Tennis news today: Venus and Serena Williams open 2022 Oscars ceremony, Nick Kyrgios defends Emma Raducanu amid mounting criticism | 28 March 2022

Venus and Serena Williams kicked off the 2022 Oscars in style, introducing superstar singer Beyonce, who performed from the tennis court in the sisters' hometown of Compton, California.

Rafael Nadal's doctor, meanwhile, has revealed he will try to reduce the amount of time the Spaniard has to spend on the sidelines due to his latest injury.

Emma Raducanu's string of poor results has put her under immense scrutiny from fans and experts alike, but she's found an unlikely ally in Nick Kyrgios.

Victoria Azarenka released a statement explaining her abrupt mid-match retirement from the Miami Open, while Joe Salisbury is set to be the new World No. 1 in men's doubles. Here's a round-up of the day's biggest headlines:

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Venus and Serena Williams take the 2022 Oscars by storm

The Williams sisters were at their glamorous best as they attended the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday. King Richard, a biopic based on the life of their father and how he shaped them into world-class athletes, was nominated for six awards at the ceremony.

Venus and Serena Williams opened the ceremony by introducing pop icon Beyonce to perform the song, "Be Alive." She performed live from the tennis courts in Compton, California, where the Williams sisters used to train as children.

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Nick Kyrgios hits back at Emma Raducanu's critics

Former World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova opined that players have started to lose respect for 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu following a series of early losses.

"All the locker-room respect she had after the US Open is now kind of going away which is a shame," Hantuchova said.

The teenager's poor results have seen her garner plenty of criticism. Nick Kyrgios has given his take on the matter and sided with Raducanu.

The Australian seemed irked by former players passing judgment on the current generation and said Raducanu is a bigger star than Hantuchova ever was.

"What’s with old retired players giving their opinion on our stars now?" Kyrgios said. "I love A-rod and I agree we all need to chill with the rackets and all that, but geezus, I read an article about a past female player talking about Radacanu, no offence but she is a far far bigger name already."

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Rafael Nadal could return to action earlier than expected

Rafael Nadal picked up a rib injury during the 2022 Indian Wells Open and is expected to be out for four to six weeks. In a recent update, his doctor stated that they're going to monitor Nadal's progress and see if it's possible to shorten the recovery time, allowing the Spaniard to return to action sooner than expected.

"We’re going to adapt the work in function of the pain. For now, the priority is to remove the pain. Once the pain’s removed we’ll be working as much as we can. With this in mind and the evolution it has, we’ll see if we can shorten the time… although the 4-6 weeks is quite logical," he said.

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Victoria Azarenka explains sudden retirement from 3rd-round match in Miami

Victoria Azarenka was trailing Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 3-0 when she abruptly retired from their third-round match in Miami. She later released a statement explaining that she has been bothered by events in her personal life. The former World No. 1 didn't want to compete in the first place, but only took the court to please the Miami crowd, whose support was instrumental in her victory in the second round.

Azarenka said she intends to take a break and return to action after a while.

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Joe Salisbury set to be new World No. 1 in doubles

A new World No. 1 is set to be crowned on the men's doubles circuit. Mate Pavic, the current top-ranked player, lost in the second round of the Miami Open and will result in Joe Salisbury ascending to the top of the rankings.

Along with long-time partner Rajeev Ram, the Brit has recorded some stellar results over the last few years, winning two Grand Slam titles at the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open, among other big trophies.

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Also Check Out: Miami Open 2022 Results