'I knew I was going to come back but my first thought was, 'Oh my god I'm never going to play tennis again.'
Halep, the beaten finalist in the French Open last week, is the latest top player to pull out from the event after Czech world number three Karolina Pliskova opted to rest her injured elbow ahead of Wimbledon.
Italy's Matteo Berrettini overcame second seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(9), 6-4 to win his first title at the Swiss Open in Gstaad on Sunday.
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics has disappointed athletes around the world but, if the coronavirus pandemic eases over the next few months, it could turn out to be a blessing for the tennis world.
Naomi Osaka's total is the most ever earned by a female athlete in a 12-month period.
The 24-year-old Tunisian is the only player from the continent in the women's draw and only the second Arabic woman ever to crack the top 100 in the WTA rankings.
All 112 matches of the 'NZ Premier League' will be played in Auckland without spectators but broadcast live on Sky Sport or the Youtube channel, Sky Sport Next, Tennis New Zealand said on Monday.
Emma Raducanu is a symbol of Britain's multi-cultural society
Rafael Nadal has criticised Wimbledon's unique seedings formula, which could hinder his chances of a third title when the tournament starts on Monday.
Form guide for American Serena Williams ahead of Thursday's US Open semi-final clash against Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova:
Maria Sharapova's fellow players described her as inspirational and praised her fighting spirit following the Russian's announcement of her retirement from tennis at the age of 32 on Wednesday. The injury-plagued Sharapova, renowned for her never-say-die approach to the sport despite regularly being hampered by shoulder problems, won five Grand Slam titles.
World number one Novak Djokovic eased past Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to lift his fifth Dubai Tennis Championships title on Saturday, extending his unbeaten start to the 2020 season. Djokovic has now won 21 straight matches, including 18 this season, having already lifted the inaugural ATP Cup with Serbia and a record-extending eighth Australian Open title last month.
Images from the women's singles final at the French Open, in Paris, on Saturday.
Images from Day 5 of the Wimbledon tennis championships played in London, on Friday.
Paula Badosa survived a stiff challenge from Victoria Azarenka in the Indian Wells final, while Cameron Norrie battled back to defeat Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Kuznetsova unable to defend Washington title over 'visa issues'
At one stage Yuki was a break up, serving for the opening set but lost his serve and eventually the set. After drawing parity, Yuki twice lost his serve to fall behind 0-3 in the decisive set and never recovered.
Aryna Sabalenka expressed more concern over the vaccine than her quarterfinal opponent No 1 Ash Barty
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka criticised French Open organisers on Sunday for scheduling men's matches in all but one of the night slots so far this year.
'I definitely think it's the time to just switch off from any future thoughts or any plans, any schedule. I've got absolutely no clue. Right now, no care in the world, I'm just loving life.'
The Madrid Open, which was rescheduled to take place from Sept. 12-20 and features both men's and women's events, is an important tournament for the players to prepare for the French Open which now begins on Sept. 27.
'I haven't thought about anything. I mean I'm just here, I'm having a good time, I'm winning. What more can I ask for in a comeback?'
The Ultimate Tennis Showdown will be held at Patrick Mouratoglou's academy in Nice with 10 matches every weekend for a total of 50 matches and prize money on offer for each clash.
Having clawed her way back after years of setbacks in her career and personal life, US Open runner up Victoria Azarenka said on Saturday that she wouldn't let her three-set loss to Naomi Osaka in the final keep her down for long.
Sania Mirza earned herself a shot at another WTA title by reaching the summit clash of the WTA Wuhan Open with Czech partner Barbora Strycova, in Wuhan, on Friday.
The 22-year-old from Haryana ended runners up in the Banja Luka ATP Challenger event on Sunday following a first round appearance at the US Open last month.
Simona Halep finds the prospect of 14 days of quarantine ahead of the Australian Open daunting
Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, reintroduced the compulsory wearing of masks in indoor public places from Thursday while private gatherings were reduced from 30 people to 15.
Sixteen-year-old Coco Gauff said her game is the "best it's ever been," as she aims to build on her Grand Slam success as the US Open kicks off on Monday.
With no standout favourite in the women's field, it could provide an ideal stage for American Serena Williams to finally end her quest for an elusive 24th Grand Slam title.
The professional tennis circuit, which requires players to jet around the world, was forced into shutdown in early March as countries went into lockdown and closed their borders to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The investigation, which was opened on Oct. 1, is being handled by the French police's Central Service of Races and Games (SSCJ).
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Players will compete for A$450,000 (249,624) in the series, with matches taking place at closed stadiums and under strict biosecurity protocols in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Sunday it would undertake a review of its communication policies after a string of umpiring controversies at the U.S. Open.
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova said on Wednesday that she will not travel to New York to take part in the US Open later this month as organisers could not guarantee her health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Open is set to be played from August 31-September 12 even as the country leads the world with over 4.7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 157,000 deaths.
BNP Paribas Open chief executive and tournament director Raymond Moore provoked outrage with controversial comments he made before the women's and men's finals at Indian Wells, and later issued an official apology.
'So I'm just going to try to enjoy myself. To be back on the court right now is really just a privilege without thinking about any results or any goals or focused on numbers or anything else'
Victoria Azarenka was anything but amused when Kim Clijsters accused her of benefiting from "illegal coaching" from her players' box during her nail-biting victory over Britain's Heather Watson in the Wimbledon third round on Friday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances