Roger Federer talks to CNN's Ray D'Alessio shortly after his tennis victory at Indian Wells in California.
Hard work is paying big dividends for Victoria Azarenka as she targets the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics.
They've earned admiration around the world for their on-court prowess, not to mention the enviable sum of more than $160 million in prize money between them.
Tennis star Rafael Nadal took time out before the U.S. Open to answer questions from iReporters.
King of Clay Rafael Nadal began his defense of his Monte Carlo Masters title Wednesday with a routine 6-4, 6-3 victory against the Finnish player Jarkko Nieminen.
Former world number one Kim Clijsters said Tuesday that she will skip the French Open next month in an attempt to get fit for Wimbledon and the Olympics this summer.
Women's tennis No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is looking forward to more success despite the end of her perfect start to 2012.
Want a jump smash like Sampras? The fourteen-time Grand Slam winner shows CNN's Pat Cash how it's done.
He used to be found slugging it out for major tennis titles on the Centre Court turf at Wimbledon -- now Mark Philippoussis spends his time lapping up the surf in San Diego.
Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis talks to CNN about his laid-back beach life in California.
Serena Williams bemoaned the amount of unforced errors she made after suffering a quarterfinal defeat to fellow former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki at the Miami Masters.
World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka talks to CNN's Mark McKay after winning the Indian Wells title to be 23-0 this year.
Serena Williams avenged her 2011 U.S. Open final defeat to Samantha Stosur with a straight-sets win over the Australian sixth seed to reach the last eight of the WTA tournament in Miami Monday.
You can't imagine that one of the greatest players in tennis history has ever lacked confidence, but Roger Federer is bubbling with it again after bouncing back from some heartbreaking defeats in the past few months.
Sania Mirza was India's first female player to break into the WTA Top 30 in singles, and the first to win a WTA title.
Mahesh Bhupathi is best known in tennis for his many successes as a doubles specialist, but now he's playing a new role -- that of a double agent.
Longtime rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal remain on course for a semifinal showdown at the Indian Wells Masters after both former world No. 1s moved into the last eight of the U.S. hard-court tournament.
Experience eventually overcame youthful promise at the Indian Wells Masters on Tuesday, as tennis legend Roger Federer battled to a third-round win over rising star Milos Raonic.
A mystery stomach bug is striking down men's and women's players at the Indian Wells Masters tennis event, but former world No. 1 Roger Federer shook off illness to cruise to victory in his opening match.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash takes to the court for a lesson in mixed doubles.
It's only been done once in tennis history, but world number one Novak Djokovic believes he can win the "golden slam" -- all four major tournaments plus Olympic gold -- in 2012.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year at a star-studded ceremony in London.
CNN's Pedro Pinto previews the star-studded line-up for Monday's Laureus World Sports Awards in London.
Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki has fired Spanish coach Ricardo Sanchez after just two months and decided to return to working with her father Piotr.
Open Court host Pat Cash gives his thoughts on the epic Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the longest final in grand slam history to retain the Australian Open title in Melbourne.
Victor Troicki, a good friend of Novak Djokovic, talks about the epic Australian Open final from his point of view.
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer Jon Wertheim after Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 on Sunday to win the Australian Open in the longest Grand Slam final of the Open Era. The top-ranked Djokovic won his third consecutive major title and third Australian Open.
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Some thoughts on Thursday's women's semifinals at the Australian Open, where Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka advanced with three-set victories to set up a final in which the winner will become the WTA's new No. 1 ...
In terms of age, just two years separate Australian Open finalists Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka. But in terms of what the two young women have achieved in their tennis careers so far, they are poles apart.
It is a noise that has become synonymous with watching top-level tennis -- the sound of ear-splitting shrieks and grunts as star players battle against each other in a bid to claim the sport's biggest prizes.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic shrugged off an injury scare to beat fifth seed David Ferrer in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Wednesday, setting up a last-four rematch with 2011 runner-up Andy Murray.
CNN's Don Riddell talks to Boris Becker about the latest action from the Australian Open.
World No. 2 Petra Kvitova and former No. 1 Maria Sharapova are set for a rematch of the 2011 Wimbledon final after both reached the last four of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
From the moment Rafael Nadal threw that verbal jab at Roger Federer, exposing their vastly different views on the tennis schedule, the Australian Open has been a referendum on the two men's styles. Now we get the best possible window into their simmering feud: a semifinal matchup Thursday night in Melbourne (3:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2).
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal and 16-time grand slam winner Roger Federer will face off for a place in the Australian Open final after the great tennis rivals won their last-eight ties on Tuesday.
Unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova upset five-time champion Serena Williams of the United States 6-2 6-3 on Monday to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese male to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open since 1932 when he held on to earn a shock five-set win over sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday.
It could be the most eagerly-awaited match so far at this year's Australian Open. Rising teen star Bernard Tomic will take on one of the legends in men's tennis, Roger Federer, for a place in the quarterfinals.
Say this about actors, musicians, writers and other artists: They can age gracefully. Often they perform just fine deep into middle age. And when they can no longer hit the high notes or remember their lines, they can retreat slowly and privately.
Andy Murray tests out a Caribbean twist on the game of tennis, challenging former boxing champion David Haye.
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki began her latest bid for a first grand slam title with a 6-2 6-1 win over Anastasia Rodionova on Monday, joining last year's finalists Kim Clijsters and Li Na in the second round of the Australian Open.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are used to meeting in grand slam finals, but the dominance of Novak Djokovic in 2011 means the two great rivals will feature in the same half of the draw for the first time in seven years at the Australian Open.
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the women's seeds at the Australian Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses and predictions. Click here for the men's report.
World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 2 Petra Kvitova both earned hard-fought wins at the Sydney International on Tuesday as the battle for the top spot in women's tennis intensifies ahead of the Australian Open.
Venus Williams has announced she is pulling out of the Australian Open due to illness.
Four-time grand slam champion Kim Clijsters withdrew from her Brisbane International semifinal with a hip injury on Friday, casting doubt over the defense of her Australian Open crown later this month.
Former world number one Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Brisbane International tournament in Australia after suffering an ankle injury in Wednesday's third-round victory over Bojana Jovanovski.
Welcome back. Happy 2012, everyone ...
Four-time grand slam champion Kim Clijsters battled back from facing break point at 0-3 down in the deciding set against former world number one Ana Ivanovic Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International in Australia.
Kim Clijsters returned to competitive action on the WTA Tour with a convincing straight sets win over Simona Halep in Brisbane Sunday.
1. Roger Federer will win either a Grand Slam title or Olympic gold medal. Empirically, he is not the same player he was a few years ago. But he remains Roger Federer and -- as he vividly demonstrated in October and November -- he can still play at a dizzyingly high level. At this point in the game, the 30-year-old is playing almost solely for five reasons (four majors and the Olympics) and tailoring his game accordingly. He'll win at least one of the big prizes in 2012. He's still that good. And, besides, tennis has a way of generating these scripts.
1. The Djoker got away ... from the rest of the field. We're a spoiled bunch, us tennis fans. First we get the unsurpassed play of Roger Federer. Then comes Rafael Nadal. And in 2011, a Third King arrives. In a thoroughly dominating year, Novak Djokovic won three Grand Slams, 10 titles overall, 70 matches (against six losses) and a record $12.6 million in prize money. The Serb also prevailed in 10 of 11 matches against the other two members of the Big Three, maybe his most impressive accomplishment. And he did it all while comporting himself like a pro. Adje, indeed.
Seven-time grand slam champion Venus Williams is in doubt for January's Australian Open after the American pulled out of her planned comeback at the ASB Classic in New Zealand.
The International Tennis Federation honored Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova for breakthrough years on Tuesday, as the duo were named the governing body's men's and women's world champions for 2011.
Four-time grand slam champion Kim Clijsters made a successful return from injury by defeating world number one Caroline Wozniacki in an exhibition match in Antwerp, Belgium.
WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster talks to CNN about leading tennis through uncertain economic times.
When Li Na clinched the French Open crown, willed on by 100 million Chinese fans, it fulfilled a moment of destiny for both player and country.
Roger Federer wants to add an Olympic singles gold medal to his list of achievements in tennis after securing his 70th career title at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
CNN's Alex Thomas catches up with ATP newcomer of the year, Milos Raonic.
The inspiring story of Mexico's Grand Slam winning tennis star, Rafael Osuna who tragically died in a plane crash in 1969.
Outside of the four grand slams, it's the most coveted title in men's tennis.
Roger Federer finally clinched his first Paris Masters crown Sunday after a straight-sets victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will open proceedings at the WTA Championships in Istanbul Tuesday in her first appearance in the prestigious end-of-season finale.
Rafael Nadal made a strong start to the defense of his Japan Open crown on Tuesday, defeating wildcard entrant Go Soeda 6-3 6-2.
World number one and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is out of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, beaten in three sets by unseeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi, ranked 43rd in the world.
In the 1920s and 30s, four French tennis players dominated the game, today a new crop of four French players reside in the top 15.
Former French Open Doubles champion Murphy Jensen takes us behind the scenes of the US Open.
Australia's Samantha Stosur produces one of the biggest shocks in U.S. Open final history.
CNN's Candy Reid talks with Novak Djokovic after he upends Rafael Nadal for a 6th time this season to win the U.S. Open.
Unpredictability is one of the great virtues of sports. Want scripted endings? You go to the theater. Want choreography? Go to the ballet. Then there are sports, the best reality TV going, virtually limitless in their capacity for surprise.
NEW YORK -- The temptation is to write off Roger Federer after Saturday's most recent come-from-ahead capitulation, a 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 loss to Novak Djokovic that ensures the 30-year-old Swiss will finish without a Grand Slam title for the first year since 2002.
NEW YORK -- Normalcy returned to an abnormal U.S. Open on Friday afternoon. The sun roared over Queens, and the boldfaced names (led by First Lady Michele Obama) came back to the once-waterlogged Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But the biggest sign that all was right in the tennis world again was the play of second-seeded Rafael Nadal, who surgically dismantled Andy Roddick in a quarterfinal that didn't last two hours. "It was evident pretty early that he was in full control of things," Roddick said.
NEW YORK -- The best moment in American tennis this year? You could point to Serena Williams' stirringly tearful return at Wimbledon, or the flare-up of vivid, varied talents like Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and Jack Sock last week at the U.S. Open. Some, of course, will focus on the three Yanks -- Andy Roddick, John Isner and 22-year-old Donald Young -- who made deep runs in the men's draw, despite all bowing out before the semis.
NEW YORK -- Yeah, it was the usual scene at a Grand Slam fourth-round match: Reporters getting hustled off the court between points, a crowd so tiny that the sound of shrieking -- "A baby?" David Ferrer asked the chair umpire -- from across the U.S. Tennis Center stopped play, Andy Roddick holding up Ferrer in mid-serve when he spied someone scaling the chain-link behind him. "Sorry," Roddick called over the net. "There was a guy up on the fence."
Simple question: Will the USTA ever build a roof? Along with 50,000 other people, I got rained out today and I'm not happy about it! -- Salil, Long Island, N.Y.
Do you think that the time violation that was called on Marin Cilic directly cost him the match because of that break and then going down two sets to one? -- Kevin Ware, San Francisco
NEW YORK -- His mother makes the point very well: Donald Young has always been his most difficult opponent.
NEW YORK -- If there's an image that sums up the first week of the U.S. Open, it came Sunday during Rafael Nadal's post-match news conference in the bowels of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
NEW YORK -- Irene came and left. So did Maria Sharapova, as well as the reigning female champs at Wimbledon and the French Open. Novak Djokovic has been dispensing bagels like a New York street vendor. And American tennis lives after all. After six full days of play at the 2011 U.S. Open, herewith, our midterm grades, all based on the University of Miami curve, endowed by Nevin Shapiro ...
What you think of Andy Roddick's post game interview last night? -- Ryan, New York
NEW YORK -- Andy Roddick freely acknowledged the younger version of himself across the net during his second-round match with 18-year-old wild card Jack Sock on Friday night. The similarities were impossible to ignore. Both were born in Nebraska. ("I think we're the only two teenagers to play tennis in Nebraska in the last 30 years," Roddick half-joked Wednesday.) Both hit every ball as hard as they can. The last two Americans to win the U.S. Open boys' singles title? Sock in 2010 and Roddick in 2000.
You know the old saying: 82 times bitten, twice shy. Or the other old saying: fool us once, shame on you; fool us 94 times, shame on us. Yes, we've been here before, haven't we? A young American does well in the first week of the U.S. Open and suddenly we've minted the Next Big Star. There are narratives that use words like "savior" and "oasis." Instantly, comparisons are drawn to decorated champions. ("Now that you mention it, Melanie Oudin DOES recall Justine Henin!") Coaches and administrators trip over themselves competing for credit and predicting boundless success.
The tennis star has been suffering from an autoimmune disease
NEW YORK -- Her ranking now sits in the triple digits, floating in the low 100s alongside not-so-households name such as Misaki Doi, Edina Gallovits-Hall and Varvara Lepchenko. This is the area code where Venus Williams now lives after a bittersweet day in her remarkable tennis career.
The U.S. Open starts next week, a two-week production that will draw upwards of 700,000 fans. And that's not even counting the extended Djokovic family.
Don't forget: Andrea Petkovic is answering your questions this week, too.
Kim Clijsters, 28, who won the Australian Open earlier this year and is ranked No. 2 in the world, returns this week after missing two months with an ankle injury. Before playing her opener at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, the two-time defending U.S. Open champion spoke with SI.com about the successful second act of her career, one particular blind spot in her pop culture knowledge, tennis' grunting issue and more.
The U.S. Open opened Arthur Ashe Stadium to great fanfare in 1997, a state-of-the-art facility that seemed to represent everything great about big-time tennis in New York.
CNN's Pedro Pinto breaks down Novak Djokovic's victory over Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final.
WIMBLEDON, England -- It remains perhaps the most stunning visual of the tennis year: an exhausted Rafael Nadal taking a moment behind the baseline to bend over, grab his knees and catch his breath. This was in April, in the Key Biscayne final against Novak Djokovic, and no one could recall the great man looking so thoroughly spent.
What does it say about the quality of the women's game right now that the Williams sisters, off long injury layoffs, can make it all the way to the fourth round of a major? I mean, before being summarily drummed out. A sad statement, really. -- Adam Kamp, Sturgeon Lake, Minn.
The couple get a raucous reception as they arrive at Centre Court to watch Andy Murray
CNN's Ayesha Durgahee reports on how fashion in tennis is big business ahead of the 125th staging of Wimbledon.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg tells CNN's Pedro Pinto who he thinks could win in 2011.
One of the top touring bands of this summer is New Kids on the Block. How can this be? Because tastes and ascetics are fungible. The music you hated as teenager could, conceivably, become enjoyable later in life. Just as the movies you once enjoyed often failed the test of time. And books are often better or worse -- but seldom equal -- in re-reading.
WIMBLEDON, England -- In the match of the day, if not the match of the year, Venus Williams advanced with a gripping Centre Court win over Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6. Take away the grunting and this was divine tennis. Nifty shotmaking from all coordinates of the court. Successful networking opportunties. Angles. Fluctuating momentum. Just a thoroughly entertaining affair. Credit Venus for prevailing and, as usual, elevating her game when the circumstances required as much.
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