Peng Shuai: Women’s Tennis Association concerned despite new interview December 20, 2021 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) says it remains concerned about Peng Shuai after the Chinese tennis player appeared to retract claims she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking government official. Singapore-based newspaper Lianhe Ziabao quoted Peng as saying: “I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me. This point must be emphasised very [...]
Big Sport Quiz of 2021: How much do you remember? December 20, 2021 From teenagers sweeping to Grand Slam tennis titles to England reaching a major football final, an Olympic Games like no other and the introduction of a brand new cricket competition, it has been a hugely eventful year in sport. Off the field it has been just as transformative, with private equity and, increasingly, cryptocurrency and [...]
Australian Open: Pliskova joins Williams and Andreescu as absentees December 16, 2021 Two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova will miss the opening major of the season, the Australian Open, after injuring her hand in a training session yesterday. The Czech tennis player joins Serena Williams and Bianca Andreescu as absentees from the draw. The world No4 was a semi-finalist in 2019 and will also miss the warm [...]
SPOTY 2021: Daley, Sterling and Storey included in nominees December 13, 2021 The BBC have this morning announced the six-name shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY). The six nominees are: diver Tom Daley, boxer Tyson Fury, swimmer Adam Peaty, tennis player Emmu Raducanu, footballer Raheem Sterling and Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Storey. The last 14 winners have been men, with the last female winner coming [...]
Ed Warner: Soft power and sport – why do they do that? December 9, 2021 To the Guildhall for the launch of EY’s study of soft power and major sporting events, commissioned by the City of London and UK Sport. The publication was timely, coinciding with the findings of the inquiry into the chaos at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley which tarnished Britain’s hosting credentials, as well as the [...]
Peng Shuai: WTA suspend tournaments in China over tennis star December 1, 2021 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have this evening suspended all WTA tournaments in China and Hong Kong over Peng Shuai’s sexual assault allegations and the events which subsequently followed. In a statement, WTA chief executive Steve Simon said: “With the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of [...]
Former British No1 tennis star Johanna Konta retires at 30 December 1, 2021 British tennis player Johanna Konta has retired at the age of 30. The former British No1 reached the semi-finals of three Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, between 2016 and 2019. In a statement on her social media, Konta said: “My playing career has come to an end, and i am so incredibly grateful for the career [...]
Davis Cup: Britain face Germany tonight for place in semi-finals November 30, 2021 Great Britain’s knock-out path to attempted Davis Cup glory has begun in the same way as it did last time the competition ran, in 2019. The British team topped their group to earn a quarter-final tie with Germany, the same side they overcame in the last edition of the Cup. The two teams play tonight [...]
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 [...]