TAYLOR FRITZ

Naomi Osaka’s return to the French Open ended in the first round with a straight-set loss to 20-year-old American Amanda Anisimova.

The usual trophies and prize money will be on the line for Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and other top players at Wimbledon, but there is a significant change there this year.

Rafael Nadal has gotten is off to a good start in his return from injury, defeating Miomir Kecmanovic in two sets to reach the third round at the Madrid Open.

Daniil Medvedev never gave Andy Murray a chance.

“I was getting to a very important part of the season feeling well and with good results,” Nadal said. Nadal’s winning streak to begin 2022 included his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. The third-ranked Nadal will try to win a record-extending 14th French Open title at Roland Garros this year. He is not likely to play in the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open next month. Nadal had already decided to skip this week’s tournament in Florida and head home to Spain to prepare for the clay-court season.

Rafael Nadal says he will be sidelined for four to six weeks because of a rib injury.

American Taylor Fritz upset an ailing Rafael Nadel 6-3, 7-6 (5) Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open and snap the 21-time major champion’s 20-match winning streak this year. “It’s an honor to even be on the same court as this guy,” Fritz told the crowd. Nadal's usual fighting spirit was on full display, but he came into the match bothered by painful breathing that he first experienced in a three-set semifinal win Saturday.

The 21-time major champion staved off three break points on his serve in the fifth game of the third set and then broke Alcaraz with a forehand volley winner to go up 5-3. Nadal served out the match with a love game, punctuating the 3-hour, 12-minute struggle with a 95-mph ace. Nadal threw his head back, smiled and raised both arms in triumph, having escaped an aggressive Alcaraz. He served a love game to open the match and then promptly broke Rublev and held again for a 3-0 lead. They've known each other since the junior ranks, where Rublev beat Fritz in three of their four meetings.

Indian Wells Tennis Taylor Fritz reacts during his men's singles semifinals match against Andrey Rublev, of Russia, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Mark J. Terrill)INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — (AP) — Taylor Fritz ended Andrey Rublev’s 13-match winning streak with a 7-5, 6-4 victory Saturday in the BNP Paribas Open semifinals. Fritz advanced to the final Sunday against either Rafael Nadal or 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who met in the other semifinal. Andre Agassi was the last American man to win Indian Wells in 2001. In the second set, Fritz came up with a big hold at 5-4, firing an ace down the T after fighting off two break points. They've known each other since the junior ranks, where Rublev beat Fritz in three of their four meetings.

Rafael Nadal outlasted Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the BNP Paribas Open final and improve to 20-0 this year.

Swiatek saved two set points in the first-set tiebreaker when she overcame deficits of 3-1 and 5-3. In 2021, Fritz came into Indian Wells ranked 39th in the world. “I feel like my level as a player has gone up a ton.”Fritz has recorded many milestones at Indian Wells, where he's always a crowd favorite. Fritz made his debut in a Masters 1000 main draw at Indian Wells and notched his first top-10 win here in 2017. “Just the energy is completely different.”Fritz is the first American to reach consecutive semifinals at Indian Wells since Andy Roddick in 2009-10.

Swiatek saved two set points in the first-set tiebreaker when she overcame deficits of 3-1 and 5-3. In 2021, Fritz came into Indian Wells ranked 39th in the world. “I feel like my level as a player has gone up a ton.”Fritz has recorded many milestones at Indian Wells, where he's always a crowd favorite. Fritz made his debut in a Masters 1000 main draw at Indian Wells and notched his first top-10 win here in 2017. “Just the energy is completely different.”Fritz is the first American to reach consecutive semifinals at Indian Wells since Andy Roddick in 2009-10.

In 2021, Fritz came into Indian Wells ranked 39th in the world. “I feel like my level as a player has gone up a ton.”Fritz has recorded many milestones at Indian Wells, where he's always a crowd favorite. Fritz made his debut in a Masters 1000 main draw at Indian Wells and notched his first top-10 win here in 2017. “Just the energy is completely different.”Fritz is the first American to reach consecutive semifinals at Indian Wells since Andy Roddick in 2009-10. ___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Iga Swiatek rallied from a break down in each set to beat Simona Halep 7-6 (6), 6-4 and reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open.

Nursing a nagging foot injury, Rafael Nadal improved to 18-0 this season, edging Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Australian Open Tennis Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley watches the fourth round match between Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and Taylor Fritz of the U.S. at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, early Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Simon Baker) (Simon Baker)MELBOURNE, Australia — (AP) — Restrictions which resulted in the removal of a spectator for wearing a T-shirt supporting Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai at the Australian Open have been overhauled after international backlash. With reports of activists planning to distribute hundreds of shirts branded with the question “Where is Peng Shuai?” in time for Saturday’s Australian Open women’s final, the message shouldn’t be hard to find. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley told The Associated Press it would be OK for people to wear the shirts at Melbourne Park, as long as they didn’t congregate in large groups or cause problems for other spectators. Tennis great Martina Navratilova, a three-time Australian Open singles champion, posted a tweet saying: “That’s just pathetic.

Restrictions which resulted in the removal of a spectator for wearing a T-shirt supporting Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai at the Australian Open have been overhauled after international backlash.

Alize Cornet has finally reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament in her 63rd attempt.

Nikoloz Basilashvili beat American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (5), 6-3 to set up a final against Cameron Norrie at the BNP Paribas Open.

Indian Wells Tennis Taylor Fritz, of the United States, reacts after defeating Alexander Zverev, of Germany, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Mark J. Terrill)INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — (AP) — Taylor Fritz beat No. “The crowd pushing me on meant so much.”Fritz was the clear favorite at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, where 83-year-old Hall of Famer Rod Laver looked on. After Zverev held with the court nearly half in shadow from the searing late afternoon sun, Fritz held again to force the tiebreaker. Basilashvili held at love to win the first set before Tsitsipas cruised through the second set. “I got really tight in the end of the match,” Basilashvili said.

Taylor Fritz beat No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in front of a hometown crowd, scoring the biggest win of his young career.

Grigor Dimitrov beat top-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open, extending the parade of upsets that has knocked out several top players.

Novak Djokovic is 26-0 in Grand Slam matches in 2021.

After reaching the U.S. Open final last year with no fans, Victoria Azarenka appreciates playing in front of people again.

Rafael Nadal has won his first match back after being off the tour for nearly two months.

___6:30 p.m.Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber needed 3 hours, 19 minutes to get past unseeded Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round. The German won Wimbledon in 2018 and has three Grand Slam titles overall. Sorribes Tormo has never been past the second round at a major. Alcaraz has drawn similar praise from countryman Rafael Nadal and made the third round at the French Open this year. It's Switzerland vs. France again when Roger Federer takes on Richard Gasquet in the second round at Wimbledon.

In four weeks, Taylor Fritz has gone from a wheelchair at the French Open to the third round at Wimbledon.

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.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (Christophe Ena)PARIS — (AP) — The Latest on the French Open (all times local):___9:30 p.m.American Taylor Fritz says he’ll require surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, and he hopes to recover in time to play at Wimbledon. ___3:15 p.m.Kei Nishikori followed up two consecutive five-setters with a one-set victory at the French Open. Play is resuming on the outer courts at the French Open after a rain delay of less than an hour. Rain has forced play to be suspended on all courts at the French Open besides the main stadium — where the roof is closed. The left-handed Delbonis will be trying to reach the fourth round at a major tournament for the first time against 27th-seeded Fabio Fognini.

American Taylor Fritz says he’ll require surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

There are four American men in the French Open's third round for the first time in 25 years: John Isner, Reilly Opelka, Stevie Johnson and Marcos Giron.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal won a total of three matches over younger players and will renew their record-setting rivalry in the Italian Open final.

Rafael Nadal showed he’s still got the stamina to withstand much younger challengers in a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) comeback win over 22-year-old Denis Shapovalov that secured him a spot in the Italian Open quarterfinals.

There are no American men in the ATP's Top 30 for the first time in the nearly half-century of ATP computerized tennis rankings.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic smashes his racket during his quarterfinal match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic smashed a racket, sending a piece of the frame flying. He dropped the opening set against Alexander Zverev, one of the young guys trying to shove aside Djokovic and the rest of the Big Three. And this is Djokovic at the Australian Open, where no man ever has been better. So, naturally, Djokovic pulled himself together and pulled out the victory, reaching his ninth semifinal at Melbourne Park by eliminating No.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic hits a backhand return to Canada's Milos Raonic during their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. For anyone curious about the severity of his injury, he put it into context after qualifying for the Australian Open quarterfinals for the 12th time. The eight-time Australian Open champion planned to spend most of the next two days recovering ahead of his quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev. “If you’re here, it’s for a reason - there’s no doubt about it,” Dimitrov said after his 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 win. AdAnd not since Patrick McEnroe — John’s brother — in 1991 has a man ranked as low as 114th made it to the Australian Open quarterfinals.

AdHe said: “If it’s any other tournament than a Grand Slam, then I’d withdraw from that event, that’s for sure. Defending champion Novak Djokovic has started his fourth-round match against Milos Raonic at the Australian Open. He'll play either U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem or Grigor Dimitrov next and he says he doesn't have a preference. Their match is to be followed by eight-time Australian Open champion Djokovic against 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic — assuming Djokovic decides he can play. Other men in action include reigning U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem and the man he beat in that final, Alexander Zverev.

Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic serves to compatriot Karolina Pliskova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Crowds were gone from the Australian Open on Saturday because of a five-day hard lockdown imposed by the state government to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. And with the lack of fans, players were faced with an all-too-familiar feeling: a distinct lack of buzz. The Australian Open was allowed to continue during the lockdown — but without fans. He struggled without a crowd in a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after defeating United States' Talyor Fritz in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. So I don’t know if I’ll manage to recover from that in less than two days. “Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”The only man in the draw with more Grand Slam trophies than Djokovic, No. Let’s be honest.”This setback dropped Fritz's career record in third-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments to 0-6. I just want to make it to the fourth round," Fritz said.

Competition at the year's first Grand Slam tournament will be allowed to continue, but no fans can attend as of Saturday. Hopefully it will be all right.”A year ago, Williams dropped just three games against Potapova in the first round. But the 2016 Wimbledon junior champion double-faulted five times in that game, including twice on set point. 8 Diego Schwartzman became the highest-seeded man to lose so far, eliminated 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 by Aslan Karatsev, a qualifier from Russia ranked 114th and making his Grand Slam debut at age 27. AdIn other action, 2020 U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev won in straight sets and now takes on No.

In the fourth set, after the best buddies traded service breaks, Opelka raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set tiebreak, a mere two points from victory. But then Fritz, the highest-ranked American men’s player in the Australian Open draw, reached down and found some magic. He forced three straight Opelka errors on groundstrokes, and went on to win six straight points in the breaker to snatch it, 7-5, and keep his hope alive. It was also the fourth five-setter Opelka has played at the Australian Open, with him winning one of them. 1, and eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the third round.

The last American man to win a Grand Slam tournament was Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003, and there's no sign the drought will end anytime soon. “But I don’t see it being what it once was ever again.”AdOpelka, for one, isn’t surprised the United States has the same number of seeded men in Melbourne as, say, Bulgaria or Norway. The United States has four seeded women in Melbourne, including Kenin and Serena Williams. That’s a challenge, because those kids want to play basketball and football.”The United States Tennis Association has inner-city programs in more than 250 locations. Opelka (ranked 38th), Fritz (ranked 31st), Tommy Paul (53rd) and Frances Tiafoe (64th) are all 23 and good friends who root for each other.

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 former Indian Trails Middle School student notched his second career win at the Australian Open (he beat John Isner previously, in 2019) played very well against an outgunned opponent. But Opelka broke right back and played a strong second-set tiebreak, winning it 7-2, and then cruised from there. Opelka and Fritz are extremely close friends: Opelka was in Fritz’s wedding. 1 Novak Djokovic, and could play Djokovic if both advance to the third round. The total purse for this year’s Australian Open is $62 million ($80 million in Australian dollars).

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.