The three-time major winner would be given a protected ranking of number two, the Australian Open organisers said
Novak Djokovic won a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title by after winning this year's Wimbledon drawing level with long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Photos from the French Open matches played at the Roland Garros on Thursday
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
Images from Day 1 of the 2022 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Monday.
The 34-year-old practised for an hour on Thursday evening at the Rod Laver Arena and his fitness was improving "little by little, step by step", sources close to Nadal told Reuters.
The 21-year-old German became only the fifth active player to win at least three Masters 1000 titles -- joining the 'big four' of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
To the clear delight of the fans, however, Djokovic then bounded onto the court after his practice partner had won the first set and proceeded to wrap up a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Italian teenager.
Jelena Jankovic teamed up with men's world number one Djokovic at his tennis complex in Serbia's capital and beat the duo of Serbia's Davis Cup captain Nenad Zimonjic and 19-year-old prospect Olga Danilovic 7-6 in a mixed doubles contest.
was on a 21-match unbeaten run before the season came to a halt in early March, winning the ATP Cup with Serbia, an eighth Australian Open title and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships crown.
"You can't think that (Kei) Nishikori, Dominic Thiem or Marin Cilic have a chance," the former French Open champion said.
Rafael Nadal dropped a set at Roland Garros for the first time in two years but roared back to beat 10th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Wednesday and storm into the French Open semi-finals.
Edmund sailed through in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 against world number 70 Jeremy Chardy and will face fourth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria.
The world No 1 is certainly buoyed by the prospect of emulating his achievement of holding all four majors but knows that nothing less than perfection will be required.
Rafael Nadal and the other members of the 'big four' know that a new band of brash youngsters are on the horizon, but the Spaniard showed on Thursday they will not be handing over the keys to the game's trophy cabinet just yet.
A round-up of the fifth day's play at the French Open.
The professional tennis circuit, which requires players to jet around the world, was forced into shutdown in early March as countries went into lockdown and closed their borders to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Nadal has a habit of truly coming into his own at Roland Garros, as his 100-2 win-loss record testifies.
Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka crashed to a shock second-round defeat at the Madrid Open on Tuesday when he was upset 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 by qualifier Dominic Thiem.
Novak Djokovic endured a fierce challenge to his Melbourne Park reign before overhauling Dominic Thiem 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to clinch an eighth Australian Open crown and reclaim the world number one ranking. While Rafa Nadal rules Roland Garros with 12 titles, Djokovic holds sway in the title match at Rod Laver Arena having never lost a final in Melbourne Park.
No clear favourite for Australian Open, says Djokovic
The extended lockdown of tennis will help Andy Murray's return from injury but it will be "a big ask" for him to add to his three Grand Slam titles, according to former British number one Greg Rusedski. Murray underwent hip re-surfacing surgery at the start of 2019 and resumed playing doubles in June before returning to singles action in August.
"It's not even a dream to win here 11 times, because its impossible to think of something like this."
The winners of the Serbia-Germany tie will join Spain, Russia and Italy in the semi-finals.
Rafael Nadal, the king of clay won his 11th French Open title on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal will be aiming to win a record-extending 13th French Open when the re-scheduled claycourt event starts at the end of September.
Djokovic received a lot of heat from the tennis community and fans alike after testing positive.
Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric tested positive for COVID-19 while participating in Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour exhibition tournament
Coric's positive test follows that of Grigor Dimitrov, who said on Sunday he had contracted the novel coronavirus.
The tournaments involve eight players each, divided into two pools of four on a round-robin basis. Sets have been slashed to best-of-seven games.
German youngster Alexander Zverev pulled off the biggest win of his career on Sunday when he beat world number two Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 to win the Italian Open on Sunday.
The Serbian second seed will now play Austrian Dominic Thiem, who shocked seven times winner Rafa Nadal on Friday but has lost his previous four encounters with Djokovic, in the evening semi-final.
The two standout performers will meet after 21-year-old Greek debutant Tsitsipas eclipsed six-times champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4 and Austrian Thiem dispatched defending champion Alexander Zverev 7-5, 6-3.
After an Olympic stumble Novak Djokovic will get a second bite at history in the Big Apple with a calendar year Grand Slam there for the taking at the US Open.
Indian Davis Cupper Prajnesh Gunnewaran, on Wednesday, earned the biggest win of his career by stunning world number 23 Denis Shapovalov in the opening round of the ATP Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.
Zverev has not lost to Wawrinka in two previous meetings but is not taking the 2014 Melbourne Park champion lightly.
Djokovic was soundly beaten by Zverev in the 2018 final, a match played out in an electrifying atmosphere in front of 18,000 fans. This time the arena was empty because of the COVID-19 lockdown, a surreal backdrop for a match with so much riding on it for both men.
With each passing year questions are inevitably asked about whether Nadal's vice-like hold on the French Open will be loosened. Each time, the answer has been an emphatic NO.
The 24-year-old was staring at defeat while down a set and a break but dug deep to prevail in two hours 24 minutes for his 200th tour match victory and his 10th ATP title.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances