Today we’re debuting a new feature, "First Ball In," a table-setting post that will run from Monday to Friday every week, and which I’ll be writing most of the time. During the European clay season, FBI will appear each afternoon at roughly 4:00 P.M. Eastern time; when the tours are

MELBOURNE, Australia(AP) Elena Dementieva got off to a fast start as temperatures soared Wednesday, advancing to the Australian Open semifinals with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Carla Suarez Navarro. The Olympic gold medalist wasted no time as temperatures hit 104 degrees, winning 16 of the first 18 points against the

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla.(AP) The hour was past midnight when Roger Federer found himself one big serve from salvaging a sloppy victory. He couldn't summon the shot he needed. ``It was almost impossible to get it past the other guy with the serve,'' Federer said. Slow conditions were one problem for

MUNICH—The new Center Court at the BMW Open by Bitpanda witnessed a moment of history this week—and by one of their home players. Aged 17, Diego Dedura-Palomera became the first player born in 2008 to win an ATP Tour match. The Berlin native was already leading 7-6, 3-0 when his

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — When Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the Rio Open tournament compound last year, no screaming fans were waiting, his rivals did not see him as one of the favorites, his Instagram profile was followed overwhelmingly by Spaniards and he was still troubled by typical teenage spots

ROME (AP) Fresh off a title in Madrid and back up to No. 2 in the rankings, Roger Federer showed off his strong form with a routine 6-3, 6-4 win over Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in his opening match at the Italian Open on Wednesday. Seeking to win one of

NEW YORK—It’s not often a player wins two consecutive Grand Slam titles and enters his next one as the No. 3 seed. But that’s the situation facing Carlos Alcaraz as he starts his bid for a second US Open title. He sits in the same half of the draw as

As Jannik Sinner prepares to play his US Open quarterfinal against 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, two of the sport’s biggest names have weighed in on the way the Italian’s recent doping case was handled. The world No. 1's run in Flushing Meadows has been mired in controversy after he revealed

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a Triple Golden Career Masters crown in dominant fashion at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, dismissing Roman Safiullin, 6-1, 6-2 to win his first match since withdrawing from the Miami Open in March. "I'm very pleased," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said on court after

NEW YORK—Carlos Alcaraz was the only thing that kept Jannik Sinner from utterly dominating the ATP Tour in 2024. The Spaniard not only holds the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles, but a 3-0 record over the world No. 1 from Italy this past season. So it seemed a little peculiar

PARIS(AP) It took Jurgen Melzer 32 Grand Slam tournaments over an 11-year span to reach a quarterfinal. The amiable Austrian made it Monday. Following the advice of good friend Andy Roddick, Melzer beat qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili in the fourth round of the French Open 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. At

MASON, Ohio (AP) Andy Murray followed up his second Olympic singles title with a second-round victory Wednesday night in the Western & Southern Open. The top-seeded Scot beat Argentina's Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-2 to set up a match against South Africa's Kevin Anderson, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over 13th-seeded Richard

Is the clay season too taxing? It’s a question that may be in the air in the coming weeks, now that it has been reported that Novak Djokovic won’t be playing Madrid, and Roger Federer has hinted that he might not play Rome. There’s a lot of tough-slog tennis packed

NEW YORK—What would a Grand Slam tennis tournament be without an on-site hair styling & beauty salon? Don’t laugh; Julien Farel’s shop is a must for most players and their posses. According to Farel, who has two locations in Manhattan, players want to look good regardless of rank or tournament

WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz makes his Calvin Klein debut as a part of the brand's "Calvins or nothing" global campaign.

WATCH:Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the 2023 Madrid Fourth Round

ROME (AP)—Fresh off a title in Madrid and back at No. 2 in the rankings, Roger Federer defeated Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-4 in his opening match at the Italian Open on Wednesday. Seeking to win one of only three Masters 1000 events he's never claimed, Federer dealt with the swirling

MASON, Ohio (AP) Ninth-seeded Andy Roddick threw his racket to the ground. Then, he knocked out Sergiy Stakhovsky. The 13th-ranked Roddick rebounded from losing the second-set tiebreaker to roll in the third set and advance to the second round of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win

MASON, Ohio (AP)—Ninth-seeded Andy Roddick threw his racket to the ground. Then, he knocked out Sergiy Stakhovsky. The 13th-ranked Roddick rebounded from losing the second-set tiebreaker to roll in the third set and advance to the second round of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over

PARIS (AP)—After years and years of failing to reach the latter stages of a Grand Slam tournament, Austria’s Jurgen Melzer was not about to go quietly in the French Open quarterfinals. Even if he was playing No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic, the 2008 Australian Open champion. Even if he dropped the