Tennis

Henry Patten becomes only the third British men's doubles champion at Wimbledon in the Open Era..by Matthew Lambert.

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Henry Patten (right) and Harri Heliovaara are the 2024 Wimbledon men's doubles champions

Britain has a 2024 Wimbledon champion after Henry Patten and his Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara saved four match points to win the men's doubles title.

The 28-year-old from Colchester had never won a match at Wimbledon before this fortnight but is now only the third British man to claim this title since 1936.

In a match without a single break of serve, Patten and Heliovaara won two of three tie-breaks, beating Australian pair Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.

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Henry Patten pictured celebrating on his knees after he and his partner won Saturday's epic final

Sunday 14th July 2024 - Carlos Alcaraz crushes Novak Djokovic to retain Wimbledon title..by Emily Salley, BBC Sport journalist at Wimbledon.

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Carlos Alcaraz powered to victory over an out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic to retain his men's singles title at Wimbledon.

Although the players on show made this a repeat of last year's final, it failed to live up to the five-set thriller of 12 months ago as Djokovic appeared mostly helpless against the dominant Spaniard.

Despite squandering three championship points when trying to serve out a rapid victory, Alcaraz found focus again and held his arms aloft after battling through the third-set tie-break for a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win.

"Honestly, it is a dream for me winning this trophy," said Alcaraz, who was presented with the trophy by the Princess of Wales.

"I did an interview when I was 11 and I said my dream is to win Wimbledon."

Gracious in defeat, Djokovic shared a smile and warm embrace with Alcaraz at the net after his comprehensive loss.

For a second straight year, Djokovic was attempting to equal Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon men's titles.

The 24-time major winner was also trying to move ahead of Margaret Court to take sole ownership of the all-time record for the most Grand Slam singles titles.

As tradition now dictates, Alcaraz climbed up to the players' box and was leapt upon by his team and family, celebrating a 14th consecutive match win at Wimbledon.

The result continues the four-time major winner's 100% record in Grand Slam finals, while he becomes the youngest man to win at Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year.

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Andy Murray confirms Paris Olympics will be his 'Last ever tennis tournament', the British legend preparing to call time on incredible playing career..by Luke Power

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Andy Murray has confirmed that the Paris Olympics will be the 'last-ever tennis tournament' of his illustrious and tenacious career.

The 37-year-old is calling time on an incredible career which has seen him win three Grand Slams, 46 ATP Tour singles titles, and two Olympic gold medals.

Murray had hoped to enjoy a full swansong at Wimbledon earlier this summer but a back injury forced him out of the men's singles draw and Emma Raducanu withdrew from their mixed doubles arrangement with a wrist problem.

He did still get to compete alongside his brother Jamie in the men's doubles, though they were knocked out in the first round.

In Paris he plans to compete in the singles and doubles in what will be his fifth Olympic Games.

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He wrote on X: 'Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament.

'Competing for Great Britain have been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I’m extremely proud to get do it one final time!'

He recently told HELLO! magazine: 'I'll definitely still be playing tennis. Just not on the Tour.

'I plan to play a lot more golf, and I'll probably carry on working with my strength and conditioning coach, Matt Little, as I transfer from being a full-time athlete and adjusting to not needing to do quite so much.'

Murray has been a mainstay on our screens for the best part of 20 years, having broken into the ATP Tour top 10 in 2007.

His first Olympics came in Beijing in 2008, where he was knocked out in the first round.

The Scot's first Olympics gold arrived in 2012 in London when he beat Roger Federer to avenge his Wimbledon final loss from the same year.

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In 2016 he made history by becoming the first player to successfully defend an Olympics singles title by beating Juan Martin del Potro in Rio.

He lifted his first Grand Slam title in 2012 at the US Open when he beat Novak Djokovic across five sets in the joint-longest final in the competition's history.

A year later he finally lifted the much-coveted Wimbledon trophy with another victory over the Serbian, this time in straight sets.

He added to his haul with another crown at the All England Club in 2016 as he came out on top over Milas Raonic, again in three sets.

After bowing out of Wimbledon alongside his brother, Murray said in an emotional message to Centre Court: 'It is hard, because I would love to keep playing but I can’t.

‘Physically it’s just too tough now. All of the injuries have added up and like I said they haven’t been insignificant.

‘I want to play forever. I love this sport. It’s given me so much, taught me loads of lessons over the years that I can use for the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop so it is hard.’

Just two weeks before Wimbledon Murray was reduced to a hobbling wreck when a cyst which had been growing on his spine and pressing on his nerve suddenly immobilized his right leg.

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He had an operation to remove the cyst on July 22 and battled against long odds to try to be ready for Wimbledon.

However, despite the nerve pain reducing, Murray had to withdraw from his first-round match against Tomas Machac, meaning his five-set defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round last year will go down as his last singles match at the All England Club.

His mother, Judy, recently told the Sunday Times that he had turned down lucrative offers so he can coach children in his native Scotland after retiring.

She said: ‘We have had offers from other countries to open an Andy Murray tennis academy.

‘But for us it will always be about Scotland and our backyard. We want to give back to the game that has given us all so much.

‘None of us have ever wavered from the position that we want to do this in our home country.’

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Emma Raducanu fights off jetlag to defeat Elise Mertens..

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Emma Raducanu says she was fighting against jetlag during her three-set 6-2 3-6 6-4 opening-round victory against Elise Mertens at the Mubadala City DC Open in Washington.

The 21-year-old, in her first appearance since a Wimbledon last-16 defeat earlier this month, won five straight games to take the first set but Mertens, the eighth-seeded Belgian, responded well to take the second set.

Having arrived on the east coast of the United States from the UK on Thursday, Raducanu was battling a five-hour time difference as the final set went past 11pm.

But the former US Open champion showed her mental resolve to win the last set, saving five break points at one point to overcome Mertens for the second this month following a win at Wimbledon.

"I was playing some pretty good tennis in patches throughout, especially in the first set and moments in the third set," said Raducanu.

"I lost some focus in the second. It's not easy playing at 11:30. I got here Thursday night so I'm still jetlagged.

"I was telling myself, 'I'm not leaving. This is not happening. You're not losing this match'."

Raducanu, who is still managing her return from ankle and wrist surgery, turned down the opportunity to play at the 2024 Olympics because she did not want to switch back to playing on clay ahead of the hard-court season.

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Andy Murray goes on after another epic Olympic win..by Jonathan Jurejko, BBC Sport journalist at Roland Garros.

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British tennis icon Andy Murray extended his retirement roadshow at Paris 2024 with another epic win alongside Dan Evans to move into the quarter-finals of the Olympic men's doubles.

Murray, 37, will call time on his illustrious career at the end of the Games - but has no desire to quit just yet.

The British pair moved into the last eight after winning 6-3 6-7 (8-10) 11-9 against Belgium's Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in the second round.

After missing two match points in the second-set tie-break, they took their third in the first-to-10 match tie-break - but only after seeing off two match points for their opponents.

Evans stuck away a volley to leave both men jumping for joy before an elated, elongated embrace.

Murray appeared to sob in his seat as he contemplated what had just happened following the wild celebrations.

"It’s unbelievably emotional. I mean you’re obviously unbelievably happy and then for whatever reason, I don’t know why it happens, it’s like happy tears," he said.

"I don’t know why that’s the case but I was really emotional at the end of the match.

"Obviously I was extremely happy, excited that we managed to get through."

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Katie Boulter & Heather Watson reach women's doubles quarter-finals..by Ros Satar, BBC Sport.

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Katie Boulter and Heather Watson advanced to the quarter-finals of the Olympic tennis women's doubles with a straight-set win over Brazilian duo Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani.

After two dramatic wins from compatriots Andy Murray and Dan Evans in the men's doubles, this was much more straightforward for GB's women as they won 6-3 6-4.

The British duo struck early in the first set and held on to their advantage comfortably, but were challenged in the second set as the Brazilians put the pressure on, forcing them to save two break points.

The pair responded strongly, breaking the Brazilians and saving more break points before closing out the match on their third match point. Boulter used her power from the baseline, leaving Watson to show off her speed and agility at the net.

They will next face the third seeds from Italy - Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, who have both reached the French Open semi-finals.

Katie Boulter & Heather Watson's medal hopes also ended..

Elsewhere, British pair Katie Boulter and Heather Watson's hopes of an Olympic medal were ended by Italian duo Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the women's doubles quarter-finals.

Boulter and Watson lost 6-3 6-1 to the third seeds in a tough match where they had few opportunities.

The Britons have gelled together superbly this week, beating some notable opponents to reach the last eight.

But Errani and Paolini, who were French Open runners-up on the same Roland Garros clay little over seven weeks ago, proved a different proposition.

Asked what makes the Italians so good, Watson, 32, said: "They don't miss. They make barely any unforced errors but they play such aggressive tennis at the same time.

"It's really difficult to play them. They are a really great team."

Boulter, playing on her 28th birthday, said the enjoyment the British pair have had throughout the week remained on show even in defeat.

"This will definitely go up as a highlight in my career without a doubt - especially alongside [Watson]," she said.

"We've had a great time and I really do cherish these moments the most, playing with that flag is something you can’t compete with."

Novak Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz to win long-awaited Olympic gold..Amy Lofthouse, BBC Sport senior journalist at Roland Garros.

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Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz in thrilling fashion to secure a long-awaited Olympic title and complete the career 'Golden Slam'.

Djokovic, who has won a men's record 24 majors and swept up every title there is in tennis, finally clinched Olympic gold at his fifth Games.

The Serb, 37, put in his best performance of the year to beat French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in front of a packed crowd in Paris.

He sealed the title with a forehand winner, then turned towards his box - arms outstretched in disbelief - before throwing his racquet to the floor after a draining match which lasted just under three hours.

After hugging Spain's Alcaraz, Djokovic immediately burst into tears and fell to his knees in the middle of the court.

He then unfurled a Serbian flag and clambered into the stands to celebrate with his family and support team.

Djokovic is just the fifth player to win the 'Golden Slam' in singles - all four majors and the Olympic title - after Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

"Everything I felt in that moment when I won surpassed everything I thought or hoped that it would," said Djokovic.

"Being on that court with the Serbian flag raising, singing the Serbian anthem, with the gold around my neck, I think nothing can beat that in terms of professional sport.

"It definitely stands out as the biggest sporting achievement I have had."

Alcaraz, 21, was also in tears after the match, but will leave with a silver medal on his Olympic debut.

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