Here is what you need to know about the year's Australian Open:
Carlos Alcaraz reached his second Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday when his opponent Jack Draper retired injured when trailing 7-5, 6-1.
"I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG," R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.
'I am still in the low 140s, so I am not concerned'
The loss ends five-time major champion Swiatek's bid to become the first woman to win the tournament in the Southern California desert three times.
Sinner gives the impression of a player with all the answers against whoever he comes up against, but the off-court questions he is likely to face about the doping case that surfaced in August might be harder to shrug off.
At the 1956 Olympic Games, a 26-year-old Bell jumped 7.83m in challenging conditions to win by 15cm ahead of his compatriot John Bennett.
Kohli, who has had an inconsistent series so far with scores of 5, 100 not out, 7, 11, and 3 in his last five innings, has amassed just 126 runs at an average of 31.50.
Osaka signalled her intent to return to professional tennis after casting doubt over her future in September.
Nitish Kumar Reddy showcased his mettle on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Carlos Alcaraz said he has no doubt that top-ranked Jannik Sinner is the best player in the world on current form as the two young players continue to lay the foundations for an epic rivalry.
Speaking as quoted by Fox Sports, Waugh said, "I think they have picked the team on winning these last two Test matches."
Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood claimed the Men's Test Player-of-the-Year award. It marked his first Australian Cricket Award, with Hazlewood taking 30 wickets at just 13.16 in Tests against the West Indies, New Zealand, and India.
'Bumrah's 2024 exploits were a masterclass in skill, precision, and relentless consistency,' ICC said in a statement.
India and Mumbai pace bowler Tushar Deshpande is likely to remain sidelined for another two to three months due to a recurring ankle injury.
One fan has got a mural painted on the wall of his home in Dalgaty Lane as a mark of tribute. And little wonder, it is slowly turning into a tourist destination.
'He is a great player not scoring enough runs & that's the crux of it.'
Aryna Sabalenka opened her bid for a third straight Australian Open title with an easy victory over Sloane Stephens on Sunday.
'It's about (match) situation as well. If there is a risk percentage in certain situation of the game, do you want to take that risk? Do you want to let the opposition come back into the game? Those are the things he needs to figure out himself.'
Novak Djokovic has almost fully recovered from the injury that ended his Australian Open campaign in the semi-finals.
Swiatek said she made far too many mistakes against Keys on Rod Laver Arena and hoped to draw lessons from it.
Aryna Sabalenka will battle American 19th seed Madison Keys in the final on Saturday looking to become the first woman since Martina Hingis from 1997-99 to win the Australian Open title three times in a row.
Rohit Sharma hailed the resilience of the lower-order batters after his team managed to salvage a crucial draw in the rain-hit third Test against Australia in Brisbane
An angry Rohit complained about Gavaskar being 'too negative' about his form in Australia, claiming that external pressure impacted his focus!
A "devastating" omission after below-par performances in the Border-Gavaskar series notwithstanding, opener Nathan McSweeney has not given up hope of returning to Australia's Test setup, saying he will try his luck as a long-term replacement for Usman Khawaja once the batting stalwart retires.
'Have a look where Virat walks. Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever.'
The skipper, however, lamented that his team often stood at the receiving end of such decisions.
Captain Pat Cummins reflected on the significance of this Christmas gathering, highlighting the strong bond within the Australian cricket team.
Will India drop Rohit for the Sydney Test and put Kohli on notice? Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
Sumit Nagal on Monday dropped out of the much-desired bracket following a string of poor show
Marnus Labuschagne believes India's memorable fourth innings run chase at the Gabba from 2021 is of little relevance heading into the final day of a gripping Boxing Day Test.
Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologised to Novak Djokovic and fans of the Serbian for comments he made on TV on Friday night.
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar expressed his displeasure after not being invited to present the trophy, named after him and Allan Border, to Australia following their victory over India in the high-voltage five-Test finale at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Australia captain Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of the Champions Trophy while fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood is also a doubt for the tournament.
Images from Day 3 of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the MCG on Saturday.
An uncapped Easwaran and a 53-Test veteran Rahul, who is known for his ability to bat anywhere in the order, are the leading contenders to partner Jaiswal in Perth, but both fell cheaply against Australia A.
'There is no substitute for hard work. The relentless effort behind the scenes translates into success on the field. The Indian bowlers are ticking every box as we get ready for the Boxing Day Test.'
'I have idolised him from a young age and he is a legend of the game.'
With a heavy downpour preventing the resumption of play after the break, the match was abandoned and the series remains locked at 1-1.
