Grand Slam Tennis

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Everyone had the same question when the Australian Open draw was revealed: What were the odds that Coco Gauff and Venus Williams would face each other again in the first round at a Grand Slam tournament? “I was a bit shocked,” Gauff said, “I’m sure everyone was a bit shocked.” SIGN […]

Before there was Venus and Serena Williams, there were other Black female tennis stars who shined on the national spotlight. Many people know of Althea Gibson’s success as the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam tennis championship. But there were others, like Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil, who achieved success at the highest […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Here’s how new all of this is to Coco Gauff: She didn’t quite realize she only has to play every other day at the U.S. Open. “I’m still used to playing juniors,” the American said with a chuckle, “so I forgot about the day off.” She’s still just 15. She’s competing […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Playing her first match at the U.S. Open since last year’s loss in a chaotic, controversial final, Serena Williams played nearly perfect tennis and beat Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in a contest devoid of drama Monday night. Williams stretched her winning streak to 19 matches against Sharapova and now leads their […]

PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams called off her Grand Slam comeback because of a chest muscle injury on Monday, pulling out of the French Open shortly before she was supposed to play Maria Sharapova in the fourth round. “It’s extremely disappointing,” Williams said during a news conference at Roland Garros. “But also, I made a […]

  Sloane Stephens reached her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2013 by beating 16th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4) at the U.S. Open. The 83rd-ranked Stephens has won 13 of her past 15 matches. She was one of four American women in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows, the most since five made it that […]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Serena Williams put up both hands after a sending a forehand long and high over the baseline in the first set. She wanted nothing to do with yet another unforced error in her Australian Open final against Angelique Kerber. For the second time in as many majors, nerves got to Williams […]

Serena Williams, who plays Angelique Kerber in the women’s final at the Australian Open on Saturday, says the price of fame means she doesn’t get out much, but she’ll take that scenario as long as she’s at the top of the women’s game. At her pre-championship news conference on Friday, Williams was asked whether it […]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Serena Williams provided another reminder of her dominance in women’s tennis with a 6-0, 6-4 win in the Australian Open semifinals against Agnieszka Radwanska, who is soon to move to the No. 3 ranking. Six-time champion Williams has never lost a semifinal or final at the Australian Open, and is an […]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Serena Williams has had so much success for such a long time that even in a second-round match she can set a record at the season’s first Grand Slam event. The six-time and defending champion beat No. 90-ranked Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday at Rod Laver Arena, an all-time record […]

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Serena Williams and No. 5-ranked Maria Sharapova were drawn into the same section for the Australian Open on Friday, setting up a potential quarterfinal match featuring the 2015 finalists. Six-time champion Williams has a tough draw starting in the opening round against Camila Giorgi of Italy, who finished 2015 […]

NEW YORK (AP) — So there’s at least one person with zero interest in watching the Williams sisters play each other in the U.S. Open quarterfinals Tuesday night, with Serena’s bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam on the line. Their mother, Oracene Price. “It’s just hard to see them both going out there,” Price said, […]