Jakub Mensik said he tried to compose himself like his mentor Novak Djokovic would to handle the partisan French Open crowd after the talented Czech teenager downed local hope Alexandre Muller in a tense clash on Tuesday.
Nick Kyrgios will only feature in the doubles at the Australian Open, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18.
Alexander Zverev advanced to the French Open quarter-finals after his opponent Tallon Griekspoor retired midway
Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne
Novak Djokovic was shocked by Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the second round of Indian Wells on Saturday as the Serbian suffered an early exit at the hands of a tournament lucky loser for a second consecutive year.
'It's a different surface and I've not had much time to get used to this tournament so my expectations aren't that high.'
'I've practised with both of them a little bit and they're incredible ball strikers. There's more to come, I hope they stay injury-free.'
Novak Djokovic said working with coach Andy Murray still felt a bit surreal but it offered him the opportunity to finally build a personal relationship with the Scot after their long rivalry on court.
Sebastian Ofner may never forget the rules of the sport again after his premature victory celebration turned into a nightmare collapse against Nishesh Basavareddy in the Australian Open qualifiers on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic won 12 of the last 14 games of his match against Lorenzo Musetti to crush the Italian 6-2, 6-2 and move into the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in his best performance since the Australian Open.
World number eight Mirra Andreeva warmed up for the Australian Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over fellow teenager Victoria Mboko in the Adelaide International final on Saturday to claim her fourth WTA Tour title.
Djokovic has spent more than 400 weeks at number one and now sits fifth in the rankings
'My dad is trying to retire me for a while now ...
While off-court battles over pay and governance rumbled on, opportunities were scarce beyond the duopoly at the top of the men's game, leaving Djokovic to provide the year's standout moments for the chasing pack.
Novak Djokovic is one win away from a 100th career singles title after breezing past Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 on Friday to reach the Miami Open final, where he will face either third seed Taylor Fritz or rising Czech Jakub Mensik.
Novak Djokovic made no excuses for the poor performance that sent the five-time Indian Wells champion packing from the California desert on Saturday after falling 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
This milestone underscores his longevity and commitment to the sport, especially considering the physical and mental demands of playing at the top level.
Novak Djokovic said he has recovered from the hamstring injury that forced him out of the Australian Open semi-finals
Carlos Alcaraz would rather win his first Australian Open than retain his French Open and US Open titles next year, the Spaniard said on Friday, a day after sealing the year-end world number one ranking at the ATP Finals.
Both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam winner, were noncommittal about whether they would continue to work together.
IMAGES from the French Open at Roland Garros, in Paris, France, on Wednesday.
A solitary break in the eighth game was all Djokovic needed to take the opening set, as the 37-year-old looked in total control despite playing well within himself in perfect conditions at a packed centre court.
'I've never been a fan of division in our sport, but I've always fought for better representation and influence of and positioning of the players globally in our sport, which I think is still not where I think it should be.'
Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologised to Novak Djokovic and fans of the Serbian for comments he made on TV on Friday night.
Novak Djokovic fell short in his bid to claim a 100th ATP title following a straight sets defeat by Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in the Miami Open final
World number six Novak Djokovic has pulled out of Serbia's Davis Cup first-round qualifying tie due to injury.
Stanislas Wawrinka will hang up his racquet at the end of 2026, the three-times Grand Slam champion announced on Friday, bringing down the curtain on a 24-year professional career that saw him gatecrash tennis's elite during the sport's golden era.
Russian seventh seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2023 Miami champion who arrived this year fresh off a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals, crashed out at the first hurdle as he fell 6-2, 6-3 to Spaniard Jaume Munar.
At 27, the second seed is still seeking his first Grand Slam title and hopes to become the first German man to win the Australian Open since Boris Becker in 1996.
The 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik beat his childhood idol Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final in an upset for the ages on Sunday.
The unanswerable question, of course, is whether Djokovic is the GOAT. That's a complex issue over which fans will forever bicker, observes Kanika Datta.
Struggling Swiatek will open her campaign against Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova.
While forthcoming with Murray, Djokovic was in no mood to elaborate on comments that he had been fed poisoned food while in detention during the 2022 Australian Open visa saga.
Coco Gauff forgot to bring her rackets to the court but reminded her rivals of her French Open title ambitions with a commanding win while Daniil Medvedev lost his composure on a cold and blustery Tuesday as he crashed out in the opening round.
'The only reason I come back is because of the love you (fans) give me'
Djokovic, who is ranked seventh in the world, will be on the hunt for a record 25th major title when the 2025 Australian Open begins next Sunday.
The Australian Open will offer a record A$111.5 million ($74.73 million) in prize money this year and while players welcomed the increase, top names like Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka said the push for a bigger payout must continue across the Grand Slams.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 17, at Rod Laver Arena. The Australian Open main draw begins on January 18.
Carlos Alcaraz battled a leg issue and survived a five-hour, 27-minute thriller against Alexander Zverev to reach his first Australian Open final and keep his career Grand Slam dream alive.
Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios enthralled fans on their debut as a doubles team on Monday
