8:02 PM ET INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Thursday morning, the ATP announced its board of directors had voted not to renew executive chairman and president Chris Kermode’s contract after it expires at the end of 2019. The decision came two days after the ATP’s 10-member player council met for more than six hours and voted

6:49 PM ET Associated Press INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Playing just her seventh match of the year, Venus Williams rallied to beat Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. The match featured two former top-10 players who have fallen in the rankings. Williams is No. 36

3:40 PM ET Associated Press INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Chris Kermode will leave his job as executive chairman and president of the men’s professional tennis tour when his current term finishes at the end of this year. The ATP announced Thursday that Kermode’s tenure would come to a close. Chris Kermode’s tenure ends after the

1:34 PM ET Associated Press WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Soeren Friemel is the new U.S. Open tournament referee, and Jake Garner has been selected to succeed him as the chief umpire for the American tennis major. The U.S. Tennis Association announced the appointments Thursday. Friemel takes over for Brian Earley, who retired after 26 years

8:11 PM ET Associated Press INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Johanna Konta and Americans Amanda Anisimova and Lauren Davis won first-round matches as women’s play began at the BNP Paribas Open. Konta beat Pauline Parmentier 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday. Anisimova topped Aleksandra Krunic 6-0, 6-4, and Davis outlasted Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-6 (2), 6-2. Anisimova moves

7:12 AM ET Simon Cambers Andy Murray said he hopes to return to the tennis Tour, but still does not know if it will possible. The Scot, who had his right hip resurfaced in an operation on Jan. 28, said he is pain-free and that his rehabilitation is going well but that it was too

8:48 AM ET Serena Williams urges women to “dream crazier” in her latest foray into socially conscious advertising. The idea of winning the singles title at the BNP Paribas Open — which begins in earnest Wednesday in Indian Wells, California — doesn’t come close to qualifying as a “crazy dream” in the high-rent athletic neighborhood

2:00 PM ET Associated Press CARLSBAD, Calif. — World TeamTennis is adding expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Orlando for its 44th season. The league that features men and women competing together announced its growth to eight teams on Tuesday. Regular-season play is July 14-31. The semifinals and final are Aug. 2-3 in Las Vegas.