Tennis

Former world number one Serena Williams has withdrawn from this month’s Australian Open in Melbourne. The 36-year-old American last week played her first match since giving birth in September. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner and the reigning Australian Open champion, said:

Tennis champion Serena Williams may be facing her biggest challenge yet, as she has turned to social media to ask followers for advice on how to soothe her teething baby. “Teething – aka the devil – is so hard,” she told them.

Play between the UK’s Jo Konta and Romania’s Sorana Cirstea was suspended for about 25 minutes with Konta having to leave the court in tears. Romania’s team captain Ilie Nastase was reported to have hurled verbal abuse at Konta and Anne Keothavong