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Novak Djokovic’s victorious return to the US Open this year was heralded as the triumph of an “ageless” athlete. His “greatness”, The Guardian reported, “has been defined by his ability to rise from difficult losses stronger than before”. But for the pharmaceutical giant Moderna, it came as something of a blow. “Djokovic Crowned Anti-vaccine Hero after US Open Win,” howled the title of an internal report. It continued: “The optics of Djokovic, whose vaccine opposition barred him from competing in the 2022 US Open, returning to and winning the Moderna-sponsored competition bolsters anti-vaccine claims that vaccines — and mandates —...

Novak Djokovic has tied what has been considered one of the most unreachable records in tennis: Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam wins. With his 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win over Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic won his fourth US Open trophy and his 24th Grand Slam title overall. Djokovic looked strong early, taking advantage of some early nerves by Medvedev, who made three unforced errors and lost a point on a double fault to Djokovic in the first two games. Medvedev recovered in the third game, going up 30-0 before Djokovic stormed back and won four straight points to take the third game.

Halfway through a second set that lasted 1 hour, 44 minutes, a test of tenacity as much as talent amid a U.S. Open final as exhausting as it was exhilarating, Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev engaged each other in a 32-stroke point. It was among many such elongated exchanges between two men whose styles are nearly mirror images, and Djokovic capitulated on this one by netting a backhand. He fell to his back and stayed down, chest heaving. The crowd roared. Djokovic sat up but remained on the ground for a bit. The crowd roared more, appreciating the effort, saluting...

QUEENS, NY — As tennis champion Coco Gauff knelt on the court with her eyes closed and hands folded, puzzled ESPN commentators were left to wildly speculate as to what Ms. Gauff could possibly be doing. "What do you make of it, Jean?" asked commentator Pam Shriver. "Perhaps it's a new yoga pose? Never seen anything like it!" As Ms. Gauff completed the mysterious ritual and rose to her feet, ESPN producers pored over prior videos. "It appears Ms. Gauff has performed this bizarre practice several times in the past," said ESPN's Bill Bonnell. "We're still at a loss. The...

Super Bowl champion head coach Tony Dungy had some choice words for ESPN’s "SportsCenter" X account on Saturday night after Coco Gauff won her first U.S. Open title. After Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, the "SportsCenter" account wrote that the tennis phenom "took a moment to soak it all in after winning her first Grand Slam title." Dungy took aim at the account and asserted that Gauff was praying. "I hate to break this to you SportsCenter but Coco Gauff was not ‘soaking it all in’ at this moment. She was praying. She has been very open about...

Coco Gauff beat No. 2-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the US Open for her first major title. At 19, Gauff becomes the youngest US Open winner since 17-year-old Serena Williams won her first major in 1999.

Image via Twitter The U.S. Open semifinal match between Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova was developing into a classic showdown when an unexpected disruption occurred. Three climate change kooks stood up and began chanting something unintelligible. Two of the protesters were escorted out of the venue almost immediately. But the third nutcase actually glued his bare feet to the concrete floor. It took authorities almost an hour to free him. If it had been up to me, a couple of strategic cuts would have allowed the match to continue much sooner. The US Open semifinal was interrupted by climate change...

It’s become a stink at the U.S. Open: a pungent marijuana smell that wafted over an outer court, clouded the concentration of one of the world’s top players and left the impression there’s no place left to escape the unofficial scent of the city. While the exact source of the smell remained a mystery Tuesday, one thing was clear: Court 17, where eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari complained about an overwhelming whiff of pot during her first-round loss, has become notorious among players in recent years for its distinctive, unmistakable odor. “Court 17 definitely smells like Snoop Dogg’s living room,” said Alexander...

Men and women will use the same tennis ball this year at the U.S. Open, satisfying some women who complained last year they were hitting an inferior product. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek — who eventually won the tournament — was among the women who felt their lighter ball didn’t hold its strength as long as the one that was used by men. The U.S. Open had been the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments that used a different ball for men and women. Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Open’s tournament director, said Thursday that the type of ball being used...

Amazing! The US open has been thrilling to watch, as this year the audience has been incredibly diverse. Serena’s last US open appearance, with Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Francis Tiafoe’s first slam semi-final brought a new dimension to professional tennis as well as a raucous crowd. Today, two white guys, one Spanish and one Norwegian are vying in the finals for the trophy, unfortunately Tiafoe’s early exit ended the diversity.

Novak Djokovic, a 21-time Grand Slam champion, is being robbed of the opportunity to further his legacy in the world of tennis, simply because he isn’t vaccinated. He announced on Twitter yesterday that he would not be able to travel to the U.S. for the U.S. Open due to travel restrictions mandating vaccination for entering the country.Keeping Djokovic off the court more than 2 years after the pandemic’s inception makes absolutely zero sense, especially because, as I profiled in a piece just days ago, the CDC has now changed its guidelines regarding people who have been in contact with someone...

Novak Djokovic confirms he has been REFUSED entry to the United States and will not play in the US Open after CDC opted against changing their COVID entry rules in time for unvaxxed former champion to participate Novak Djokovic will not be traveling to New York for the upcoming US Open He's refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, making him ineligible for entry Unvaccinated foreign citizens can't go to Canada or the US currently Similarly, Djokovic recently missed tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati Novak Djokovic has announced he will not be traveling to New York for the upcoming US Open...

The U.S. Open begins next week, but the betting favorite on the men’s side, Number 1 ranked, Novak Djokovic, will likely be prevented from competing, barring a last-minute pivot by the player or the U.S. government. On April 21, the Department of Homeland Security extended “temporary Title 19 requirements” that mandate non-U.S. citizens entering the U.S. be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request. “These requirements were extended in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and several other federal agencies,” DHS wrote in announcing the extension. “According to CDC, vaccines remain...

The US travel ban on those unvaccinated against Covid-19 continues to stand, but is there something Novak Djokovic knows that we don't? The Wimbledon champion hinted as much during a to-and-fro chat with Nick Kyrgios on social media, promising that he would shout Kyrgios to a dinner in New York, accompanied by a number of suggestive emojis. Novak Djokovic may yet play at the US Open, if a cryptic social media chat with Nick Kyrgios is to be believed. Djokovic defeated Kyrgios in the final of Wimbledon last Sunday but as he confirmed during SW19, he had not been expecting...

WIMBLEDON, England — Novak Djokovic knows that, as things stand now, Wimbledon will be his last Grand Slam tournament of 2022, because he will not be able to play in the U.S. Open — he has not received any COVID-19 shots and can’t enter the United States as an unvaccinated foreigner. “That,” the 35-year-old from Serbia said Saturday at the All England Club, “is an extra motivation to do well here.” Djokovic began this season tied with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at 20 major championships, then the record for a man. But Djokovic’s decision not to get vaccinated led...

Raducanu, 18, beat 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3, at Flushing Meadows on Saturday night Raducanu makes history as the first Briton to win a Grand Slam since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977 She has also become the first qualifier - in either the men's or women's game - to win a major title Raducanu wins £1.8m - more than eight times her current career earnings - and moves from rank 150 to 23

US Open tennis ratings are down amid Naomi Osaka’s much-discussed political displays regarding police violence.

Novak Djokovic was defaulted in the fourth round of the 2020 US Open on Sunday after hitting a ball in frustration that struck a line judge on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. That line judge was hit in the throat and had to be helped off the court after appearing to have trouble breathing. Djokovic, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, was disqualified from the tournament. Here are some looks at the incident: The US Open released this statement shortly after Djokovic was defaulted: In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook, following his actions of intentionally hitting a ball dangerously...

Tennis star Naomi Osaka, 20, kept a reporter in check after throwing her a question that neglected her Haitian roots. Upon winning the third round of the Australian Open against Ashleigh Barty (6-4, 6-2) on Jan. 20, Osaka spoke to a male reporter who wanted to know what her victory as a “very proud” Japanese means for her people. Reporter: You moved to New York when you were two years old and lived in the United States for a long time, but you’re very proudly Japanese, obviously. What will this victory mean for the people back home, for both sets...

Serena Williams has part of it right. There is a huge double standard for women when it comes to how bad behavior is punished — and not just in tennis. But in her protests against an umpire during the United States Open final on Saturday, she also got part of it wrong. I don’t believe it’s a good idea to apply a standard of “If men can get away with it, women should be able to, too.” Rather, I think the question we have to ask ourselves is this: What is the right way to behave to honor our sport...