Naomi Osaka talked the talk then walked the walk. She withdrew from Cincinnati semifinals on Wednesday to join the national protest for racial inequality and social injustice. Osaka made national news for leading tennis to take a stand and as a result the tournament postponed the Thursday semifinal to Friday.

So today, with the news still swirling, the 22-year-old was able to put all that aside the hang on to …

After making a stand not to play the semifinal yesterday, Naomi Osaka has agreed to play her postponed semifinal tomorrow against Elise Mertens.

The former No. 1 said she made the decision after speaking to tour officials.

“As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent,” Osaka said …

There’s no Roger Federer, no Rafael Nadal, but Novak Djokovic is in the US Open draw and looking like the strong favorite to close the Grand Slam title gap with his rivals. Djokovic leads a decent draw which features seven of the Top 10 players including Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and fellow former champions Marin Cilic and Andy Murray.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC QUARTER
The top seeded …

With the sports in the U.S. taking a stand today against police violence, Naomi Osaka got tennis involved tonight announcing that she will not be playing Thursday in the semifinals against Elise Mertens in New York.

Osaka posted this message on social media:

“Hello, as many of you are aware I was scheduled to play my semifinals match tomorrow. However, before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as …

After a tough, harrowing start to the week for Novak Djokovic, the former No. 1 appears to be back to his old self and injury free in New York this for the Cincinnati Masters.

The Serb, who struggled with a neck in his opener, was in full flight this afternoon in a blowout win over an in-form Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1.

“It was great. I started a little bit tight in my …

The upsets continued to be the story at the Cincinnati Masters played in New York this week. The tournament tonight lost its biggest star Serena Williams in an unusual fashion.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set against Maria Sakkari when the wheels completely fell off. The Greek got it to a tiebreaker but Serena jumped ahead 4-1. But Sakkari came back …

The two best players from the 2019 summer hardcourt circuit are one win from another meeting Thursday at the Cincinnati Masters in New York. Last night, Novak Djokovic looked in trouble not just with his game but with his neck during a tough win over qualifier Ricardis Berankis. Today, the World No. 1 showed no signs of neck problems in a convincing 6-2, 6-4 romp over Tennys Sandgren.

“I’m as close …

Serena Williams opened her Cincinnati event Monday surviving a stern test from journeywoman Arantxa Rus. Behind her first serve, Serena hung on to take a near-3 hour affair 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(0).

The 38-year-old was pushed to the very limit in the heat, saving a Rus set point in the first then holding off her foe who overcame a 5-2 hole in the third on a fanless Grandstand Court.

“Now I feel like …

Novak Djokovic made his return to tennis Monday at the relocated Cincinnati Masters played this year in New York. The world No. 1 got up a break early against the big underdog Ricardas Berankis and things looked good for the Serb. But the Lithuanian wouldn’t go away. He got back on serve, went up a break all while Djokovic struggled with a neck issue which forced him out of doubles …

An already depleted women’s field at the Cincinnati Masters got even thinner Sunday evening after the tournament lost its Top 2 seeds: former winner Karolina Pliskova and second seed and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

Pliskova was in control early up 4-1 on Veronika Kudermetova before the young Russian got a read on the top seeds powerful serve.

Kudermetova overcame another break down in the second and closed it out for a …

The first Top 5 men’s seed hit the courts Sunday at the Cincinnati Masters in New York, and Stefanos Tsitsipas played like it. The fourth-seeded Greek pounded former US Open finalist 6-1, 6-3.

After dominating the first set, Tsitsipas got out of a 0-40 jam early in the second and coasted from there to his first Cincinnati tournament win.

“I think the fact that I kept my serve very aggressive and I …

American stars Venus Williams and Coco Gauff both got bounced out of the Cincinnati Masters Saturday in the opening round.

The 16-year-old Gauff had no answer for Maria Sakkari’s overpower first serve as the Greek cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 win.

“I think I really played a good match. I played a match in Palermo, but for me, it doesn’t count. It wasn’t even a match, the way I played,” said Sakkari …

Andy Murray made the most of his 2020 debut getting past Frances Tiafoe 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-1 in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters, the first ATP event in over five months which is being held in New York. The 2-time Cincinnati champion was down a mini-break in the first set tiebreak before storming back.

The Scot let down in the second before running away with the match against the 23-year-old …

After a 5+ month suspension, men’s tennis returns in New York for the first round of the Cincinnati Masters (played on the US Open site).

The 56-draw features the last four tournament champions along with 2-time winner Andy Murray.

The 33-year-old Murray will play his first match of 2020 today as he takes on young American Frances Tiafoe in a first meeting.

“I do feel there will be a lot of upsets,” said …

Only a teen, Coco Gauff is not weary of the US Open bubble nor the rules surrounding it. The 16-year-old sounds like someone enjoying her time in New York where the Cincinnati Masters kicks off Saturday when she’ll meet Maria Sakkari.

“It’s definitely exceeded my expectations,” Gauff said of the bubble. “At the hotel they have a lot of activities for us to do, which I was a little bit worried …