Sinner marked his return to the courts for the first time since it was revealed he had failed two drugs tests, coming back from a set and break down to defeat Mackenzie McDonald at the US Open.

Midnight matches may be popular with fans but not with old campaigner Novak Djokovic, who bemoaned a late night at the start of his U.S. Open title defence on Monday.

Djokovic arrived on Arthur Ashe Stadium for his 40th career night match at the tournament with two gold bags slung over his shoulder in a nod to his recent Olympic success in Paris.

Gauff, seeded third, fired 10 aces and needed just 66 minutes to beat 66th-ranked Gracheva. She saved eight break points -- including two with aces in the final game

The US Open brings down the curtain on the 2024 Grand Slam season with newly minted Olympic gold medallist Novak Djokovic aiming to add to his cache of major titles after failing to do so since bagging No. 24 at Flushing Meadows last year.

Djokovic, who will once again bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, has been upstaged by younger rivals this season, losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals and Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022. He's piled up three more since then, including this year's French Open and Wimbledon.

Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner said Friday he was relieved to escape a doping ban after twice testing positive for a banned substance, even though he said that he hasn't "done anything wrong."

World number one Jannik Sinner is "honest to the core" and is an "innocent victim" his coach Darren Cahill said after the Italian was cleared of any wrongdoing despite twice testing positive for a banned substance.

Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has been cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance earlier in the season, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Tuesday.

Jack Draper defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime at the US Open warm-up event on Friday despite a suspicion the ball hit the Briton's racquet and then the floor before it popped over the net to secure the match-winning point.

"I'm human, the nerves had accumulated and sometimes it is very tough to control when there is that tension. I will work so that it doesn't happen again."

Tennis was introduced to China in the 1860s, but it failed to gain mass appeal and was largely an elite sport reserved for the wealthiest families.

"Hi all, writing today to let you guys know that I have decided not to compete at this year's US Open, a place where I have amazing memories," Nadal posted. "I will miss those electric and special night sessions in NYC at Ashe.

After heartbreak in Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, Djokovic simply would not be denied the one title that had eluded him for so long, winning 7-6(3) 7-6(2) in front of an enthralled crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Zheng Qinwen became the first Chinese player to win Olympic tennis singles gold when she defeated Croatia's Donna Vekic on Saturday, hailing her victory as a "proud" moment for herself and her country.

They started dating in 2020 but recently were rumoured to have split. "That's our personal life so you don't need to know that," said 29-year-old Siniakova.

Andy Murray's trophy-filled career came to an end at the Paris Olympics on Thursday as another chapter closed on tennis's golden generation.

World number three Carlos Alcaraz edged closer to an Olympic Games showdown against Novak Djokovic on Thursday with a storming display which brought the queen of Spain to her feet.

World number seven Zheng triumphed 6-2, 7-5 and will face either Croatia's Donna Vekic or Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia in the gold medal match.