LONDON: Novak Djokovic proclaimed himself “pain free” after defeating Daniil Medvedev in an exhibition match on Friday ahead of Wimbledon.
Former world number one Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, needed surgery earlier this month following a serious knee injury at the French Open.
But on Friday the 37-year-old took his place in the draw for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, with Djokovic, seeded two, taking on 123rd-ranked Vit Kopriv of the Czech Republic at the grass-court Grand Slam.
Djokovic’s movement was not completely smooth in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Medvedev during an exhibition event at London’s Hurlingham Club, with the Serbian’s right knee strapped up. But he struck the ball crisply and served well.
“I can tell you that I enjoyed myself really, really much today,” said Djokovic afterwards. “I can tell you that pain-free tennis is the best tennis. I was pain-free and I’m really glad. It was a great test obviously against one of the best players in the world.
“I’ve played a couple of practice sets but I really wanted to test myself. The test was very successful so I’m obviously really glad. It’s been an intense three week after surgery, spending a lot of hours rehabbing.”
Djokovic, whose tally of 24 singles titles at Grand Slam tournaments is the most won by any man in tennis history, added: “I kind of always wanted to give myself a chance to be in London. I think my surgeon is here. He’s the MVP (most valuable player) for sure the last three weeks.
“I’m trying to take it day by day and see how far it goes.”
Djokovic was forced to pull out ahead of his quarter-final at the French Open against Casper Ruud after tearing the medial meniscus in his right knee.
He has since been looking to learn from fellow tennis players and athletes who have suffered similar injuries, including American Taylor Fritz, who faced a similar situation three years ago and recovered in time for Wimbledon.
“I asked him, I asked many athletes — (Stan) Wawrinka, (skier) Lindsey Vonn, (footballer) Zlatan Ibrahimovic — and they were all very kind to share some of their experiences and give me some contacts of people who could help me out,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic ‘pain free’ ahead of Wimbledon after Medvedev exhibition win
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Djokovic ‘pain free’ ahead of Wimbledon after Medvedev exhibition win
- The 37-year-old took his place in the draw for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, with Djokovic, seeded two, taking on 123rd-ranked Vit Kopriv of the Czech Republic
- “I can tell you that I enjoyed myself really, really much today,” said Djokovic
Medvedev defeats old rival Zverev to reach Halle Open final, Bublik awaits
- “I could have done much better when I had the break in the second but it is normal,” Medvedev said
- It’s Medvedev’s fourth consecutive win over Zverev
HALLE, Germany: Daniil Medvedev ended home favorite Alexander Zverev’s hopes of grass-court glory with a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (1), 6-4 win in their Halle Open semifinal on Saturday.
Medvedev recovered from squandering three match points on Zverev’s serve at 5-6 in the second set and took nearly 3 hours to get past his old rival and reach his first final in 15 months.
“I could have done much better when I had the break in the second but it is normal,” Medvedev said. “The same happened in the third set that when I had the break, he started playing better, returning better. I am happy that in the third set I managed to stay more composed and managed to save those break points.”
It’s Medvedev’s fourth consecutive win over Zverev and it extended his lead to 13-7 in their head-to-head series.
The Russian player will face Alexander Bublik — who beat top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the second round — in Sunday’s final.
Bublik, the 2023 champion, fired 18 aces as he defeated Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the other semifinal.
Medvedev hasn’t played a final since March 2024, when he lost to Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells.
Zverev, who had been bidding to reach the Halle final for the third time, will have to wait for his first title on grass.
Vondrousova surprises Sabalenka to reach Berlin final
- The 25-year-old Czech, ranked 164 in the world rankings, dominated Sabalenka 6-2. 6-4,
- “I didn’t play for a long time,” said Vondrousova
BERLIN: Marketa Vondrousova brushed aside world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Berlin on Saturday to reach her first final since lifting the Wimbledon title two years ago.
The 25-year-old Czech, ranked 164 in the world rankings, dominated Sabalenka 6-2. 6-4, to set up a Sunday title clash with the winner of the other semifinal on the grass in Berlin between Wang Xinyu and Liudmila Samsonova.
Vondrousova plummeted down the rankings from sixth after missing several months with a left shoulder injury for which she underwent surgery last year.
“I didn’t play for a long time,” said Vondrousova, who was appearing in her first WTA semifinal since April last year.
“I’m just happy to be back healthy, and so grateful to play these matches.
“When I saw the field here, I was like, ‘OK, let’s just try to win the first round,’ and then, you
know, now this is happening.”
Sabalenka’s first serve let her down in the opening set, but the Belarusian fought back to start the second with a break.
Two games down Vondrousova levelled at 2-2, then broke to lead 5-4, wrapping up the win — her first ever over a world number one — but not before saving three consecutive break points, with an ace after one hour five minutes of play.
Sabalenka, 27, was losing only her first semifinal in eight last four appearances in 2025.
China’s Wang beat French Open champion Coco Gauff on Thursday then reached the semis after Spanish opponent Paula Badosa retired having lost 6-1 in the first set.
Her opponent, Samsonova, continued her excellent form on the grass after seeing off defending champion Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and last weekend’s Queen’s finalist Amanda Anisimova this week.
Alcaraz extends winning streak, Draper into semifinals at Queen’s
- Alcaraz, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2023, will face Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday’s semifinals
- The 23-year-old had twice lost in the last eight at Queen’s, but now he is just two wins away from joining Andy Murray as only the second British champion at the tournament in the Open area
LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz was relieved to overcome the challenge of Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to reach the semifinals at Queen’s Club and extend his career-best winning streak to 16 matches on Friday.
In his first tournament since winning the French Open in remarkable fashion against Jannik Sinner, the world No. 2 had been forced to come through a grueling three-set battle against Jaume Munar in Thursday’s second round.
But Alcaraz was ruthless with his opportunities against world No. 80 Rinderknech as the Spaniard took his only two break point chances for a 7-5, 6-4 win inside 90 minutes on court.
“I thought I was going to feel much worse, but we are tennis players, we have to do whatever we have to do to feel good,” said Alcaraz after his three-and-a-half-hour battle against Munar.
“I’m glad that today was one hour and 20 minutes, a bit more like grass.”
Alcaraz, who won the Wimbledon warm-up event in 2023, will face Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday’s semifinals after he beat fourth seed Holger Rune 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2.
“I’m feeling great, and I’m just happy to play at such a good level today. It was a big challenge today, but I’m happy with the way I played and felt today,” added Alcaraz.
Jack Draper, who ended Alcaraz’s defense at Queen’s last year, reached the semifinals for the first time and secured a top-four seed at Wimbledon with a tense 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over American Brandon Nakashima.
The 23-year-old had twice lost in the last eight at Queen’s, but now he is just two wins away from joining Andy Murray as only the second British champion at the tournament in the Open area.
Draper will move above Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in the world rankings next week to a career-high of four.
That means at Wimbledon, which starts on June 30, Draper will avoid defending champion Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner until the semifinals.
“Last year I went there ranked 40th and now I’m fourth. To get to that position is an incredible feeling,” Draper said.
“It is testament to the work me and my team have done and I’m proud of that.”
Draper will face Jiri Lehecka in the last four on Saturday after the Czech world No. 30 beat beat British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley 7-5, 6-2.
Emirates extends global partnership with ATP through 2030
- Since 2013, the Dubai-based airline and ATP Tour have built one of the longest standing and most recognizable partnerships in professional tennis
DUBAI: Emirates and the ATP Tour have renewed their global partnership, with the airline continuing as the premier partner of the competition through 2030.
First joining forces in 2013, Emirates and the ATP have built one of the longest-standing and most recognizable partnerships in professional tennis.
Emirates will continue to showcase its premium hospitality at close to 60 ATP tournaments spanning six continents each season.
The airline’s signature net branding will remain a distinctive part of the viewing experience for millions of fans worldwide.
Emirates will also continue to receive prominent marketing rights and high-value brand visibility across the season, maintaining one of the broadest footprints in tennis.
From 2026, Emirates will further expand its brand presence by becoming the ATP’s first umpire sleeve-patch partner.
The initiative builds on Emirates’ association with sport officiating across its major sponsorships, including the NBA, International Cricket Council, World Rugby, European Rugby Champions Cup and SailGP.
Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ executive vice president, corporate communications, marketing and brand, said this was an opportunity for Emirates to connect with tennis fans worldwide and build a consistent, authentic brand association with the sport.
“Through exceptional hospitality and strategic on-ground activations at the world’s most prestigious tournaments, we’re strengthening engagement with our loyal customer base to remain top-of-mind.
“We’re committed to working closely with the ATP and leveraging this partnership further as we continue expanding Emirates’ global tennis footprint.”
Daniele Sano, ATP’s chief business officer, said: “Emirates has been a constant presence on the ATP Tour for over a decade, and this renewal is a big moment for both of us.
“It speaks to the strength of our relationship and everything we’ve built together. Right now, the Tour is in a really exciting place. We’re seeing record attendance, growing commercial interest, and real momentum across the board.
“We’re proud to keep building with a partner, and a truly premium brand, that shares our belief in the future of the sport.”
In addition to leveraging the ATP’s digital and social channels, Emirates will begin collaborating with players on digital promotions through a dedicated activation program.
The ATP Tour connects Emirates with more than 5 million fans on-site each season, underscoring the global reach of both tennis and the world’s largest international airline.
Beyond the ATP Tour, Emirates is a sponsor of all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments: the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Coco Gauff loses in Berlin in first match since French Open title, turns attention to Wimbledon
- Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon
- “It was a tough one today but happy to be back on court,” she wrote on her social media
BERLIN: Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff was stunned on her return to action Thursday, losing to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-3 at the Berlin Open.
The second-ranked Gauff, who won at Roland-Garros less than two weeks ago for her second Grand Slam title, amassed 25 unforced errors and seven double faults in her loss to Wang.
Gauff had a bye to the second round at the grass-court tournament, a warmup for Wimbledon.
“It was a tough one today but happy to be back on court,” Gauff wrote on her social media accounts. “Tried my best to adjust with the quick turnaround but it wasn’t enough. As always, I’m learning as I go so I hope to do better next time.”
The 21-year-old Gauff added that she is “excited to get some more practices in to be ready for Wimbledon,” which starts June 30. She has not made it past the fourth round at the All England Club.
Wang, ranked No. 49, said she would have been pleased just with the first set Thursday, considering the level of her opponent.
“After I won the first set, I just told myself ‘OK let’s take a minute and enjoy this, I’m playing the French Open champion, and I won the first set,’” she said in her on-court interview.
“No matter how the second and third go, I was like, ‘OK let’s just enjoy it for a second,’” said Wang, who will face Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals. “I’m really happy with how I played today. I was serving good and putting a lot of pressure on the return, especially second-serve return.”
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka finished off Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (6) in a match that was suspended Wednesday after one set because of a slippery court.
Sabalenka had lost to Gauff at the French Open final and later apologized to the American for making “unprofessional” comments after the Paris title match.
Sabalenka will meet 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
