Ash Barty produced an impressive comeback to defeat Coco Gauff in her first singles match since the US Open.
World number one Barty moved into the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International with a battling 4-6 7-5 6-1 triumph.
The home hope, who is favourite to win the Australian Open when it starts later this month, was a set and a break down against the American wonderkid before ultimately progressing in two hours and 12 minutes.
Exhausted after a six-month road trip that included Wimbledon glory last year, Barty took a break from the WTA Tour after her third-round exit at Flushing Meadows on September 5.
Her return came in a marquee matchup at the WTA 500 event which did not disappoint, as Barty battled to win 11 of the last 13 games and prevail.
The victor stemmed the early errors she was making on the forehand side, with Gauff paying the price for only converting three of her 15 break-point opportunities.
It was only the second meeting between Barty and Gauff, with the Australian having to retire with an arm injury while leading their first encounter in Rome last year.
"I felt like I played a pretty good quality match considering it was my first match in a few months," said Barty.
"In the first set I was able to create opportunities but just was a little bit slack on the execution, rusty in the sense of stringing quality points together.
"Midway through the second set I was able to find my rhythm a little bit better on serve and just continued to be aggressive on my forehand. I just found execution a little bit more.
"Coco played great and forced me to hit a lot of balls. I felt I got better and better as the match went on. It was nice to get some court time."
An intriguing last-eight tie lies in wait for Barty. She will either play former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin or compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic.
And there was more good news for Barty as two of her main rivals for glory were eliminated.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka was surprisingly beaten as Kaja Juvan, the world number 100, prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
Maria Sakkari, the third seed, also crashed out, beaten in three sets by Shelby Rogers, the player who knocked Barty out of the US Open the last time the Australian was on court.
There are two other tournaments taking place this week, both at WTA 250 level.
At Melbourne Summer Set 1, second seed Simona Halep joined Naomi Osaka in round two with a routine 6-4 6-2 win over Destanee Aiava.
The field is not as strong at Melbourne Summer Set 2, where the highest seed remaining, Daria Kasatkina, progressed after opponent Anna Kalinskaya, having already lost the first set, withdrew through injury.
Novak Djokovic will be on the "next plane home" if he fails to prove he merits a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open.
Tournament organisers have faced a backlash after it was announced this week that Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption to play in the first grand slam of the year.
The Serbian has refused to state whether he has been vaccinated, but protocols in Australia require proof that competitors and staff have been jabbed or have a medical exemption to compete at Melbourne Park.
Tournament director Craig Tiley insisted that the 20-time major champion had not been given a "special favour" to play in the tournament.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday stated that Djokovic will not defend his title if he fails to show that he is exempt.
He told reporters: "We await his presentation and what evidence he provides us to support that.
"If that evidence is insufficient, then he won't be treated any different to anyone else and he'll be on the next plane home. There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. None whatsoever."
Tiley told The Today Show on Tuesday: "There's been no special favour. There's been no special opportunity granted to Novak.
"As an organisation and as a sport, we've done what everyone else does and would do if they wanted to come to Australia and under certain conditions.
"And we have abided by those conditions and I know Australia's had the most comprehensive response to COVID of any nation in the world. And our governments have done everything they humanly possibly can to keep us safe.
"It's ultimately the decision of the medical experts and we follow that accordingly. In this case, Novak made that application.
"And like others, there's been 26 athletes and their primary support staff that have made applications and a handful of those have been granted by the panel.
"The conditions in which any tennis player comes in, no matter who they are, are conditions that have been put on tennis and put on anyone coming into Australia by the Australian government."
The Australian Open begins on January 17.
Jimmy Butler has been ruled out for the Miami Heat ahead of their game at the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.
Five-time All Star Butler had to be helped from the court after suffering an ankle injury during Monday's loss to the Golden State Warriors.
And the Heat will have to do without the swingman, who is averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists this season, as they look to avoid a third straight NBA defeat.
Butler has already missed 15 games so far in 2021-22, some due to issues with the same right ankle, while he also had a tailbone injury.
The team did not provide any further details on his status other than ruling him out of the game against the Trail Blazers.
Miami had won five games in a row prior to consecutive road losses against the Sacramento Kings and the Warriors, who won 115-108 with Butler forced off towards the end of the third quarter.
The team sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-15 record, having made it to the NBA Finals last season.
Miami were already due to be without Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson against Portland (14-22).
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel says LeBron James scoring 14 final-quarter points and leading the side to victory over the Sacramento Kings is "just who he is".
James had shot six-of-17 from the field for the game, before stepping up in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers past the Kings 122-114 on Tuesday.
The four-time MVP finished with 31 points, sinking two three-pointers in a row with under five minutes to go, turning around his shooting struggles from earlier in the game.
"You always know that's a possibility," Vogel said at the post-game news conference. "If he's not having a good shooting night, like anybody, you coach him.
"You have to coach him like everybody else but you never lose belief that he's going to do what he did in the fourth quarter. That's just who he is.
"If anything, I think the tweaks we made tonight were about what he was doing on the defensive side.
"He was exerting energy trying to double down. We had to pull back some of that."
The victory means the Lakers have won three in a row after a recent five-game skid, improving to 20-19.
James has averaged 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game this season.
LeBron James powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a hard-fought 122-144 win over the Sacramento Kings with a last-quarter barrage on Tuesday.
James finished with 31 points including 14 in the fourth quarter along with five rebounds and five assists for the game to help the Lakers improve to 20-19.
With the Lakers trailing 102-101 with less than five minutes to go, the four-time MVP hit back-to-back three-pointers to claim the ascendancy.
Malik Monk contributed 24 points for the Lakers, while Russell Westbrook had 19 points and seven rebounds.
De'Aaron Fox scored 30 points with three rebounds and six assists for the Kings who move to 16-23.
Paul and Booker shine for Suns
Chris Paul provided 15 assists alongside his 11 points as the west's second seeds, the Phoenix Suns, defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-110. Devin Booker scored 33 points for the Suns with nine rebounds and four assists, while Jonas Valanciunas had 25 points with 16 rebounds for the Pels.
The Memphis Grizzlies secured their sixth straight win with a 110-106 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers led by Ja Morant with 26 points, five rebounds and six assists. Darius Garland (27 points and 10 assists) and Kevin Love (18 points and 10 rebounds) were good for the Cavs.
Sabonis struggles from stripe
Domantas Sabonis struggled from the stripe making five-of-12 free-throws while he was bossed by Julius Randle as the Indiana Pacers were beaten 104-94 by the New York Knicks. Sabonis only managed 15 points with eight rebounds, while Randle scored 30 points with 16 rebounds. The Pacers have lost five in a row.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin refused to get caught up in his own record-breaking history after sealing 15 consecutive seasons without a losing record.
The Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 26-14 on Monday to keep alive their playoffs hopes with a 8-7-1 record with one game left.
The victory also meant Tomlin will avoid a losing season for the 15th consecutive year, which exceeds Marty Schottenheimer's streak from 1984 to 1997 to begin an NFL career.
"Not as I sit here today, and I say that humbly," Tomlin told reporters when asked if the record meant anything to him. "Our agenda, this year, is to get into the single-elimination tournament and then pit our skills against others in that single-elimination tournament in an effort to win the world championship.
"That's our mentality every year and so with that mentality, it's just certain hardware that you expect to pick up along the way. If you don't, you'd be seriously disappointed. That's just an expectation that we have here in Pittsburgh."
Pittsburgh are second in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Benglas having seal the divisional title on Sunday.
Tomlin's Steelers face divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens in the final regular season game on Sunday as both chase a victory to be in contention for an AFC wild card berth.
Tomlin remains the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl, when he led the Steelers to the title in 2009 at 36-years-old.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts says Sunday's railing collapse at FedEx Field "could have been so much worse" and wants changes made.
Hurts was exiting the field after Sunday's 20-16 win at the Washington Football Team when railing on the side of the tunnel collapsed with fans falling and spilling on to the ground.
The Eagles QB narrowly avoided being crushed by the fall and assisted fans to their feet and posed for pictures with them but insisted it cannot happen again.
"I tried to handle the situation with a lot of poise and show compassion for the people that fell down, really, but I know it could have been so much worse," Hurts said during a news conference.
"It kind of didn't hit me until after the fact, having some time to reflect on it and think about it. I just wanted to see what could be done to make sure it doesn't happen again. That's all I really care about."
Hurts has penned a letter to the Washington Football Team seeking clarification on what safeguards can be put in place to ensure it never happens again.
"What follow-up action is being considered in response to the near-tragic incident that took place at FedEx Field on January 2, 2022," Hurts wrote.
"Through the initial shock, my first reaction was to assist those involved. However, while I displayed a calm composure, I understand the severity of what happened and am extremely concerned for the well-being of the fans and media.
"As a result, I would like to know what safeguards the NFL and the Washington Football Team are implementing to prevent this from ever occurring in the future.
"The resources of the NFL and team organizations ensure our safety through playing this physical sport, but what happened Sunday put both fans and players unnecessarily at risk long after the final whistle. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter."
There have been reports of minor injuries from those involved in the fall but Washington released a statement following the incident on Sunday which said: "To our knowledge, everyone involved was offered onsite medical evaluation and left the stadium of their own accord."
Novak Djokovic has not been granted any "special favour" for a medical exemption to play in the Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley insisted.
Djokovic announced on Tuesday that he was on his way to Melbourne for the first grand slam of 2022, a revelation that was met with a host of criticism.
The world number one has not openly addressed whether he has been vaccinated for COVID-19, but protocols in Australia require proof that competitors have been jabbed or have a medical exemption to feature at Melbourne Park.
The Serbian has been vocal in his opposition for vaccine mandates, calling for freedom across the world, and is now expected to be welcomed with a frosty reception by those in the country battling a surge in cases of the Omicron variant.
Tiley spoke on the matter, coinciding with confirmation from the Australian Open that the 34-year-old was set to compete, as he referenced the "fair and independent protocols" in granting exemptions.
The tournament director has since reiterated his defence over the decision to allow Djokovic to defend his title, and search for a record 21st singles grand slam triumph, as he insisted there had been no preferential treatment.
Tiley said on Australia's The Today Show: "There's been no special favour. There's been no special opportunity granted to Novak.
"As an organisation and as a sport, we've done what everyone else does and would do if they wanted to come to Australia and under certain conditions.
"And we have abided by those conditions and I know Australia's had the most comprehensive response to COVID of any nation in the world. And our governments have done everything they humanly possibly can to keep us safe.
"It's ultimately the decision of the medical experts and we follow that accordingly. In this case, Novak made that application.
"And like others, there's been 26 athletes and their primary support staff that have made applications and a handful of those have been granted by the panel.
"The conditions in which any tennis player comes in, no matter who they are, are conditions that have been put on tennis and put on anyone coming into Australia by the Australian government."
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also sit with Djokovic on 20 major crowns, but the Swiss star is already ruled out of the tournament, which starts on January 17, through injury.
Nadal could yet compete after posting pictures showing he was in Melbourne as he continues to recover from a positive COVID-19 test in recent weeks.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is set to have surgery on his injured shoulder as soon as possible, ruling him out of action against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mayfield revealed after Monday's defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he would undergo an operation on the torn labrum in his non-throwing left shoulder – an issue he has carried since Week 2 - in the offseason.
"I've continued to lay it out on the line when I haven't been healthy and tried to fight for our guys," said Mayfield post-game. "Now it's time for me to start looking at what's in the best interest of me and my health."
Initially, Mayfield's status for the Week 18 home game with the Bengals was uncertain.
But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Tuesday that his starting quarterback will miss the game on Sunday in a bid to complete his surgery as soon as possible.
Stefanski added that both parties came to a mutual decision to end Mayfield's season a week early, with Cleveland (7-9) already out of postseason contention as they sit fourth in AFC North.
Case Keenum is in line to replace Mayfield for the game against the Bengals (10-6), who have already clinched the division title and still have an outside chance of claiming the number one seed in the conference.
The Browns were already out of the running for the playoffs before the loss to the Steelers (8-7-1), in which Mayfield was sacked nine times in a performance that summed up his difficult campaign.
Mayfield has been sacked on 43 occasions across 14 games, up from 26 sacks in 16 outings last season, while he has also been intercepted five more times (13 to eight).
Only two quarterbacks, Joe Burrow (51) and Ryan Tannehill (46), have been sacked more than the Browns QB this year.
His 3,010 passing yards is the lowest haul of his career, with his tally of touchdown passes also a low mark (17), while only four players in the league have a worse interception percentage than his 3.1.
Next season could be Mayfield's last given his current Cleveland deal expires at the end of the 2022 campaign, with the Browns having already exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
Cooper Kupp is closing in on what he concedes would be an "incredible" achievement of earning the NFL triple crown.
The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver leads the league in catches, touchdown receptions and receiving yards going into Week 18 of the regular season.
Only three players in the Super Bowl era have ever finished top of the standings in all three categories in the same year: Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Steve Smith. It is 16 years since the feat was last achieved.
Kupp has 138 receptions for 1,829 yards, totals which look highly unlikely to be caught in the last week of action before the playoffs.
His total of 15 touchdowns also looks strong, although the Cincinnati Bengals' rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase has closed to within two behind him in that category after finding the endzone three times against the Kansas City Chiefs last time out.
Kupp's shot at history will come when the Rams host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the team still looking to wrap up the NFC West title with the Arizona Cardinals in hot pursuit behind them.
"It would be a pretty incredible thing," Kupp said, per ESPN, of the prospect of earning the triple crown.
"There are a lot of good football players in this league, a lot of really good receivers who I've got a ton of respect for, so it would be very cool."
Kupp will also have the chance to set the single-season receiving yards record, which is currently held by Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (1,964 in 2012).
The 28-year-old could also surpass the receptions record set by Michael Thomas (149) two years ago.
But Kupp concedes those records would come with an asterisk given the NFL is now playing a 17-game regular season.
"We're in a new age of football here," he said. "We're playing 17 games of football a year, and a lot of the stuff that happened before that, those records hold a different weight, being played in those 16 games.
"What those guys did in 16 games, it wouldn't seem right to, I don't know, for those to be broken in 17 games.
"It wouldn't hold the same weight to me as it does for guys that have done that in a 16-game season and the accomplishments those guys had and the seasons they put together.
"Those are incredible things, incredible accomplishments. You kind of have to separate the two.
"I just have an incredible respect for what those guys were able to do, what they were able to accomplish, what they were able to produce for their teams in those 16 games."
The Rams are assured of a place in the playoffs regardless of the outcome against the Niners, but the prize of a home playoff game in Wild Card Weekend and a division title mean the stakes are still high.
"My priorities are going out and winning this game this week, whatever it takes to win it," added Kupp, when asked if setting records were his priority.
"If it means spending more time blocking defensive ends and being able to get [running back] Sony Michel sprung for some big gains, that would be huge.
"I just want to do my job, whatever they ask of me, I just want to do my job over and over again and be a part of helping this team win."
The Rams face a Niners team who are looking to seal their own postseason berth.
To progress, Kyle Shanahan's team must win or tie against the Rams or hope the New Orleans Saints fail to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
Jamie Murray has questioned why Novak Djokovic was granted special dispensation to compete at the Australian Open.
Seven-times grand slam doubles champion Murray was asked about the decision to grant Djokovic a medical exemption for the year's first grand slam tournament at Melbourne Park.
Players have been obliged to either prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or apply for an exemption, which tournament organisers said involved a "rigorous" process to prove eligibility.
World number one Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open men's singles champion, yet it was unclear until Tuesday whether he would be allowed to play the event this year.
There has been early backlash to the decision to clear him, with Melbourne having been hit by multiple lockdowns during the pandemic and many believing only vaccinated players should be playing.
Murray, brother of Djokovic's long-time friend and rival Andy Murray, spoke after the Serbian was permitted to travel into Australia and said he doubted he would get the same treatment.
Asked about the situation in an ATP Cup news conference, Jamie Murray said: "I don't know what to say about that really. I think if it was me that wasn't vaccinated, I wouldn't be getting an exemption.
"But well done to him for getting cleared to come to Australia and compete."
Djokovic may wish to elaborate further on the factors behind him being given the green light to travel into the state of Victoria, and will doubtless face media questions about the situation once he arrives.
However, the 20-time grand slam winner has been unwilling to disclose his vaccination status until now, which suggests there is little prospect of him offering further medical insight at this stage.
Asked if he felt it was not a fair decision to exempt Djokovic, Jamie Murray added: "Whatever you want to say, that's the situation."
Murray, 35, was interrupted at that point by Great Britain captain Liam Broady, who said: "At the end of the day, you have to trust he has a valid reason for the medical exemption, that's all you can say about it really, isn't it."
However, Broady had no doubt Djokovic would play the Australian Open, which begins on January 17, and claimed it was a foregone conclusion.
In an Instagram story, Broady posted a screenshot of Djokovic's announcement, adding the remark: "The second AO announced there would be exemptions 8 weeks ago we all knew."
The Washington Football Team has announced that it will unveil a new name and logo on February 2.
Team President Jason Wright released a statement on Tuesday saying, despite the preference appearing to be to use the name Wolves, trademarks by other teams meant that this, and the variation RedWolves, were not feasible.
"Early on we understood Wolves - or some variation of it - was one of our fan favourites," he said. "As I've said all along, we take feedback from our fans seriously, and because of your interest in this name, we put Wolves on a list of options to explore fully.
"Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn't have been viable either for these and other reasons.
"We can't wait to hit the ground running with our team name and identity on a clear path - one without distracting obstacles, legal or otherwise.
"And while we've always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans."
Washington have been known simply as the Washington Football Team since July 2020 after dropping the previous name of the "Redskins".
The organization had been called the Redskins since 1933, but in July 2020, a group of 87 investment firms and shareholders signed three separate letters to Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo threatening to end relationships with the team unless it dropped the racially insensitive moniker.
FedEx, which sponsors the team's stadium, requested that action be taken by the franchise, and a review began the following day that ended with the decision to drop the name and seek a new one, which is finally set to be announced next month.
Washington sit third in the NFC East and out of playoff contention on a record of 6-10 after losing 20-16 to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.
Their final game of the season is a trip to the New York Giants on Sunday.
Andy Murray stumbled out of the Melbourne Summer Set tournament after a first-round defeat to Argentinian Facundo Bagnis.
In his opening ATP Tour match of the year, three-time grand slam winner Murray slipped up 6-3 5-7 6-3 against Bagnis, a player who began the year with a 30-59 win-loss career record.
Left-hander Bagnis rose to the occasion on Rod Laver Arena to earn the scalp of the former world number one.
Murray, down at 134th in the rankings after another injury-hit year, is looking to make headway on that front in 2022 under new coach Jan de Witt, so that he can avoid having to take wildcards into tournaments.
He was allowed into this tournament by that back-door route, and has also been confirmed for an Australian Open wildcard, but the Scot could not find the form that saw him beat Rafael Nadal at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in late December.
Bagnis said of his win: "In the beginning it was a pleasure to play against Andy and right now to beat him is amazing. I'm really happy."
He added, according to the tournament website: "Yesterday, I came to see the stadium, to see it all around because the atmosphere is different when you play on any court outside… I enjoyed it a lot. It was so good for me."
Nadal was also back in action on Tuesday, playing his first match on the main tour since August as he teamed up with fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar for a doubles win.
A foot injury meant Nadal's 2021 season ended early, but he warmed up for singles tests that lie ahead by joining Munar for a 6-3 3-6 10-4 win over Argentinians Sebastian Baez and Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
At the Adelaide International 1 tournament, there was a notable first-round win on Tuesday for Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, who saw off compatriot John Millman 6-4 6-3.
Kokkinakis, a major talent as a youngster, is battling to reassert himself on tour after injury troubles, and beating Millman put his name up in lights for at least one day.
He reflected afterwards on the battle it has taken so far, with last year spent largely living out of a suitcase on the second-tier Challenger Tour.
"It was a gruelling year travelling," said Kokkinakis. "I've played a couple of times [in Adelaide] but just in exhibitions, so to play a real meaningful tournament and beat such a quality opponent, a proven veteran like Johnny, means a lot. I played great, and the support was great, so I'm really happy."
Daniil Medvedev quietened the home crowd in Sydney as he dispatched Australia's Alex De Minaur in straight sets to seal victory for Russia in the ATP Cup.
Medvedev, who led Russia to victory in last year's tournament, lost his first singles match at the 2022 edition, going down to France's Ugo Humbert.
However, the US Open champion hit back in convincing fashion against De Minaur, winning 6-4 6-2 in 80 minutes.
Medvedev's win took Russia into an unassailable 2-0 lead prior to the doubles encounter between the two nations, which the world number two also featured in alongside the in-form Roman Safiullin, who made it three wins from as many games by overcoming James Duckworth 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.
The Russian duo then made sure of a 3-0 match win in the doubles, coming back from losing the second set to triumph 10-6 in the decider.
"We fight when we play for our country, to the last point," said Medvedev, who also revealed he felt unwell before his singles game and had to take painkillers.
"I'm really happy for Roman, he's winning every match he's played so far. I watched his match tonight from the locker room. I've known him since he was 10, he had a good junior career and has been unlucky with injuries."
Russia have put themselves in a strong position to qualify from Group B, though they face Italy – in a repeat of last year's final – in their last match, with Australia taking on France, who are already eliminated.
France's elimination came at the hands of Italy, with Matteo Berrettini's singles win over Humbert was enough to secure victory for the 2021 runners-up.
Great Britain suffered disappointment in Group C, with Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov coming out on top 6-4 6-1 in the decisive doubles encounter against Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray.
Dan Evans defeated Shapovalov in straight sets to nudge Great Britain ahead, yet Auger-Aliassime started Canada's comeback with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over Cameron Norrie.
It is all to play for in that group, with Germany having overcome the United States 2-1 – world number three Alexander Zverev in commanding form once more.
That leaves all four teams on 1-1 records and in with a chance of making the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic went through "rigorous" checks before being handed a medical exemption to compete at the Australian Open, tournament chiefs insisted.
A wave of criticism followed Djokovic's announcement that he was on his way to Melbourne for the season's first grand slam tournament.
The Serbian has not directly addressed whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, but players who compete at Melbourne Park either require proof they have been jabbed or an exemption.
He has spoken openly and critically about vaccine mandates, insisting there should be freedom of choice in all walks of life.
Many Australians on social media spoke out against the decision to welcome Djokovic into the country, predicting he could face a frosty reception while the country battles surging cases of the Omicron variant.
Djokovic will be bidding to win a 10th Australian Open title and a record 21st singles grand slam, more than any man in history.
The 34-year-old had his bags packed and was awaiting a flight at an airport when he broke the news of his trip to Australia on Tuesday.
Australian Open chiefs confirmed he had been granted permission to play, saying in a statement: "Novak Djokovic will compete at the Australian Open and is on his way to Australia.
"Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted followting a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts. One of those was the independent medical exemption review panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health."
There has been no detail given of why Djokovic qualified for an exemption, and unless he is willing to disclose personal medical information it is set to remain that way.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said it remained the case that all involved with the tournament, from fans through to players, must be fully vaccinated or have an exemption permission allowing them to attend.
Tiley said: "Fair and independent protocols were established for assessing medical exemption applications that will enable us to ensure Australian Open 2022 is safe and enjoyable for everyone.
"Central to this process was that the decisions were made by independent medical experts and that every applicant was given due consideration."
Explaining the process of securing exemptions, the Australian Open indicated in its statement that Djokovic would not have been treated as a special case.
It pointed out that a government-appointed panel assessed all cases that got past the first stage of checks, and that "the process included the redaction of personal information to ensure privacy for all applicants".
This should mean Djokovic was not identifiable to those making the crucial decisions about whether he should be allowed to take part.
"The multi-step independent review process was designed to ensure the safety of everyone at the Australian Open," the tournament statement added.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield revealed after defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he will undergo shoulder surgery during the offseason.
Mayfield has carried the problem – a torn labrum in his non-throwing left shoulder – since Week 2 of the season.
The 26-year-old has endured a difficult campaign, and was sacked nine times against the Steelers on Monday as Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive. The Browns were already out of postseason contention before the game at Heinz Field.
Mayfield has been sacked 43 times across 14 games, up from 26 sacks in 16 appearances last season, while he has also been intercepted on five more occasions (13 to eight).
Only two quarterbacks – Joe Burrow (51) and Ryan Tannehill (46) – have been sacked more times this term.
His 3,010 passing yards is the lowest total of his career, with his tally of touchdown throws also a low mark (17), while his interception percentage of 3.1 ranks as the fifth-worst in the league.
Mayfield's season may now be over, with discussions set to take place within his camp on whether he will be available for the Browns' final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have already clinched the AFC North.
"I'm an extremely competitive guy," Mayfield told reporters after Monday's game, in which he at one stage failed to complete a pass on 10 consecutive throws.
"Now it's time for me to start looking at what's in the best interest of me and my health. It's not gonna always be pretty or smooth, but I'm a fighter.
"If anybody ever questions how much I want it, just turn on this tape. It wasn't pretty, but I kept going, kept swinging; that's who I am, and that's what I will continue to be.
"I've continued to lay it out on the line when I haven't been healthy and tried to fight for our guys. Right now, I'm pretty damn beat up, to be honest with you. There's no way around it. I gave it everything I had tonight."
Next season could be Mayfield's last with the Browns. His rookie contract runs through the 2022 campaign.
Naomi Osaka marked her return to tennis with a hard-fought win in Melbourne and declared her love for competing had been reignited during a break from the sport.
The former world number one beat French player Alize Cornet 6-4 3-6 6-3 on Tuesday, in her first match since a third-round US Open defeat to eventual runner-up Leylah Fernandez.
The Japanese star said after that Flushing Meadows loss in September that she would put her tennis career on hold indefinitely.
Across several months, Osaka has adjusted her personal and professional priorities, pointing to the joy of San Francisco sleepovers with friends and reconnecting with normal life.
She believes there is a way to focus on the joy of competing, rather than the strains of performing in the public eye that caused her so much consternation last season, and there were glimpses of Osaka's best in the win over world number 61 Cornet at the WTA 250 Melbourne Summer Set 1 tournament.
Osaka pulled out of the 2021 French Open after one match and then elected not to play Wimbledon, as she addressed the importance of protecting her mental health.
She was reluctant to take part in media conferences, finding them harrowing at times, but on Tuesday the 24-year-old embraced the stage and explained how she had surprised herself by coming back to the court so soon.
"I actually really thought I wasn't going to play for most of this year," Osaka said. "I'm really happy with myself that I love the sport that much because I literally said that I was unsure when I was going to play after the US Open and I'm here right now.
"In the break I was feeling like I didn't know what my future was going to be. I'm pretty sure a lot of people can relate to that. Of course, you never know what the future holds, but it was definitely an indecisive time. But I'm really happy to be sitting here right now."
Osaka had envisaged a spell of globe-trotting – without a tennis racquet in her luggage – but the pandemic left her wary of following that route.
In the end, she settled on enjoying a quiet life for a while, saying: "I kind of stayed at home. My friends live near San Francisco, so I was driving to go see them and stay over at their house and bother them quite a few times.
"I feel like that's also an experience that I haven't been able to have in my life, just based on the fact that I play tennis and I travel a lot and I haven't been able to have sleepovers and stuff like that. It was cool to be able to do that."
Osaka said she has just "one major goal for 2022".
"For me, I just want to feel like every time I step on the court I'm having fun," she said. "I can walk off the court knowing that even if I lost, I tried as hard as I could. Also, I have a goal in the press room, that I'm never going to cry again, so hopefully that works out in my favour.
"I'm the type of person that cared a little bit too much about the results and the ranking and stuff like that, and I just need to find a way to enjoy the game again. Because that's the reason why I was playing in the first place."
Quoted on the WTA website, Osaka said opening up to others about the tribulations of life on the circuit helped her to adjust her goals.
"During the off-season I just hung out with my friends and talked to my family a lot. I felt like that was a way of decompressing the pressure I had on myself. Then I just slowly started to regain the feeling of love that I had towards the game," she said. "It's not like it ever completely went away, but I felt like it got overshadowed by a lot of emotions that I was feeling just by constantly playing year after year. Sometimes it's just good to remember why you're playing and stuff."
Top seed Osaka's win came on Rod Laver Arena, the main show court at the Melbourne Park complex that will stage the Australian Open later this month, when Osaka will be defending her title. Fellow seeds Liudmila Samsonova, Bernarda Pera and Alison Riske were beaten.
At the concurrent Melbourne Summer Set 2 event, American top seed Jessica Pegula was ousted in the first round by Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, losing 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.
The Adelaide International 1 event contains the strongest field this week, and Tuesday saw straight-sets wins for Coco Gauff and a pair of 2020 grand slam winners in Iga Swiatek and Sofia Kenin.
Eighth seed Elina Svitolina had a bad day though, the Ukrainian losing 5-7 6-4 6-3 to Russia's world number 130 Anastasia Gasanova.
Novak Djokovic has announced he will play at the Australian Open, revealing he has been given "exemption permission" to compete.
The world number one and nine-time champion in Melbourne has not declared whether he has been vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
Australia has stringent rules about who should be allowed to enter the country, with tennis players needing to be either vaccinated or hold a medical exemption in order to play the grand slam tournament.
Serbian superstar Djokovic wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: "I’ve spent fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today I'm heading Down Under with an exemption permission. Let's go 2022!!"
Djokovic's message was accompanied by a picture of him at an airport, with a tennis racquet bag atop his luggage on a trolley, indicating he was ready to board his flight to Australia.
He told his followers: "Happy New Year, everybody! Wishing you all health, love, and happiness in every present moment and may you feel love and respect towards all beings on this wonderful planet."
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said on Sunday he expected defending champion Djokovic's status for the event to become clear within days. The grounds for Djokovic receiving an exemption have yet to be disclosed, and it is unclear whether they will ever be made public.
The 20-time grand slam winner withdrew from the ATP Cup in Sydney last week, begging questions of whether he would head to Australia at all, but now that appears to have been cleared up.
Djokovic has steadfastly refused to disclose whether he has been jabbed. His declaration that he has been given an exemption points to him not having been vaccinated.
The 34-year-old won in Melbourne last February and followed up by triumphing at the French Open and Wimbledon to join Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 major titles.
Djokovic will be attempting to seize the outright lead by capturing a 21st slam, with the Australian Open running from January 17-30 at Melbourne Park.
He was on the same mission at the US Open but lost out to Daniil Medvedev in the New York final in September, as the Russian landed his first grand slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Medvedev was the man Djokovic beat in last year's Australian Open final, and is again expected to be a major challenger this time around.
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