TENNIS

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Serena and Venus Williams have been given a wildcard entry for the women's doubles at the Cincinnati Open.

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Karolína Muchová produced one of the most dramatic victories of her career, saving a match point before defeating Coco Gauff in a thrilling deciding-set tiebreak to reach her first Wimbledon final.

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Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka are expected to headline this year's revamped US Open mixed doubles tournament after confirming plans to compete together at Flushing Meadows. The two-day event will begin on August 25 in New York and will once again feature several of the biggest stars in tennis following last year's high-profile format changes.

Djokovic, 39, and world number one Sabalenka, 28, are among a strong list of players who have registered their interest in competing. Britain's Jack Draper is set to reunite with American Jessica Pegula after the pair reached the semi-finals of the 2025 tournament. Last year's runners-up, Poland's Iga Swiatek and Norway's Casper Ruud, are also planning to team up again in pursuit of the title.

Several other notable pairings have also emerged. Naomi Osaka is expected to play alongside fellow Japanese star Kei Nishikori, while American Taylor Fritz intends to partner Elena Rybakina. Russian duo Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev have also entered the competition.

There had been speculation that some of the sport's leading players could boycott the event as part of wider efforts to secure a larger share of Grand Slam revenue. However, several players who have publicly supported those discussions, including Sabalenka, Swiatek and Pegula, have all signed up to compete.

Not everyone will be taking part, though. Carlos Alcaraz has not entered the tournament as he continues recovering from a wrist injury. The Spanish star, who partnered Emma Raducanu in last year's event, is still working toward full fitness and has not confirmed when he will return to competition.

World number one Jannik Sinner has also opted against participating. The Italian recently captured his fifth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and has withdrawn from the Canadian Open to focus on his health and recovery.

Serena Williams is also absent from the initial list of entries. Although the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to action at Wimbledon last month, a knee injury forced her to withdraw from a planned doubles appearance with her sister Venus. Her absence from the first wave of entries does not rule out a possible appearance later.

The current list of teams is not yet final. When entries close on August 17, the six highest-ranked pairings based on combined singles rankings will earn automatic qualification for the main draw. Tournament organizers will then award eight wildcard places, while the remaining two spots will be decided through an eight-team qualifying event on August 24.

Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori will return to defend their crown after winning last year's tournament. British doubles world number one Henry Patten has entered alongside Czech star Katerina Siniakova.

The tournament's revised format remains a topic of debate, particularly among doubles specialists who criticized the emphasis on star pairings. Despite the controversy, last year's event generated significant interest and commercial success. With another lineup featuring many of the sport's biggest names, organizers will be hoping the competition once again captures the attention of fans around the world.

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Grigor Dimitrov continued his inspiring Wimbledon comeback with a hard fought victory over Jakub Mensik, but the match also brought back painful memories from the tournament a year earlier.

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Jannik Sinner is starting to make a habit of responding to adversity in Paris with titles at Wimbledon.

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Naomi Osaka reached the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time in her career after producing a commanding straight sets victory over Daria Kasatkina.

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Arthur Fery's remarkable Wimbledon journey came to an end in the semi finals after Alexander Zverev produced a dominant performance to deny the British wildcard a place in his first Grand Slam final.

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Top tennis players at Wimbledon have decided to end their protest over prize money and will no longer be limiting their media appearances during the first week of the Grand Slam tournament.