Novak Djokovic
AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press May. 26, 2022 10:00 AM EDT
May 27 1823 — A $20,000 match race between American Eclipse (representing The North) and Henry (representing The South) is held at Union Course, Long...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Jan. 27, 2022 10:54 AM EST
Jan. 28 1901 — The American League is founded. The league plans for a 140-game schedule, set player rosters at 14 and recognizes the Players Protective...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Jan. 26, 2022 10:00 AM EST
Jan. 27 1937 — Tris Speaker and Cy Young are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. 1973 — UCLA, led by Bill Walton, sets an NCAA record...

Serbia's Novak Djokovic, left, stands with Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley during the trophy presentation at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb 21, 2021. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late Wednesday, Jan 5, 2022, after border officials canceled his visa for failing to meet its entry requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
Australian Open Men Singles

Jan. 23, 2022 03:23 AM EST

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Maria Sakkari of Greece in their fourth round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Pegula's sports align ahead of Australian Open quarterfinals

By Bruce Matthews Jan. 23, 2022 03:22 AM EST

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Jan. 20, 2022 11:39 AM EST
Jan. 25 1894 — Jim Corbett knocks out Charley Mitchell in the third round to retain the world heavyweight title. 1924 — The first Winter...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Jan. 18, 2022 10:00 AM EST
Jan. 19 1937 — Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Cy Young are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the second year of voting. 1952 — The...

FILE - Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving looks up at the fans at TD Garden after they defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 4 during an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Boston, in this Sunday, May 30, 2021. Athletes have been put at center court of arguments over COVID vaccines. The NFL's Aaron Rodgers, the NBA's Kyrie Irving, and tennis's Novak Djokovic, have each become cultural touchstones in the cultural controversy. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics 5/30/2021

Jan. 14, 2022 09:39 AM EST

FILE - Protesters rallying against COVID-19 vaccination mandates and in support of basketball player Kyrie Irving gather in the street outside the Barclays Center before an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, in New York. From the NBA's Kyrie Irving missing the first months of the Brooklyn Nets' season before making a partial return, to the NFL's Aaron Rodgers going from revered veteran to polarizing figure, to a diplomatic standoff over tennis star Novak Djokovic's exemption to play in the Australian Open, sports figures have found themselves cheered and jeered as the most famous faces in fights over vaccine mandates and refusals. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
Charlotte Hornets at Brooklyn Nets 10/24/2021

Jan. 14, 2022 09:39 AM EST

FILE - Fans of Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic react outside Federal Court ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Athletes have been put at center court of arguments over COVID vaccines. The NFL's Aaron Rodgers, the NBA's Kyrie Irving, and tennis's Novak Djokovic, have each become cultural touchstones in the cultural controversy. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair, File)
Australian Open Men Singles

Jan. 14, 2022 09:39 AM EST

FILE - Defending men's champion Serbia's Novak Djokovic practices on Margaret Court Arena ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. Athletes have been put at center court of arguments over COVID vaccines. The NFL's Aaron Rodgers, the NBA's Kyrie Irving, and tennis's Novak Djokovic, have each become cultural touchstones in the cultural controversy. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
Australian Open Men Singles

Jan. 14, 2022 09:39 AM EST

FILE - People walk by a Nike advertisement featuring Colin Kaepernick on display, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018, in New York. While sports have always been indivisible from politics and public conflicts, there has been a major ground shift in the years since Michael Jordan made public neutrality on all non-sports issues an essential part of his brand. Now, there is almost an expectation of advocacy, especially with the precedent set by Colin Kaepernick's protests and the embrace by many of the Black Lives Matter cause. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
In vaccination battles, pro athletes become proxy players

By Andrew Dalton Jan. 14, 2022 09:37 AM EST

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Jan. 13, 2022 11:29 AM EST
Jan. 18 1938 — Grover Cleveland Alexander is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. His 90 shutouts is second on the all-time list to Walter Johnson and...

This combination of 2021 photos shows Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Kelce,, left, and Billie Eilish in London. The grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and Eagles center have something in common, broadcasters have difficulty pronouncing their names. Both Eilish and Kelce, as well as "omicron" made it onto this year's list of most mispronounced words as compiled by the U.S. Captioning Company, which captions and subtitles real-time events on TV and in courtrooms. (Tim Tai/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, Pool, Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
'Cheugy,' 'omicron' among 2021's most mispronounced words

By William J. Kole Dec. 07, 2021 01:20 AM EST

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Nov. 21, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Nov. 22 1945 — Jim Benton of the Cleveland Rams is the first NFL player to have more than 300 receiving yards in a game. Benton has 10...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Nov. 18, 2021 10:47 AM EST
Nov. 19 1961 — George Blanda of the Houston Oilers passes for 505 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-13 rout of the New York Titans. ...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Sep. 12, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Sept. 13 1930 — Tommy Armour beats Gene Sarazen 1 up to win the PGA Championship. 1964 — Roy Emerson beats fellow...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Sep. 09, 2021 02:21 PM EDT
Sept. 10 1933 — Fred Perry wins his first U.S. men’s singles title with a 6-3, 11-13, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Australian Jack Crawford. ...

AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead

By The Associated Press Sep. 09, 2021 02:16 PM EDT
Sept. 10 1933 — Fred Perry wins his first U.S. men’s singles title with a 6-3, 11-13, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Australian Jack Crawford. ...

AP Sportlight

By The Associated Press Aug. 30, 2021 10:00 AM EDT
Aug. 31 1881 — The first U.S. men’s single tennis championships begin at the Newport Casino, in Newport, Rhode Island. ...