Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev both clocked impressive victories on Tuesday as they ramped up preparations for the Australian Open by keeping Russia and Germany on track at the ATP Cup.

World number one Novak Djokovic said Tuesday that he was heading to the Australian Open to defend his title after being granted a medical exemption to play.

A statue of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a stir in the southern Indian state of Goa, with locals accusing officials of insensitivity for honoring a sports star from the region's former colonial power.

Protesters with black flags gathered at the site after the statue was unveiled this week in the town of Calangute.

While the "will he or won't he?" question remains for No. 1 Novak Djokovic and his participation in the Australian Open, the rest of the tennis world returns to work this week to prepare for the season's first major beginning Jan. 17 at Melbourne Park.

The men's ATP Cup team event has been on since the weekend in Sydney, and there are three tune-up events being played this week in Melbourne as part of Tennis Australia's "Summer Set" of tournaments — two WTA tournaments and one ATP.

The only winner Sunday was Manchester City. And Romelu Lukaku certainly lost out.

What a pulsating, entertaining encounter for Lukaku to miss — not out of his own choosing — as Chelsea recovered to draw 2-2 with Liverpool without the temporarily exiled striker.

After watching Real Madrid lose its first match in three months, Carlo Ancelotti had one simple message for his players: The holidays are over.

Madrid's run of 15 consecutive games without a loss in all competitions came to an end Sunday when it slumped to a 1-0 defeat at modest Getafe in the Spanish league after a nearly two-week winter break.

Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah won the first special of the Dakar Rally on Sunday to extend his race lead after victory in the prologue.

The 51-year-old, looking to win the race for the fourth time, finished the stage 12 minutes and seven seconds quicker than nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb in second place.

Lionel Messi has tested positive for Covid-19 and has entered self-isolation, his club Paris Saint-Germain announced on Sunday.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was one of four PSG players to test positive for the virus ahead of a French Cup match against Vannes.

Chaos has reigned in the Premier League in December, with COVID-19 outbreaks decimating squads, forcing the postponement of 16 games and fueling talk of a pause in play that never materialized.

Manchester City has risen above it all.

European champions Chelsea announced Thursday an annual loss of £145.6 million ($196.7 million, 173.5 million euros) for the year to June 30 2021 despite their Champions League triumph.