NADAL, OSAKA TO MISS WIMBLEDON
Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka are sitting out Wimbledon, leaving the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament without two of the sport’s biggest stars as it returns after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, announced via a series of social media posts Thursday that he would also miss the Tokyo Olympics to rest and recover “after listening to my body.”
“The goal,” the 35-yearold Spaniard said, “is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy.”
Osaka’s agent, Stuart Duguid, said Thursday in an email that the four-time Grand Slam champion does plan to head to the Summer Games after skipping Wimbledon.
“She is taking some personal time with friends and family,” Duguid wrote. “She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”
Osaka is a 23-year-old who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Haitian father; the family moved to the United States when she was 3 and she is still based here.
Osaka has been ranked No. 1 and is currently No. 2; she is the highest-earning female athlete and was the 2020 AP Female Athlete of the Year. She is 14-3 this season, including a title at the Australian Open in February.
Last month, Osaka was fined $15,000 when she didn’t speak to reporters after her first-round victory at the French Open. The next day, Osaka pulled out of the tournament entirely, saying she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before meeting with the media and revealing she has “suffered long bouts of depression.”
More tennis
Second-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia rallied past 18-year-old left-hander Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) at the Birmingham grass-court
tournament in England. In other matches in the round of 16, Tereza Martincova came back to defeat fifthseeded Jelena Ostapenko 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. Also, Anastasia Potapova beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-3, and
Daria Kasatkina beat 18year-old Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 7-5.
• Top-seeded Matteo Berrettini overpowered
Andy Murray with his booming serve in a 6-3, 6-3 victory at The Queen’s Club grasscourt tournament in London to move into the quarterfinals.
• Ugo Humbert upset Alexander Zverev in the second round of the grass-court Halle Open in Germany to leave Andrey Rublev as the only seeded player to reach the quarterfinals. The thirdseeded Zverev hit 20 aces but it wasn’t enough as Humbert won a close match 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3. U.S. player Sebastian Korda, the son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda, beat Kei Nishikori 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a quarterfinal against Humbert.
• Victoria Azarenka reached the quarterfinals of the German Open by defeating home favorite Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-5 in Berlin. Liudmila
Samsonova upset Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-3 in an all-Russian clash.
• The U.S. Open tennis tournament will allow 100 percent spectator capacity throughout its entire two weeks in 2021, a year after spectators were banned from the event because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya said he is returning to the boxing ring for a bout against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort. The 48-year-old De La Hoya announced that he will end his nearly 13-year ring retirement Sept. 11 in Las Vegas for what is expected to be an exhibition fight.
WNBA
Ariel Atkins scored 32 points, Theresa Plaisance added 25, and the short-handed Washington Mystics beat the Atlanta Dream 9693 at home for coach Mike Thibault’s 350th WNBA victory.
• Breanna Stewart had 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, Sue Bird added 13 points with seven assists, and the visiting Seattle Storm (12-2) beat the Indiana Fever (1-13) 79-69 for
their fifth straight victory.
• Kahleah Copper had 18 points and eight rebounds, Courtney Vandersloot added 12 points with 10 assists and four steals, and the host Chicago Sky (6-7) beat the Connecticut Sun (8-4) 81-75 for their fourth straight win.
• Kayla McBride scored a season-high 22 points, Sylvia Fowles had 14 points and 12 rebounds for her 170th career double-double, and the Minnesota Lynx (5-6) beat the Dallas Wings (5-7) 85-73 on the road.
Also
The NCAA is investigating Arizona State’s football program, a school spokeswoman told The Athletic. Katie Paquet, Arizona State vice president of media relations, in a statement to the website, confirmed “an investigation regarding allegations related to our football program.” She said the university could not provide further comment because of NCAA bylaws.
• A women’s version of the Tour de France will be held in 2022 with a start on Paris’ iconic Champs-Elysees boulevard after the conclusion of the men’s race, organizers announced.