Osaka

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who will be defending her Australian Open title this month, bumped into Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z while still “depressed” after losing in the fourth round at the US Open. read more

An upbeat Osaka told reporters ahead of the season-opening Brisbane International that she had tried to have a bit of fun and experience new things during the off-season, which meant her “first vacation ever”. read more

The Japanese world number three was due to face Australia’s Ash Barty later in the day and her place in the tournament will now be taken by alternate Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. read more

Opening the $14 million round-robin tournament, the first in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the world No.3 regrouped from several lethargic stretches to win 7-6 (7\/1), 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 39 minutes. read more

French Open champion Barty and Australian Open winner Osaka were joined by the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the Red Group. read more

The 21-year-old Japanese, who on Friday ended Bianca Andreescu’s run of 17 wins in a row, took time to settle against Denmark’s Wozniacki. read more

Osaka, who plays Andrea Petkovic of Germany next in Beijing, was disappointed that she was unable to replicate the form which won her the Pan Pacific Open in Japan a week ago. read more

The former world number one overwhelmed Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-3 in just over an hour to make it third time lucky in finals at the tournament after finishing runner-up in 2016 and 2018. read more

The Dutchwoman recovered well to share the opening four games with Pavlyuchenkova but dropped her serve in the fifth, failing to keep up with her unseeded opponent’s devastating backhands. read more

PM Modi met Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe and Malaysian counterpart Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Russia’s Vladivostok. read more

Vienna took the No. 1 spot in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability ranking for the second year running, confirming that life is officially better on the banks of the Danube than it is by the Yarra River in Melbourne, which took second place. read more

Vienna once again came ahead of Melbourne -- which had held the top ranking for seven years until losing it to Vienna in 2018 -- according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). read more

Belinda Bencic’s 7-5, 6-4 triumph, her WTA-best sixth over a top-five foe this year, ensured 21-year-old Japanese star Osaka will fall from the world number one spot next week. read more

Beaten finalist Williams was given a warning for a coaching violation after Mouratoglou gestured in the stands during the dramatic decider against Naomi Osaka. read more

The 15-year-old US sensation who made the fourth round at Wimbledon in July was routed 6-3, 6-0 by 21-year-old Japanese world number one Osaka on Saturday, her tears after the loss prompting Osaka to entice her to stay on court and speak to the crow... read more