Novak Djokovic set to skip Australian Open over vaccine rules November 29, 2021 Novak Djokovic is likely to pass up the chance to defend his Australian Open title over the Grand Slam event’s strict Covid-19 vaccination rules, says his father. The men’s tennis world No1, who has won the Australian Open a record nine times, has repeatedly defended his right to keep his vaccination status private. “Under these [...]
Davis Cup: Feliciano Lopez’s heroics in vain as Russian defeat helps Novak Djokovic’s Serbia reach quarter-finals November 29, 2021 Feliciano Lopez’s heroics were in vain as the Russian Tennis Federation eliminated holders Spain from the Davis Cup Finals and helped Novak Djokovic’s Serbia reach the quarter-finals. Forty-year-old Lopez, now ranked 106, thrilled a partisan crowd in Madrid by beating world number five Andrey Rublev 2-6 6-3 6-4 to give Spain hope of making the [...]
Peng Shuai: What we know, the IOC and the Olympic Games November 24, 2021 The curious case of Peng Shuai gets curiouser and curiouser as the days roll by. From initial allegations, to a prolonged period away from public view, to a court-side appearance, to a video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach. It’s almost unbelievable. The timeline began on 2 November, when Peng accused a [...]
Sophie Nelson: An ATP and WTA merger could be a true sporting force November 23, 2021 Rumours of a merger in the world of tennis between the ATP, which runs the elite men’s tour, and WTA, its women’s counterpart, are long-running. The pandemic amplified calls to unite the two organisations after the sporting calendar was disrupted and revenues impacted. A more unified system for the game could reap commercial benefits in [...]
Exclusive: Sportradar signs major new NBA betting data deal November 17, 2021 Sports data giant Sportradar has continued its spree of major deals by signing a new contract with the NBA until 2031, City A.M. can reveal. The agreement, announced today, will see the Swiss company provide betting data to the world-leading basketball competition on an exclusive basis. The eight-year deal extends Sportradar’s current arrangement with the [...]
David Haggerty interview: ITF president on revamping Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals, anti-vaxxers, Osaka, domestic abuse and Raducanu November 1, 2021 Eighteen months later and in a different location than planned, the first Billie Jean King Cup Finals finally begins today. The tournament formerly known as the Fed Cup has been rebranded in tribute to the trailblazing former world No1 and reformatted to create a climactic week-long finale that mirrors the new-look Davis Cup, itself taking [...]
Hard-working Cameron Norrie taking the slow route to the top of tennis October 19, 2021 If Emma Raducanu was an overnight sensation then this year’s British success story in men’s tennis, Cameron Norrie, has been a slow burner. Norrie started 2021 ranked 74th in the world but following his landmark triumph at Indian Wells on Sunday is now inside the top 15 for the first time. The former US college [...]
Emma Raducanu to play first British event since US Open win at Royal Albert Hall October 11, 2021 Emma Raducanu is to return to British tennis courts for the first time since her US Open triumph next month at the Royal Albert Hall. The 18-year-old from Bromley has confirmed she will play an exhibition match at the Champions Tennis event, part of the ATP Champions Tour for senior players. Raducanu will be joined [...]
Emma Raducanu capitalises on US Open success with Tiffany & Co sponsorship deal September 23, 2021 Emma Raducanu has signed the first major sponsorship deal since her breakthrough success at the US Open, with jeweller Tiffany & Co. The 18-year-old British tennis sensation has been tipped to land a swathe of commercial deals after producing one of sport’s most remarkable storylines at the grand slam earlier this month. Raducanu wore Tiffany [...]
Emma Raducanu’s success shouldn’t be measured in dollars but in her cultural impact way beyond tennis September 14, 2021 There are two stories written when any sports star bursts on the scene in the way that Emma Raducanu has this summer. The first is about how much money they’ll earn and the second surrounds the number of people who will immediately take up the sport because of it. Both narratives are overly simplistic for different reasons. Distilling Raducanu’s sporting achievement to monetary gain – and let’s face, it [...]