AP sports photos of the year capture unforgettable snippets in time from the games we love
They are snippets in time, unforgettable snapshots that gloriously capture the soaring euphoria and gut-wrenching agony of the games we love, not to mention the randomness of a moment that mightโve gone unnoticed otherwise.
Iga Swiatek earns the WTA Finals title and a return to No. 1 by beating Jessica Pegula
Iga Swiatek has earned her first WTA Finals title and the year-end No. 1 ranking by beating Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-0 in the latest in a series of dominant performances.
Caroline Wozniacki beats Petra Kvitova at the US Open shortly after coming out of retirement
Caroline Wozniacki has reached the third round at the U.S. Open by beating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6 (5).
Andy Murray exits Wimbledon with uncertainty after a 5-set, 2-day loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has been eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas after a five-setter contested over two days at Centre Court.
Sinner stuns top-ranked Alcaraz in Miami Open semifinals
Tenth-seeded Jannick Sinner of Italy stunned top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night in the Miami Open semifinals, rallying from a set down to beat the defending champion, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 in a three-hour thriller.
Tiafoe ends Nadalโs 22-match Slam streak in US Open 4th Rd
Frances Tiafoe has ended Rafael Nadalโs 22-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments by beating the 22-time major champion 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the U.S. Openโs fourth round.
Sinner needs 5 sets to reach Open quarters | US Open updates
Eleventh-seeded Jannik Sinner held off feisty Ilya Ivashka and won his U.S. Open match 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to clinch a spot in all four Grand Slam quarterfinals this year.
Serena's gone, Open must go on: Kvitova, Pegula set rematch
Much like for so many other folks, Serena Williamsโ last match at the U.S. Open was must-see TV for players still in the tournament, so Jessica Pegula and Petra Kvitova tuned in from their hotel rooms the night before their victories led off Saturdayโs schedule and set up a fourth-round showdown.
Caroline Garcia, Borna Coric get 1st titles in Cincinnati
Caroline Garcia has generated momentum going into the U.S. Open in a week, capturing the Western & Southern Open womenโs championship with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Petra Kvitova.
No Novak yet but rest of tennis prepares for Australian Open
While the โwill he or wonโt heโ 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 seasonโs first major.
![Djokovic holds off Tiafoe; Venus hobbles out in Australia](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/O_QCRlnr4Er5nu8yzdFUShnHY2A=/1600x1121/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MOKLTWF6GBCY5N6P7DV2YLEWPQ.jpg)
Djokovic holds off Tiafoe; Venus hobbles out in Australia
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.
![The Latest: Shapovalov edges teenage Sinner in 1st round](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/et4RxicT-XJN0cThfLCRMDlDYhA=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FLJR7P7EZRH6FOWW7GY72ORBYA.jpg)
The Latest: Shapovalov edges teenage Sinner in 1st round
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 yearโs 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.
![Kenin, 21, will face unseeded Swiatek, 19, in French final](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/ZX8eyV9Iccyp6LE7DcnotloNgS8=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PGMUGY7HUVGGBPTIHHFHFM4BWE.jpg)
Kenin, 21, will face unseeded Swiatek, 19, in French final
She never had made the quarterfinals at any clay-court tournament until this trip to Roland Garros โ and lost her only tuneup match on the surface 6-0, 6-0 last month. โMy mentality has obviously changed,โ said Kenin, who said she derived a boost of confidence from upsetting Serena Williams at Roland Garros a year ago. On the other hand, consider how dominant she has been along the way to becoming the lowest-ranked womenโs finalist at Roland Garros since the WTA computer rankings began in 1975. Swiatek vs. Podoroska was the first womenโs semifinal at Roland Garros between unseeded opponents since 1983 โ and only one, Swiatek, truly seemed ready for the stage. Iโm, like, not letting my opponents play their best tennis,โ Swiatek said.
![The Latest: Polish teen Swiatek reaches French Open final](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/vz0NzCJ5Y1GuZ3Uf-WOr2PF8TEQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5YZQD7TYF5A35D2PUPS2P3X5JI.jpg)
The Latest: Polish teen Swiatek reaches French Open final
Poland's Iga Swiatek plays a shot against Argentina's Nadia Podoroska in the semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS โ The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___4:20 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has become the seventh unseeded player to reach the French Open final in the Open era after beating Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek will next face either two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in Saturday's final. ___3:45 p.m.Polish qualifier Iga Swiatek has won the first set against Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2 in the first semifinal of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. ___12:25 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek and Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska will open play in the main stadium at the French Open.
![Djokovic's body acts up at French Open; faces Tsitsipas next](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/XixzMaGQA_K9LzW6To7RPEau2rQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/42XA5LEWG5E53HTBJOQAL5S73E.jpg)
Djokovic's body acts up at French Open; faces Tsitsipas next
Carreรฑo Busta, for his part, had at least a bit of doubt about what was going on. Nadal eyes a 13th championship at the French Open, which would give him 20 majors overall, equaling Roger Federer's record for men; Schwartzman never has played in a Slam semifinal. At the U.S. Open, Tsitsipas failed to convert a half-dozen match points in a third-round loss. Then, against Rublev in the final of the clay-court Hamburg Open on Sept. 27 โ Day 1 of the French Open โ Tsitsipas served for the victory but wound up absorbing another disheartening defeat. At the changeover before the second set, Djokovic was attended to by a trainer, who returned for another massage three games later.
![The Latest: Djokovic has arm issue but wins at French Open](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/piOMOCQs9gxI6aeMErwlDTK_VfU=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3GWU3IBC2NEPXASOTSOJUSZOB4.jpg)
The Latest: Djokovic has arm issue but wins at French Open
(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)PARIS โ The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___9:50 p.m.Novak Djokovic has overcome a bothersome left arm and early deficit to reach the French Open semifinals for the 10th time. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in one of Fridayโs semifinals as he seeks a second French Open championship and 18th Grand Slam title. ___5:15 p.m.Polish teenager Iga Swiatek has reached the French Open semifinals in both singles and doubles. ___4:50 p.m.Laura Siegemund has taken issue with the chair umpire for giving her a time violation during her 6-3, 6-3 loss to Petra Kvitova in the French Open quarterfinals. Rublev won their final at the clay-court Hamburg Open on the same day main-draw competition began at the French Open.
![Kvitova gets emotional after return to French Open quarters](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/diFNR4gZkqVgObohvrC_Cc3MU4c=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C6RZCAWX5FGMJP3Z7NB3XOE7BY.jpg)
Kvitova gets emotional after return to French Open quarters
Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic celebrates winning her fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against China's Zhang Shuai in two sets 6-2, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Oct. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS โ Petra Kvitova owns two Wimbledon titles, so making it to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the 13th time should not necessarily feel like a big deal to her. Which is why Kvitovaโs emotions swelled and her eyes watered after she beat Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4 on Monday at the French Open, where she hadnโt reached the round of eight since 2012. Everything came to my mind -- my whole family, people who I loved, (who helped) me through the tough, tough time,โ Kvitova said. I just wanted to get some carbs, some potato or rice, whatever.โMAINSTREAM MEDIAFrench Open quarterfinalist Stefanos Tsitsipas plugged into his YouTube channel during his run to the Australian Open semifinals in 2019.
![Coach? Motivator? Kenin's dad moves, Paris match changes](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/yhLcDiYbQ6U-jnIjyNvEGUm8hwc=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XURALNB5CRG4PD4BJRUJRYWICE.jpg)
Coach? Motivator? Kenin's dad moves, Paris match changes
โFirst of all, I mean, I donโt know, like, why HER coach sat in that section,โ said Kenin, who is seeded No. Djokovicโs match continued apace, putting him in the French Open quarterfinals for the 11th consecutive year, extending a record he โ no, not 12-time champion Rafael Nadal โ already held. Djokovic is seeking a second French Open championship and 18th major trophy overall. Tsitsipas and Rublev both dropped the first two sets they played in Paris last week โ and now both are making a French Open quarterfinal debut. Their meeting Wednesday comes 10 days after Rublev beat Tsitsipas in three sets in the final of the Hamburg Open on Sept. 27 โ Day 1 of the French Open.
![The Latest: Rublev reaches his 1st French Open quarterfinal](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/qKt0WT7NXVcfvGvNQg8Be5boQOI=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MFZGUBDNDBF2JH7AQYSWJGVITM.jpg)
The Latest: Rublev reaches his 1st French Open quarterfinal
(AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS โ The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___3:25 p.m.Andrey Rublev reached the quarterfinals for the first time by beating Marton Fucsovics 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (3). He won on his second match point when the unseeded Fucsovics put a forehand into the net after Rublev had hit a volley at the net. The two-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist Rublev had never been beyond the first round at Roland Garros. ___12:55 p.m.Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova reached the French Open quarterfinals for the first time in eight years by beating Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4. There will still be crowds for the final week of French Open after Paris police decided not to reduce the limit of 1,000 spectators per day.
![If at 1st, or 14th, you don't succeed: Zhang's Slam history](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/vAGTv8sIh2u0o_a2-xVMwgN_doo=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IQA24AD57BFY3BWSK3FZNAJTJY.jpg)
If at 1st, or 14th, you don't succeed: Zhang's Slam history
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS โ For eight long years, Zhang Shuai and Grand Slam tennis simply werenโt friends. Now she is the first Chinese player into the fourth round in Paris since Li in 2012. Kvitova beat 18-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round for the fifth time. 5 seed from Greece showed up for his third-round match at the French Open on Saturday with a pandemic-appropriate facial covering that had a picture of himself drawn on it. 30 seed from Tunisia, arrived sporting one, too, for her post-match news conference after becoming the first Arab woman to get to the fourth round at Roland Garros.
![The Latest: Collins beats 2016 champ Muguruza at French Open](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/yXbCpDXAn_6lRsnC1KFCoPeayuw=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/YSZSWKFMBNDYBLCVWUODOAW2ME.jpg)
The Latest: Collins beats 2016 champ Muguruza at French Open
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS โ The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___11:10 p.m.Danielle Collins grabbed the last four games to come back and beat 2016 champion Garbiรฑe Muguruza 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the last third-round singles match at the French Open. Next up for Djokovic as he pursues a second French Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall: No. ___4:20 p.m.Fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the fourth round at the French Open for the second year in a row. He came through the qualifying tournament to reach the French Open main draw. ___1:10 p.m.Andrey Rublev advanced to the French Open fourth round with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win against the unseeded South African Kevin Anderson.
![Does Djokovic's next foe have hope? 'I was wondering that'](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/-N3kNBydDFVkj0e73FPmCjOXbTI=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/37TBZAROS5D73IX737OCCNV2A4.jpg)
Does Djokovic's next foe have hope? 'I was wondering that'
Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS โ At the mere mention of Novak Djokovicโs name, at the mere thought of sharing a court with a 17-time Grand Slam champion and the French Openโs No. He used these phrases: โreally, really excitedโ and โreally, really happyโ and โreally, really special.โGalan is, after all, ranked 153rd and never had won so much as one main-draw match at any major tournament until this week. Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champ, plays 87th-ranked Paula Badosa, who arrived in Paris with a 1-5 Grand Slam record. โWell,โ came Galanโs reply, โI was wondering that, to be honest.โAnd then he launched into a story about how he was โreally, really nervousโ before playing former top 10-member David Goffin in the Davis Cup Finals last November.
![Clipped wings: Virus turns tennis pros' flights into ordeals](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/NZMzBp_MZ51or4yEj4CsgxlDL24=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6XHBHRUTEJAMLPA6LPOFQQ5YMM.jpg)
Clipped wings: Virus turns tennis pros' flights into ordeals
Jennifer Brady of the U.S. prepares to serve against Denmark's Clara Tauson in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. But tennis players cannot home-work. And so, as now-rare world travelers, they've also become unwitting first-hand witnesses of how the pandemic is battering the airline industry. But the novelty wore off after near-constant flying became part of her tennis job, until โI really didn't like it, especially long-haul." โThe best thing during the lockdown was that I didnโt have to go on the plane.โ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
!['Runaway train': Serena wins French Open opener; Nadal, too](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/Nm8qUAY-_-Xr_Yj5437jdE8GwbM=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/K57VQA6QZ5A6HKA4QHS5VW4T6Y.jpg)
'Runaway train': Serena wins French Open opener; Nadal, too
Serena Williams of the U.S. screams in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Kristie Ahn of the U.S. at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. Both began this French Open with straight-set victories against overmatched foes in Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday. Nadal began his attempt to pull even with rival Roger Federer for the most by a man, 20, by beating Egor Gerasimov of Belarus 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. He'll be aiming for his 18th major championship at this French Open, which he finally gets underway Tuesday with his first Grand Slam match since being disqualified at the U.S. Open. Among the other key results on Day 2 of a chilly, pandemic-postponed French Open were losses by 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, who was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Polish teenager Iga Swiatek; three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber; 2017 U.S. Open finalist and 2018 French Open semifinalist Madison Keys; and menโs seeds No.
![The Latest: Female doubles player dropped due to virus](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/B0sun-LxTqqTsR0JrbMelatpbeo=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TM7UXJEEHVETFO3XWZU47U36AQ.jpg)
The Latest: Female doubles player dropped due to virus
The 2009 French Open champion was beaten by Russian countrywoman Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-1. But the 2016 French Open champion held firm to beat Tamara Zidansek 7-5, 4-6, 8-6. He beat Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. The new roof over Court Philippe Chatrier is again proving its worth on Day 2 of the French Open. The court is hosting the only play as rain thwarted the start of all other matches at Roland Garros.
!['Didn't play good': No. 1 Pliskova won't dissect Open loss](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/TVH075L3NdpbAfWhMuCnjYVQNvQ=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IC6WLDKDEZHUXJPB5QFYI4OICU.jpg)
'Didn't play good': No. 1 Pliskova won't dissect Open loss
I didnt play good, Pliksova said, so thats it.When another member of the media said this back-and-forth must be boring to Pliskova, she said, Yeah, a little bit. Three Americans turned in upsets of seeded women. Other seeded women who were eliminated: No. Pliskova had chances to take the second set against Garcia, who had been 0-8 against top-five opponents at Grand Slam tournaments. On the second, Garcia smacked a quick-strike forehand to a corner and Pliskova's running reply found the net.
![Osaka-Goff rematch could happen in US Open's 3rd round](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/y9s7-2sq1JeJCX-DyL6i27N09do=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZQZDWLBJERHMNEFQDSDABZ37ZU.jpg)
Osaka-Goff rematch could happen in US Open's 3rd round
Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 16-year-old Coco Gauff could face each other at the U.S. Open again after Thursdays, Aug. 27, 2020, draw for the Grand Slam tournament set up a possible third-round rematch. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)American teenager Coco Gauff and two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka could face each other at the U.S. Open again after Thursdays draw for the Grand Slam tournament set up a possible third-round rematch. Osaka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open, beat Gauff, then just 15, 6-3, 6-0 in the third round at Flushing Meadows a year ago. 1-ranked Ash Barty and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The defending mens champion, Rafael Nadal, and 20-time Grand Slam title winner Roger Federer are also among those absent in New York this year.
![Pain in the neck: Djokovic gets by in 1st post-hiatus match](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/m_zFiJ7fpWQJ0he_ngE6MLHO8s4=/1600x1067/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6XMUNAQD5JE5VMOPHSDZIB4LIQ.jpg)
Pain in the neck: Djokovic gets by in 1st post-hiatus match
A trainer works on the neck of Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during his match with Ricardas Berankis, of Lithuania, during the second round at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in New York. 1-ranked Djokovic was playing his first ATP match in six months because of the coronavirus pandemic; he pulled out of the doubles event Sunday because of his neck. That major championship's site in Flushing Meadows is hosting the Ohio-based Western & Southern Open, too, as part of an unusual doubleheader with no spectators. Like Djokovic, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka emerged with difficult wins, while two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, the No. Djokovic now meets American Tennys Sandgren, a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-6 (5) winner over No.
![Barty joins players expressing concern over US Open timing](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/XK31jZVy8k91TVavUo6upemYe4k=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/43XJZVQ45ZG4BF4LIPUWMISYJQ.jpg)
Barty joins players expressing concern over US Open timing
Barty has joined the ranks of high-profile players expressing concern over the staging of the U.S. Open while theres still so much uncertainty in the coronavirus pandemic. 1 hasnt had the chance yet to defend her French Open title because all elite tennis competition is shuttered. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)BRISBANE Ash Barty has joined the ranks of high-profile players concerned over the staging of the U.S. Open while theres still so much uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic. 1 hasnt had the chance yet to defend her French Open title because all elite tennis competition is shuttered. Barty hasnt played competitively since a semifinal loss to Petra Kvitova at the Qatar Open in late February.
!['Didn't do it for the hype': Kenin stops Coco in Australia](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/evQtd0A7kB7Oep23G8TNS9i3RKE=/1600x886/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-gmg.s3.amazonaws.com/public/322IGASLBFCMLFJMEHIFVEWAO4.jpg)
'Didn't do it for the hype': Kenin stops Coco in Australia
Like Gauff, Kenin is a young โ although, at 21, not quite as young โ American and she reached her first major quarterfinal with the victory. โI want to show who I am, show my best tennis, show why I'm there, why I belong,โ the 14th-seeded Kenin said. When it ended, appropriately enough, on a missed backhand by Gauff, Kenin dropped her racket at the baseline and covered her face as tears welled in her eyes. โAnyone would get pretty emotional for the first time,โ said Kenin, who next faces another woman making her Slam quarterfinal debut, 78th-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. Kenin laughed as she described the scene this way: โShe's like, โGood job.โ I'm like, โYou, too.'
![Naomi Osaka defeats Petra Kvitova in WTA Finals opener](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/10/27/DO%20NOT%20REUSE%20Naomi%20Osaka.JPG_22419874_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Naomi Osaka defeats Petra Kvitova in WTA Finals opener
(CNN) - Naomi Osaka got her WTA Finals campaign off to a winning start by defeating Petra Kvitova 7-6 4-6 6-4 in an epic battle that lasted two hours, 39 minutes. In a repeat of this year's Australian Open final, when Osaka won the second Grand Slam of her career, the world No. She then lost the second set having led by a break, but controlled the final set to record her first WTA Finals victory having lost all three of her matches last year in Singapore. READ: Top eight women compete for record $14 million at WTA Finals"I'm not great at first rounds," said Osaka after the match. Osaka and Kvitova were competing in a round-robin group that also includes Asheligh Barty and Belinda Bencic, who went head-to-head in Sunday's second game.