Second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the first match at Wimbledon in two years on Monday, seeing off Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu in straight sets. Sabalenka won 6-1, 6-4 under the roof of Court One and will face either Danielle Lao of the United States or Britain’s Katie Boulter for a place in the […]
Wimbledon
Defending champion Halep “really down” as she withdraws from Wimbledon
Simona Halep said she was “really down and upset” at not being able to defend her ladies singles title at Wimbledon due to a calf injury. The 29-year-old Romanian had been battling to be fit since withdrawing from her second round match at the Italian Open in mid-May. “It is with great sadness that I’m […]
Wimbledon prize money rises 11.8 percent
LONDON: Wimbledon prize money will total $49.4 million for this year’s championships, a rise of 11.8 percent, the All England Club announced on Tuesday. The men’s and women’s singles champions will receive £2.35 million, £100,000 more than in 2018. Continuing a theme of recent years, organisers have again significantly raised prize money for early-round losers. […]
Andy Murray returns to court after hip surgery
LONDON: Andy Murray has returned to a tennis court two months after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery. Murray, who has not played competitively since his first round exit at the Australian Open in January, said last month he could possibly play at Wimbledon as he was now pain free after the surgery. The 31-year-old posted a […]
Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon title and 13th major
LONDON: Novak Djokovic raced to a fourth Wimbledon title and 13th career Grand Slam crown on Sunday when he defeated a battling but exhausted Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). World number 21 Djokovic added the 2018 title to his wins in 2011, 2014 and 2015 as he became the lowest-ranked champion since Goran Ivanisevic […]
Federer and Nadal on course to meet in Wimbledon final
Federer produced an almost-impeccable performance on the center court, beating France’s Adrian Marinaro 6-0, 6-4 and 7-5 and booking a berth in the last eight. Hitherto, Federer has won 32 consecutive sets at Wimbledon, two sets short of this personal best back in 2006. Interestingly, he is five sets behind Nadal’s record of 37 consecutive […]
Nadal into Wimbledon last 16, keeps top spot
Two-time champion Rafael Nadal reached the Wimbledon last 16 on Saturday and made sure of keeping the world number one ranking at the same time. The second seed comfortably defeated Australian teenager Alex De Minaur 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Nadal, the 11-time French Open champion and bidding for an 18th career major, will face either Italy’s […]
Serena Williams’s seven Wimbledon titles
Serena Williams will start her bid for an eighth Wimbledon singles’ title next week. AFP Sport looks at the American legend’s previous seven final victories at the All England Club: 2002: bt Venus Williams (USA) 7-6, 6-3 — Aged 20, Serena already had two Grand Slam titles under her belt, but winning her first Wimbledon […]
Legendary Brazilian tennis player Maria Bueno dies
Maria Bueno, the Brazilian “queen” of tennis, who won three Wimbledon and four US championship singles titles, died Friday in Sao Paulo at age 78, the hospital where she was being treated said. She had been suffering from mouth cancer since last year and was hospitalized in May. Nicknamed the “Sao Paulo Swallow” for her […]