Tennis Archives

Carlos Alcaraz battles back to reach Indian Wells fourth round

Carlos Alcaraz had to dig deep to extend his 2026 unbeaten run, rallying from a set and a break down to beat Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round at Indian Wells on Monday.

The big-serving Frenchman’s aggressive game forced world number one Alcaraz to call on every shot in his arsenal to turn a tense contest his way.

Alcaraz will face 13th-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Really happy that I was able to turn things around,” said Alcaraz.

The Spaniard nearly managed to steal the first-set tiebreaker, in which he had trailed 2-5, but a wayward forehand on set point gave Rinderknech his chance to pocket the set with a pair of winners.

Rinderknech then produced the first service break of the match to put the top seed in a hole in the opening game of the second set.

Alcaraz responded with an immediate break back, ramping up the pressure on Rinderknech’s serve on the way to a decisive break in the sixth game.

When Alcaraz broke again to open the third set, he was on his way, rolling to his sixth win over 26th-ranked Rinderknech in six career meetings.

“In the beginning, I was a little bit mad with myself because I just had a lot of chances in the first set, a few break points, a set point, and I couldn’t make it,” Alcaraz said.

“I got in trouble, to be honest. But I’m just really happy with the way that I just dealt with everything that was happening, accepted it, kept going, stayed strong mentally.”

Rinderknech had never won a match in Indian Wells in three prior appearances, and he leaves this edition without an on-court victory after enjoying a first-round bye and advancing to the third round by walkover.

Carlos Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his victory at the Australian Open.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He followed that up with the Qatar Open title, and with two wins under his belt in Indian Wells, is now 14-0 on the season.

He next faces Ruud, who beat Valentin Vacherot 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was hard going for world number three Novak Djokovic in his 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory over 72nd-ranked American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who peppered Djokovic with 16 aces.

Djokovic made an early break to take the first set, but Kovacevic found his groove and rolled through the second against the clearly frustrated Serb.

Djokovic regrouped in the third but didn’t find the break he needed until the final game.

“Today was really anybody’s game until the last couple of points,” Djokovic said. “That last game in the third, where he missed some first serves, gave me looks on the second, and I used it. That’s pretty much it.”

With five Indian Wells titles, Djokovic is tied for the record with Swiss great Roger Federer, but he’s in the fourth round for the first time since 2017.

Djokovic next faces defending champion Jack Draper, who beat Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-1, 7-5.

Draper’s victory here last year launched his rise to fourth in the world.

But he then missed the better part of six months with an arm injury and arrived in California ranked 14th, his win over Cerundolo marking the first time since June that he’s posted back-to-back ATP victories.

A trio of top-10 players were sent packing.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie ousted sixth-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4, Alex Michelsen beat seventh-ranked fellow American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) and Australian qualifier Rinki Hijikata, ranked 117th in the world, shocked 10th-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

READ: Ashton Turner named Multan Sultans captain ahead of PSL 11

Aryna Sabalenka shows off engagement ring during Indian Wells win

INDIAN WELLS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka made a sparkling appearance at the Indian Wells Open on Friday, not only cruising into the next round but also debuting her engagement ring during her second-round victory.

The Belarusian star defeated Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-2 in a commanding performance, but much of the attention also fell on the striking oval-cut diamond ring she wore during the match.

Sabalenka recently got engaged to her Brazilian fiance, Georgios Franguli, with the proposal taking place earlier this week.

The 27-year-old revealed after the match that she felt confident wearing the ring during competition and had taken precautions to ensure it was safe.

“I was pretty confident wearing this ring,” Sabalenka told reporters. “It feels super comfortable and shiny.”

She added that her team had carefully checked whether there was any risk of the diamond coming loose during play.

“We double-checked if there was a possibility to lose the diamond, and there was none,” she said with a smile. “I was pretty confident wearing it, hoping it might even distract my opponent.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sabalenka, who has reached the final of the prestigious WTA 1000 event twice in the past three years, also shared details about the emotional moment when Franguli proposed.

According to the world number one, the proposal came as a complete surprise, although members of her team were aware of the plan beforehand.

“I saw Georgios, and I was crying half the time,” she said. “I thought I looked ugly and not prepared, and this is such a beautiful moment.”

Aryna Sabalenka joked that she even tried to control how the moment was captured on camera.

“I asked the videographer and photographer to make sure my face wasn’t in the pictures, just the ring or side views, because I didn’t want people to see how I looked,” she said. “But it was a beautiful moment.”

Franguli is the chief executive of global health-food brand OakBerry, and Sabalenka lightheartedly reflected on what they have learned about each other since they began dating in 2024.

“What have I learned about him? He likes OakBerry a lot,” she joked. “And what he has learned about me? That I’m crazy.”

READ: Aryna Sabalenka opens Indian Wells bid with dominant win

Aryna Sabalenka opens Indian Wells bid with dominant win

World number one Aryna Sabalenka launched her bid for an elusive first Indian Wells title with a dominant 6-4, 6-2 second-round victory over Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume on Friday.

Sabalenka and men’s world number two Jannik Sinner headlined the day’s play as seeded players swung into action after enjoying first-round byes.

Sabalenka, playing her first tournament since a runner-up finish to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open, showed no sign of rust as she overpowered 136th-ranked Sakatsume, who was playing her first career match against a top-20 player.

“I’m really happy with the way I was serving, with the way I was putting her on the back foot,” said Sabalenka, who has twice reached the Indian Wells final but lost to Rybakina in 2023 and to Mirra Andreeva last year.

A nervous Sakatsume dropped her serve in the opening game but steadied after saving four break points to hold in the fifth.

Even so, she had no real answer to the Belarusian’s power and the lone break was enough for Sabalenka to seize the opening set.

After Sakatsume held serve to open the second, Sabalenka won five straight games, closing out the match after 72 minutes without facing a break point.

“I haven’t played for a while after the Australian Open, and happy with the performance today,” said Sabalenka, who was cheered on by Brazilian fiance Georgios Frangulis.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

She said the ring he surprised her with was “very comfy,” although she’d taken care to ascertain there was no danger of losing the impressive diamond solitaire during the rigours of a match.

“I was pretty confident wearing this ring,” she said. “It feels comfy, it feels shiny.

“I hope that my opponent will get distracted with this diamond and it’s going to benefit me,” she added with a laugh.

Men’s fourth-seed Alexander Zverev also sailed into the third round, beating Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4 without facing a break point.

It was an encouraging start for the German, who fell in his opening match last year and has never made it past the quarter-finals in the California desert.

“I have struggled in Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year,” he said.

Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics pulled the first big upset of the week, ousting fifth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-1.

It was another disappointing setback for Musetti, who was playing his first tournament since he retired with a right leg injury while leading 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic by two sets in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

READ: Sanju Samson eyes ‘one more’ big knock in T20 World Cup final

‘She’s coming back’: Novak Djokovic predicts Serena Williams’ return

Novak Djokovic is convinced US tennis great Serena Williams will return to competition, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion is itching to see “one of the greatest athletes” back on court.

“I think she’s coming back,” Djokovic said Wednesday at the ATP/WTA Indian Wells Masters.

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back. Where and how, singles, doubles, we don’t know, and if I’m in her position, I would hide it too.”

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, hasn’t competed since a third-round loss at the 2022 US Open.

But the 44-year-old mother of two re-entered the anti-doping testing pool in December and regained eligibility.

Initially she denied she planned a comeback, but in January she declined to rule it out, telling NBC’s “Today” show: “That’s not a yes or a no. I don’t know, I’m just going to see what happens.”

Djokovic said players were buzzing at the prospect.

“Everybody is excited, and it’s definitely something that’s very highly anticipated,” he said.

Williams’s sister Venus, 45, accepted a wild card into the Indian Wells singles draw and will face France’s Diane Parry in the first round.

Djokovic suggested Serena could return for Wimbledon — where she is a seven-time singles champion.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I pick that one as well as her comeback,” he said. “I don’t know. I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans’, for sure.

“She’s one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back too.”

Djokovic is seeded third in Indian Wells as he plays his first event since he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final, after toppling Jannik Sinner in the semis.

“For me that has been a phenomenal result,” the 38-year-old said. “I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.

“So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and also motivation to do that.

“There are objectives and goals that are always there. You want to win, so you want to get another title and get another Slam, hopefully,” he said. “I was close in Australia.”

Djokovic’s five Indian Wells titles are tied for the most with Swiss great Roger Federer.

But he hasn’t reached the quarter-finals since his last title run in 2016.

He’ll launch his latest desert campaign on Saturday against either France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak.

READ: Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘F1: The Movie’ sequel in the works

Daniil Medvedev wins Dubai title after Tallon Griekspoor withdrawal

Daniil Medvedev claimed his second Dubai title on Saturday following the withdrawal of his opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, due to a left hamstring injury.

The Russian also said he was unsure if he would be able to play next week’s ATP 1000 event in California after UAE airspace was partially closed due to Iranian strikes on the country, following the United States’ and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Dutchman Griekspoor picked up the injury towards the end of the opening set of his semi-final win over Andrey Rublev on Friday and looked doubtful for the final when he limped into his post-match press conference.

The tournament announced on Saturday that Griekspoor “was deemed unfit to play in the ATP 500 men’s final following a medical assessment”.

“Of course, unfortunate, but Tallon, I could see yesterday that maybe he had an injury,” said Medvedev in audio quotes provided by the ATP.

“You never know how these injuries develop through the night. Sometimes they get easier, and you can play, like with some soreness. Sometimes they get worse, so I guess it got worse.

“I cannot do anything about it. I played a great tournament, the four matches I played. Of course, I wanted to play the final, but it is what it is.

“I played an unbelievable match yesterday, so I would, either way, take it as a final for me, and I’m happy to win the tournament.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

This is the first time Medvedev has been able to repeat a title. The 30-year-old Russian had won 22 trophies in 22 different events before clinching a second Dubai crown on Saturday to go with the one he captured in 2023.

“Of course, I take a lot of confidence. But tennis is a very fast-paced sport, so one week you can play not the way you want, and the other week you’re playing amazingly. So I just hope to bring this confidence from the four matches I played in Indian Wells, for sure.

“I played unreal the whole week, so I was actually really looking forward to the final and trying to play even better than I did. But it is what it is, and I’m really happy with how the week turned out in general.”

The Dubai doubles final went ahead as scheduled, and the singles final was set to be played despite Iran’s ongoing attacks on the UAE on Saturday.

The players are meant to fly straight to California for the upcoming Indian Wells Masters, but their travel plans have been disrupted due to regional airspace closures and the suspension of all flight operations at all Dubai airports until further notice.

Medvedev said he still didn’t know how he was going to make it to California and will be waiting on updates regarding the reopening of the Gulf region’s airspace.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks long-standing record of Virat Kohli

Carlos Alcaraz downs Arthur Fils to clinch Qatar Open title

Carlos Alcaraz was at his devastating best on Saturday as he claimed the Qatar Open title with a ruthless 6-2, 6-1 win over Arthur Fils.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion needed just over 50 minutes to see off his French opponent and claim the 26th title of his career.

Following Australian Open success earlier this month, completing his career Grand Slam at just 22 years of age, Alcaraz backed it up by storming to the title in Doha in his first tournament back since Melbourne and extending his match-winning streak to 12.

“I came this year hungry for more,” said Alcaraz. “I think after every tournament, we just have to set new goals. I’m just really happy and proud of everything I have done with my team on and off the court.”

“It’s been a really strong start to the year. It wasn’t easy… I had to be strong mentally with my team. I’m just playing great tennis, and I’m really happy about this week. This trophy means a lot to me.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

For 40th-ranked Fils, returning gradually to action after a lengthy injury absence, the Spanish world number one was a step too far at the end of a fine week in which he recorded wins over top-10 seeds Jakub Mensik and Jiri Lehecka.

The run to his first tour-level final since Tokyo in 2024 will propel the former world number 14 up to 33 in the next ATP rankings.

“It’s been eight long months with my injury,” said Fils.

“So in a time like this, you just have to think about the last eight months when I was struggling, not playing tennis. I just want to thank my team… Today was not the day, but I think we did a hell of a job.”

READ: Neymar hints at possible retirement amid World Cup 2026 doubts

Squash ace Mehwish makes inspiring comeback after health scare

Islamabad: Pakistan’s rising squash star Mehwish Ali has successfully participated in the trials for the 35th Asian Squash Championship at the Pakistan Squash Federation, Islamabad, marking an inspiring comeback after a serious health setback earlier this year.

Last month, Mehwish suffered a severe medical emergency during the semi-final of the WSF Czech Junior Open 2026, where she collapsed mid-match while in a dominant position.

She was immediately shifted to the ICU, having remained unconscious for nearly seven hours due to cardiac stress caused by a lack of oxygen.

Her full recovery has brought immense relief to the Pakistani squash community.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Mehwish is now back in training alongside her sisters and has completed the Asian Championship trials.

Expressing her gratitude, Mehwish said the trials were not only a competition but an opportunity to grow as a player and proudly represent Pakistan at the continental level.

For those unaware, the Ali sisters—Mehwish, Sehrish, and Mahnoor Ali—are rising squash stars from Peshawar, Pakistan, who have recently achieved significant success on the international junior circuit.

READ: Ponting wants Babar at his best to take Pakistan deep in T20 World Cup

Novak Djokovic hints at retirement after Australian Open loss

Novak Djokovic leaves the Australian Open still stuck on 24 Grand Slam titles and with fresh doubts about how many more tries he will have at winning an outright-record 25th.

The 38-year-old, Djokovic, has consistently dismissed talk of retirement and said he is eyeing the defence of his Olympic gold at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

But after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets in the final on Sunday, the Serb suggested he may not be back in Melbourne.

“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six months or 12 months,” he told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena. “So it has been a great ride. I love you guys.”

Djokovic has won a record 10 Australian Opens and until Sunday had never lost a final there.

But for all his success, Djokovic has not always had an easy relationship with the Melbourne fans.

“I want to just say in the end that you guys, particularly the last couple of matches, gave me something that I have never experienced in Australia,” he said.

“That much love, support, positivity. I tried to give you back with good tennis over the years.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

It had the ring of a farewell speech and did not appear to have been just an emotional response to defeat. He said he had prepared two speeches, one for winning and the other for losing.

Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, drawing him level with the Australian Margaret Court at the top of the all-time list.

But age and injuries, plus the emergence of world number one Alcaraz and number two Jannik Sinner, have left him unable to win another.

Before Sunday, his previous Grand Slam final had been in 2024, when he lost the Wimbledon decider, again to Alcaraz.

Last year, he reached the semi-finals of all four majors but got no further, with Alcaraz and Sinner sharing the spoils.

He rolled back the years to defeat Sinner, 14 years his junior, in a five-set semi-final marathon in Melbourne.

But after Djokovic won the first set, the 22-year-old Alcaraz took a stranglehold on the final to sweep to victory 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

Underlining where Djokovic is now in the pecking order of men’s tennis, he admitted he had not expected to reach another major final.

READ: Pakistan Shaheens squad announced for series against England Lions

Aryna Sabalenka ‘really upset’ at blowing chances in Melbourne final loss

Aryna Sabalenka said she was “really upset” with herself for failing to take her chances in defeat to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, having led 3-0 in the deciding set.

The Belarusian world number one crashed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to the fifth-seeded Kazakh on Rod Laver Arena.

“I was really upset with myself, I would say, because once again I had opportunities,” she said.

“I played great until a certain point, and then I couldn’t resist that aggression that she had on court today.

“But I think overall I played great tennis here in Australia. Even in this final, I feel like I played great. I was fighting. I did my best, and today she was a better player.”

Sabalenka, the 2023 and 2024 Melbourne champion, has now won four and lost four of the eight Grand Slam finals she has contested.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

That includes losing her last two in Australia after being upset in 2025 by Madison Keys.

Despite this she was optimistic that she was moving in the right direction and confident for the season ahead.

“Today you’re a loser, tomorrow you’re a winner. Hopefully I’ll be more of a winner this season than a loser,” she said.

Asked if she had any regrets on how she played against Rybakina, she felt she could have been more aggressive, but was also effusive in her praise of her Moscow-born opponent.

As to the future, a philosophical Sabalenka said her goals had not changed.

“Keep fighting, keep working hard, keep putting myself out there, and try my best if I have another chance in the final. Just go out there and do my best,” she said.

READ: David Miller ‘medically cleared’ to feature in T20 World Cup 2026

Rybakina keeps her cool to beat Sabalenka in tense Melbourne final

Elena Rybakina stifled her emotions to take revenge on world number one Aryna Sabalenka and win the Australian Open on Saturday for her second Grand Slam title.

The big-serving Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve to pull through 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2hrs 18mins.

It was payback after the Belarusian Sabalenka won the 2023 final between two of the hardest hitters in women’s tennis.

Rybakina, 26, who was born in Moscow, adds her Melbourne triumph to her Wimbledon win in 2022.

Rybakina has a reputation for being unflappable, but she said she was nervous about losing the second set, even though she did not show it, and again as she served for the match.

She sealed the championship with her sixth ace of the final.

“Well, the heart definitely was beating too fast, even if maybe my face did not show it,” she told local broadcasters. Inside was a lot of emotions.”

There was more disappointment in a major final for Sabalenka, who won the US Open last year for the second time but lost the French Open and Melbourne title deciders.

She was into her fourth Australian Open final in a row and had been imperious until now.

The 27-year-old top seed had tears in her eyes at the end and draped a towel over her head to hide her feelings.

“Let’s hope maybe next year will be a better year for me,” Sabalenka said ruefully. “She played an incredible match, and I tried my very best. I was fighting until the very last point.”

With the roof on because of drizzle in Melbourne, Rybakina immediately broke serve and then comfortably held for 2-0.

Rybakina faced two break points at 4-3, but found her range with her serve to send down an ace and dig herself out of trouble, leaving Sabalenka visibly frustrated.

Rybakina looked in the zone and wrapped up the set in 37 minutes on her first set point when Sabalenka fired long.

Incredibly, it was the first set Sabalenka had dropped in 2026.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The second game of the second set was tense, Rybakina saving three break points in a 10-minute arm-wrestle.

They went with serve, and the seventh game was another tussle, Sabalenka holding for 4-3 after the best rally of a cagey affair.

The tension ratcheted up, and the top seed quickly forged three set points at 5-4 on the Kazakh’s serve, ruthlessly levelling the match at the first chance to force a deciding set.

Sabalenka was now in the ascendancy and smacked a scorching backhand to break for a 2-0 lead, then holding for 3-0.

Rybakina, who also had not dropped a set in reaching the final, looked unusually rattled.

She reset to hold, then wrestled back the break, allowing herself the merest of smiles.

At 3-3, the title threatened to swing either way.

But a surging Rybakina won a fourth game in a row to break for 4-3, then held to put a thrilling victory within sight.

Sabalenka came into the final as the favourite, but Rybakina has been one of the form players on the women’s tour in recent months.

She also defeated Sabalenka in the decider at the season-ending WTA Finals.

Rybakina said her overriding emotions were relief, but also hope that she can carry her scintillating form into the rest of the season.

“It gives a lot of confidence for sure,” she said. “Last year, I didn’t start that well… now it’s different. So I just hope that I can carry all this momentum and hopefully do a good job with the team and continue this way throughout the year.”

Rybakina beat second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals and sixth seed Jessica Pegula in the last four in Melbourne.

Rybakina switched to play under the Kazakh flag in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old, citing financial reasons.

READ: Wasim Jr released from Pakistan T20I squad