DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ At Wimbledon, Sofia Kenin Rediscovers Her Fighting Form
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Waldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It has been three and a half years since Sofia Kenin put both hands to her face and teared up in Melbourne. That night, she had just won the Australian Open at 21, highlighting to the world her ferocious will to fight for every point, every shot. When her hands came down, she was not even smiling, her concentration apparently on maintaining composure as she soaked in the moment of a lifetime. To this day, Kenin says, reflecting back on that triumph requires a bit of a mental blockade. But in the first week of Wimbledon, she has shown some of the skill and tenacity that once took her to the summit of women’s tennis.

Persons: Sofia Kenin, Kenin, “, ” Organizations: Wimbledon Locations: Melbourne, Moscow

☆ Ben and Bryan Shelton, Son and Father, Hit the Road as Player and Coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Matthew Futterman | Jane Stockdale | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last year, when Ben Shelton decided to leave college and turn professional, he wondered aloud to his father, Bryan, a former player on the men’s tennis tour, if they ought to embark on a venture together. Sorry, Bryan Shelton told his son, he already had a full-time job coaching at the University of Florida. Bryan Shelton handed the reins to Dean Goldfine, a highly respected coach who had previously worked with the former world No. Division I tennis tournament, the Sheltons announced that Ben had a new/old full-time coach. “It was the right time,” Bryan Shelton said.

Persons: Ben Shelton, Bryan, Bryan Shelton, Dean Goldfine, Andy Roddick, Ben, Florida’s, ” Bryan Shelton, Shelton, Taro Daniel Organizations: University of Florida, Gators, Wimbledon Locations: Gainesville, Fla

☆ Fifty Years Ago the Men Boycotted Wimbledon. That Changed Everything.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Cindy Shmerler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Stan Smith’s 1972 Wimbledon cup sits alongside his 1971 United States Open winner’s prize in a trophy case inside his Hilton Head Island, S.C., home. “Once you’ve won it you always want to win it again.”But in 1973, Smith decided not to play. Instead, he and 80 other players voted to boycott the tournament just before the first matches in support of the player Nikola Pilic. It was when its members banded together, flexed their muscles and walked out on the most prestigious tournament in tennis, with ramifications that are still being felt today. Among them: greater communication between the players and the tournaments, and wider distribution of prize money at all levels of the pro game.

Persons: Stan Smith’s, Smith, “, ”, John Newcombe, Ilie Nastase, you’ve, Nikola Pilic, Pilic, Billie Jean King Organizations: United, Wimbledon, International Lawn Tennis Federation, Davis, Women’s Tennis Association, Association of Tennis Professionals Locations: Yugoslavia

☆ ‘You have to ask for help if you need it’: Billie Jean King encourages tennis players struggling with demands of the tour to seek support
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Billie Jean King has urged players that are struggling with the demands of being a tennis professional to seek support from psychologists. “Being a pro-athlete is hard,” tennis great King, who won 39 major titles, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “The WTA [Women’s Tennis Association] has been fantastic with mental health for years, but people would say: ‘Why aren’t you doing anything?’Billie Jean King says support is available for players on the WTA Tour. The governing body has provided staff that are dedicated to athletes’ mental health for more than 25 years, with a Mental Health Care Provider available in person at tournaments, including all four grand slams, and there are virtual meetings available upon request in between tournaments. Naomi Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French Open, citing her mental health.

Persons: Billie Jean King, Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka, “, Emma Raducanu, King, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, JP Yim, Kathleen Stroia, Ukraine –, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Tim Clayton, Raducanu, ”, hadn't, Clive Brunskill, “ We’ve, I’ve, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, WTA, Mental Health, ‘, Virginia Slims Circuit, WTA Tour, Wimbledon Locations: Paris, Ukraine, Osaka, Belarus

☆ WTA plans equal prize money to match men at combined higher-tiered events
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —These days, equal prize money is given to the men and women at the well-known grand slam events, the highest tier in tennis: The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. The Women’s Tennis Association, the governing body of women’s tennis, announced Tuesday a strategy to tackle pay inequity between the men and the women. The WTA plans to update the tour’s calendar and revamp prize money, with WTA 1000 and 500 combined events attaining equal prize money by 2027 and to have equal prize money for single-week WTA 1000 and 500 events by 2033. Meanwhile, at the same-level event in Rome last month, the total prize pool for men’s singles was around €8.6 million, while the women’s singles prize money pool was a little more than €3.5 million. The additional WTA 1000 events will be one-week events in Doha, Dubai and a yet-to-be-named event, according to the WTA release.

Persons: “, Billie Jean King, Sloane Stephens Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, US, ATP, Association of Tennis Professionals, Tennis Association, WTA Locations: Indian Wells, California, Rome, Beijing, Cincinnati, Toronto, Montreal, Doha, Dubai

☆ Frances Tiafoe becomes third Black American to reach men’s top 10
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Frances Tiafoe has become just the third Black American to break into the men’s top 10 after winning his third career title in Stuttgart on Sunday. Speaking to reporters after his nail-biting 4-6 7-6(1) 7-6(8) win over German Jan-Lennard Struff, Tiafoe said he was “super emotional” after moving to 10th in the world rankings. “I’m a guy who shouldn’t even really be here doing half the things he’s doing,” Tiafoe said. “Hopefully, I can ride that for a long time.”Tiafoe has been heralded as the potential future of men’s tennis in the US and he’s starting to fulfil those expectations. His father, Constant Tiafoe, started working at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Washington, D.C. back in 1999 and eventually moved into one of its vacant storage rooms while working around the clock.

Persons: Frances Tiafoe, Arthur Ashe, James Blake, Lennard Struff, Tiafoe, “, ” Tiafoe, Frances, Constant Tiafoe, Marijan Murat, –, ”, Taylor Fritz – it’s, Mardy Fish, John Isner Organizations: CNN, American, Sunday, Sierra Leone, Junior Tennis, Center, AP Locations: Stuttgart, Franklin, Washington ,

☆ Sports News and Analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

With a win at the French, the 36-year-old from Serbia now has 23 major singles titles, the most for any men’s tennis player ever. He’s also on path to another shot at a calendar Grand Slam.

Persons: He’s Locations: Serbia

☆ Novak Djokovic now stands alone at the top of the men’s grand slam count. And he’s not done yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This was the moment he won grand slam number 23, surpassing Rafael Nadal at the top of the men’s all-time list. “He has this software in his head that he can switch when a grand slam comes,” Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanišević, told reporters on Sunday. “A grand slam is a different sport compared to other tournaments.”Djokovic hits a serve against Casper Ruud in the French Open final. There, he will attempt to defend his title and take another step towards completing the calendar grand slam of winning all four majors in the same year. 1 adding to his 23 grand slam titles, particularly while he remains free of major injuries.

Persons: Casper, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer’s, – Djokovic, Ruud, I’ve, –, ” Djokovic, “, Roland Garros, Clay, ”, Goran Ivanišević, Casper Ruud, Clive Mason, Djokovic, Tom Brady –, Brady –, Federer, Nadal – Djokovic, I’m, Rod Laver, He’s, …, ” Andy Roddick, Andy Cheung, didn’t, “ He’s, Ben Rothenberg, CNN Sport’s Don Riddell Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Serbian, NFL, Wimbledon, Musketeers, Melbourne Park, Covid, Djokovic Locations: Paris, PARIS, FRANCE, France, Kosovo, Australia

☆ Novak Djokovic wins record-breaking 23rd grand slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in French Open final
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Clive Mason/Getty ImagesIt is not just the grand slam records that he now holds. Victory at this year’s French Open moves him back to his familiar spot of world No.1. He also became the oldest ever French Open champion. After coming so close to landing a blow during the long opening set, Ruud seemed deflated when he walked back onto court and lost the opening three games.

Persons: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Ruud, Tom Brady, Kylian, Zlatan Ibrahimović, – Djokovic, ” Nadal, ”, Clive Mason, Steffi Graff, – Federer, Roland Garros, Victory, Emmanuel Dunand, groundstrokes Organizations: CNN, Covid, Wimbledon, Nadal, Djokovic, US, Sunday, Getty Locations: Australia, AFP

☆ 2023 French Open men's final: Novak Djokovic on cusp of historic 23rd grand slam as he faces Casper Ruud for title
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now, with Federer retired and Nadal injured, Djokovic has an opportunity to stake his own claim in that unending debate and win a record 23rd grand slam title on Sunday at the French Open, surpassing the mark he currently holds with Nadal. Standing in Djokovic’s way is Casper Ruud, who has now reached three of the last five grand slam finals, including last year’s final at Roland Garros where he was dismantled 6-3 6-3 6-0 by Nadal. If Djokovic can win on Sunday, he will also return to the top of the world rankings and become the first male player to win each grand slam tournament at least three times. Casper Ruud was defeated by Nadal in last year's French Open final. That semifinal performance will galvanize Ruud ahead of the final, as he seeks to upset the odds and take a first grand slam title.

Persons: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic –, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Casper Ruud, Roland Garros, “ I’m, it’s, ” Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Tim Clayton, Corbis, Karen Khachanov, Alcaraz, Djokovic coasted, Ruud, “, Rafa, Novak, ” Ruud, “ I’ve, Lisi Niesner, Reuters “, I’m, Holger Rune, Alexander Zverev, galvanize Ruud Organizations: CNN, tennis, ATP, Djokovic, cramp, Nadal, Guardian, Reuters Locations: Norwegian

☆ Novak Djokovic Advances to French Open Final
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Novak Djokovic beat Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the French Open men’s final. Photo: Christophe Ena/Associated PressPARIS—The French Open had waited nearly the duration of the tournament to see the player viewed as the future of men’s tennis take on the man who has already redefined the sport’s history. Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic in the semifinals had been a possibility ever since the draw was made—and the anticipation stretched for two weeks.

Persons: Novak, Carlos Alcaraz, Christophe Ena, Novak Djokovic Organizations: Associated Press PARIS

☆ 2023 French Open women’s final: Karolína Muchová faces Iga Świątek
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Saturday’s women’s French Open final proves to be an intriguing one for many reasons, in particular because each player’s recent experiences offer tantalizing narratives. Muchová has had to overcome countless battles with injuries while Świątek has skyrocketed to become a three-time grand slam winner. She has slowly climbed back to her best and has enjoyed a remarkable run at this year’s French Open. In the final, with just a victory between her and a French Open title, this is familiar territory for the Pole. Although she’s familiar with the situation, Świątek said a lot had changed since her first French Open title three years ago.

Persons: Saturday’s, Iga Świątek, Roland Garros, Karolína Muchová, Świątek, Muchová, Rafael Nadal, ”, Philippe Chatrier, Maria Sakkari, Nadia Podoroska, Irina, Camelia Begu, Elina Avanesyan, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Muchova, Clive Brunskill, Indian Wells, “ It’s, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Świątek lunges, Haddad Maia, Andy Cheung, Nadal, “, Rafa, he’s Organizations: CNN, Sabalenka Locations: Prague, Paris, Indian, Dubai, Indian Wells

☆ Alcaraz vs. Djokovic: The Next Kid Up Faces the Game’s Steeliest Brain
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But when Djokovic faces Alcaraz, who has taken the No. 1 ranking from him twice in the past nine months, it will be a test against youth unlike anything Djokovic has faced before. The two have played only once, in May 2022, in Madrid; Djokovic and Alcaraz kept missing each other for one reason or another in the 13 months since. Daniil Medvedev, the world’s second-ranked player, and the only player currently in his 20s to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, said not long ago that it is nearly impossible to beat Djokovic until you have first lost to him several times. Alcaraz beat Djokovic in their lone meeting, in a deciding-set tiebreaker no less (albeit in a best-of-three-sets match).

Persons: ” Djokovic, Djokovic, Alcaraz, ” Lorenzo Musetti, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Roger Federer, Daniil Medvedev Organizations: Khachanov, Sampras, Court, Wimbledon, Djokovic Locations: Madrid, Italy

☆ Coco Gauff Has a Chance to Play the Wise Veteran at the French Open
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The veteran tennis star Rafael Nadal recently made that observation, discussing how quickly a new generation of players assumes the role of the one before. That rival was Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old Russian who has exploded onto the women’s tennis tour over the past five weeks. She plays with an easy, smooth power, unruffled by the size of the stage and the fuss suddenly being made about her. She trades text messages with Andy Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion. These days, she continues to hunt for her first Grand Slam and top-level tour title.

Persons: Rafael Nadal, Suzanne Lenglen, Roland Garros, Coco Gauff, Gauff, Mirra, Andy Murray, Venus Williams, Serena Organizations: Tennis, Wimbledon, All England Club, Centre Court

☆ Can These Russians Become Tennis’s Next Great Sister Act?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First came an early rise to get Mirra, a 16-year-old Russian, ready for her 11 a.m. French Open debut against Alison Riske-Amritraj of the United States. Then came a long wait for Mirra’s older sister, 18-year-old Erika, who was last up on Court No. So it goes for tennis’s newest sister act. Sister acts are not exactly new in women’s tennis, which was headlined for more than two decades by the American duo of Serena and Venus Williams. Venus Williams, 42, still has not retired, though another major title seems unlikely.

Persons: Alison Riske, Mirra, “, ”, Erika, Emma Navarro, Navarro, Roland Garros, Serena, Venus Williams Locations: United States, Paris

☆ Women’s Tennis Suddenly Has a Big(ish) Three
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

And yet something has been happening with this group lately in the rivalry-starved women’s game — something that could all come together in a glorious rumble during the next two weeks at the French Open. The first of the three to play at Roland Garros, Sabalenka, started her tournament with a win over Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in a match tinged with wartime bitterness. Ever since Ashleigh Barty of Australia retired while atop the rankings in March 2022 at age 25, Swiatek, Rybakina and Sabalenka have been hogging nearly all of the most prestigious trophies. Swiatek has been among the most outspoken critics of Russia’s invasion, helping to raise millions of dollars to support relief efforts in Ukraine. Rybakina and Sabalenka hail from the two countries perpetrating the war, as Kostyuk reminded everyone Sunday.

☆ French Open preview: With Rafael Nadal absent and Iga Światek's dominance under threat, tournament is hard to call
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It felt like the beginning of the end of an era at the French Open when Rafael Nadal announced his absence from the tournament earlier this month. How to watchIn the United States, the French Open is available to watch on NBC, streaming service Peacock, Tennis Channel, and Bally Sports. A list of international broadcasters and the full draw are available on the French Open website. “A new generation is here already,” Djokovic said after his quarterfinal defeat at the Italian Open. Questions about scheduling may persist in the coming weeks given the way night sessions were scrutinized at last year’s French Open.

☆ A Tennis Match That’s Also a College Program’s Farewell
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

This is where a college tennis team has the greatest moment in its history. For the first time, the men’s team from St. Francis of Brooklyn was playing in the N.C.A.A. But after the first-round match was over on Friday, and St. Francis had fallen, 4-0, to Columbia, the program was no more. St. Francis is dropping all of its sports at the end of the school year for budgetary reasons. Chad Davis played at St. Francis and has been the men’s tennis coach for 19 years.

☆ Women’s Tennis to Return to China Despite Unresolved Concerns About Peng Shuai
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Peng Shuai has been seen in public only in carefully orchestrated settings, including at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. The Women’s Tennis Association tour will return to China this year, despite the fact that Chinese officials haven’t met the WTA’s demands for a transparent investigation into a 2021 assault allegation of Chinese player Peng Shuai. The move ends a boycott, started in late 2021, when Peng disappeared from public view after a post to her social-media account alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by a senior Communist Party official. The WTA halted its events in China and said it would stay out of the country until the allegation was investigated and it could speak directly with Peng.

☆ WTA set to return to China in September despite uncertainty over Peng Shuai’s situation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced Thursday that it will return to hosting tournaments in China in the fall after suspending all events in the country in 2021 due to the uncertainty over tennis player Peng Shuai’s safety. Human Rights Watch called the WTA’s decision to return to China a “huge disappointment,” but “not surprising.”“International businesses need to work together to do the right thing,” said Yaqiu Wang, senior China Researcher at Human Rights Watch. “It’s hard to challenge the Chinese government alone, but if businesses band together to address China’s flouting of human rights, the power balance can shift. “After all, sports organizations and companies all want to operate in an environment where the human rights of their players, employees, and consumers are protected and there is rule of law. “The road to expose the Chinese government’s human rights abuses and hold it accountable is difficult and often incurs a cost, and it’s not a straight road.”

☆ Rugby-England women's players to receive maternity cover
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The issue of maternity leave for professional athletes has gradually come into sharper focus in recent years. In 2019, sportswear giant Nike introduced a new maternity policy for all its sponsored athletes, guaranteeing pay and bonuses for 18 months around pregnancy. World soccer governing body FIFA introduced 14 weeks of maternity leave in 2020, the same year that the Women’s National Basketball Association announced fully paid maternity leave as part of its collective bargaining agreement for the first time. Rugby Players’ Association general secretary Christian Day described the new policy as a “significant step forward” for the women’s game in England. “This new policy ensures that our women’s players will be better supported through parenthood when representing England,” Day said.

☆ Aryna Sabalenka Wins Australian Open, Her First Major Title
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MELBOURNE, Australia—For the past two seasons of her career, Aryna Sabalenka had been the semifinal specialist of women’s tennis. She would muscle her way through the draw, all the way to the final four, and give herself a shot to claim a Grand Slam title. Then she would fall apart.

☆ An Australian Open Women’s Final Built for Power
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elena Rybakina has one of the most powerful serves in the women’s game. MELBOURNE, Australia—The most dangerous weapon in women’s tennis is heading to another Grand Slam final. Elena Rybakina’s serve—a fluid, ferocious action that tops out at more than 120 mph—had already carried her to an unexpected title at Wimbledon last summer. Now Rybakina is back in a groove at the Australian Open and aiming to claim a second major title in the space of six months when she faces world No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final here.

☆ Boris Becker: Tennis star released from UK prison and due to be deported -- UK media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Zayn Nabbi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

1 men’s tennis player Boris Becker has been released from a UK prison after serving just eight months of his sentence and is due to be deported from the UK, PA Media reported on Thursday. “Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity,” the Home Office said in a statement, according to Reuters, while declining to comment directly on Becker’s case. Boris Becker, originally from Germany, has lived in London since 2012 but does not have British citizenship. Becker made tennis history when he won Wimbledon aged 17 in 1985 and went on to win five more grand slam titles over the next 11 years. He has remained active in the tennis world since retiring from the sport, notably as the coach of Novak Djokovic and through frequent media appearances as a commentator and pundit.

1 men’s tennis player Boris Becker has left for Germany after serving just eight months of his sentence in the UK, his lawyer said on Thursday, after UK media reported he had been released from custody and was due to be deported. Becker “has served his sentence and is not subject to any penal restrictions in Germany,” his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, said in a statement. Boris Becker, originally from Germany, has lived in London since 2012 but does not have British citizenship. Becker made tennis history when he won Wimbledon aged 17 in 1985 and went on to win five more grand slam titles over the next 11 years. He has remained active in the tennis world since retiring from the sport, notably as the coach of Novak Djokovic and through frequent media appearances as a commentator and pundit.

Search resuls for: "men’s tennis"

25 mentions found