MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal defused the most unpredictable threat in men’s tennis on Monday, defeating Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) in the fourth round of the Australian Open. As at Wimbledon last year, it was a duel full of emotion, all-court athleticism and entrancing shots. As at Wimbledon, the key swing […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — It was a tale of two worlds. One was angry, insistent on forcing social change. The other was walled off from the concerns of the first, insulated by race, privilege and wealth, inside the comforting cocoon of tennis. In the warm late morning on Sunday, the first balls were struck in what […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — What were you doing when you were 15? Sofia Kenin thought for a moment, just a moment, before answering. Kenin thinks as she talks: quickly. “Oh, my God, I was playing ITF juniors,” she said. “I wasn’t out there.” “Out there” on Sunday was the Melbourne Arena, packed to the rafters for […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — After a fraught lead-up to the Australian Open, with concerns about the tournament’s ability to handle Melbourne’s worsened air quality because of nearby bushfires, the first four days of play offered clear air and straightforward matches that let the top women breathe easy. For the first time at a Grand Slam since […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Five players seeded in the top 10 had been knocked out of the Australian Open across the men’s and women’s draws on Friday, and the 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer appeared ready to join their ranks. On the same court where Serena Williams and reigning Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka had […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff is only 15, still growing in every way, and still fresh to the world of professional tennis, but she can win this Australian Open. That is no stretch. Not anymore. Not after the precociously gifted young American once again flashed her prodigious moxie and talent on the biggest of stages. […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Nick Kyrgios was not willing to be hunted. During the opening points of his Australian Open match against the wily veteran Gilles Simon — known for his ability to lure opponents into deadly traps with deceiving softballs and sudden bursts — Kyrgios did not take the bait. Instead, on a hazy Thursday […] More
MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams tumbled out of the Australian Open in the third round on Friday, eliminated by an opponent who had previously been one of her least daunting. The eighth-seeded Williams, a seven-time Australian Open champion, lost to the 27th-seeded Wang Qiang of China, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5. At the same time Williams […] More
