Tennis

11:08 AM ET Associated Press SAN DIEGO — If Novak Djokovic wins the US Open two weeks from now to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969, “Rocket” Rod Laver will be there to welcome him into a remarkably exclusive group. “I’d be very happy to shake his hand if he

8:00 AM ET ESPN staff With no Roger Federer and no Rafael Nadal on the men’s side, and no Serena Williams and no Venus Williams on the women’s side, this year’s US Open will have a little bit of a different feel. But Novak Djokovic is still in it, and he’s eyeing that elusive calendar

8:00 AM ET Simon Cambers It’s been four years since the ATP announced the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, an event for the best under-21 players in the world. Though Hyeon Chung of South Korea won the title, the qualifiers for the first event in 2017 included Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Denis Shapovalov

9:24 PM ET Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ilya Ivashka beat Mikael Ymer 6-0, 6-2 on Saturday in the Winston-Salem Open to become the first player from Belarus to win an ATP Tour singles title in 18 years. Ranked 63rd in the world, the 27-year-old Ivashka is the lowest-ranked champion in the event’s 10-year history,

8:00 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com There will be no Serena Williams at this year’s US Open. Nor Roger Federer. Or Rafael Nadal. Or Venus Williams. The heralded foursome has a combined 17 career singles titles at the year’s final major, but all four players were forced to withdraw because of injury in 2021. Their collective

8:06 AM ET Simon Cambers As Novak Djokovic begins the final stage in his quest for the coveted Grand Slam, Rod Laver will be as eager as anyone to see the world No. 1. Victory for Djokovic in New York would not only give him a men’s record 21st major title, but would also make

3:41 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Naomi Osaka addressed her decision to skip media obligations at the French Open earlier this summer during a news conference at the US Open on Friday and explained she didn’t think it would be become the firestorm that it ultimately did. “Honestly, I feel like there’s a lot of things

4:28 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Novak Djokovic said winning the calendar-year Grand Slam would be the highlight of his career in a news conference on Friday at the US Open. “I think it’s an easy question — yes, it would be,” he said when asked if winning all four majors in 2021 would be his

8:23 AM ET Associated Press LONDON — The twice-postponed finals of the Billie Jean King Cup will be played in Prague from Nov. 1-6, the International Tennis Federation said Friday. The tournament, formerly known as the Fed Cup, was originally scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, in April 2020 but was postponed for a

10:43 PM ET Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ilya Ivashka, Emil Ruusuvuori and Mikael Ymer all took down seeded opponents — including No. 1 Pablo Carreno Busta — on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Winston-Salem Open. Ivashka beat Carreno Busta 7-6 (2), 6-3, upending the world’s 12th-ranked player. That sent the 27-year-old from Belarus

1:40 PM ET Associated Press Novak Djokovic will begin his bid to win the US Open for a men’s-record 21st major tennis championship and to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by facing a player who comes through qualifying. Win that match and Djokovic’s path — as determined by Thursday’s draw — could include 2014 finalist

10:06 PM ET Associated Press Fifth-ranked Sofia Kenin pulled out of the US Open on Wednesday because she recently tested positive for COVID-19, even though she said she has received a vaccine. Kenin announced what she called “disappointing news” on social media. The 22-year-old American won the 2020 Australian Open and was the runner-up at

9:55 PM ET Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Frances Tiafoe followed his victory over three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray by beating Thiago Monteiro 7-5, 7-6 (2) on Wednesday night in the third round of the Winston-Salem Open. The 23-year-old American, ranked No. 51 in the world, won the first set by breaking Monteiro in

3:45 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The US Open begins on Monday, and while many of the world’s best players, after a pandemic-impacted tournament in 2020, will return to New York, as will a near-capacity-level of fans in all their rowdy glory, it will be who isn’t in attendance that might be felt most of all.

7:40 AM ET Associated Press Serena Williams added herself to the list of big-name withdrawals from the US Open on Wednesday, pulling out of the year’s last Grand Slam tournament because of a torn hamstring. Williams hasn’t competed since injuring her right leg in the first set of her first-round match at Wimbledon in late

9:50 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus defeated fifth-seeded Nadia Podoroska of Argentina 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals at Tennis in the Land on Tuesday. No. 37 Podoroska double-faulted on set point in the second and committed four service errors in the third, including back-to-back attempts in

3:25 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The United States Tennis Association announced the launch of a new mental health initiative on Tuesday, ahead of the US Open later this month. Mental health has been the subject of a prevalent and ongoing conversation in professional tennis throughout the summer after world No. 3 and four-time major champion

9:18 PM ET Associated Press CLEVELAND — Top seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia and second seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia won their first round matches at Tennis in the Land on Monday. Kasatkina defeated Kaja Juvan of Slovenia 6-3, 6-3 in the opening match of the day, while Kontaveit rallied for a 1-6, 6-0, 6-0