12/21/24
Tennis
September 19, 2024
The loneliness of the low-ranking tennis player: Conor Niland was once Ireland’s No 1 player, and tried for years to climb the global ranks. But life at the bottom of the top can be brutal.
posted by rumple to tennis at 03:43 PM - 3 comments
August 24, 2023
Jimmy Hoops? No, Jimmy Tennis: Jimmy Butler is a ball boy man for a day at the US Open then takes up the game against the current #1, Carlos Alcaraz. What *can't* Jimmy do?
posted by NoMich to tennis at 07:42 AM - 2 comments
August 15, 2023
Last ATP Player Ranked in the 1990s Retires: Feliciano Lopez of Spain has retired from tennis at age 41 after 26 seasons as a pro. He has the record for 79 straight major appearances, a 20-year span that began at Roland Garros in 2002 and ended with Roland Garros in 2022. He was also the last active ATP player to have been ranked in the last century. He has more wins on grass than countryman Rafa Nadal.
June 05, 2023
French Open Boots Doubles Players After Ball Girl Struck by Ball: During a third round French Open doubles match, Miyo Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified because Kato unintentionally hit a ball girl while passing a ball to her after a point. The ball girl was caught off guard and she was struck in the neck. She fought tears for 10 minutes after players Marie Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo implored the chair to disqualify their opponents because the girl was injured -- but never checked on her themselves.
posted by rcade to tennis at 03:57 PM - 7 comments
October 25, 2022
'I am not retired' Serena Williams says: At a San Francisco conference on Monday, the tennis player said she has not retired from tennis and that the chances of her returning are “very high."
posted by NoMich to tennis at 02:05 PM - 2 comments
September 15, 2022
Roger Federer is retiring: Fresh off Serena Williams's departure from tennis, her peer on the men's tour is retiring. Federer leaves with 20 majors--now good for second on the all-time list--and a legacy as a beloved and graceful star, both on and off the court.
posted by werty to tennis at 11:15 AM - 6 comments
September 05, 2022
Margaret Court: Serena Never Admired Me: Serena Williams retired one major shy of Margaret Court's 24. Court, 80, is using the occasion to be all kinds of bitter. Court told an interviewer Williams won zero majors after having one baby while she won three after having two. "I would love to have played in this era. I think it's so much easier," Court said.
posted by rcade to tennis at 12:12 PM - 10 comments
July 10, 2022
Novak Djokovic Defeats Nick Kyrgios for Seventh Wimbledon Title: After losing the first set to an unstoppable serve barrage by Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic rallied to win the next three sets for his fourth consecutive and seventh overall Wimbledon men's singles championship. Kyrgios played well but got out of focus mentally, constantly yelling at his box during the second and third sets. Afterwards he and Djokovic were so friendly that the latter used his on-court interivew to declare their "bromance" official. I love tennis.
posted by rcade to tennis at 04:26 PM - 0 comments
June 01, 2022
Nadal and Djokovic Can't Keep Meeting Like This: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal met in the French Open quarterfinals last night in a four-hour four-setter that ended at 1:15 a.m. in Paris. Joe Posnanski covers the first match ever held between players with 20 grand slams, 300 grand slam matches and 1,000 matches won. "[W]henever we see Nadal and Djokovic play, we understand that there’s something personal between them, something only they fully understand, something neither one really talks about," he writes. "No two men on the ATP tour have played each other so often."
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:22 PM - 0 comments
March 13, 2022
Heckler at Indian Wells Rattles Naomi Osaka: A heckler who yelled "Naomi, you suck!" during her second-round match at Indian Wells left Naomi Osaka visibly shaken Saturday. She asked the chair for permission to address the crowd during the match -- which would've been unprecedented -- and was denied. After she lost 6-0, 6-4 to Veronica Kudermetova, Osaka was given the unusual opportunity to speak to the crowd despite losing.
February 17, 2022
Meet the New No. 1 American in Women's Tennis: Danielle Collins was the runner up at this year's Australian Open, which made her the top-ranked American female tennis player for the first time. Collins is a former college champion who didn't have much backing to rise in her sport. She had surgery for endometriosis last year and also has rheumatoid arthritis. She lacks an apparel sponsor or an agent. But she's pugnacious, aggressive and determined. "She goes out there and she’s super competitive and fierce and doesn’t apologize for it, and I think it’s awesome," said fellow American Jessica Pegula.
January 05, 2022
Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic Can't Enter Australia: Australia has blocked Novak Djokovic from entering the country because his visa does not permit medical exemptions from vaccinated. Djokovic flew to Melbourne Wednesday after the Australia Open gave him a medical exemption without explaining why he was exempt. But the country wasn't as keen on letting him in.
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:36 PM - 8 comments
September 11, 2021
Qualifier Emma Raducanu Wins U.S. Open: Emma Raducanu won the 2021 U.S. Open over Leylah Fernandez, becoming the first British woman to win a grand slam in 44 years and the first qualifer to even reach a slam final. Radecanu, 18, never lost a set in the entire tournament.
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:22 PM - 5 comments
May 31, 2021
Majors May Disqualify Osaka for Refusing to Do Interviews: Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 for refusing to do interviews after her first round win in the French Open and the penalties will get much worse if it continues. The four majors issued a joint statement reminding her that the penalties could include disqualification. Osaka is currently ranked 2nd in the world. Her sister Mari posted on Reddit that the boycott is because the press keeps telling her she has a bad record on clay and "her confidence was completely shattered." Update: Osaka withdrew from the French Open.
posted by rcade to tennis at 11:14 AM - 13 comments
June 23, 2020
Novak Djokovic Has Coronavirus After Ill-Advised Tournament: Men's tennis world No. 1 Novak Djokovic organized a charity tennis tournament last week in Zadar at which social distancing wasn't followed, including by the participants who shook hands, embraced and later danced close together at a nightclub. Now Djokovic, several other players and his wife Jelena all have coronavirus. "We were wrong and it was too soon," he said.
posted by rcade to tennis at 05:45 PM - 0 comments
April 08, 2020
Wimbledon Bought Pandemic Insurance: The All-England Lawn Tennis Club has been paying a reported $2 million a year for pandemic insurance the last 17 years, collecting $141 million from the policy after the cancellation of this year's Wimbledon, according to Darren Rovell. Royal and Ancient has similar coverage for the British Open in golf.
posted by rcade to tennis at 03:27 PM - 7 comments
September 01, 2019
I'm Not Crying -- You're Crying: There were two lessons in sportsmanship at the U.S. Open this weekend. Gallant: Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff. Goofus: Daniil Medvedev. At 15, Coco already has world-class quote game: "An athlete is someone who on the court treats you like your worst enemy but off the court can be your best friend."
posted by rcade to tennis at 10:07 AM - 3 comments
July 13, 2019
Wimbledon Lists Women's Champions by Their Husband's Name: When Simona Halep won her first Wimbledon title Saturday, cameras showed her name being engraved on a board of champions going back decades, which reveals an archaic tradition of the event. Married women don't get their name on the board! Billie Jean King is there six times as "Mrs. L.W. King." Chris Evert goes from "Miss C.M. Evert" to "Mrs. J.M. Lloyd."
posted by rcade to tennis at 10:46 AM - 3 comments
July 12, 2019
Only 12% of Men Think They Could Win a Point Off Serena Williams: A polling site asked British people, "Do you think if you were playing your very best tennis, you could win a point off Serena Williams." 74% of men said no, 14% didn't know and 12% said yes.
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:58 PM - 12 comments
September 12, 2018
So...About that Serena Cartoon: It sure feels like this is something that would have been discussed at length a few years back on SpoFi. What does the hive mind here think? Is it racist as hell, a cultural phenomenon, or a bit of both?
posted by tahoemoj to tennis at 05:10 PM - 9 comments
September 04, 2018
Loser's Lunch: a story of the lengths tennis tournaments will go to keep out sports bettors for reasons that aren't particularly obvious.
posted by yerfatma to tennis at 04:57 PM - 2 comments
September 05, 2017
I doped like Maria Sharapova: and it was actually pretty great.
August 22, 2017
Victoria Azarenka Can't Play U.S. Open Because of Custody Case: Victoria Azarenka missed last year's U.S. Open due to pregnancy and will miss this year's due to a family court battle over that child. A court order prohibits either parent from taking the child out of California while custody is resolved. Azarenka, 28 and a two-time finalist, played well at Wimbledon upon her post-pregnancy return to tennis, reaching the fourth round before a loss to second-seed Simona Halep.
July 16, 2017
Roger Federer Wins 8th Wimbledon Championship: Roger Federer has won the Wimbledon men's final, defeating Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. It's his eighth title in the tournament, passing Pete Sampras and William Renshaw, and his record 19th Grand Slam win. Federer, 35, last won in 2012.
posted by rcade to tennis at 11:21 AM - 10 comments
July 15, 2017
Garbine Muguruza Wins Wimbledon Crown: Garbine Muguruza turned a close match against Venus Williams into a rout, defeating her in the Wimbledon final 7-5, 6-0 for her first victory in the championship. It's the second major for the 23-year-old Spaniard. Williams, the oldest Wimbledon finalist since 1994 at age 37, had two set points in the first set.
posted by rcade to tennis at 11:00 AM - 0 comments
July 07, 2017
Tennis Player Suffers Terrible Knee Injury at Wimbledon: The American tennis player Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the No. 1 doubles player in the world, was playing a second-round singles match Thursday against Sorana Cirstea when she fell with a terrible knee injury. Mattek-Sands screamed in agony for help after the fall, Cirstea and many onlookers in obvious anguish and her knee visibly damaged. This video shows some details, omitting the sound, and here's a tweet with how crazy the situation was as it unfolded..
posted by rcade to tennis at 12:27 AM - 3 comments
January 29, 2017
Roger Federer beats back father time to win his 18th major at age 35.:
Since Federer last won a major (2012 Wimbledon), Nadal & Wawrinka & Murray have won three each, and Djokovic has won seven.
posted by grum@work to tennis at 10:53 AM - 3 comments
October 04, 2016
Maria Sharapova's Doping Ban from Tennis Reduced: Maria Sharapova will be eligible to return to competitive tennis in April after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban from two years to 15 months. Sharapova tested positive for the banned heart medication meldonium at this year's Australian Open. The court ruled Sharapova bore "some degree of fault" but "less than significant fault." She's now eligible to return a month ahead of the French Open in 2017.
June 09, 2016
Chris Christie: Hot Female Tennis Players Are Hot: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie commented on the attractiveness of women tennis players during a four-hour-long appearance on sports talk radio on Thursday. "We need [Maria] Sharapova. ... You need [Caroline] Wozniacki. ... I liked Martina."
posted by rcade to tennis at 05:00 PM - 11 comments
June 06, 2016
Novak Djokovic Holds All 4 Grand Slam Trophies: In an achievement that isn't getting nearly enough press, Novak Djokovic won the French Open Sunday and became the first men's tennis player since Rod Laver in 1969 to be the champion of all four Grand Slam events at the same time. Djokovic, 29, was the crowd's favorite on Philippe Chatrier court Sunday, getting a lot of vocal support after dropping the first set to Andy Murray before winning 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Djokovic won the next three and followed past winner Gustavo Kuerten's tradition of drawing a heart on the clay. The slam achievement puts him in a three-member club with Laver and Don Budge.
posted by rcade to tennis at 10:56 AM - 4 comments
March 20, 2016
Tennis Tourney Exec: Women Ride Men's Coattails, But They're Attractive: The finals of the BNP Paribas Open are today at Indian Wells. So what better time for Raymond Moore, the CEO of the tournament host, to say that the WTA women "ride on the coattails of the men. ... If I was a lady player, I'd go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born, because they have carried this sport." He also said of the women's game, "They have a lot of very attractive players. ... They are physically attractive and competitively attractive."
posted by rcade to tennis at 05:24 PM - 35 comments
March 07, 2016
Shelter Dogs Serve As 'Ball Boys' At Brazil Tennis Open: Dawwwwwww Now I wanna go home and play tennis with my Addie.
February 24, 2016
Tennis Authorities Warned About 73 Suspicious Matches Last Year: BuzzFeed News continues its series on possible match-fixing in tennis.
posted by NoMich to tennis at 09:53 AM - 2 comments
January 21, 2016
Lleyton Hewitt Ends Singles Career at Australian Open: Twenty years after his first appearance at the Australian Open, local hero Lleyton Hewitt has ended his singles career there following a second-round loss. Hewitt, 34, became the youngest male ever ranked No. 1 at age 20. He won the 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon singles titles and another 28 tournaments. In a nicely written remembrance, Russell Jackson of The Guardian notes that Hewitt finished at Rod Laver Arena and declares, "They’ll never need to scatter his ashes here -- he's spilled so much sweat on center court that his DNA will surely linger for eternity."
posted by rcade to tennis at 06:55 PM - 3 comments
January 17, 2016
Tennis match fixing: Evidence of suspected match fixing revealed: Secret files exposing evidence of widespread suspected match fixing at the top level of world tennis, including at Wimbledon, can be revealed by the BBC and BuzzFeed News.
posted by NoMich to tennis at 06:26 PM - 2 comments
January 08, 2016
Tennis Player Throws Racquet, Hits Ball Boy: At the ASB Classic in New Zealand, women's player Jelena Ostapenko threw her racket and struck a ball boy, which her opponent Naomi Broady argued was deliberate and should have resulted in her disqualification. See the video on YouTube, along with discussion of similar incidents that did result in a DQ. In 1995, Tim Henmen was disqualified with his doubles partner at Wimbledon when he hit a ball in anger and it struck a ball girl in the ear.
posted by rcade to tennis at 04:32 PM - 3 comments
July 13, 2015
Serena Williams and the Fear of a Dominant Black Woman: '.... it’s surprising that Williams’s story of picking up a tennis racquet in Compton and ending up the greatest women’s tennis player of all time hasn’t been turned into a homily on Americana. “If Serena were smaller, lighter, and less connected to her roots she would probably be more popular,” says Kendall. “But racism means that many Americans look at her refusal to be ashamed of coming from the inner city, her rejection of European beauty aesthetics, and her spectacular record and see a negro that doesn’t know her place.”'
posted by rumple to tennis at 12:17 PM - 13 comments
July 11, 2015
Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition: "Williams said that one particular long-sleeved garment would help her go unnoticed in public. “My arms are really fit, but I wanted to cover them, because when I do people don’t recognize me as much,” she said. [......] “It’s our decision to keep her as the smallest player in the top 10,” said Tomasz Wiktorowski, the coach of Agnieszka Radwanska, who is listed at 5 feet 8 and 123 pounds. “Because, first of all she’s a woman, and she wants to be a woman.”
posted by rumple to tennis at 11:54 AM - 22 comments
July 10, 2015
Wimbledon Finals: Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer, Serena Williams vs. Garbine Muguruza: The Finals have been set for Wimbledon in singles. For the women, No. 1 seed Serena Williams goes for a "Serena slam" and her sixth Wimbledon win on Saturday morning against No. 20 seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain. This is the 21-year-old Muguruza's first finals appearance in a major. For the men, No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic meets No. 2 seed Roger Federer on Sunday. Djokovic is the defending champ and has two Wimbledon victories. Federer has a chance to win his eighth, which would pass Pete Sampras for most ever among the men.
posted by rcade to tennis at 03:57 PM - 2 comments
December 13, 2014
New Tennis League Called 'Minor Miracle' by Wall Street Journal: A new league founded by former doubles champ Mahesh Bhupathi, International Premier Tennis League, began last month with events in the Philippines, Singapore and India. The final event of the first season finishes today in Dubai. Four teams featuring some of the sport's best-known men and women -- including past greats -- compete in a series of singles and doubles events as the Micromax Indian Aces, Musafir.com UAE Royals, Manila Mavericks and DBS Singapore Slammers. Some rules speed up the sport, including a serve clock, next-point-wins provision after deuce and a worth-double "power point" a team can attempt once per set. There also are player substitutions mid-match. Wall Street Journal sportswriter Tom Perrotta said the league "should be considered a minor miracle -- and an important part of the sport’s future. ... As of July, there were still rumors that the league would fail before it started. Instead, it has received a lot more attention and praise than anyone thought it would."
posted by rcade to tennis at 02:06 PM - 2 comments