Djokovic, Novak

Novak Djokovic Returns to the Australian Open, No Longer a Villain

MELBOURNE, Australia — It was the day before the Australian Open, and the Park Hotel in Melbourne’s Carlton neighborhood was closed with only the occasional pedestrian passing in front of the dusty, deserted entrance on a sedate Sunday. Quite a different scene than last year, when Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 tennis player, was […]

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Novak Djokovic Defeats Nick Kyrgios to Win Wimbledon Title

WIMBLEDON, England — The opponents and details change from year to year, but the bottom line has remained the same. With his trademark steeliness, Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in the men’s final at Wimbledon on Sunday to win his 21st Grand Slam singles title. Djokovic seized control of the match late in the third […]

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Tennis Tours Penalize Wimbledon Over Ban on Russian Players

Unlike Wimbledon, the lead-in events in Britain have retained their ranking points despite being formally part of the tours. Wimbledon, as a Grand Slam event, operates independently but does have agreements with the tours on many levels. But the ATP and WTA chose not to strip points from the British lead-in events because other European […]

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Daniil Medvedev Intrudes on the Big Four’s No. 1 Perch

During his quarterfinal victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada at the Australian Open, a fan at Rod Laver Arena shouted, “Do it for Ukraine, Felix!” But Medvedev has spoken out against the war since it began on Feb. 24. “By being a tennis player I want to promote peace all over the world,” he said […]

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Djokovic Willing to Miss Grand Slam Tournaments to Stay Unvaccinated

It should not come as a revelation at this stage, but Novak Djokovic is not backing down. Not after all the drains on his energy and blows to his image. Not after twice being detained in Melbourne, Australia, last month. Not after his deportation from that country on the eve of the year’s first Grand […]

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Rafael Nadal Wins the Australian Open, His 21st Grand Slam Title

Nadal made certain of that. “This has been one of the most emotional nights of my tennis career,” he told the cheering crowd, and later said: “If we put everything together, the scenario, the momentum, what it means. Yeah, without a doubt probably have been the biggest comeback of my tennis career.” Nadal, 35, returned […]

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Is Tennis Moving Into a New Golden Age? We Can Only Hope.

There was something for everyone. Roger Federer’s linen grace. Rafael Nadal’s punishing power. Novak Djokovic and his single-minded determination. The unwavering way Serena Williams dismantled tired tradition. For two decades, professional tennis bathed in the golden glow provided by an unalterable hierarchy of players with distinctive styles and personalities that combined to define the game […]

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Why Boris Johnson May Finally Have Gone Too Far

Boris Johnson, long famed for brushing off accusations of distorting, misleading or outright lying that, far from slowing his rise, seemed to only bolster his image as an incorrigible scamp, suddenly faces potential political death over the very charge to which he had seemed immune. Even his detractors appear surprised by the speed with which […]

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How the ‘Djokovic Affair’ Finally Came to an End

SYDNEY, Australia — The day before the Australian Open was set to begin, Novak Djokovic, possibly the greatest tennis player of all time, ran up against a group of determined opponents that no amount of talent, training, money or willpower could overcome. He lost his final bid to stay in Australia on Sunday when a […]

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