Tennis

Attention, tennis fanatics -- the racket Novak Djokovic used in his 2012 Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal is up for auction ... and if ya got a spare six figures lying around, you can get in on this rare item!!

TMZ Sports has learned the racket is on the auction block with SCP Auctions ... and it's the same equipment he used on January 29, 2012, when he faced Rafa in Melbourne, Australia.

Not only was this match between two of the best players, but it lasted almost six hours -- the longest Grand Slam Final to date.

Coco Gauff's racket-smashing tantrum at the Australian Open drew some backlash ... but not from Serena Williams, who came to the tennis star's defense -- and even offered some tips!!

Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, started it off ... going on X to write a message after Gauff took out her frustrations out on her equipment after losing to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Tuesday.

FYI, Gauff did not explode in front of the crowd -- she beat up the racket in the Rod Laver Stadium tunnel, but the cameras still caught the act.

Coco Gauff lost her cool in a HUGE way Tuesday, smashing the hell out of her racquet after she got her butt kicked in straight sets at the Australian Open.

The American tennis phenom was beaten handily by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the grand slam tournament in Melbourne.

After Coco stomped off the court, she went to town on her tennis racquet out of sight of the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena ... but a photog managed to catch her temper tantrum.

Naomi Osaka is hanging up her racket on the 2026 Australian Open ... revealing she must exit the competition due to an injury.

The tennis champ shared the news on her Instagram Story Saturday just hours before she was set to face off against Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis. She said she must "address something [her] body needs attention for" following her last match ... but did not reveal what exactly happened.

She continued ... "I was so excited to keep going and this one meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart, but I can't risk doing any further damage, so I can get back on the court." She thanked her fans and team for their unwavering support before signing off.

Naomi Osaka found herself in a ton of drama Down Under ... with a match ending in a tense handshake and some serious shade in a post-match interview -- but she has since apologized for it all.

The 28-year-old tennis superstar went up against Sorana Cirstea in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday ... and her opponent took issue with her yelling "Come on!" after several points, even complaining to the judge about the matter.

After Osaka secured the W in three sets, the two met at the net ... and it was anything but cordial.

Naomi Osaka didn’t just show up to the Australian Open -- she made waves.

The four-time Grand Slam champ made a jaw-dropping entrance on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena, rocking a full jellyfish-inspired outfit that had fans doing double takes and announcers scrambling for words.

Tennis? Fashion show? The whole thing looked less like a first-round match and more like a high-fashion aquarium takeover.

And yes, it was all her idea.

Drake is apparently welcoming Serena Williams shade in his Instagram comment section ... as he hit the "like" button on a user saying Sexyy Red is an "upgrade" from the tennis legend.

Champagne Papi posted a series of tennis-themed shots with the "Pound Town" rapper on Monday ... with the caption reading, "I said tennis lesson she said where’s the bracelet or the necklace."

It garnered tons of comments, including an interesting one from a person who praised Sexyy Red while simultaneously dissing Serena -- a jab that Drake was quick to endorse with a like.

Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios are a match -- the two tennis superstars will duke it out on the court later this year in a "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition!!

TLive, a sports and entertainment company, announced on Tuesday the showdown will take place on December 28 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

It will be TLive's first event in the Middle East ... and Sabalenka -- a four-time Grand Slam winner -- is excited to represent women's tennis in the spectacle.

Carlos Alcaraz just earned another title -- most expensive racket ever sold at auction -- 'cause the tennis superstar's 2023 Wimbledon Finals equipment just went to a new owner for a whopping $173K!!!

Bidding on the incredible piece of memorabilia ended Sunday night ... and the final price surpassed the $157K mark set by Nadal's 2017 French Open Championship racket, which held the record for just a few months.

Prestige Memorabilia -- which listed the piece -- was able to photomatch the racket to 10 dates ... including his match against Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon finale.

A New York City hotel has drawn Serena Williams' ire ... after she was stunned the business decided to decorate one of its hallways with a cotton plant.

The tennis legend showed disdain for the table adornment on her IG Story on Thursday while she was in the Big Apple helping Kim Kardashian with her SKIMS/Nike launch.

Williams, 43, can be seen inside the establishment ... zooming in on one of the plant's stems.

Brooks Nader hinted this week she was, indeed, hooking up with both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz while the two tennis stars were competing at this year's US Open.

The "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit model addressed the alleged flings during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" ... where she certainly made it seem like there was a love triangle going on between the three off the famed New York courts.

The topic was first brought up by an audience member who asked Nader if the athletes knew "about each other." Cohen immediately clarified, "You were rumored to be dating them both at the same time."

It's "love all" for Carlos Alcaraz and Brooks Nader -- or at least something along those lines ... 'cause the model's sister just claimed the two are hooking up!!

The speculation surrounding Nader's new doubles partner started after she was spotted at the US Open late last month ... and many believed she had her eyes on former world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

28-year-old Nader later shut down that talk ... but told Jimmy Kimmel he was "close" when he asked if she was seeing the Italian athlete.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his US Open win on Sunday in epic fashion ... first, he doused himself in champagne -- and then he hit a New York hot spot and partied with models!!

The 22-year-old Spaniard beat Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 at Arthur Ashe Stadium as President Donald Trump watched from the stands ... and before he left the venue, he popped some serious bubbly with his team.

Check out footage from his locker room celly -- Alcaraz surprised his pals with a massive container of booze, but they were armed with their own bottles ... and it wasn't long before everyone, and everything, was covered in alcohol.

1:12 PM PT -- More video from the US Open shows not everyone was stoked about President Donald Trump's appearance ... 'cause a number of people also booed him before the National Anthem began.

He's a pretty divisive president, obviously -- so not really a shock here.

President Donald Trump turned the US Open into his own rally ... walking into the stadium to a wave of cheers as the men's championship match was about to begin.

The President strolled into a luxury suite just before 2 PM Sunday -- moments before the men's singles final kicked off -- and fans in the surrounding boxes broke into loud applause as he took his seat. Trump, looking relaxed, waved to the crowd before settling in to watch the showdown on the court.

But his appearance wasn't without controversy because the U.S. Tennis Association sent out guidance to broadcasters ahead of time, warning them not to televise any crowd reactions connected to Trump's arrival.

It's the final weekend of the US Open, and we've seen plenty of talented athletes putting blood, sweat, and tears into their performances ... although we managed to catch a few funny faces along the way!

And hey, when superstars like Venus Williams and Alex De Minaur are out there giving everything they've got for the game, you can't blame them for losing control of their expressions for a bit!