Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has defended his Serbian compatriot Novak Djokovic for hosting the ill-fated Adria Tour where a number of players, including the world number one, tested positive for COVID-19. Djokovic was criticised for hosting the tennis tournament amid a pandemic after his coach Goran Ivanisevic and players Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki returned positive tests over the two legs in Serbia and Croatia.
Nadal had previously said this year could be his final one on the tour.
World number one Novak Djokovic is on verge to become the first man to win US$100 million in prize money as he aims to book his place in the quarter-finals of the French Open for the 10th time.
"This is going to be a huge confidence boost and springboard for whatever is coming up and for the rest of my career."
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who turns 40 this year, takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round one.
Professional sports events in Italy have been played without fans since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic but sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora said fans would be allowed to attend the closing stages of the tournament on Sunday and Monday.
Russia's fourth seed Daniil Medvedev crushed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to set up a title clash with Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday.
Carlos Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic's reign to usher in a new era at Wimbledon -- a win that was being trumpeted as the changing of the guard in men's tennis.
IMAGES from Day 9 of the US Open, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York.
The Spaniard, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in a grand slam, grew in confidence in the second set, however, with the backing of the home support on the Manolo Santana court and saved two break points before forcing a decider.
It was only 13-time champion Rafael Nadal's third defeat here since his debut in 2005 and the first time in 115 best-of-five-set matches on clay that he had lost after taking the opening set.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said he would not be surprised if Daniil Medvedev beat Novak Djokovic
The ATP Tour brought the world number ones for a short conversation as they prepared for the prestigious tournament.
Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic took the men's prize for the fourth time, having won seven titles this season and the year-end top ranking for the third time in four years, while Serena Williams won the award for the fifth time in a career that has brought her 18 Grand Slam singles titles -- the most recent at this year's US Open.
Novak Djokovic does not consider himself among the favourites at next month's Wimbledon and shares the popular view that defending champion Roger Federer is likely to win a record ninth trophy at the All England Club.
Andy Murray punctured Novak Djokovic's air of dominance by beating the out-of-sorts Serb in straight sets in the final of the Italian Open in Rome on Sunday.
Nadal says Wimbledon ban on Russian and Belarusian players unfair
Nick Kyrgios has likened Novak Djokovic to NBA player LeBron James in his influence both on and off the court but says he had a duty to call out the world number one when he "lost his way" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next up for the 35-year-old will be another American in 39th-ranked Tommy Paul with a potential semi-final clash against top-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev, who he defeated in the Australian Open final from a two-sets deficit.
Novak Djokovic will keep Andre Agassi as his head coach when he returns to action after recovering from an elbow injury which forced him to cut short his season in July, Serbia's former world number one said on Tuesday.
Having picked himself up after the disappointment of failing to complete his grand slam collection in Paris, Novak Djokovic begins his Wimbledon defence looking for a repeat of last year's "perfect tournament".
Novak Djokovic turned on the style to outclass old adversary Rafael Nadal and reach the final of the ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the 02 Arena in London, on Saturday.
World number one Novak Djokovic was released from Australian immigration detention on Monday after winning a court challenge to revive his bid to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the upcoming Australian Open.
It is a U-turn from Novak Djokovic after his June statements that competing at the 2020 US Open would be 'impossible' due to 'extreme' COVID-19 protocols for the tournament at Flushing Meadows.
I physically feel very fit. I'm very motivated to keep on playing on a very high level, says Novak Djokovic.
Physically extraordinary Djokovic is battle ready, asserts coach Agassi
Novak Djokovic kicked off his season in style with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Canadian talent Denis Shapovalov on his favourite Rod Laver Arena court on Tuesday before returning to lead Serbia to a doubles victory that sealed their ATP Cup opener 2-1.
Jannik Sinner kept alive his dream of becoming the first Italian to lift three Grand Slam singles trophies.
Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi's decision to share the World Blitz Championship title for the first time in history sparked widespread criticism.
The two cases shocked the tennis world with many fuming at how they were handled by the authorities.
Jannik Sinner became the first Italian to win the ATP Finals title following a dominant 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Taylor Fritz.
Djokovic dismissed suggestions he was under intense pressure to overhaul Nadal and Federer in their three-way race to become the greatest male player of all time.
Eight-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl said whoever ends up winning the most majors among the 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic should be considered the greatest male tennis player of the Open era. Federer, who will be 39 in August, leads the race with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, with Spaniard Nadal close on his heels with 19. Reigning world No. 1 Djokovic is three behind the Swiss with 17 majors under his belt and is the youngest of the trio - at 32 he is a year younger than Nadal.
Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely pulled off a huge upset at the Monte Carlo Masters after knocking out defending champion and World No 1 Novak Djokovic at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, on Wednesday.
Carlos Alcaraz is the first man to defend a championship in the California desert since Novak Djokovic won three straight between 2014-2016.
Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic pledged one million euros ($1.10 million) to help buy ventilators and other medical equipment in his native Serbia on Friday, joining a list of other athletes in the fight against coronavirus.
Djokovic did not play badly in the final but it took him 55 minutes before he registered his first game in what turned out to be a mauling.
Six weeks after completing one of the greatest seasons in tennis history, Novak Djokovic begins his 2016 campaign and warm-up for his Australian Open defense in Qatar.
Earning his fourth straight win over a top-10 player this week, Khachanov, whose muscular game resembles that of his childhood hero Marat Safin, a Russian three-times winner in Paris, picked up the biggest title of his burgeoning career.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic was knocked out of the Australian Open quarter-finals by Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 on Tuesday.
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