There could be no place more appropriate for Djokovic to finally break free of his tie with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles than in her own backyard at Melbourne Park, where he has won the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup 10 times.
The free-swinging Monfils broke Draper's serve in the fourth set as the clock moved past 11pm local time and saved five break points in an epic seventh game to move 5-2 ahead.
Madison Keys is the second-oldest woman to claim her first Australian Open singles title in the Open era.
Jannik Sinner swats aside Giron to reach Australian Open fourth round
Zverev fresh for Australian Open final after being spared gruelling Djokovic test
After successfully defending her Australian Open trophy in January, Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open crown in September for her third Grand Slam title.
Four-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who is gearing up to defend the French Open title later this month, fired off 24 winners in a strong performance to seal victory.
Leander Paes is just three shy of completing a century of Grand Slam appearances but is now unsure whether uncertainty caused by coronavirus pandemic will allow him to complete the coveted milestone or for that matter compete at the next year's Tokyo Olympics. Paes had announced that 2020 would be his last season as a professional player but his plan to bid adieu on a high with a record eight appearance at the Olympics, was stalled by the COVID-19 outbreak, which has wrecked the sporting calendar around the world.
Images from Day 1 of the 2025 French Open in Paris on Sunday.
Sumit Nagal will take on Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in the opening round of the Australian Open
World champion D Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw with Hikaru Nakamura of United States in the first game of the 5-8 place play-offs.
Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal said he would love to finish his career with more Grand Slam titles than rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic but thinks he will have to secure more than 21 to do so.
Coco Gauff ended local heroine Lois Boisson's dream run at the French Open with a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 victory on Thursday to set up a final clash with top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
The Serbian 24-times Grand Slam champion trailed Korda 5-2 in the second set but broke the American as he served at 5-3 and his precise and powerful serving carried him to the finish.
Sania Mirza capped off her glorious Grand Slam career with a runners-up finish alongside 'best friend' Rohan Bopanna in the Australian Open mixed doubles final in Melbourne on Friday.
Flattens Faria in 2nd round to advance in Melbourne
Norwegian Casper Ruud did not let a rib injury get in the way of setting up a Madrid Open final showdown with fifth seed Jack Draper as he reached the title match without dropping a set following a 6-4 7-5 win over Francisco Cerundolo on Friday.
Novak Djokovic was seriously rattled early on by inspired American teenager Nishesh Basavareddy but rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Monday.
The 20-times Grand Slam champion is putting various items under the hammer in two sales in June and July at Christie's to raise money for his foundation.
Medvedev outlasts Zverev to reach Halle final
Russian-born world number 12 Daria Kasatkina on Friday announced that she will now represent Australia after her application for permanent residency was accepted by the government.
Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her giant-slaying exploits at the Dubai Tennis Championships by upsetting Kazakhstani sixth seed Elena Rybakina 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday.
Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis on Tuesday after losing in the first round at her home event in Cluj.
With poise beyond his 19 years and enviable stamina, Carlos Alcaraz faced down the crowd and Frances Tiafoe on Friday night to collect another thrilling win and reach the US Open final.
Reigning world chess champion D Gukesh has stated that he is open to competing in all formats of chess, including the newly popular freestyle format, but believes that classical chess, with its rich history, will always hold the greatest significance. Despite concerns of a potential split in the sport between supporters of freestyle and classical chess, Gukesh sees no reason for division, highlighting the excitement of freestyle while acknowledging the importance of the traditional format's legacy.
How Nadal surpassed the haul of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Sinner's settlement brought plenty of criticism from both current and former players, with Serena Williams saying she would have been banned for 20 years and had her Grand Slam titles taken away had she tested positive in a similar fashion.
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.
Sinner unclear about CAS case ahead of Australian Open defence
Scottie Scheffler corrected swing issues in time to hold off a spirited effort by Spaniard Jon Rahm for a runaway victory and third career major title.
Not since Stan Wawrinka's 2016 US Open triumph has a Grand Slam been won by someone other than the 'Big Three', winners of the last 13 major titles.
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.
'This introduction that has now been in place for sometime could well give that additional flavour for the chess players as they will be able to guess the pressure that a certain player is feeling during the course of a game.'
IMAGES from Day 1 of 2025 Wimbledon Championships played at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Monday.
Jannik Sinner set his sights on mastering clay and grass courts to make himself a complete player
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.
'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.'
Alcaraz worked on making his serve more potent in the off-season and was thrilled with how it held up against Nishioka.
'I've seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn't expect such harsh judgements.'
Magnus Carlsen feels he's still better than the young generation of chess players, but the Norwegian great is ruling out a comeback at the classical world championship.
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