Some of the players' high-profile backers, including women's sports pioneer Billie Jean King and presumptive US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, leapt to their defence after news of their legal setback broke.
"I really felt for Shafali Verma at the end, it was tough seeing her in tears but she should be very proud of the way she's performed in Australia," Brett Lee wrote in his column for the ICC.
Serena 'out of line' but both sides share blame says King
'I was trying to play every match like it was my last one. Trying to play best all the time' 'For me it is easy to practise and stay in this life but sometimes it is hard to compete'
Roger Federer and Serena Williams, holders of a combined 43 singles Grand Slam titles, will face each other for the first time on Tuesday when they feature in the Hopman Cup mixed doubles match.
Awesome images from the world of Sport 2018.
Earlier in the day, Russia was banned from defending its Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup titles but its players will still be allowed to compete at the Grand Slams and in regular tour events.
Aryna Sabalenka bludgeoned her way to a maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Kazakh 22nd seed Elena Rybakina on Saturday in a thrilling final .
Wimbledon's favourite son Roger Federer swapped his usual tennis whites for a dark suit and tie and was given a rousing standing ovation as he joined a number of Wimbledon champions dating back to the 1960s for Centre Court's centenary celebrations.
The US women's soccer team's claims for equal pay were dismissed by a court on Friday, handing a victory to the United States Soccer Federation. Judge R Gary Klausner of the United States District Court for the Central District of California threw out players' claims that they were under paid in comparison with the men's national team but allowed complaints of unfair medical, travel and training to proceed to trial.
Recently-elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino was told on Monday that 'women are part of the solution' to the problems that have plagued football's scandal-plagued world governing body.
Ana Konjuh has opened some eyes at Flushing Meadows as the 18-year-old former world number one junior emerged to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the US Open.
Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz beat Norway's Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-3 in the men's singles final at the US Open on Sunday to win his maiden Grand Slam title and rise to world number one for the first time.
Five-times champion Roger Federer reached his first US Open final in six years as he raced past fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 at Flushing Meadows in the semi-finals on Friday.
'He probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves a better athlete than me'
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar has revealed that the first thoughts of retiring from international cricket came to his mind in October 2013 during a Champions League T20 match in New Delhi, just a month before he decided to call it quits.
Fritz delivers as US win inaugural United Cup crown
The final will pit power against power when Andreescu takes on her childhood hero Williams, who claimed her first US Open title in 1999 before Andreescu was even born.
Serena Williams has been vulnerable this Grand Slam season but unbeaten in the year's first three major championships.
Rohan Bopanna teamed up with Canada's Denis Shapovalov to enter the quarter-finals of the Rotterdam Open
'I LOVE YOU, Roger. Thank you for everything you've done in tennis and with myself. Tennis world will never be the same without you.'
Tennis great and founder of the WTA Billie Jean King was among those who applauded the announcement.
On Sunday the Ukrainian Tennis Federation urged the sport's governing body the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to immediately expel Russia and Belarus from the organisation and ban Russia from team and individual tournaments. Also, athletes from Ukraine and other nations have called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend Russia and Belarus and ban their athletes from events immediately.
A six-time champion at Flushing Meadows, Williams was once money in the bank when it came to the US Open
With the physical demands of modern-day tennis taking its toll the tournament will start without four of the top 11 in the ATP rankings including defending champion Stan Wawrinka who ended his season early with a knee injury.
Badosa beats Fernandez; Swiatek, Halep storm into quarter-finals
'I am a private person but over time I have figured there are certain things people want to see, which people want to know.'
'Remarkable discipline for training, competition, sacrifice, perfection, a little crazy but a legend of a bloke. Bravo Andy'.
Following is a list of Serena Williams' 23 grand slam singles titles after the American surpassed Steffi Graf's professional era record with victory at the Australian Open on Saturday:
A summary of Novak Djokovic's rise in the tennis circuit in photos.
Black Lives Matter was stenciled onto NFL fields and NBA courts. Athletes raised fists and took the knee.
Venus Williams and CoCo Vandeweghe won the opening singles matches to give holders the United States a commanding 2-0 lead in their Fed Cup World Group opener against the Netherlands in Asheville, North Carolina on Saturday.
It was Novak Djokovic's first match this year after his Australian Open hopes were dashed when he was deported following an 11-day saga revolving around his decision not to have a COVID-19 vaccination.
List of Australian Open women's singles champions since the event began in 1922 (Australian unless stated):
A quick guide into the life of Serena Williams, the GOAT - The Greatest of All Time!
We should all bow before the legend that is Leander, says Rahul Jacob.
Following Serena Williams's 19th Grand Slam title, here is the list of Australian Open women's singles champions since the event began in 1922 (Australian unless stated)
Images from Day 4 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros in Paris on Wednesday
Second seed Angelique Kerber stayed on track in her quest to unseat Serena Williams as world number one by beating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia 6-2, 7-6(7) on Wednesday to reach the third round of the US Open.
Images from the third day at the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, in New York, on Wednesday:
