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.
Jannik Sinner retained his Australian Open title with an emphatic 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Alexander Zverev on Sunday
Sinner has made the most of a favourable draw at the grasscourt major this year
Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini became the first all Italian pair to win a grand slam men's doubles title in almost 60 years when they beat Frenchmen Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4 6-4 at the Australian Open on Saturday.
List of French Open men's singles champions:
Top singles player Yuki Bhambri on Monday returned to the Indian Davis Cup team along with Saketh Myneni even as veteran Leander Paes was expectedly dropped from the squad for the tie against Canada next month.
Images from Day 5 of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Friday.
Paes was dropped from the tie against Uzbekistan last April. He has been out of favour since the Bengaluru fiasco when he was not included in the starting line-up by captain, Mahesh Bhupathi.
India's Davis Cup Captain Mahesh Bhupathi picked Rohan Bopanna for the Davis Cup match against Uzbekistan in Bengaluru.
The 2nd major of the year, the French Open will start on the weekend. With the clay-court grand slam starting on Sunday, here is the list of French Open champions over the years
AITA usually names five-member squad apart from one or two reserve players.
Leander Paes is set to return to the Indian Davis Cup squad after making himself available for the upcoming tie against Pakistan as the country's top players and non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi have refused to travel to the neighbouring nation, citing security concerns.
List of French Open men's singles champions:
Bopanna being the highest-ranked doubles player in the country is automatic choice for the doubles rubber.
Former Davis Cup captain Jaidip Mukerjea on Thursday termed Leander Paes' unceremonious ouster as sad but said it is a step in the right direction.
The Indian Davis Cup team was staring at defeat at the zonal level for the first time in five years following shock defeats of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal on the opening day of the second round tie against China, in Tianjin, on Friday.
The 44-year-old veteran says he has not lost hope and by his own admission, he is still playing the game for the love of it.
Images from Day 9 of Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, on Wednesday.
Bopanna also in reserves while four single specialists named in squad
India will now face world number two Croatia for the Qualifiers in an away tie
Leander Paes has achieved by creating a Davis Cup world record on a 'phenomenal' day for Indian tennis
eander Paes will make yet another attempt to set a Davis Cup record for the most doubles victories when India takes on China in a new two-day format for a place in the World Group Play-offs, in Tianjin, China, on Friday.
Divij Sharan, who was a reserve in the Indian Davis Cup team, has decided not to travel for the away tie against China, a move which may soon pave the way for introduction of a code of conduct for players.
Leander Paes became the most successful player in the history of Davis Cup as he combined with Rohan Bopanna to not only grab a record 43rd win but also bring India back in tie against China, in Tianjin, on Saturday.
Images from Day 6 of Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, on Saturday.
All eyes will be on veteran Leander Paes, who is the on the cusp of a historic world record in perhaps his last appearance in Davis Cup.
Paes' inclusion under cloud as Indian team readies for a shake-up
Long-serving Leander Paes was, on Thursday, dropped for the first time in 27 years from India's Davis Cup squad as non-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi picked Rohan Bopanna instead for the tie against Uzbekistan.
Leander Paes' hopes of creating a world record in Davis Cup were dashed when the veteran Indian and Vishnu Vardhan lost the third rubber to strong rivals Artem Sitak and Michael Venus, who kept the New Zealand alive in the Asia-Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie.
The Indian Davis Cup team is set for a battle of gigantic proportions as it takes on five-time champions Spain, who have packed the side with world class performers headlined by the legendary Rafael Nadal in their desperation to reclaim a spot in the elite World Group.
The 43-year-old, whose longevity is a talked about tale in world tennis, said the line-up that Spain has presented for the Davis Cup tie against India is a must watch for every single budding athlete in the country.
Rafael Nadal came to the party just when it mattered most as he partnered Marc Lopez scripting a decisive win against Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni giving Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Davis Cup Play-off tie against India in New Delhi on Saturday. Paes and Saketh Myneni, combining for the first time in Davis Cup, lost 6-4 6-7(2) 4-6 4-6 but not without a brave fight that tested the Rio Olympic gold medallist pair for three hours and 23 minutes in the must-win rubber. The defeat also prolonged the Indian legend's wait for the world record wins Davis Cup.
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