Caroline Wozniacki

Beautiful family.

Feeling very grateful and blessed! Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours❤️#thanksgiving pic.twitter.com/QqJLNB1O9J

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) November 25, 2021

Angelique Kerber

At the U.S. Open:

Novak Djokovic Loses, Throws Tantrum in Olympics Farewell

I like the guy, but he's volatile and a sore loser. He hit a line judge in the neck last year. 

He's won three grand slam tournaments this year, and he'd hoped to make this year a "Golden Slam" with another victory in Tokyo.

Now he's out. 

At NYT, "Novak Djokovic, King of the Olympic Village, Loses Run at Golden Slam":

Novak Djokovic was trying to win all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in a calendar year. That dream ended with his loss against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. https://t.co/bfd2TNLptg

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 30, 2021

TOKYO — Novak Djokovic’s dream of a Golden Slam ended in the early hours of another thick night at the Olympics, on one last searing winner off the racket of Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

Zverev stormed back from a set and a service break down to beat Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s player, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, scoring a stunning upset of an all-time great who had seemed nearly invincible lately and well on his way to pulling off a feat no male tennis player had achieved.

Djokovic was trying to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in a calendar year. He had won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon and came to Tokyo looking for the fourth jewel. The United States Open takes place at the end of the summer.

Djokovic appeared to be on cruise control when he broke Zverev’s serve to get to within three games of the match in the second set. Zverev swatted a ball skyward in frustration. He appeared destined to meet with a quick end, like Djokovic’s first four victims in Tokyo.

But with little to lose, Zverev began unleashing his booming serve and setting up a series of crushing forehands to take control, and Djokovic started inexplicably spraying his shots off the court.

“Terrible, just terrible,” Djokovic said, when asked how he was feeling at the end of a night that also included a loss in the mixed doubles semifinal.

Djokovic tried to slow Zverev’s momentum with a long bathroom break between the second and third sets, as he has done in tense moments in the past. But it didn’t work and in the two-of-three-set format he did not have the cushion that the marathon afforded during Grand Slam matches, which require three of five sets to win...

Very interesting. 

Apparently Tokyo was an image rehab event for him. Djokvic was even photographed doing the splits with Belgian gymnasts.

Rough life. 

Racist Serena Williams Cartoon

I've haven't posted on the U.S. Open women's final, although I was watching. Serena Williams was out of control, IMHO. The thing for me is how many people have been defending her, all the more bizarre in that Williams tried to turn it into a gender equality issue. Fact is, she's got a long history of ugly on-court outbursts and disgusting unsportsmanlike behavior. She's basically a thug.

In any case, here's the new controversy over an alleged "racist" cartoon. Australia's Herald Sun, under fire, is not backing down.

See, "Australian newspaper is defending a cartoon of Serena Williams that has been widely condemned as a racist depiction."

Australian newspaper is defending a cartoon of Serena Williams that has been widely condemned as a racist depiction. https://t.co/Br6QP3XY8Y

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 12, 2018

And, for the outrage take, see Guardian U.K., "'Repugnant, racist': News Corp cartoon on Serena Williams condemned."

Also, the latest at the National Post:

'Welcome to PC World': Australian newspaper doubles down, reprints controversial cartoon of Serena Williams https://t.co/QR03sgsgsl pic.twitter.com/Zk7Qcx7kHZ

— National Post (@nationalpost) September 12, 2018

Venus Williams is Gracious in Defeat at #Wimbledon

I was up at 6:30am.

Then just after, I got a pot of coffee brewing and sat down to watch. Venus had a set point game going. But she botched it, and then just ran out of gas, completely. Garbiñe Muguruza was dominating. Really dominating.

Venus was totally gracious in defeat, though. And I thought Muguruza was a little arrogant and cocky, not humble at all, although I'm sure that was just me.

In any case, at USA Today, "Defiant Venus Williams 'doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing' at 37."

Venus and Serena Williams, the Civil Rights Icons of Our Age

Following-up, "Will Serena Throw Australian Open Title to Venus?"

Well, she obviously didn't throw it, although I didn't watch, being as the match was on at like 12:30am.

No matter. The sisters from Compton have lots more tennis in them.

At WSJ:

Both Williams sisters are civil rights icons for our age, but Serena is the best of all: https://t.co/fbr666Ytdz

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) January 28, 2017

Will Serena Throw Australian Open Title to Venus?

A few years back Venus Williams withdrew from the U.S. Open due to complications from Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder causing pain, fatigue, and extreme dryness of the eyes and mouth. Folks thought her career was over. I thought she'd had a pretty good run at the time.

But now Venus will play younger sister Serena in another pairing at the Australian Open. Serena's been the dominant sister for some time now, and she doesn't seem to be slowing down. But Venus is doing well of late, too. Indeed, I was surprised when I saw earlier reports on Venus making the semifinal round. So, will the younger Serena go easy this weekend, allowing her sister to have one last championship at one of the "Grand Slam" major tournaments? Who knows? People have speculated for years that the sisters rigged their matches. It's gotta be a nightmare playing your sister, especially as they seem so close.

We'll see. Maybe this won't be the last time the two face off?

At NYT, "A Final Match for Venus and Serena Williams. But Maybe Not the Last One":

A finals match for Venus and Serena Williams. But probably not final. https://t.co/Uxvfro9Tyz pic.twitter.com/q8RBWOYUMp

— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) January 27, 2017

MELBOURNE, Australia — The sibling rivalry, at least on the tennis tour, started right here at the Australian Open for the Williams sisters.

It was 1998, and older sister Venus beat younger sister Serena, 7-6 (4), 6-1, in a second-round match that — as intrusive as it felt to watch — surely drew more attention than any second-round match in history between a pair of Australian Open debutantes.

The fascination in their dynamic and their futures was there from the start in Melbourne Park, known then as Flinders Park when it had only one stadium with a retractable roof instead of three. A picture of Venus consoling Serena after the match was on the front page of The New York Times.

Though it would be tempting to label their Australian Open final on Saturday as a full-circle moment and to speculate that it might be their last meeting at this late a stage of a Grand Slam tournament, it seems best to resist the temptation.

The Williams sisters have taught us a lot about the limits of conventional tennis wisdom through the years. And so, even if 19 years have passed and Serena is now 35 and Venus 36, it is wise to avoid fencing them in again after they have run roughshod over so many other preconceptions.

“I watched Venus today celebrating after she won the semifinal like she was a 6-year-old girl, and it made you want to cry for joy just watching her,” said Marion Bartoli, a former Wimbledon champion. “Such a powerful image, and it makes you think about all those questions she was getting: ‘When are you retiring? Have you thought about retiring? How much longer?’

“You must let the champions decide when the right moment comes.”

The Williamses are both great champions, even if Serena is clearly the greater player with her 22 Grand Slam singles titles and her long run at No. 1, a spot she can reclaim from Angelique Kerber with a win Saturday....

*****

They have not played since the 2015 United States Open, when Serena won, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, in a quarterfinal in which Venus attacked, often successfully, from the start but had no answer in the end for Serena’s ultimate weapon: her first serve.

Saturday’s final in Melbourne could be intriguing on multiple levels, in part because of the Australian public. Venus is viewed here, as elsewhere, as a sympathetic figure: the older sister who has handled the younger’s greater tennis success unselfishly and with dignity. And though both sisters have had to cope with major health problems and family tragedy, with the murder of their half sister Yetunde Price in 2003, Venus is the one whose tennis fortunes dipped more dramatically.

A seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and a former No. 1, she did not advance past the third round in any major event in singles from late 2011 to the end of the 2014 season.

She was a major star reduced to a minor role, largely because of an autoimmune disorder — Sjogren’s syndrome, diagnosed in 2011 — that sapped her strength and endurance. When Russian hackers breached the World Anti-Doping Agency’s databases last fall, it was revealed that Venus had needed 13 therapeutic-use exemptions for drugs in recent years.

The retirement questions to which Bartoli referred started during that period. But Venus’s ability to cope with her condition has improved, and after rejoining the top 10 in 2015, she reached the semifinals at Wimbledon last year and then the final here.

“She never even thought of the word retire,” said David Witt, her coach and hitting partner of 10 years. “I just think when she got diagnosed, it was a step back, a shock. She’s learned a lot about how to deal with it and her body, how to eat, how to manage it...

Still more.

Tennis Star Maria Sharapova Flaunts Tight Bikini Body in Hawaii (PHOTOS)

She's definitely in shape.

And her performance enhancing drug penalty's been partially lifted, so she's nearly good to go for the full pro season.

At WWTDD, "Maria Sharapova in Tiny Bikini in Hawaii and Shit Around the Web."

On set with @head_tennis 🎾 pic.twitter.com/LZRDFaFU4I

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) January 10, 2017

.@nytimes -- Maria Sharapova Claims Victory and Goes on the Offensivehttps://t.co/k42vg387dU

— Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) October 5, 2016

Sexy Outtakes: Caroline Wozniacki's Sports Illustrate Swimsuit Photo Shoot 2016 (VIDEO)

She's wonderful:




PREVIOUSLY: "Caroline Wozniacki Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Bodypainting (VIDEO)."

Stan Wawrinka Can Beat Anyone at Tennis — Even Novak Djokovic

I like Djoko, but I was rooting for the underdog. Indeed, I'd never even watched Wawrinka.

It was a great match.

At WSJ:

Stan the Man! #StanWawrinka #NovakDjokovic #USOpen #USOpen2016 #Tennis https://t.co/5dddsUeBWG

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) September 12, 2016

Stan Wawrinka looks more like a lumberjack than a tennis player. Thick shoulders, burly chest, scruffy beard and mustache. He’s strong but unpredictable. He likes to point to his head during matches, because he knows that if he keeps his mind clear and his one-handed backhand flowing, he can beat anyone.

Wawrinka played another magical major final at the U.S. Open on Sunday, when he defeated top seed Novak Djokovic 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in three hours and 55 minutes. In 2014, Wawrinka beat Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals, before winning his first major title. He beat Djokovic again in the 2015 French Open final. He lost the first set in both of those matches, just like he did Sunday. His coach, Magnus Norman, has learned that there’s no need to worry.

“I know that he’s always going to come back,” Norman said. “He has more than one life in five sets.”

After a slow start on Sunday, Wawrinka, seeded third, punished Djokovic with strong serves, deep forehands and the one-handed backhand that Pete Sampras, winner of 14 major titles, once said made him jealous. Not even a medical timeout could slow him down. Wawrinka led 3-1 in the fourth set when Djokovic sat in his chair, took off his socks and had the trainer tape his broken, bleeding toenails. Wawrinka wasn’t pleased. He complained to the chair umpire. Djokovic apologized. And then Wawrinka swatted aside break points and held serve. He trailed 0-30 in the final game, but after saving 14 break points in the match, Wawrinka would bend no more. Djokovic missed a backhand on the final point.

“The more I win in a Grand Slam, the better I feel,” Wawrinka said. “When you play Novak, he’s a beast mentally. He’s going to push you.”

Keep reading.

Caroline Wozniacki Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Bodypainting (VIDEO)

Watch, via Sports Illustrated, "Caroline Wozniacki Bodypainting Swimsuit 2016 - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit," and "Caroline Wozniacki's SI Swimsuit 2016 Outtakes - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit."

BONUS: "Kerber beats Wozniacki to reach U.S. Open final after capturing World No. 1 ranking."

Karolina Pliskova Beats Serena Williams at U.S. Open

Nothing lasts forever, namely Serena's No. 1 reign.

At USA Today, "Serena Williams stunned by Karolina Pliskova in U.S. Open semifinals."

And at WaPo, "Serena Williams loses in U.S. Open semis for 2nd year in row."

Karolina Pliskova: 4th woman to defeat both Williams sisters in the same Grand Slam with a 6-2, 7-6 win over Serena. pic.twitter.com/tfiGhSdm7i

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 9, 2016

Lucas Pouille Stuns Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open (VIDEO)

It was freakin' brilliant.

Over four hours and the Frenchman Pouille stunned Rafa.

At WSJ, "Rafael Nadal Ousted at U.S. Open":

Rafael Nadal, once the most reliable player in tennis in close matches, suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the U.S. Open.

Lucas Pouille, a 22-year-old from France, beat Nadal in five tense sets on Sunday that lasted four hours and seven minutes, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(6).

Nadal led by a break of serve early in the fifth set. In the fifth-set tiebreaker, he trailed 6-3 before saving three match points to tie the score at 6-6. But then Nadal missed a shot that he never used to miss, a forehand in the middle of the court that was ready made for a winner. He drilled it into the net. On the next point, Pouille smashed a winner and fell to his back in triumph.

“Was a big mistake,” Nadal said.

Pouille said the miss was a relief and helped him go after the next point.

“I wanted to take my chance to be very aggressive,” he said. “That’s what I did at the match point.”

Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam singles champion, had been making a comeback in recent weeks. At the French Open, he was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of a wrist injury. He skipped Wimbledon and decided to play at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. There, he won a gold medal in doubles and lost in the bronze-medal match of the singles tournament. He came to New York feeling healthier, he said, and more confident.

Nadal won his first three matches at the Open without losing a set—and then Pouille won the first set of this match in 28 minutes. The match was full of long rallies and lunging volleys, and Pouille showed off his variety, speed and resilience...

More at that top link.

And watch, "Lucas Pouille U.S. Open 2016 - INTERVIEW (VIDEO)."

Czech Republic's Lucie Šafářová Dress 'Too Short for Wimbledon'

So since when are short dresses a controversy in professional tennis? Seems like you're always looking at women's undies.

At the Telegraph UK, "Why Wimbledon loves a controversial fashion moment on court":

After the week that is, what relief to be absorbed into the fastidious sartorial guidelines of South-west London’s finest purveyors of sporting dignity.

Or not, as the case may be… viewers (and questions of taste) have already been sent spinning by the erm, fluidity of Nike’s 'Premier Slam’ dress: a sort of sporty, baby doll, thigh-skirting pleated mini dress worn by Czech Republic first round winner Lucie Safarova on Monday, which floated up perilously throughout play...

Even the staid NYT's getting into the action on this one:

For some at Wimbledon, Nike's dress just doesn't do it https://t.co/bz8tQmG7jl pic.twitter.com/jiyZp67ud2

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 29, 2016

Maria Sharapova Admits She Tested Positive for Meldonium (VIDEO)

Meldonium? What in the heck is meldonium?

At the Guardian UK, "What is meldonium and why did Maria Sharapova take it?":

Meldonium is also known as mildronate, it increases exercise capacity in athletes and the Olympic figure skating champion Ekaterina Bobrova admitted to testing positive to the drug on Monday.

And see the Los Angeles Times, "Maria Sharapova unsure of punishment after failing drug test at Australian Open."

Novak Djokovic Wins U.S. Open 2015

The match was scheduled for 1:00pm Pacific, and I wasn't planning on watching because the Angels were up against the Astros at 12:30pm, and this home stand had tremendous playoff implications.

So later I'm tooling around on my remote channel guide and I see that ESPN was switching Sunday Night Baseball over to ESPN2 because of rain delay at Flushing Meadows, so I'm like great! Time for some tennis!

In any case, at the New York Times, "Novak Djokovic Defeats Roger Federer to Win U.S. Open."

And he's interviewed at CBS This Morning, "Novak Djokovic on second U.S. Open and 10th Grand Slam win."

American Jack Sock Collapses, Retires from Match Against Ruben Bemelmans at U.S. Open (VIDEO)

At USA Today, "American Jack Sock, overcome by heat, retires from U.S. Open":

NEW YORK — For the second straight year, American Jack Sock was done in by the heat and cramps at the U.S. Open on Grandstand.

Leading 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 1-2 against world No. 107 Ruben Bemelmans, Sock suffered  cramps on the court, bringing the match to a halt. Sock, the No. 28 seed, had been given a point penalty because of his incapacity to serve at break point down at 1-1, handing the game to Bemelmans.

The trainer came out and assisted a grimacing Sock to the ground, who then motioned that he would opt out of the match.

Petra Kvitová Rule 5

Here's some hot Petra Kvitová action. She's playing at the U.S. Open right now, against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

She's lovely.

Through to the third round and my shoes glow in the dark :) #usopen15 #petrainnyc pic.twitter.com/fAk5pTidjk

— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) September 4, 2015

Hot Caroline Wozniacki Sports Illustrated Outtakes (VIDEO)

Well, she certainly looks fabulous in a bikini.

Here, "Caroline Wozniacki Swimsuit Photos Sports Illustrated."

But she washed out at the New York Open, at USA Today, "Petra Cetkovska stuns Caroline Wozniacki at US Open," and the Guardian UK, "US Open 2015: Caroline Wozniacki tumbles out to Petra Cetkovska."

Novak Djokovic Screams at Wimbledon Ball Girl, Reducing Her to Tears (VIDEO)

He does this a lot.

Remember from April?, "Tennis star Novak Djokovic publicly apologises to ball boy and his parents after youngster was caught in outburst after he lost set against Andy Murray."

Hey, maybe some anger management classes bro?

At London's Daily Mail, "Now Djokovic loses his cool: World number one yells at ballgirl during tense clash - the day after Australian Nick Kyrgios got embroiled in racism row over court outburst," and "Novak Djokovic vows to apologise to ball girl after outburst during thrilling win at Wimbledon 2015 over Kevin Anderson."

Watch the video: "Novak Djokovic loses his cool with ball-boy [girl] at Wimbledon."