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☆ Simona Halep: Two-time grand slam champion cleared for tennis return as four-year doping ban reduced
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( John Sinnott | Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

1 Simona Halep has been cleared to return to the sport after having a backdated four-year ban reduced to nine months, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced Tuesday. The two-time grand slam winner was handed the ban in September 2023 after being found guilty of anti-doping rule violations by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Independent Tribunal. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty ImagesHalep tested positive for banned substance Roxadustat at the at the 2022 US Open. Before the CAS ruling on Tuesday, the ITIA had said that Halep’s suspension would run from October 7, 2022, until October 6, 2026. “We await the full reasoned decision and will review it thoroughly in due course.”CNN’s George Ramsay and Jill Martin contributed to this report.

Persons: Simona Halep, ” Halep, ”, Fabrice Coffrini, Halep, Karen Moorhouse, “, ” CNN’s George Ramsay, Jill Martin Organizations: CNN, Former, Sport, International Tennis Federation, ITF Independent, Getty, Doping Agency, United, United States Anti, Tennis Integrity Agency Locations: Lausanne, Switzerland, AFP, United States

☆ Coco Gauff says she was ‘fueled’ by a lengthy argument with umpire during victory in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —American Coco Gauff said that she was “fueled” by a heated exchange with the umpire during her 2-6 6-4 6-3 victory against Karolína Plíšková at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday. Her first serve at deuce was initially called out by chair umpire Pierre Bacchi, but the world No. Gauff engages in a heated exchange with chair umpire Pierre Bacchi. In the end, Gauff replayed the point, then went on to win the game and the set. Amr Alfiky/Reuters“I think it just fueled me,” US Open champion Gauff said about the argument with the umpire in the second set, according to Reuters.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Karolína Plíšková, Gauff, deuce, Pierre Bacchi, Bacchi, Plíšková, Amr Alfiky, Reuters “, ”, “ I’ve, Andy Roddick, Pliskova, “ It’s, Anna Kalinskaya, Kateřina Siniaková Organizations: CNN, Dubai Tennis, Reuters, WTA Tour, International Tennis Federation, Qatar Locations: Dubai, Auckland, Doha

☆ Billie Jean King: Players ‘are exhausted,’ says tennis great as she urges the sport’s authorities to work together
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It meant many of the sport’s top players opted not to play the latter – an end-of-year tournament dubbed the World Cup of tennis. Aryna Sabalenka waits during a rain delay at this year's WTA Finals. Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesSimon responded with a letter of his own during the WTA Finals, outlining to players how the organisation was handling the issues raised. But there looks to be no magic solution to the array of problems facing women’s tennis at the moment. “But I think about men’s and women’s tennis, I don’t just think about women’s tennis.

Persons: Issues, Sabalenka, Storm Hunter, Jessica Pegula, Billie Jean King, –, Poland’s Iga, “, ” Sabalenka, Clive Brunskill, Marketa Vondrousova, ” Vondrousova, we’ve, Steve Simon, Martina Navratilova, ”, ” Navratilova, Simon Organizations: CNN, Tennis Association, WTA, International Tennis Federation, Tennis, BJK, Amazon Prime Locations: Cancún, Mexico, Seville, Spain

☆ BJK Cup: Billie Jean King on the career moment she’ll ‘never forget’ and the growth of the tournament named in her honor
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Billing itself as the world’s largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, the Billie Jean King Cup is akin to the World Cup of tennis, pitting countries from around the world against one another. Tennis great Billie Jean King lent her name to the tournament – which celebrates its 60th anniversary this month – in 2020 and she has fond memories of playing in it herself. It fits my personality and fits how I think about the sport,” King said. Improving women’s tennis is something King has done throughout her career in the sport. More than anything, though, King wants this competition, and women’s sport in general, to get more media coverage.

Persons: CNN —, Billie Jean King, King, “, ” King, “ It’s, Davis, Serena Williams, John G, Mabanglo, ”, Bobby Riggs, Lesley Martin, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Iga Świątek Organizations: CNN, Tennis, US, Getty, Federation Cup, Fed, International Tennis Federation, ITF, Women’s Tennis Association, ”, WTA Locations: Seville, Spain, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, US, Australia, Switzerland, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Venus, AFP, “, ” Switzerland, Mexico

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will offer a record total of $9.6 million in prize money, including $2.4 million to the champions, the International Tennis Federation announced Monday. The ITF said this puts the women competing at the BJK Cup Finals on an equivalent prize level as the men at the Davis Cup Finals. The 12-team BJK Cup Finals start Tuesday at Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium and run through Sunday. Defending champion Switzerland is joined by last year’s runner-up, Australia, and 10 other countries: Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the United States. The runner-up team will earn $1.44 million, each losing semifinalist will get $960,000 and teams eliminated in the group stage will receive $480,000.

Persons: Billie Jean King Organizations: International Tennis Federation, ITF, Davis, Seville’s La Locations: SEVILLE, Spain, Seville’s, Seville’s La Cartuja, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia, United States

☆ ITF announces record prize money for Billie Jean King Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - November 9, 2022 General view of the trophy during the group stage match between Italy's Jasmine Paolini and Switwerland's Belinda Bencic Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 6 (Reuters) - This year's Billie Jean King Cup champions will receive a record $2.4 million, with prize money for the finals of the women's team event again matching that of the men's Davis Cup. A total Player Prize Money purse of $9.6 million will be shared between the 12 competing nations in Seville, the International Tennis Federation said in a statement. "We are proud to announce this news on the eve of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup ... Finals," ITF president David Haggerty said. "Achieving gender parity in our sport is a key part of the ITF's Advantage All programme and I am delighted we have been able to offer equivalent prize money with the Davis Cup Finals again this year." The qualifying nations are split into four groups of three teams with the group winners moving into the semi-finals.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Italy's Jasmine Paolini, Switwerland's Belinda Bencic, Ed Sykes, Davis, David Haggerty, Martyn Herman, Ken Ferris Organizations: Emirates, Billie Jean King Cup, International Tennis Federation, ITF, Davis, Estadio la, Thomson Locations: Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, Seville, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Group, Australia, Slovenia

☆ ITF will encourage Nadal to compete at Paris Games, says chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Uncertainty surrounds the recovering Rafa Nadal's 2024 campaign but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) will do everything it can to encourage him to compete in the Paris Olympic Games, the global tennis body's chief David Haggerty told Reuters. Nadal had previously said he expects to retire following the 2024 season and hoped to play in the Paris Games with the tennis tournament set to take place at Roland Garros, where he has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles. The Spaniard won the Olympic singles gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and the doubles gold eight years later in Rio. Whether he does or not, will be up to him," Haggerty told Reuters in a video call on Monday. Knowing that it's in Paris, at Roland Garros, where he's had such tremendous success would be a great venue for him to be able to compete at."

Persons: Rafa Nadal's, David Haggerty, Mackenzie McDonald, Nadal, Roland Garros, Haggerty, he's, Craig Tiley, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: International Tennis Federation, Paris Olympic Games, Reuters, Paris Games, Spaniard, Beijing, Melbourne, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Rio, Paris, Bengaluru

☆ ITF chief happy with Davis Cup format, expects big crowds for knockouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, India, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The International Tennis Federation will continue to work towards improving the Davis Cup amid low attendances in some ties in September but the governing body is happy with its existing format, ITF chief David Haggerty told Reuters. "This year the Davis Cup group stages (in September) were great. "We have many fans that are travelling with their teams, so we're excited about the Davis Cup and the format and where we're going." Boosting premier team competitions like the Davis Cup and the women's Billie Jean King Cup is also a big priority. Also, the Grand Slams have said how important both of these team competitions are, so to have their support as well is great," Haggerty said.

Persons: David Haggerty, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Haggerty, Spain didn't, Germany's Dietloff von Arnim, Billie Jean King, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis Federation, ITF, Reuters, Kosmos, Davis, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, India, Malaga, Canada, Finland, Australia, Czech Republic, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, Britain, Spain, Bengaluru

☆ Woodforde urges patience with Davis Cup format after Djokovic seeks tweak
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I've seen some of those comments Djokovic made and I think that's been the intention of the ITF and the Davis Cup Committee all along, to have consultation with players," Woodforde, the Davis Cup Committee Chair, told Reuters via phone. The ATP is more player oriented, the ITF or Davis Cup is about teams and countries and that's also a priority for the Davis Cup Committee." It's not just the Davis Cup, it affected the tennis world and a lot of sports. We take on board, we've had revisions even over the years since we brought about the change of format." I think the Davis Cup is probably more judged on those days where the host country isn't playing."

Persons: Pabellon Fuente, Ji Sung Nam, Jakub Mensik, Adam Pavlasek REUTERS, Pablo Morano, Mark Woodforde, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, I've, that's, Woodforde, we've, COVID, It's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Czech, Rights, Tennis Federation, Davis, Reuters, ITF, Kosmos, Committee, Thomson Locations: Czech Republic, South Korea, San Luis, Valencia, Spain, South, Malaga, Bologna, Manchester, Split, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ How Sony's Hawk-Eye electronic line-calling system transformed the U.S. Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Instead, the tournament uses Hawk-Eye Live, an electronic line-calling system, to determine whether a tennis shot is in or out. Electronic line-calling has been around tennis since the 1980s, dating back to Cyclops, a system used during Wimbledon to judge if a ball was in play or not. "During that match, the U.S. Open was trialing a Hawk-Eye system," said Clarey. After the match, Williams received an apology and the umpire was dismissed. "The NBA have chosen Sony and Hawk-Eye technology because it raises the level of their game," said Theresa Alesso, president of Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony.

Persons: Christopher Clarey, Roger Federer, Paul Hawkins, it's, Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Williams, Ben Figueiredo, Figueiredo, Craig O'Shannessy, Novak Djokovic, We've, Theresa Alesso Organizations: U.S ., New York Times, International Tennis Federation, Australian, U.S, Sony, WNBA, MLS, NFL, NBA, Imaging Products, Solutions Locations: Wimbledon, U.S

NEW YORK (AP) — The women’s tennis tour will hold the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, finally finding a site for the season-ending event that has shifted cities repeatedly. The tour has a one-year agreement with Cancun, the WTA announced Thursday, hours before the U.S. Open women's semifinals were scheduled to be played in New York. A year ago, the choice to host WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, also was not announced until September. Political Cartoons View All 1148 ImagesAt the time, top-ranked Iga Swiatek complained that the location and the timing — play wrapped up in Fort Worth one day before the start of the Billie Jean King Cup in Glasgow, Scotland — was a mistake. “The WTA weighed a number of competitive bids through a thorough process, in close consultation with the WTA Players’ Council,” the tour said Thursday in its announcement about Cancun.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Iga Swiatek, Scotland —, ”, Fort Worth, Peng Shuai Organizations: WTA, U.S, ATP, International Tennis Federation —, Billie Jean King Cup, WTA Players ’, “ Locations: Cancun , Mexico, Cancun, New York, Saudi Arabia, Jedda, Seville, Spain, Fort Worth , Texas, Fort Worth, Glasgow, Scotland, Shenzhen, China, Guadalajara, Mexico, Fort

☆ Seen from Close-up: How the U.S. Open Dials in its Court Speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Helmuth Rosales | Geoff Macdonald | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Seen from Close-up: How the U.S. Open Dials in its Court SpeedFrom the seats in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tennis court below appears smooth and uniform. The size, shape and density of the sand make up the hardcourt surface and dictate the speed of the ball after it bounces. Of course, players are not always universally happy with the court surface choices made for the tournaments on the pro tours. The court surface used at Flushing Meadows is called Laykold, which is made by Advanced Polymer Technology, an international manufacturer of sports surfaces. The bounce of a tennis ball generally lasts five milliseconds, an instant that will determine how the ball behaves.

Persons: Arthur Ashe, ”, Ben Depoorter, “, Suresh Ponnusamy, Helmuth Rosales, Daniil Medvedev, ” Medvedev, Medvedev, Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz, Swiatek –, Rafael Nadal, hardcourts, Wesley Baum, Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Roger Federer, — Swiatek, Aryna, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic — Organizations: U.S, U.S ., United States Tennis Association, BNP, Tennis Federation, Polymer Technology, Helmuth Rosales Professional, Wimbledon, Miami, Indian, Advanced Polymer Technology, Flushing Locations: Ashe, Indian Wells, Calif, Indian, Miami, Flushing Meadows

☆ Look of the Week: Does Jannik Sinner’s Gucci duffle bag signal a shift at Wimbledon?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On Monday July 3, Italian tennis star and Men’s Singles contender Jannik Sinner arrived on the center court at Wimbledon with a custom Gucci duffle bag slung across one shoulder. Sinner became a brand ambassador for Gucci last year. The next generation of tennis players are even experimenting with jewelry: Russian player Andrey Rublev is known to layer several silver pendants, while Nick Kyrgios is rarely seen without his double hoop earrings. Permission for the highly-engineered moment was granted after a lengthy approval process involving the International Tennis Federation, Association of Tennis Professionals and Wimbledon. As Sinner told Women’s Wear Daily, “(This bag) will create a conversation.”

Persons: Jannik Sinner, Gucci, Elsa Schiaparelli, Lili de Alvarez, Lea Pericoli, Teddy Tinling, Sinner, Clive Brunskill, Serena Williams, Emma Raducanu, Dior, Arthur Ashe —, Wimbledon —, Arthur Ashe's, Tony Triolo, Bjorn Borg, Babe Ruth, Fila, Pat Cash, Andre Agassi, Chris Cole, Anna Wintour, Carlos Alcaraz, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Andrey Rublev, Nick Kyrgios, Sinner’s Gucci, it’s, Kyrgios, Women’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Tiffany’s, Adidas, Nike, Rowing Blazers, Getty, Vogue, International Tennis Federation, Association of Tennis Professionals, Air Jordan Locations: Italian, Wimbledon

☆ Mirra Andreeva, 16, loses to Madison Keys at Wimbledon after controversially being docked a point
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Teenage tennis sensation Mirra Andreeva’s dream Wimbledon run ended in controversial fashion on Monday after the Russian was docked a point for throwing her racket. “No, it’s the wrong decision,” Andreeva pleaded with Engzell. “For me, it’s a controversial point because … I don’t know which decision was right,” Andreeva told reporters after the match. “Mirra Andreeva was given a warning and point penalty to go down match point. Andreeva argues with the umpire after being docked a point against Madison Keys at Wimbledon.

Persons: Andreeva, Madison Keys, Louise Azemar Engzell, “, ” Andreeva, Engzell, it’s, “ Mirra Andreeva, ”, Chris Hasek, Watt, Charlotte Wilson, Coco Gauff, Keys, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Monday’s, Anastasia Potapova, Clive Brunskill, Kim Clijsters, Sabalenka Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Madison Keys, Australian, Madrid, Netflix, Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, International Tennis Federation Locations: Russian, Wimbledon, London, Ukraine, Engzell

☆ Italian Gaudenzi reappointed ATP chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi has been re-elected for a second term as the head of the organisation from 2024 through 2026, the governing body of men's tennis announced on Monday. Italian Gaudenzi presented an ambitious OneVision strategic plan to revolutionise the sport after taking over in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced sporting bodies into crisis mode. The ATP said under phase one, which came into effect in 2023, it had already generated the largest single-year increase in player compensation in its history -- a $37.5 million year-on-year increase across the ATP Tour and Challenger Tour. "I'm proud of everything we've achieved since 2020, during a particularly challenging time for the world," Gaudenzi said. Under the OneVision plan, players and tournaments were guaranteed a 50-50 share in profits from this year while the tour also saw the introduction of expanded 12-day Masters 1000 tournaments.

Persons: Andrea Gaudenzi, Gaudenzi, we've, OneVision, Gaudenzi's, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Christian Radnedge Organizations: ATP, ATP Tour, Tour, WTA, International Tennis Federation, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Novak Djokovic stands by Kosovo comments at the French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has stood by his decision to send a political message about Kosovo at the French Open. After his first-round victory on Monday, Djokovic wrote “Kosovo is the [heart symbol] of Serbia. So that’s all.”He added that he had not spoken to French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo about the incident. Djokovic is no stranger to controversy at grand slam tournaments. “A drama-free grand slam, I don’t think it can happen for me,” he said on Wednesday.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Serbia ”, ” Djokovic, Hungary’s Márton, Amélie Mauresmo, ”, Srdjan, didn’t, “, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Rafael Nadal Organizations: CNN, “, NATO, Serbian, Olympic, KOC, International Olympic Committee, Tennis Federation, ITF, IOC, Olympic Games, Covid Locations: Serbian, Kosovo, “ Kosovo, Serbia, Zvecan, Melbourne

☆ Tsitsipas, Alcaraz soar at French Open, Djokovic row simmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike after his opening match on Monday, however, there was no message on the camera lens the Serbian signed and the 22-times Grand Slam champion looked to draw a line under the issue. Djokovic missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated for COVID. He won the Melbourne title this year despite a row that erupted after his father posed with some fans holding Russian flags. "A drama-free Grand Slam, I don't think it can happen for me," Djokovic added. Anna Blinkova dashed French hopes with a stunning 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over fifth seed Caroline Garcia, wrapping up victory on her ninth match point.

Persons: Roland Garros, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena, Benoit Tessier, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Garcia, Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jiri Vesely, Roberto Carballes Baena, Japan's Taro Daniel, Denis Shapovalov, Ismet Krasniqi, Amelie Oudea, Castera, Elina Svitolina, Australian Storm Hunter, Svitolina, Sabalenka, Iryna Shymanovich, Marta Kostyuk, I've, Jelena Ostapenko, Peyton Stearns, Barbora, Lesia Tsurenko, Swiatek, Suzanne Lenglen, Jessica Pegula, Camila Giorgi, Anna Blinkova, Caroline Garcia, Kokkinakis, Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev, Corentin, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena REUTERS, Tennis Federation, Serbian, Marton, COVID, Melbourne, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Kosovo's Olympic, International Tennis Federation, Australian Storm, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Kosovo, PARIS, Serbia, Marton Fucsovics, Serbian, Ukrainian, Ukraine

CNN —The Kosovan Olympic Committee (KOC) has called for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) to take disciplinary action against Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic. On Monday, Djokovic left a political message on a TV camera lens at the French Open in response to violent clashes in Kosovo, writing: “Kosovo is the [heart symbol] of Serbia. There were clashes with protestors on Monday after ethnically Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a majority Kosovo Serb area, following April elections that Kosovo Serbs had boycotted. Djokovic elaborated on his message in Serbian at a press conference this week, saying: “This is the least I could have done. Djokovic plays in the second round of the French Open against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on Wednesday.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Djokovic, Ismet Krasniqi, KOC, “, Djokovic “, ”, ” Djokovic, Garros, Jean Catuffe, Serbia ”, Krasniqi, Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics Organizations: CNN, Olympic, KOC, International Olympic Committee, Tennis Federation, Serbian, IOC, ”, Kosovo Serb, Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo, Djokovic, ITF, Olympic Charter, ” CNN, Hungary’s Locations: Kosovo, Serbia, Serbian

☆ Former tennis pro helps children shine on court in Cameroon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Amindeh Blaise Atabong | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Now she wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to start a round of workouts, practice sessions, and school classes alongside nine other girls and 22 boys boarding at the Oyebog Tennis Academy in the town of Souza. She caught the eye of former national champion Joseph Oyebog when she was in tears after losing a practice match, aged just eight. Since graduating from the academy, some beneficiaries have won scholarships for further training abroad, while more than 20 academy trainees have International Tennis Federation rankings. He won national tournaments and competed in the Davis Cup international men's team competition. It offers tennis training at little or no cost.

☆ Seville to host 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - November 9, 2022 General view of the trophy during the group stage match between Italy's Jasmine Paolini and... Read moreLONDON, May 10 (Reuters) - Seville will host the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, the International Tennis Federation announced on Wednesday. The showpiece women's team event, featuring 12 nations, will take place from Nov. 7-12. It is the first time since 2008 that Spain has hosted the finals of the competition, known until 2020 as the Fed Cup. Teams will compete in four round-robin groups of three, with the four group winners progressing to the semi-finals. Seville will also host the Finals in 2024.

☆ Halep questions long delay in doping hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Aug 29, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Simona Halep of Romania hits to Daria Snigur of Ukraine on day one of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. In an interview with Tennis Majors, her first since learning of her failed drugs test, Halep said she has so far been denied her right to be heard by an independent court. Halep says she has undertaken 10 tests since her positive result, with all of them coming back negative. She now hopes to have a hearing in May but fears that may also be cancelled. I really want to play again because I love this sport and I want to play for the big titles again."

☆ WTA to resume tournaments in China this year, end boycott over Peng allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Tennis - China Open Women's Singles First Round - Beijing, China - 03/10/16. Peng then briefly disappeared from public view and later denied making the accusation, sparking fears for her safety. "For these reasons, the WTA is lifting its suspension of the operation of tournaments in the People's Republic of China and will resume tournaments in China this September." PENG SAFE IN BEIJING"The WTA's decision is a huge disappointment to the Chinese human rights community," Yaqiu Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. "We also have received assurances that WTA players and staff operating in China will be safe and protected while in the country.

☆ ITF says World Tennis Tour events will return to China this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, April 3 (Reuters) - The International Tennis Federation (ITF) will conduct its World Tennis Tour tournaments in China this year, marking a return to the Asian nation after a gap of three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport's global governing body said on Monday. "We think it's important that the World Tennis Tour and international events take place in all the nations around the world," ITF President David Haggerty told Reuters in a video interview in February. In the last full season in 2019 before the pandemic, China had hosted 25 ITF women's and 15 men's events. World Tennis Tour events are professional tournaments below the elite level. The tour will also stage the first ever World Tennis Tour event in Ethiopia and the first in Burundi and Cyprus since 2013 and 2016, respectively.

☆ World sport leaders champion women on IWD
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MANCHESTER, England, March 8 (Reuters) - FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura applauded the eight nations who are debuting at the Women's World Cup in celebration of International Women's Day on Wednesday, urging the players to take pride in their ability to inspire. Women they identify with, excelling on the pitch," Samoura said in a statement. "This will encourage a generation of young girls and women to aim high, to aim big. The ITF launched the Men as Allies programme, an element of the ITF Advantage All gender equality strategy. Sebastian Coe championed female leadership in a Twitter video, saying having women in positions of influence makes for a better organisation.

☆ Alcaraz signs up for relaunched Hopman Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz will headline the Hopman Cup as the relaunched mixed-gender team event returns to the tennis calendar after a four-year absence in June. The 19-year-old Alcaraz will be part of the Spain team, one of three confirmed by the International Tennis Federation on Tuesday, alongside Paula Badosa. "Alongside the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup, the Hopman Cup is another ITF event that gives players the opportunity to represent their countries, and compete for something bigger than themselves," ITF President David Haggerty said at a news conference. The last edition of the competition, which began in 1989 and was named after Australian great Harry Hopman, saw Roger Federer lead Switzerland to the title against Germany. The Hopman Cup has a rival in the United Cup mixed-gender team event, featuring 18 nations playing matches across three Australian cities, taking place before this year's Australian Open.

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