From Djokovic deportation to Messi magic: Top 11 sports stories of 2022

From Tennis superstar, Novak Djokovic's deportation from Australia and Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup exit to Lionel Messi lifting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Here we list the most-read sports stories of 2022.

Novak Djokovic flew to Melbourne in January hoping to capture a 10th Australian Open. However, the famously unvaccinated Serbian had his visa cancelled and was held in a hotel housing refugees before being deported on

Kamila Valieva was at the centre of a doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The Russian, who was 15 at the time, became the first woman to land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition, helping Russia secure gold in the team event. It then emerged she had tested positive before the Games for trimetazidine, a drug used to treat angina but which is banned for athletes because it can boost endurance. Credit: AFP Photo

The legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne died at a luxury resort in Thailand in March from a suspected heart attack, aged 52. Credited with reviving the art of leg-spin, Warne took 708 Test wickets as part of a dominant Australian team in the 1990s and 2000s before becoming a respected commentator. Credit: AFP Photo

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February saw them and allies Belarus become outcasts of world sport. Russia were kicked out of the football World Cup and world athletics championships while tennis players from both nations were banned from Wimbledon. Credit: AFP Photo

The May 28 final at the Stade de France in Paris descended into chaos when thousands of Liverpool fans were unable to gain access to the ground for the match against Real Madrid. Ticket-holding fans, who were attacked with tear gas by police and fell victim to street crime, were initially accused of trying to enter the stadium illegally. These allegations were disproved and organisers and security chiefs damned for poor organisation. Credit: AFP Photo

When American artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez passed out at the end of her solo routine at the World Championships in Budapest in June, her coach Andrea Fuentes plunged to the rescue. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, Fuentes dived to the bottom of the pool and dragged Alvarez to the surface.

Tennis said goodbye to two of its greatest stars. Roger Federer, unable to shake off a lingering knee injury, called it quits at the age of 41 in September after a career which yielded 20 Grand Slams - a figure now passed by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Federer collected 103 titles and banked $130 million in prize money. Credit: AFP Photo

Serena Williams refused to use the word

American grandmaster Hans Niemann was accused by Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen of cheating.Niemann filed a law suit, seeking $100 million in damages from Carlsen, his company Play Magnus Group, Danny Rensch of Chess.com, the world's leading online chess platform, and American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. Carlsen publicly accused Niemann of cheating, and chess.com alleged in a report that the 19-year-old American has

Ishan Kishan blasted the world's fastest ODI double century and became the seventh batsman in one-day international cricket to hit a double-century during his country's third ODI match against Bangladesh. Credit: AP Photo

Lionel Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory with a penalty shootout triumph over France after an epic final in Doha finished 3-3 in extra-time. Messi's virtuoso performance sealed his status as one of the greatest players of all time, joining fellow icons Pele and Diego Maradona in an elite group. The final has gone down as a modern classic, coming at the conclusion of one of the most controversial tournaments ever staged. Credit: AP Photo