VENUS WILLIAMS

Rafael Nadal has expressed thoughts shared by many others in the tennis world when it comes to Novak Djokovic’s will-he-or-won’t-he-play saga ahead of the Australian Open.

While the “will he or won’t he” question remains for No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his participation in the Australian Open the rest of the tennis world returns to work this week to prepare for the season’s first major.

Will Smith wouldn’t seem an obvious candidate for a mid-life crisis.

There were enough tennis stars inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Monday's Met Gala, it seemed, to play a tournament.

On that sunny morning two decades ago, in the hours and minutes and seconds before everything changed, sports was playing its usual role in the fabric of life.

The star has unspecified issues with the finished product.

Novak Djokovic will begin his bid to win the U.S. Open for a men’s-record 21st major tennis championship and to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam by facing a player who comes through qualifying.

Fifth-ranked Sofia Kenin has pulled out of the U.S. Open because she recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Serena said she has a torn hamstring, and Venus said she's suffering from a leg injury.

How well do you know the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Serena and Venus Williams have added themselves to the list of big-name withdrawals from the U.S. Open.

The MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation (<a href="https://www.malwashington.com/" target="_blank">MWYF</a>) announced that Venus Williams will be the special guest at the virtual Merrill Lynch Night of Hope.

Two-time champion Venus Williams will be back at the U.S. Open after being given a wild card into the Grand Slam tournament.

Naomi Osaka was going to be at the center of attention during the Tokyo Olympics no matter what.

Roger Federer feels as if he found his rhythm at Wimbledon as he heads to Week 2 at a place he has won eight of his 20 Grand Slam titles.

The Associated Press has learned that teenager Coco Gauff and Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady will lead the U.S. Olympic tennis team at the Tokyo Games.

Andy Murray can still win a five-setter at Wimbledon, even at age 34 and after two hip operations.

Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon after she stopped playing her first-round match because of a right leg injury.

The first man to represent China in the main draw at Wimbledon during the Open era has lost in the opening round.

Wimbledon has returned after being canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic and some things have not changed at the All England Club.

Fans are back at Wimbledon after a one-year hiatus and the gray, overcast weather felt right at home at an event notorious for its rain delays.

Eleven matches on Wimbledon’s outer courts have been suspended because of darkness.

Novak Djokovic will get his bid for a third major title of 2021 started at Centre Court by facing wild-card entry Jack Draper as Wimbledon begins.

American 17-year-old Coco Gauff completely overwhelmed Ons Jabeur 6-3, 6-1 at the French Open to become the youngest woman to reach the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam tournament in 15 years.

Novak Djokovic has rallied from a two-set deficit to reach the French Open quarterfinals for the record 15th time.

There have been conflicting stories and statements leading up to the discovery of a body. Here's what we know, as told to us by police.

Kei Nishikori went five sets again to win at the French Open.

Osaka’s power struggle against the French Open is part of a larger contest over who makes the rules of big-money sports—and how much power athletes have to protect themselves.

Carla Suárez Navarro has made her return to competition after being treated for cancer.

The French Open is still not quite its packed, pre-pandemic self.

"I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity," she said.

"I hope the considerable amount that I get fined for this will go towards a mental health charity," she said.

No. 1-ranked Ash Barty has won her second successive Miami Open championship when No. 8-seeded Bianca Andreescu fell and retired while trailing during the second set.

United States' Jessica Pegula celebrates after defeating Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. “I’m just happy I’m here; she's been playing some good tennis, solidifying herself as a top player.”AdThe 61st-ranked Pegula beat No. “A lot of people were complaining, and I told myself I wasn’t going to complain,” Brady said. Also on that half of the draw, Rafael Nadal moved closer to a men's-record 21st Grand Slam trophy by overwhelming No. “I’m super excited for her making her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

United States' Venus Williams reacts as she injures her leg during her second round match against Italy's Sara Errani at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – This was, in some ways, rather difficult to watch: 40-year-old Venus Williams gasped and groaned as she limped around the court at the Australian Open on an injured right ankle and left knee. The oldest woman in the field, she was playing in her 21st Australian Open and 88th Grand Slam tournament overall, a record for the professional era. Errani was in control of the match when Williams twisted her right ankle and landed awkwardly on her left leg, which already was bandaged with athletic tape and buckled. Action was halted, and a trainer treated Williams on the sideline, first taping the troubled ankle, then the knee.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic makes a forehand return to United States' Frances Tiafoe during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. 1, had never beaten anyone in the Top 5, and now he'd just won a tiebreaker against Novak Djokovic to level their second-round match at the Australian Open. But it wasn't quite enough to beat the eight-time Australian Open champion, who won the 3 1/2-hour afternoon match 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (2), 6-3. AdAnother U.S. Open champion, Naomi Osaka, needed only an hour to sweep Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3. 29 Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a rollicking night cap full of turns and twists.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating France's Jeremy Chardy during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. I really, really appreciate your support in coming out tonight." 7 Aryna Sabalenka, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, French Open winner Iga Swiatek and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, returning from 15 months on the sidelines. Playing in her 21st Australian Open, the elder Williams beat Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2. Two weeks in hard lockdown didn't help 2016 Australian Open winner Angelique Kerber, who lost to Bernarda Pera.

The 10th-seeded Frenchman is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, but he can't seem to win anywhere at the moment. ___4:55 p.m.U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem has moved into the second round at the Australian Open, where he was the runner-up to Novak Djokovic a year ago. Thiem had been 0-3 in Grand Slam finals until emerging for the championship at Flushing Meadows in September. The first tournament of this year’s Grand Slam season began after a three-week delay because of the coronavirus pandemic. Serena Williams begins her latest bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title in the following match against Laura Siegemund.

United States' Serena Williams makes a forehand return to compatriot Danielle Collins during a tuneup event ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. 3 Naomi Osaka, the U.S. Open champion. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, Johanna Konta and Elina Svitolina are also in Kenin's quarter. Williams already has won seven Australian Open titles and her 23 major titles is a record in the Open era. In the top half, Djokovic’s bid for a third consecutive Australian title — and ninth overall — could get tricky.

Not long after came a seismic jolt, the helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant in the fog-shrouded California hills that reverberated across sports and across continents. Deep into the year, a bookend to Bryant, Diego Maradona died from a heart attack in Argentina weeks after brain surgery, the waves of grief rippling across soccer. The losses, of course, came against a backdrop of a pandemic, its number of fatalities rolled out daily on TV screens. Niekro won 318 games and pitched until he was 48, his knuckleball dancing and mystifying batters across the decades. Kurt Thomas in 1978 became the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world title but lost an Olympic shot in 1980 because of the boycott.

Murray and Wawrinka met in the 2017 semifinals in Paris and neither has been quite the same since. “To me, also.”But 2015 French Open champion Wawrinka’s road back from two procedures on his knee has been less arduous than Murray’s journey. VENUS DONE FOR 2020Venus Williams finished 2020 with an 0-3 record in Grand Slam matches, adding a first-round exit at the French Open to those she had at the Australian Open and U.S. Open. So I’m looking forward to that.”She is a seven-time major champion and was the 2002 runner-up at the French Open to her younger sister, Serena. The 20-year-old American’s father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open and was the runner-up at the 1992 French Open; his mother, Regina, reached the top 30 in the WTA rankings.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that does not use tiebreakers in the final set. 9 seed Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-3 at Court Suzanne Lenglen on Sunday. ___7:30 p.m.Stan Wawrinka made quick work of Andy Murray in their reunion of sorts at the French Open. One of his coaches is Wolfgang Thiem, the father of fellow Austrian Dominic Thiem — the U.S. Open champion, and French Open runner-up the past two years. The 20-year-old Korda beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS – Prepping in the relative warmth of a gym before heading out with leggings and long sleeves to make her French Open debut against the tournament’s No. I realized it’s just a tennis match. Such a far cry from last year’s French Open: Gauff failed to make it out of qualifying, while Konta was making her way to her third Grand Slam semifinal. She also made it to the fourth round at this year’s Australian Open, beating 2019 champion Naomi Osaka en route. The lack of match play coming in.

___7:10 p.m.Serena Williams began her latest attempt to win a 24th Grand Slam singles trophy by beating Kristie Ahn in the first round at the U.S. Open. 3 and hoping to tie Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Pella reached the third round of the U.S. Open in 2018 and the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year. She is a seven-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, including at the U.S. Open in 2013 and 2018. He's the first unranked player to win a Grand Slam match since Nicolas Kiefer at Wimbledon in 2007.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot from Elise Mertens, of Belgium, during the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot from Elise Mertens, of Belgium, during the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK After two days of little sleep and unexpected stress, Naomi Osaka rose to the moment. Osaka won the 2018 U.S. Open and will be coming off a successful week in many ways heading into this one. The Western & Southern Open was moved from Mason Ohio to the U.S. Open site in Flushing Meadows because of pandemic precautions, creating a two-tournament event without spectators. Osaka will face resurgent Victoria Azarenka, who beat Johanna Konta 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Western & Southern final for the first time since 2013, when she beat Serena Williams.

FILE - In this May 27, 2019, file photo, Serena Williams of the U.S. plays a shot against Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia during their first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris. If the French Open were being held as scheduled right now -- instead of postponed to September because of the coronavirus pandemic, Williams again would have had a shot at her 24th major to pull even with Margaret Court for the most in history. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)LEXINGTON, Ky. Serena Williams flexed and then kissed a sinewy right bicep to show down time well spent in training even without bench pressing. Williams now looks to flex her muscles on a tennis court for the first time in six months. Serena Williams, ranked No. If the results from Williams previous comeback from a long break are any indication, she has something to look forward to. Her husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, built a tennis court for her.

WTTs nine teams have come together The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia for their three-week season. It was awesome to have some people out there to get behind the tennis, Sandgren said. The WTT season started just as confirmed coronavirus cases were soaring nationally. Anyone who wasnt a competing athlete wore a mask inside the tennis stadium and fans had their temperatures checked prior to entering. Sandgren later won matches in men's doubles with James Ward and mixed doubles with Jessica Pegula.

Venus Williams has signed up to play World TeamTennis for the 15th time, the league announced Thursday. Williams has since spoken about how she turned to a plant-based diet and learned other ways to get by. The American is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, with five titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open. She also has paired up with her younger sister Serena to win 14 Grand Slam trophies in doubles. Other players who have committed to participating include 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens and twins Mike and Bob Bryan, who have won 16 Grand Slam doubles titles together.

(AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)EDITORS NOTE -- Every French Open features matches that are memorable for one reason or another. One historic accomplishment came when Serena Williams played sister Venus at Roland Garros in the first of four consecutive all-in-the-family major finals. -By HOWARD FENDRICHAP Tennis WriterPARIS (AP) The French Open was hers, no more shots to chase or winners to produce. Still, Serena Williams didnt want to look her opponent in the eye. In the second game of the second set, Venus hit a forehand return that landed near the baseline and was called out.

Melbourne, Australia 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? Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam winner in the twilight of her career, the Reuters news agency points out. Gauff was born the year after Williams lost the 2003 Australian Open final to younger sister Serena, Reuters notes. American Cori "Coco" Gauff reacts during her first round singles match against compatriot Venus Williams at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on January 20, 2020. Venus Williams, right, congratulates Cori "Coco" Gauff on winning their first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on January 20, 2020.

Serena Williams clashed with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, culminating when he docked her a game for calling him a "thief." A laser-focused Serena Williams entered the stadium to roars from the crowd. The results were also the same as the last 15 years: Serena Williams, seeded eighth, won 6-1, 6-1 in less than an hour, improving her record against the Russian to 20-2 as she seeks her 24th major title. After the match, Serena Williams addressed the crowd during her interview with ESPN. Venus Williams, Djokovic, Federer winOne of those former champions is Venus Williams, who dominated China's Zheng Saisai 6-1, 6-0.

Cori Gauff returns a shot to Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan during Day 2 of the Citi Open at Rock Creek Tennis Center on July 30, 2019, in Washington, D.C.(CNN) - Cori "Coco" Gauff will compete in her second career grand slam later this month after US Open organizers handed the 15-year-old a wild card entry. The American teenager became an overnight sensation in July when she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon, beating the likes of idol Venus Williams in the process. Earlier this month, Gauff won the Citi Open women's doubles title, where she partnered 17-year-old Catherine McNally. Gauff recently old CNN Sport she was looking forward to playing in the US Open and believed she had the potential to win the tournament. More to follow...The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

Cori Gauff beat Magdalna Rybrikov in the second round of Wimbledon. "I don't even know how I played, if I played better or not," Gauff said. We'll know more over the coming days but one thing is already certain: Wimbledon fans are head over heels for the player nicknamed "Coco." It was an 'A' performance from Gauff, who took a science test during her qualifying run while reaching the main draw. As she neared victory and chased another drop shot, another fan encouraged her to "run, run, run."

Cori Gauff shakes hands at the net with Venus Williams after winning her Ladies' Singles first round match during Day 1 of The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2019, in London. (CNN) - She wasn't even born by the time Venus Williams had won four grand slams, but 15-year-old American Cori Gauff downed the five-time Wimbledon champion on her debut in the tournament Monday. "I don''t really know how to feel, this is the first time I've cried after a match, after winning," Gauff told the BBC. Gauff is the 12th youngest overall to play in the Wimbledon main draw, but the youngest to come through qualifying. This year, she became the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam qualifying match in the French Open.

In a major upset that could signal the dawn of a new star in women's tennis, 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff beat Venus Williams in straight sets during first round play at the 2019 Wimbledon Tournament on Monday. Gauff's victory over Williams makes her the youngest player to win a match at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. It came at the expense of Williams, 39, who is the oldest player in the women's bracket this year. Gauff previously won the 2018 Junior French Open at Roland Garros. In another first round upset on Monday, Naomi Osaka of Japan, the number two ranked player in the world, lost her first round match against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

During a match where tennis star Venus Williams was playing during the Italian Open, the ball boy behind her passed out. CBSN's Vladimir Duthiers has the story.