Tennis

Tennis star Alexander Zverev will not face any disciplinary action after an investigation found there was "insufficient evidence" to substantiate domestic abuse claims made against him, the Association of Tennis Professionals announced Tuesday.

"Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports," the ATP said in a statement released on Tuesday, "in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev, and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, or determine that violations of ATP’s On-Site Offenses or Player Major Offenses rules took place."

The ATP continued ... "As a result, no disciplinary action against Zverev will be taken by ATP. This determination may however be reevaluated should new evidence come to light, or should any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules."

In 2021, the ATP launched an investigation against Zverev, 25, after his ex-girlfriend, Olga Sharypova, accused him of emotionally and physically abusing her while they were in a romantic relationship.

Zverev released a statement Tuesday on the ATP's ruling ... saying, "From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence and denied the baseless allegations made against me. I welcomed and fully cooperated with the ATP’s investigation and am grateful for the organization’s time and attention in this matter."

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka had a night out with her mom in the Big Apple on Monday ... hitting up a Japanese restaurant three weeks after announcing she's preggo with her first child.

The 25-year-old and Tamaki Osaka arrived at Nippon in Midtown for dinner ... one of the few times the mother-to-be has been spotted out in public since her big reveal.

No baby bump in sight, though -- Osaka rocked a baggy brown and green outfit for the occasion.

As we previously reported, Osaka told her fans about the major life update on Jan. 11 ... and TMZ Sports confirmed rapper Cordae is the father.

"I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure," Osaka said in her announcement. "I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Basketball's King apparently has the Midas Touch when it comes to pickleball too ... 'cause Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn tells TMZ Sports LeBron James' recent investment in the league brought BILLIONS of eyeballs to the sport!!!

LBJ -- alongside Kevin Love and Draymond Green -- bought a team in the MLP back in Sept. 2022 ... and Kuhn tells us immediately afterward, interest in the org. absolutely exploded.

"This year, stories about Major League Pickleball hit 11 billion eyeballs," Kuhn said, "and the LeBron announcement alone was four billion."

Of course, the sport had been on the rise even before LeBron got involved ... the unique, tennis-like game is widely considered the fastest-growing activity in America.

And, while LeBron's inclusion in the action was huge for the league ... he's hardly the only sports superstar to jump into the mix. Everyone from Tom Brady to Drew Brees to Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Kevin Durant have bought into the MLP as well.

Even LeBron's best buddy, Rich Paul, is an investor -- and he told us earlier this month he could see it all eventually becoming a huge deal in the U.S.

As for if the NBA and NFL players would ever get ON the pickleball court ... Kuhn -- like the rest of us -- is hoping that happens soon.

Andy Murray was so pissed that he couldn't take a piss during a marathon match at the Australian Open on Thursday night ... he unloaded on the chair ump, calling her refusal of a potty break a straight-up "joke."

Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis battled for over FIVE HOURS at the famed tennis tournament in Melbourne ... and just the before the match went to its fifth set, Murray asked to hit the toilet.

The problem? He had already been once previously during the contest -- so, the ump refused his request.

And, that's when Murray snapped.

"Do you know something?" Murray said as it neared 4 AM in Australia. "I respect the rules. It's so disrespectful that the tournament has us out here until three, f***ing four o'clock in the morning and we're not allowed to go take a piss."

Murray continued, "It's a joke. It is a joke. And you know it as well. It's disrespectful. It's disrespectful to you, it's disrespectful to the ball children. It's disrespectful to the players and we're not allowed to go to the toilet. It's ridiculous."

Former No. 1-ranked tennis player Andy Roddick agreed with Murray ... writing on Twitter during the match, "This is just so dumb."

Murray somehow recovered despite not being allowed to relieve himself ... earning a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 win that started on Thursday night and officially ended at 4:05 AM on Friday.

Novak Djokovic was irate with a fan who kept heckling him during his match at the Australian Open on Thursday ... claiming the guy was "drunk out of his mind."

It all went down at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia ... Djokovic was competing against Enzo Couacaud in a singles match when he lost his cool.

Djokovic -- visibly frustrated at the fan who was trolling him -- walked up to the chair umpire and demanded the individual be removed from the event.

"Are you going to get this guy out," Djokovic asked the umpire. "The guy's drunk out of his mind," Novak continued as he pointed to a spectator in the crowd.

Novak told the ump during their heated exchange ... the fan had been giving him a hard time the entire match and asked the official if the person would be removed.

"He's not here to watch tennis," Novak said. "He just wants to get in my head. You heard him ten times. I heard him at least 50 times."

Djokovic wasn't pleased with the umpire's response, or lack thereof ... and grew increasingly annoyed at the fact the ump did not budge and toss the fan from the stadium.

Daniil Medvedev reached his boiling point during his Australian Open match on Monday ... getting so pissed at a spectator, he told them to "f*** off."

The altercation went down as the Russian star faced off against Marcos Giron in the opening round of the tourney ... when he was up 5-2 over the American after winning the first two sets.

But, before Medvedev could handle business and finish Giron off, he confronted a fan in the stands for seemingly heckling him throughout the match.

As soon as he hurled the cuss word, the whole audience audibly reacted in shock.

The outburst resulted in a code violation ... which, naturally, Medvedev didn't agree with.

Eventually, Medvedev -- who's the 7th seed in the tournament -- was able to secure the win ... 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.

Medvedev's beef with Australian Open attendees has been well-documented over the years ... and he certainly hasn't shied away from letting his feelings known with umpires.

Nick Kyrgios is out of the Australian Open -- the tennis star officially withdrew from the high-profile tourney ... after he had some disgusting, ketchup-like fluid drained from his knee.

The 27-year-old called a press conference at Melbourne Park on Sunday to reveal the news ... announcing that a recent MRI scan showed he had a small tear and cyst in his lateral meniscus.

He shared on his IG story shortly before the announcement that the injury had led to a buildup of a gnarly substance in his knee that required a procedure to remove.

"I'm devastated," Kyrgios said. "It's brutal. This is my home tournament, and obviously, winning the tournament in doubles [last year] and playing the best tennis of my life. All I can do is my best to come back."

Kyrgios had faced Novak Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open champion, in a charity match on Friday, but according to his physiotherapist, Will Maher, the knee didn't respond well to the action.

Kyrgios, the 19 seed, had been slated to go up against Roman Safiullin in the first round of the tourney on Tuesday.

Listen up, pro tennis players ... Rich Paul is offering some free business advice -- explaining to TMZ Sports he believes a career switch to pickleball could yield huge benefits for athletes if they officially traded in rackets for paddles.

Paul broke it all down for us at LAX this week ... about a month after he, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and others joined forces to own a Major League Pickleball team.

The founder of Klutch Sports Group said he believes the sport is awesome and about to take off -- and noted that if a pro tennis player made the switch over now, it might lead to a big windfall of cash and fame later on.

"Those that play tennis that may be, you know, average or a little bit above average could be really great at this," Paul said. "It may be a little more lucrative."

He continued, "If I was someone who played a different sport that was kind of, what I would say would be an evolution or somewhat similar to another sport, and it was new, and it was hot and lucrative, I would take a look at it myself."

MLP began in 2021 with just eight teams -- but as the sport, played on a smaller version of a tennis court with paddles and a plastic ball with holes in it, has grown ... the org. expects to have 24 teams this year.

Paul's new squad will be one of the '23 additions to the league ... and he told us he's stoked for the potential it has, and the influx of talent that could be headed its way when people realize it.

As for his best friend LeBron James -- the King has also invested in MLP ... and is scheduled to actually compete against Paul's team this year.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka just shared a major life update -- she's expecting her first child ... and TMZ Sports has confirmed it's with rapper Cordae!!

The 25-year-old made the announcement just minutes ago ... saying, "The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that its the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I've dedicated my life to."

Osaka shared a picture of a sonogram on Twitter ... adding, "I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Osaka -- who went public with Cordae in 2019 -- says she will not be competing in the meantime ... but plans to return for the Australian Open in 2024.

"I don't think there's a perfectly correct path to take in life but I always felt that if you move forward with good intentions you'll find your way eventually," she added.

Martina Navratilova -- one of the greatest tennis players of all time -- just announced she has been diagnosed with Stage 1 throat and breast cancer ... but fortunately, she says her condition is "fixable."

The 66-year-old -- who won 59 Grand Slam titles during her career -- says she learned of her status after discovering an enlarged lymph node in her neck back in November.

"The cancer type is HPV and this particular type responds really well to treatment," Martina's rep said in a statement.

After undergoing tests, a mass was also found in her breast ... which was unrelated to the throat cancer.

Luckily, the rep says both cancers are in the early stages and the outcome is positive.

"This double whammy is serious but still fixable," Navratilova said. "I'm hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while but I’ll fight with all I have got."

The 9-time Wimbledon winner previously battled breast cancer in 2010 ... and after radiation treatment, she was cleared of the disease six months later.

Tennis legend Boris Becker is a free man -- the world's former #1-ranked player has been released from prison in the UK after serving 8 months for bankruptcy fraud.

The 55-year-old is out earlier than expected -- he was originally handed 2.5 years behind bars in April after being convicted on four charges stemming from his 2017 bankruptcy case ... and the judge said at the time Becker would have to serve half his sentence in jail.

Attorney Christian-Oliver Moser says Becker has returned to his home country of Germany following his release, where he is "not subject to any penal restrictions."

Had Becker chosen to stay in the UK -- where he's lived since 2012 -- he would have faced deportation, according to PA Media.

As we previously reported, Becker was accused of moving large sums of money from his business account after declaring bankruptcy in 2017 ... as well as concealing assets and debts. He was facing up to 7 years behind bars.

Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri -- who trained superstars like Serena and Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Anna Kournikova -- passed away on Sunday. He was 91 years old.

The International Tennis Hall of Famer was a pioneer in the sport ... creating the first year-round, live-in academy in Florida in the '70s, which would eventually become the famous IMG Academy.

Bollettieri coached 10 #1-ranked players over the years ... including Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Maria Sharapova, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Jelena Jankovic, and Marcelo Rios, in addition to the Williams sisters and Agassi.

He also trained Chris Evert, who shared a heartfelt goodbye on Twitter.

"Aside from being the greatest coach ever, you were so kind to me, my parents, and my siblings… that meant more to me than anything, you had a big heart and a zest for living…❤️❤️❤️."

Tommy Haas added ... "Thank you for your time, knowledge, commitment, expertise, the willingness to share your skill, your personal interest in mentoring me, and giving me the best opportunity to follow my dreams."

Kim Kardashian is somehow compartmentalizing what has to be an excruciating time for her -- with Kanye's hateful rants -- because she partied Friday night like she didn't have a care in the world.

Kim, Khloe and Serena Williams went club hopping Friday night in Miami for the kickoff of Art Basel weekend.

They hit up a party where Travis Scott and 50 Cent performed. Khloe was having an especially good time ... 50 was singing right at her. Jonathan “Foodgod” Cheban and restaurateur David Grutman also joined in on the fun.

As for Kim, not a stitch of Balenciaga in sight ... she's traded it in for some pretty awesome duds.

Drake wasn't only going after Megan Thee Stallion on his new album ... Serena Williams' husband was also name-dropped -- getting called a straight-up "groupie" in a new song.

The OVO rapper released his 16-track joint album, "Her Loss," with 21 Savage on Friday ... and the superstar's hubby, Alexis Ohanian, might not be a fan of a certain track called "Middle of the Ocean."

Here's what he says around the 3:35 mark:

"Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie
He claim we don't got a problem but
No, boo, it is like you comin' for sushi"

Fans went crazy over the bars on social media -- one person called Drake petty and another said Ohanian deserved it, as he's seemingly taken subtle jabs at the rapper in the past.

Remember, Drake and Serena were a thing back in the day -- TMZ Sports obtained pictures of them kissing in a fancy restaurant in 2015 ... before Ohanian was in the picture.

Drake also went to Williams' Wimbledon match in 2018 ... cheering her on from the crowd.

FYI, this ain't the first time Drake has mentioned Williams in his lyrics -- in his "Worst Behavior" song from 2013, he talks about the tennis legend:

"I'm with my whole set, tennis matches at the crib
I swear I could beat Serena when she playin' with her left."

Williams and Ohanian have not responded to Drake's diss ... but Meg did call him out for targeting her in the "Circo Loco" track.

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Serena Williams is flirting with a tennis return once again -- the superstar says she is NOT retired ... and the chances of her playing are "very high."

The 23-time Grand Slam winner made the comment at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco just days ago ... and it definitely sounds like she's got the itch to pick up the racket again.

"I'm not retired," Williams said.

In fact, Serena goes on to say there's a good chance fans will be able to watch her compete again ... but followed up with a joke.

"The chances are very high," Willaims said. "You can come to my house, I got a court. I got you."

Remember ... Williams said back in August she was "evolving away" from the game of tennis after 27 years, and her last match would be at the U.S. Open.

Of course, we saw that end on an emotional note as Williams lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović ... and since then, Serena says it's been challenging to adjust to her new life.

"I did wake up the other day and I went on the court and I was like, 'Oh, for the first time in my life, I'm not playing for a competition and it felt really weird,'" she said.

"It was like the first day of the rest of my life, and so far, I am enjoying it. But, I’m still trying to find that balance."

Williams has hinted at making a return in the past -- back in September, she name-dropped Tom Brady when talking about possibly coming back.

Tennis legend Boris Becker has found a second career while locked away in an English slammer ... he's become a popular prison yoga instructor!

German tabloid Bild, citing a source close to the 54-year-old, reported this week that the convicted criminal has begun to thrive while behind bars ... teaching fitness routines to his fellow prisoners -- and losing a ton of weight.

The outlet reports Becker has made fast friends with inmates at Huntercombe prison in England, hosting yoga classes for around 45 people. Becker, according to the outlet, has also given up alcohol, become a regular in the facility's gym, and lost around 17 pounds.

"As a sportsman," the source close to Becker told Bild, "he knows only too well the highs and lows of victories and defeats. He is sharing his life experience with his fellow prisoners."

As we reported, Becker was initially sentenced to 2.5 years in prison back in April after he was accused of moving a ton of money in an effort to hide funds following his declaration of bankruptcy in 2017.

The former No. 1-ranked tennis player allegedly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars from his business account to other accounts after declaring bankruptcy -- a big no-no.

In announcing Becker's sentence, the judge ripped into the former tennis star ... saying at the time, "You have not shown remorse, acceptance of your guilt and have sought to distance yourself from your offending and your bankruptcy."