Former world No.1 tennis player Simona Halep has been slapped with a four-year ban after her anti-doping violation.

The 31-year-old Romanian star won Wimbledon in 2019 as well as the French Open five years ago, winning a total of 24 singles titles to date on the WTA Tour.

But Halep tested positive for the prohibited anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat after last year’s US Open, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list, while irregularities were found in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

That saw Halep provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) – although the two-time Grand Slam champion argued that a ‘tainted supplement’ was the reason behind why she failed the drugs test – and has always strongly insisted that she is innocent.

The ITIA have decided to ban Halep until 2026, which would mark four years after she was provisionally suspended in 2022 but she has since confirmed her plans to appeal it.

‘The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument that they had taken a contaminated supplement,’ the ITIA said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘But determined the volume the player ingested could not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in the positive sample. 

‘The ABP charge was also upheld, with the tribunal stating that they had no reason to doubt the unanimous ‘strong opinion’ reached by each of the three independent Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) experts that ‘likely doping’ was the explanation for the irregularities in Halep’s profile. 

‘Halep has been provisionally suspended since October 2022, which the tribunal credited against the period of ineligibility.

‘As such, the former world number one’s suspension will run from 7 October 2022 until 6 October 2026.’

It could be a career-ending ban for Halep, who would not be able to play again until she turns 35 if the suspension is upheld following her appeal.

Halep, speaking after news of the four-year ban, said: ‘Today, a tribunal under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme announced a tentative decision in my case.

‘The last year has been the hardest match of my life and unfortunately my fight continues. I have devoted my life to the beautiful game of tennis.

‘I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and take pride in the fact I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance. I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban.

‘While I am grateful to finally have an outcome following numerous unfounded delays and a feeling of living in purgatory for over a year, I am both shocked and disappointed by their decision.

‘I intend to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question.’

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The Davis Cup finals group stage is set to kick off this week – and all eyes will be on Great Britain as they attempt to make it from the final 16 to the knockout phase.

The British team is welcoming back Andy Murray, who has returned to the squad alongside Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Neal Skupski – as they make their bid to lift the trophy for the first time since 2015 – with Murray also featuring in the team that time.

However they’ve still got a way to go, with their Group B round-robin matches against Australia, France and Switzerland, as they aim for a place in the knockout stage.

With the group games taking place at Manchester’s AO Arena, it’s set to be unmissable viewing for tennis fans.

‘We can’t wait to play Davis Cup in Manchester in front of a huge home crowd,’ said British captain Leon Smith.

‘We have a great team with a lot of Davis Cup experience who will be ready to give it everything in a tough group with Australia, Switzerland and France.’

But if you can’t make it to Manchester, how can you watch it on TV in the UK?

How to watch the Davis Cup on TV in the UK

The Davis Cup will be broadcast in the UK both on the BBC as well as the Tennis Channel International’s Pay TV.

You’ll be able to watch all of Team GB’s group stage matches via the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

The first of these is on Wednesday September 13 when Great Britain takes on Australia – with play starting at 1pm.

The British team’s match against Switzerland will be shown on Friday September 15 while Great Britain takes on France on Sunday September 17.

Both of those matches will also get underway at 1pm.

If you want to see other matches taking place in the Group of 16 stage you can tune in via The Tennis Channel – which you can stream via the app, online, FireTV or Apple TV Plus.

The service costs £2..49 a month, although there is also a seven-day free trial currently on offer.

How does the Davis Cup work?

The tournament sees four teams automatically qualify for the final stage – this year it’s 2022 champions Canada, runners-up Australia plus Italy and Spain as wildcards.

A further 12 teams have qualified, who are as follows:

• Chile
• Croatia
• Czechia
• Finland
• France
• Great Britain
• Netherlands
• Serbia
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• USA

These are in turn divided into four groups of four – with other group matches taking place elsewhere – Group A playing in Bologna, Group C in Valencia and Group D in the Croatian city of Split.

There are two singles and one doubles match in each tie, with the top two from each group making it to the next round.

The knockout stages will take place in November.

MORE : Andy Murray fires warning to Carlos Alcaraz about Novak Djokovic

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British tennis hero Andy Murray has fired a warning to Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz after Novak Djokovic’s triumph at the 2023 US Open.

Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in the Flushing Meadows final on Sunday to secure a historic 24th Grand Slam title and he has now replaced Alcaraz as the world No.1 – who was the top seed in New York but lost in the last four.

It has been a remarkable year for 36-year-old Djokovic, who lifted three major trophies in 2023 following success at the Australian Open and the French Open, despite losing to 20-year-old Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July.

Many saw Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win as a changing of the guard but Murray, who had his own rivalry with Djokovic, has issued a warning to the Spaniard that the Serbian will continue to dominate at the top of the sport for years to come.

‘It’s up to the young guys to be pushing Novak and looking to overtake him. It doesn’t look like that’s close to happening,’ Murray told the BBC.

‘Novak’s been an incredible player for a very long time, like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, it’s the longevity and how long they’ve all been able to do that for.

‘Novak’s longevity has been the greatest. He’s played at this level for such a long time now. I said that after Wimbledon, everyone was saying it was a changing of the guard, but it wasn’t for me.

‘It was quite clear Novak had won two of the first three slams and was very, very close in the final of Wimbledon. He proved that he’s the best player in the world again yesterday and like I said it’s up to the youngsters to improve enough to overtake him.

‘I don’t think he’s going to stop at 24 titles, but you never know how long it will last.

‘Physically, motivation, whether someone like Alcaraz improves – he’s an amazing player Alcaraz, he’s brilliant, but to do what Novak is doing on a consistent basis is different.

‘It’s not the same as doing it for 15-20 weeks a year like Novak is doing, every time he steps on the court.

‘I do think that Alcaraz will soon get to that level but I don’t think this is going to be the last time that Novak wins a Grand Slam.’

Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic revealed after the US Open final that Djokovic is planning to play at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the year in which he turns 41-years-old.

MORE : 'People like to talk' - Novak Djokovic responds to passing of the torch remarks

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It’s not uncommon to tighten your belt at the start of the year even though you’ve piled on plenty of weight by excessively overindulging during the 12 days of Christmas.

One such torrid time way back when left yours truly desperately searching the pockets of old jackets in the back of the wardrobe in a forlorn attempt to unearth a forgotten £20 note and buy a chicken jalfrezi from the local Indian restaurant.

The sensible thing to do is not to max out on expensive presents or on copious amounts of food and drink but it’s the season to be jolly, right?

Money can always be put aside for a rainy day but punters who have recently enjoyed a few successful flutters can pile those winnings on ante-post bets for Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open in January.

The reward will be a nice nest egg waiting when he inevitably lands the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne.

It’s as near a certainty as you will find over the next few months and it comes at decent odds.

The sensational Serbian equalled Margaret Court’s record of 24 slam successes when he won a fifth men’s title at the US Open in New York on Sunday.

Djokovic beat Daniil Medvedev in a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 victory that was anything but straightforward yet he found the will to succeed.

There are few in the sporting world who can match Djokovic’s sheer drive and determination and he will be pulling out all the stops in Australia to ensure he stands alone as the player to have won the most grand slams by claiming championship No.25.

It would be fitting, too, if he set the new milestone in Melbourne.

Djokovic has won ten Australian Open titles and the only time he has not triumphed there in the last five years was in 2022 when he was refused entry into the country because he was not vaccinated against Covid.

Back in his familiar role as the new world No.1, the 36-year-old from Belgrade still has enough gas in the tank to repel the challenge of the young pretenders to his throne.

He has won three of the four majors this year with Wimbledon the only title missing from the collection – and even then it took an almost superhuman effort from Carlos Alcaraz to defeat him in the final.

Are you really going to snub the chance to back Djokovic at 11/8 with Bet Victor and have a lovely little investment waiting to be cashed in January?

• Ukraine are 13/2 with Ladbrokes and Coral to build on their gutsy effort against England with a Euro 24 qualifying victory against Italy.

• Japan, South Korea, France and Senegal form Tuesday’s international friendly yankee. 

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Judy Murray has criticised the decision to release footage of Aryna Sabalenka smashing her racket after losing to Coco Gauff in the US Open final.

The Belarusian won the first set against Gauff but went on to lose 2-6 6-3 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday evening.

After her defeat, cameras inside the warm-up area caught Sabalenka calmly place her bag and runner-up trophy on the floor before she took out her racket and smashed it against the floor. She then disposed of it in a nearby bin.

The footage was shown during the post-match coverage and circulated widely on social media.

Judy Murray, mother of Andy and Jamie, posted on X: ‘This footage should never have been made public.

‘A private moment in an empty training room after the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final.’

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen agreed with the statement as he replied: ‘100% CORRECT, Judy.’

The moment was also caught by a separate camera crew, which were believed to be filming for season two of Break Point, the fly-on-the-wall Netflix series about elite tennis.

Sabalenka featured in the first series and that moment of frustration is set to make the cut for the second season.

‘Sometimes I can get emotional,’ Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, said after her defeat to Gauff.

‘Today on the court, I was overthinking and I was missing quite, like, not easy balls, but the balls I shouldn’t be missing.

‘[The] unforced errors was a lot in the second set, and that’s where I get her [to] believe that she can win this match. I got overemotional after the second set.’

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Novak Djokovic hailed his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz and says he is not focused on suggestions of a passing of the torch in men’s tennis after winning the US Open.

Alcaraz was eliminated in the last four in New York this year, with Daniil Medvedev beating him to reach the final, but the Russian lost in straight sets to the Serbian.

Flushing Meadows champion Djokovic, 36, is set to take the world No.1 spot from Alcaraz following his loss to the 20-year-old in this year’s Wimbledon final – after some commented that the result in July had marked a changing of the guard.

Djokovic, though, speaking after he lifted his 24th Grand Slam title with victory over Medvedev, said: ‘People like to talk.

‘I focus on what I need to do to be in the optimal state. Alcaraz is a refreshment for tennis, it’s great that we have a rivalry.’

Djokovic, who won three of the Grand Slam singles titles this year and reached all four finals, added: ‘I did my best in the last 48 hours for the importance of the match to not get to my head. I learned my lesson, kept things simple.

‘Second set was the key, I don’t think I’ve played a longer set in my life. He probably deserved that set more, but I managed to turn things around in the tie-break.

‘I was very relieved to win the second set, Medvedev is one of the best in making you hit the extra ball. I don’t recall being so tired after rallies as in second set.

‘There is always something I am trying to add and implement things that work for you. One of the biggest lessons is that you need to reinvent yourself constantly.

‘I felt relief after match point. Out of respect, I wanted to come to the net quick. Then I wanted to hug my daughter, she was in the first row, she smiled at me every time I need it – I got that innocent, child energy.’

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Novak Djokovic has explained why he decided to wear a Kobe Bryant shirt after beating Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final.

American NBA legend Bryant was tragically killed in a helicopter crash three years ago at the age of 41 along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

Djokovic said in his post-match interview that he was close with the Los Angeles Lakers hero and wanted to pay tribute to the basketball great in front of the New York crowd.

‘I thought by doing the t-shirt… I didn’t share it with anyone until a few days ago,’ the Serbian said in his on-court interview.

‘Kobe was a close friend, we chatted a lot about the winners mentality when I was struggling with injury and try to work my way back to the top he was one of the people I relied on the most he was always there for support in the most friendly way.

‘His passing hurt me deeply and 24 is the jersey he wore at Lakers so I thought it would be nice to acknowledge him.’

Djokovic has won seven of the last 12 Grand Slams – absent from two of those and a finalist in two others – and says his 24th trophy ‘means the world’ to him as he further cemented his position as arguably the greatest tennis player of all time.

‘I don’t know where to start, this means the world to me,’ Djokovic added. ‘I’m repeating myself but I have to say every time that I’m living my childhood dream to compete at this highest level.

‘To make history on this court is truly remarkable and special, in every way and every meaning of the word special.

‘I had a dream when I was seven – I wanted to become the best player in the world and win Wimbledon that was the only thing I wanted.

‘But I started to dream new dreams, I never imagined I would be standing talking about 24 Grand Slams but the last couple of years I’ve felt I have a chance and I have a shot at history and why not grab it.’

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Daniil Medvedev made a Novak Djokovic retirement joke as he paid a classy tribute to the Serbian tennis great following the 2023 US Open final.

Djokovic beat Medvedev in straight sets to register his 24th Grand Slam singles trophy as he equalled Margaret Court for the most in the history of the sport.

The 36-year-old reached all four major finals this year – adding his Flushing Meadows triumph to his Roland-Garros and Australian Open titles – and is set to regain the world No.1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz following his run in New York.

With Roger Federer now retired and Rafael Nadal set to follow next year, there has been talk of when Djokovic will decide to hang up his own racket, with his own father suggesting in July that it is time for his son to call time on his career.

But with Djokovic still dominating men’s tennis, it does not appear that he will be retiring any time soon despite Medvedev’s joke following the final.

‘First of all I want to ask Novak, ‘what are you still doing here?’ – come on!’ Medvedev said in his on-court interview.

‘Jokes aside, it is our third final, maybe not the last, because you’re probably going to be in many more! I don’t know when you are planning to slow down a little bit.

‘I feel like I have not a bad career and I have 20 titles. You have 24 Grand Slams. Wow. Congratulations to you and your team.

‘I find it amazing that I beat Novak in the 2021 final. That is the pinnacle of my career so far.

‘If he and Rafa Nadal did not exist… I know that’s not possible, I played five finals against them and only won one. I don’t know if that is good or bad!

‘He pushes me to be better. We first met when I was 500th in the world and he was super kind to me, treated me as a normal person, which was amazing. Nothing has changed after 24 Grand Slams. That is what is great about him.’

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Novak Djokovic has won the US Open with a 6-3 7-6 6-3 win over Russian third-seed Daniil Medvedev to secure a historic 24th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic now holds the most major singles titles of any male or female player in the Open Era – moving past Serena Williams’ 23 – and the 36-year-old has also tied Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles trophies for the most in history.

It has been a superb year for Djokovic, who has become just the third player to win the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and US Open men’s singles titles in the same calendar year after Rod Laver and Mats Wilander did it in 1969 and 1988.

This year’s victory over Medvedev at Flushing Meadows marks revenge for Djokovic after the two men met in the 2021 final in New York, with the Russian coming out on top to deny the Serbian an incredible calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic, who has also become the oldest player to win the US Open men’s singles title in the Open Era and just the second player to win multiple Grand Slam titles after turning 36, got off to a strong start with a hold before going 40-love up in game two, securing the early break with his first chance to take a 2-0 lead.

The opening set was likely to be crucial in determining the champion – given that incoming world No.1 Djokovic had a 71-1 record when winning the first set heading into the final, compared to Medvedev’s 47-1 – and it was the Serbian who looked well in control as he dominated the longer rallies to open up a 4-1 lead.

Medvedev responded with a hold but Djokovic’s impressive serving and volleying proved to be too much as he failed to knock up a single break-point opportunity – and after a trade of service games in which the 27-year-old was forced to save two break points – Djokovic took the first set 6-3 with 48 minutes on the clock.

Medvedev appeared to be irked in the early stages of the second set with a series of double faults and unforced errors but started to raise his level to match his opponent, with neither player getting close to a break until game seven as Djokovic missed the chance to extend his lead.

Just before Medvedev’s key hold, Djokovic fell to the deck after a 31-shot rally and seemed both hurt and exhausted and he asked for a bag of ice at the changeover, with the Russian then earning his first break-point opportunity of the final in game eight but he could not convert as another hold kept it locked at 4-4.

The duo exchanged service games again and Djokovic got the crowd on their feet in game 11 with an impressive forehand winner after a lengthy rally to force deuce as he looked to break, but Medvedev shrugged off the pressure to hold and then stunned his opponent to set up a set-point opportunity in game 12.

Medvedev could not register the break, though, resulting in a tie-break – and despite leading 2-0 and then 3-1 – he was made to pay for his wasted chance as Djokovic wrapped up the second set 7-6 (7-5), pumping his fist to the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd and leaving the Russian with a huge mountain to climb.

Both men held in their opening service games of the third set after Medvedev’s medical time-out, as he appeared to hurt his left shoulder, and he was then involved in an argument with his own coach before Djokovic secured the break in game four to go 3-1 up and edge closer towards his 24th Grand Slam title.

Medvedev had other ideas and broke Djokovic straight back to keep his slim hopes alive – but any chance of a comeback looked dead in the water as the Serbian secured his third break of the match in game six. The pair traded service games one last time before Djokovic won the third set 6-3 to secure the trophy.

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Coco Gauff produced a stunning comeback to beat Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s US Open final to register her maiden Grand Slam trophy.

Gauff lost the first set but took the second to force a decider and held her nerve in the third to become the first American teen to win a women’s singles Grand Slam title this century and the first since Serena Williams at the US Open in 1999.

The 19-year-old, seeded sixth at Flushing Meadows, is enjoying the best winning run of her career having now recorded 12 consecutive victories – beating second-seed Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 6-2 in front of a delighted home crowd in New York.

Gauff, who lost the French Open final last year in what was her first major final, had never beaten a top 10 player from a set down before her historic win over Sabalenka as she denied the Belarusian a second Grand Slam title in 2023.

‘It means so much to me winning at home,’ Gauff said in her post-match interview.

‘I feel like I am in a little bit of shock at this moment. The French Open loss [last year] definitely hurt me. Those moments make this one even more sweeter.

‘I don’t pray for results. I ask that I get the strength to give it my all. I am thankful for this moment. I have no words for it to be honest.

‘I knew if I didn’t give it my all, I had no shot of winning. Aryna is an incredible player and congratulations on your [new] No.1 ranking.

‘I tell everyone that you are a nice person behind the scenes. It makes the sport better. Congratulations to you and your team.

‘Today was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. He thinks he’s so hard but… he took took me to this tournament when I was young to watch Serena and Venus (Williams) compete, so it’s incredible to be on this stage.’

It was Australian Open champion Sabalenka who got off to the perfect start at the Arthur Ashe Stadium with a break in the first game of the first set.

Gauff got the crowd on their feet in game four as she broke Sabalenka back but the set did not stay level for long as her opponent responded instantly in game six with a break of her own.

After Gauff missed two more break-point opportunities in game six, Sabalenka secured her third break of the match and took the first set 6-2.

Gauff needed Sabalenka to crumble in the second set to force a decider – and the teenager secured a crucial in game four – before saving break point in game five to open up a 4-1 lead over her European opponent.

Both players exchanged service games to leave Sabalenka needing a hold to stay in the set but Gauff seemed unfazed after it then went to 5-3, holding her nerve to take the second set 6-3 to set up a winner-takes-all final set.

Gauff looked determined to make history and roared into a 3-0 third-set lead withan early double break as she edged towards victory in front of a star-studded crowd.

A trade of service games made it 4-1 to Gauff but Sabalenka fought back with a break in game six after a medical time out to keep her slim hopes alive.

Gauff, though, who will now rise to world No.3 once the WTA rankings update, broke her straight back in game six and a hold of serve secured the third set 6-2 as she lifted the 2023 US Open title.

‘I want to congratulate Coco and your team,’ Sabalenka said after her runner-up finish. ‘You guys deserve this title. Many more to come I am sure. I hope we play in many more finals. Hopefully a different result the next time (laughs).’

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Ben Shelton hit back at Novak Djokovic after the world No.2 appeared to mock his opponent by mimicking his trademark celebration following last night’s US Open semi-final victory.

Djokovic, 36, halted big-serving 20-year-old Shelton’s breakthrough run in the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (4) victory.

The 36-year-old is one win away from a 24th major title and becoming the oldest winner in the Open era, surpassing Ken Rosewall who was 35 when he won the title in 1970.

Shelton’s run to the last four had raised American hopes of a first home win in the men’s tournament since Andy Roddick 20 years ago, but he emphatically had the phone put down on him by Djokovic who, with a wry smile. claimed his post match celebration was inspired by the exuberant 20-year-old.

He said: ‘I just love Ben’s celebration. I just thought it was very original and I copied him and stole his celebration.’

Shelton was asked for his response to Djokovic’s showmanship and appeared unimpressed with the antics of his opponent.

He said: ‘I didn’t see it until after the match. I don’t like when I’m on social media and I see people telling me how I can or can’t celebrate.

‘If you win the match you deserve to do whatever you want. As a kid growing up, I always learned that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’

‘I learned a lot of things.. the biggest thing I learned that’s shaping me as a person as we speak is the influence professional athletes have on this stage,’ added.

‘Tennis is a huge sport. It was crazy for me the 1st time I touched down in Portugal for my first tournament in Europe that there were people who even knew who I was.. that was hard for me to believe.

‘It’s made me think about how I act on court. What message I’m giving in my interviews, the things I say, I think goes a long way.

‘I think a lot of people are listening to the things you say & watching what you do.’

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Novak Djokovic has booked his place in the US Open final after beating American world No.47 Ben Shelton 6-3 6-2 7-6 in New York on Friday.

The 36-year-old will next face top-seed Carlos Alcaraz or Russian world No.3 Daniil Medvedev at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday as he looks to equal Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles in history.

Djokovic, who will regain the world No.1 spot once Flushing Meadows has concluded, lost the Wimbledon final in July and has now reached all four Grand Slam finals this year having won both the French Open and Australian Open.

The 23-time major champion will be taking part in his 36th Grand Slam final this weekend – in what is his 10th final at Flushing Meadows – as he attempts to become the oldest man to win the US Open singles title in the Open Era.

Second-seed Djokovic took control against Shelton in the first set with a crucial break in game six and the American wasted his own break-point opportunity in game nine, which was enough for the Serbian to take the first set 6-3.

Shelton had been on a fairytale run on his way to the semi-finals and needed to produce something special in the second set but Djokovic – playing his 100th Grand Slam match – looked on top form as play resumed and almost secured a break in the opening game before the 20-year-old battled back to hold.

It did not take Djokovic too much longer to get the second-set break, though, which he secured in game five and he registered a double break in game seven before a hold of serve made it 6-2 as he took a dominant two-set lead.

Djokovic seemed keen to wrap up the victory in straight-sets and broke Shelton in the opening game of the third but Shelton got the American home crowd roaring in game eight as he secured his first break of the match to level up the set.

That appeared to take somewhat of a mental toll on Djokovic as Shelton held and then conjured up set point in game 10 but the Serbian took it to deuce and secured the hold before registering his sixth break of the match.

Djokovic had match point in game 12 but Shelton stunned him to force a third-set tie-break as the current world No.2 eventually came out on top 7-6 (7-4) to secure his spot in Sunday’s US Open final.

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Coco Gauff’s U.S. Open semi-final victory over Karolina Muchova was delayed by almost an hour by four environmental activists, one of whom glued his bare feet to the concrete floor of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Gauff was leading 1-0 in the second set when play was halted but ultimately overcame the sideshow to record a convincing 6-4, 7-5 victory.

‘I always speak about preaching about what you feel and what you believe in,’ said the 19-year-old who is now closing in on what would be landmark first Grand Slam triumph.

‘It was done in a peaceful way, so I can’t get too mad at it. Obviously I don’t want it to happen when I’m winning up 6-4, 1-0, and I wanted the momentum to keep going.

‘But hey, if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get their voices heard, I can’t really get upset at it.’

Security guards and, later, more than a half-dozen police officers went over to confront the protesters, who were wearing shirts that read, ‘End Fossil Fuels.’ The U.S. Tennis Association said three of the protesters were escorted out of the stadium without further incident, but it took longer to remove the person who stuck his feet to the ground.

The USTA added that NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove that person. All four activists were taken into police custody.

Muchova said that, initially, she ‘thought it was, like, fans screaming, cheering.’

Gauff sat on her sideline bench for a bit during the break in the match, eating fruit out of a plastic container, before then getting some tennis balls and hitting a few practice serves. Muchova was briefly visited by a trainer during the interruption.

‘We didn’t know how long it was going to take. We were talking to the supervisor and security,’ said Gauff. ‘You know, they (said) it could be as quick as five minutes or as long as an hour. It was tough to figure out if we stay warm or conserve energy.’

Eventually, both players headed toward the locker room as the delay continued. Gauff sat on a treadmill, a towel draped over her lap, while chatting with members of her team.

‘I just wanted to get off the court and then keep myself little warmed up and not just to stand there,’ Muchova added.

It is the latest in a recent series of protests at sporting events — and tennis, in particular — related to the use of fossil fuels.

‘Throughout history, moments like this are definitely defining moments. I believe, you know, in climate change. I don’t really know exactly what … they were protesting. I know it was about the environment. I 100% believe in that. I think there are things we can do better,’ Gauff said at her post-match news conference.

‘Would I prefer it not happening in my match — 100%, yeah,’ she said. ‘I’m not going to sit here and lie.’

The other women’s semi-final, between Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Madison Keys of the United States, began shortly after Gauff’s victory finished. It ended at nearly 1 a.m., with Sabalenka winning 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (10-5) to reach her second Grand Slam final.

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Daniil Medvedev blasted the playing conditions during his US Open quarter-final with Andrey Rublev and warned the scorching temperatures in New York could result in a player fatality.

Medvedev, who claimed victory at Flushing Meadows two years ago, turned to a TV camera mid-match and complained: ‘One player is going to die and they’re going to see.’

At one point during the all-Russian clash on Arthur Ashe, which Medvedev won 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, the mercury reached a staggering 37C with a humidity of 43% to compound the misery.

The brutal conditions are in keeping with the weather endured throughout much of the Grand Slam tournament so far, with players resorting to extreme measures to keep cool.

Let’s take a look at the forecast for the remaining four days of competition as the lingering heat and humidity of a New York summer brings some of the fittest athletes in the world to their knees.

How hot is it in New York for the US Open?

The good news for Coco Gauff Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final today – September 9 – the weather will be slightly cooler today.

But the bad news is that it won’t be by much.

According to the Met Office, the temperature will be 26C by the time Gauff and Muchova take to the court at around 9pm BST.

Sunset at around 7.18pm local time should help, but the heat is not expected to drop much below 27C by the time Sabalenka and Keys emerge onto Arthur Ashe.

The temperature for the men’s finals on Sunday, featuring Novak Djokovic and against Danill Medvedev, will be around 28C.

The average temperature for New York in September is 25C.

What exactly did Daniil Medvedev say?

Medvedev used his post-match press conference to elaborate on the conditions endured in New York.

Medvedev said: ‘It was brutal. The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffered. It’s tough for both of us.

‘There were some ups and downs. At the end of the first set I couldn’t see the ball anymore. I played with sensations, tried to run, tried to go for it, tried to hit the ball. We were tired all the time. It was super tough to win.

‘I have no skin left on my nose. Here it’s red but it’s not because of the sun, it’s not like you’re burned.

‘I just saw Andrey in the locker room and his face was very red so I guess it’s the same. That tells everything, like we left everything out there.

‘I’m just pretty exhausted. I did a couple of interviews there and straightaway it was tough. I was with an ice towel there.

‘Everything was foggy, like I couldn’t see clearly. Because the match is over, the adrenaline is not there anymore.

‘I was a little bit shaky. Then I come to the locker room. I sat there for 10, 15 minutes, did a quick ice bath, changed and went to eat.

‘But I had my sugar levels go up. I started sweating, my head started turning. I said to my team, ‘Please bring me any food’.

‘I was sitting there sweating like hell with the air conditioning on. They brought some food and then I felt better.’

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Daniil Medvedev has warned a player is ‘going to die’ after he overcame hostile conditions to beat fellow Russian Andrey Rublev to advance to the semi-final of the US Open.

The champions of two years ago was forced to call for the doctor twice during a straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory during which temperatures on court reached 37C.

With humidity levels rising to 43%, Medvedev claimed there were occasions when he struggled to be able to see the ball and believes organisers of the tournament are taking dangerous risks with the health of participants.

At the peak of his struggles during the match, Medvedev turned towards a television camera during the match and said: ‘One player is going to die and they’re going to see.’

‘It was brutal,’ Medvedev said afterwards in his post match press conference. ‘The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffered. It’s tough for both of us.

‘There were some ups and downs. At the end of the first set I couldn’t see the ball anymore. I played with sensations, tried to run, tried to go for it, tried to hit the ball. We were tired all the time. It was super tough to win.

‘I have no skin left on my nose. Here it’s red but it’s not because of the sun, it’s not like you’re burned.

‘I just saw Andrey in the locker room and his face was very red so I guess it’s the same. That tells everything, like we left everything out there.

‘I’m just pretty exhausted. I did a couple of interviews there and straightaway it was tough. I was with an ice towel there.

‘Everything was foggy, like I couldn’t see clearly. Because the match is over, the adrenaline is not there anymore.

‘I was a little bit shaky. Then I come to the locker room. I sat there for 10, 15 minutes, did a quick ice bath, changed and went to eat.

‘But I had my sugar levels go up. I started sweating, my head started turning. I said to my team, ‘Please bring me any food’.

‘I was sitting there sweating like hell with the air conditioning on. They brought some food and then I felt better.’

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Novak Djokovic has broken another one of Roger Federer’s records following his quarter-final victory against ninth-seed Taylor Fritz at the US Open.

The 23-time major champion beat American star Fritz 6-1 6-4 6-4 and faces another player from the United States in the last four – world No.47 Ben Shelton.

Djokovic, who already has three more Grand Slam singles titles than retired Swiss great Federer, is now just two wins away from equalling women’s legend Margaret Court for the most major trophies in the history of tennis.

But the 36-year-old’s win over Fritz has seen him take another record off Federer with Djokovic having now made more Grand Slam men’s semi-final appearances than any other player in history with 47.

Djokovic and Federer, along with Rafael Nadal, are considered to be the best three players of all time but the Spaniard’s uncle has appeared to aim a dig at the Serbian by insisting that he is a ‘worse player’ than he was five to 10 years ago.

Toni Nadal’s claim to El Pais comes despite Djokovic’s Grand Slam dominance in the last five years which has seen him win four Australian Open titles.

Djokovic also lifted four consecutive Wimbledon trophies before his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in this year’s final and has won two of the last three French Opens.

Meanwhile, Djokovic’s semi-final opponent Shelton has claimed that he has an ‘advantage’ heading into their showdown at Flushing Meadows.

‘It’s an advantage with my game style playing someone who’s never played me before,’ Shelton warned Djokovic. ‘I think that I can bring some things to the table that maybe you don’t see in your normal match that you play on the ATP Tour.

‘So I’m definitely going to try to bring some things to the table that are different and hopefully disruptive on Friday.’

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Coco Gauff could not hide her delight after becoming the first American teenager to reach the US Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2001.

The 19-year-old, seeded sixth in New York, recorded a 6-0 6-2 victory over world No.20 Jeļena Ostapenko in front of a delighted Arthur Ashe Stadium home crowd.

Gauff reached her maiden Grand Slam final last year in Paris but is looking to go one better at Flushing Meadows and register her first major trophy.

She will next play 10th-seed Karolina Muchova or 30th-seed Sorana Cirstea for a spot in the final and will head into that match as the favourite to progress.

Second-seed Aryna Sabalenka is the only player left in the draw who is ranked higher than Gauff and could potentially face the American in Saturday’s final.

Speaking after her win over Ostapenko, Gauff said: ‘It feels great, I’m so happy.

‘I lost at the quarter-final stage last year and wanted to do better this year. I have a long way to go but I’m happy and will get ready for the next one.

‘I didn’t feel comfortable at all the whole match, even at match point. She has the ability to come back no matter the scoreline so I was just trying to play every ball and hit it deep.

‘I was trying my best to be aggressive when I could. She has had a great tournament and I speak and get along with her well off the court.

‘The defence has always been there, but I’ve been improving my offence and that’s showing on the court.

‘Today I played well. This is my shortest match of the tournament by far so maybe I will get back and hit the [practice] courts.’

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German tennis star Alexander Zverev was left furious and stopped play after a US Open fan made an Adolf Hitler slur towards him on Tuesday.

The incident occurred during the world No.12’s five-set victory over Italian sixth-seed Jannik Sinner in the last 16 at the Grand Slam in New York.

‘He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is. It is unacceptable,’ Zverev told British umpire James Keothavong after hearing the slur from the crowd.

Keothavong turned around and urged fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium to be respectful to the players as security were seen kicking out a middle-aged man.

It is unclear exactly what the spectator said, but Zverev claimed after the match that the person was singing a song associated with the former Nazi Party leader.

‘He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day,’ Zverev said. ‘It was ‘Deutschland über alles’ and it was a bit too much.

‘I love when fans are emotional. But I think me being German and not really proud of that history, it’s not really a great thing to do and I think him sitting in one of the front rows, I think a lot of people heard it.

‘So if I just don’t react, I think it’s bad from my side.’

A spokesperson from the US Tennis Association said: ‘A disparaging remark was directed towards Zverev. The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium.’

Zverev ended up beating Sinner in a match which lasted almost five hours and he will next face world No.1 and title holder Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

The 26-year-old is looking to lift his maiden Grand Slam title and was a finalist at Flushing Meadows three years ago.

In the other quarter-finals, American home favourite Taylor Fritz takes on 23-time major champion Novak Djokovic while there is an all-Russian battle between Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev after the latter beat Britain’s Jack Draper.

Meanwhile, 10th-seed Frances Tiafoe faces fellow American Ben Shelton for a spot in the last four.

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