From the shadow of Chernobyl's nuclear wasteland to international super-stardom and from penniless arrival in the United States, without a word of English, to a fortune of $200 million.

US tennis great Serena Williams marks her fiance's birthday and her return to the world number one ranking by posting an emotional message to her unborn baby on Instagram.

A new multi-purpose 5,000-seater stadium is to be built at Melbourne Park as part of efforts aimed at keeping the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament at its current site, Victoria state treasurer Tim Pallas said on Sunday.

Martina Hingis looks to reach a first Fed Cup final in almost two decades when Switzerland face Belarus with the former world number one revelling in her role as the team's "big sister".

Andy Murray surrendered a 4-0 lead in the decisive third set on his way to defeat at the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday as the world number one's 2017 season hit another setback.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017, expecting to give birth this fall, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday in an announcement that upended a sport the 35-year-old athlete has dominated for the past decade.

France will meet Serbia in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup after both finished off their last-eight ties inside two days on Saturday but Australia and Belgium were made to sweat.

Sitting out last week's Miami Open was rejuvenating for Novak Djokovic although it meant missing the chance to win a record seventh title in the tournament, Serbia's world number two said on Tuesday.

Australia's number two Bernard Tomic will be absent from this week's Davis Cup quarter-finals but the United States will still have a fight on their hands in Brisbane due to the impressive form of Nick Kyrgios, U.S. team captain Jim Courier said.

Rafael Nadal took a step closer to a possible final against long-time rival Roger Federer in the Miami Open after a straight sets win over American Jack Sock on Wednesday at Key Biscayne.

Top seed Stan Wawrinka crashed out of the Miami Open on Tuesday falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to German young gun Alexander Zverev, who booked his first Masters 1000 quarter-final.

Rafael Nadal came back from an awful first set to defeat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 and advance to the fourth round of the Miami Open on Sunday.

Second seed Karolina Pliskova cruised into the third round of the Miami Open, the Czech beating American qualifier Madison Brengle 6-1, 6-3 on Thursday.

Roger Federer keeps saying he's still on the comeback trail, but he's covering ground faster than he ever imagined.

Petra Kvitova has regained the use of her racquet hand badly injured three months ago in a knife attack but there is still no date for her return to tennis, her spokesman said on Monday.

Nick Kyrgios overpowered Novak Djokovic for the second time in as many weeks on Wednesday to book an Indian Wells quarter-final against Roger Federer, who swatted aside old foe Rafael Nadal.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer booked a mouthwatering fourth-round clash at the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Tuesday, where five-time champion Novak Djokovic also advanced from the "group of death".

Second seed Angelique Kerber put on a determined display to rally past France's Pauline Parmentier 7-5 3-6 7-5 in the scorching desert heat to reach the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday.

Stan Wawrinka breezed into the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday and saw another seed removed from his path to the final when lucky loser Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan turned his match against Tomas Berdych upside down.

Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a sixth ATP Indian Wells Masters crown with a two-set triumph over Kyle Edmund as the stars shone in the California desert.