third position, …

The Boomers have begun their Tokyo Olympics campaign with a gritty 84-67 victory over Nigeria at Saitama Super Arena. After a tight opening two quarters, the Boomers held a narrow three-point lead at half-time and it was not until the final quarter that they began to truly exert their dominance. Australia’s performance could not be described as polished, with 22 turnovers set to be scrutinised …