Controversial star won’t play 2024 Open due to injury Kyrgios makes announcement via new OnlyFans platform Nick Kyrgios has officially ruled himself out from playing the 2024 Australian Open, but the controversial tennis star will be there in a different form – as a commentator. The 28-year-old crowdpleaser and 2022 Wimbledon finalist was missing from the tournament’s entry list on Wednesday night, but Australian Open boss Craig Tiley hinted the Canberra-born wild child would be at the event in “some form ..read more

London mayor’s office will decide whether All England Club’s expansion plans can go ahead in face of local opposition “To use a tennis analogy, we’re at one set all but we’ve got a long way to go,” says Christopher Coombe, a member of Save Wimbledon Park, as he reflects on the latest plot twist in the fight between local residents and the world’s biggest tennis tournament. “This is a five-set match with no tie-break.” Coombe is speaking the morning after Wandsworth council unanimously rejected the All England Club’s plans to build 39 grass courts, including an 8,000-seat stadium, on the Grade ..read more

Planning committee votes unanimously against All England Club’s proposals to triple size on to listed park A London council has rejected plans to build a new 8,000-seat stadium and 38 further tennis courts on a Grade II*-listed park in Wimbledon. Wandsworth council’s planning committee on Tuesday night voted unanimously to reject the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s plans to almost triple the size of the tennis championship grounds from 17 hectares (42 acres) to 46 hectares ..read more

Campaigners criticise loss of open space as Wandsworth prepares to decide on plan for 10-storey show court Forget the tennis. A much bigger match will take place in Wimbledon next week as the All England Lawn Tennis Club takes on another local council over its plan to build an 8,000-seat stadium on a Grade II*-listed park. The AELTC will on Tuesday night attempt to convince Wandsworth’s planning committee to vote through its proposal to build the 10-storey show court and 38 other grass courts on Wimbledon Park. Campaigners have described the proposals as an “industrial tennis complex ..read more

In today’s newsletter: The home of tennis wants to get bigger so it can compete with other grand slam championships in New York and Paris • Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First Edition Good morning. Israel has extended its ground offensive in Gaza, and ordered the evacuation of a key hospital in Gaza City where 14,000 people are said to be sheltering. You can catch up with the latest developments on our liveblog here. Today we’re taking you to Wimbledon, where the bosses of the tennis championships have been fighting a decades-long battle to take control of the Capability Brown-designe ..read more

Lack of blood tests meant panel could not be sure of suspicions Romanian has vowed to ‘clear my name’ after four-year ban The independent tribunal that banned Simona Halep for four years for doping had “strong grounds for suspicion” that the Romanian was also blood doping at last year’s Wimbledon, its newly published 125-page decision reveals. However, it could not be “comfortably satisfied” that was the case as the 31-year-old did not have any blood tests between April and September 2022. On Tuesday the former world No 1 was found to have intentionally taken the banned blood‑doping agent ro ..read more

He did not want to be in final match on Centre Court every day ‘It’s not possible’ to prepare for grass matches under roof Andy Murray has said he asked Wimbledon organisers this year not to schedule him as the final match on Centre Court every day because of concerns over late finishes. Wimbledon, however, did not grant the request and late scheduling had a significant bearing on his exit from the Championships. In his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Murray led the third seed by two sets to one before the match was postponed as the curfew approached. They returned the followi ..read more

Exclusive: Oliver Dowden and Keir Starmer among those who enjoyed free tickets to events including the Chelsea flower show and the Derby More than 100 MPs have enjoyed free hospitality to concerts and sporting events worth more than £180,000 this summer, with tickets given away by banks, oil companies, the gambling industry and media firms. The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, and the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, are among those who have benefited from a growing trend for politicians accepting giveaways. Jeremy Hunt, chancellor: £600 Chelsea flower show visit ..read more

From director Greta Gerwig’s ‘bananas’ Barbie film to Jarvis Cocker and Pulp in Manchester: the best original photographs from the Observer commissioned in July 2023 ..read more

The art of losing isn’t hard to master, but the Tunisian took it to a spellbinding new level and won Wimbledon hearts Play to win, obviously. But if you must lose, then try to lose like Ons Jabeur. Lose like you mean it. Lose and be devoured by great, greedy sobs. Lose and weep on the shoulder of Kate Middleton and try not to laugh at the irony of being counselled on the virtues of hard work and perseverance by a literal princess. Lose a Wimbledon final by hitting twice as many winners as your opponent and making twice as many unforced errors. Lose and bring the house down with a joke about ho ..read more