At just 20, Coco Gauff is already reaching numerous career highs. Last year, she won the US Open, her maiden Grand Slam title, which put her among the top tennis stars list. Further, her massive victory also led to comparisons to the legends of American tennis like Serena and Venus Williams. Recently, Gauff made a heartfelt revelation about them.
The American sensation is gearing up for the Paris Olympics later this year. Gauff will carry her country’s hopes in the tournament and she is one of the favorites to win the gold medal there. Let’s find out what she had to say about the legendary Williams sisters.
Serena and Venus Williams made a young Coco Gauff believe in herself
Earlier this week, Gauff unveiled a renovated tennis court in Delray Beach, Florida. It is a part of the USTA’s $3 Million US Open Legacy Initiative and was created in honor of Gauff’s US Open victory last year. Ahead of the Miami Open, the American sensation was present to do the honors, where she also talked about her inspirations in tennis.
Talking about the impact on the community and where she took inspiration from, Gauff revealed, “I saw myself in Serena and Venus. And so it made me believe that I could do something. I am a product of the strong community — and the village it took to get me to where I am now.”
Further, she went on to add, “First, here is because I think of the court that made the impact to me in the community, put so much into me so I have to give back to the community.” While Gauff has drawn comparisons to the Williams sisters, she has always looked up to them in her tennis career. Gauff once also revealed the prospects of facing the younger Williams sister on the tennis court.
Gauff wasn’t ready to face Serena Williams
Fortunately or unfortunately, Gauff has never faced Serena Williams on the WTA Tour. While the American sensation was still an emerging player, Serena Williams was nearing the end of her career. Nonetheless, Gauff dreamt of her chances if she could’ve faced the younger Williams sister. She said, “Playing Serena at Wimbledon, I don’t know, I feel like it would have messed up my story. I wasn’t ready for Serena at that time.”
Meanwhile, Gauff is the third seed in Miami. She has received a bye in the opening round and will begin her campaign in the round of 64. Can she achieve success at the Miami Open? Let us know your views in the comments below.
In 2019, the buzz around the slopes was that Lindsey Vonn, the legendary four-time USA Olympian with an incredible 82 World Cup victories, had hung up her skis. However, her legacy endures, forever etched in our hearts. As she once said, “I had dreamed of winning the Olympics since I was nine years old,” and she proved it. Yet, behind her triumphs lies a lesser-known tale of struggle particularly in her early years as an athlete. She has benefactors to thank and kith and kin to get behind for her winning streaks.
In a recent revelation, Vonn discusses her family’s pivotal role in her ascent to Olympic greatness. Despite not having the financial means typically associated with elite athletes, Vonn’s family became her pillars of strength, offering invaluable support and making sacrifices that paved the way for her remarkable success on the slopes.
Lindsey Vonn’s rags to riches story unveiled in a tete-a-tete with Dwayne Wade
In a recent podcast on YouTube featuring Dwayne Wade, the celebrated American former professional basketball player, with an audience of 90.8k subscribers, he cordially welcomed Lindsey Vonn to his show. When questioned about her passion for skiing, Vonn responded with genuine enthusiasm. She expressed that she loved skiing fast; it was what excited her the most. Reflecting on its origins, she admitted uncertainty, but emphasized her genuine love for the sport. Recalling her childhood, she fondly remembered skiing as the primary bonding activity for her family. She added, “We didn’t go to the beach. we didn’t really have any money for those kinds of things, so you know, we jumped in my grandfather’s old suburban and we drive to Colorado, and we all go skiing.”
She further explained, “When I started racing, I honestly wasn’t very fast. I just loved doing it. Then, as I got better, I decided I wanted to be in the Olympics.” When pressed for details, Vonn elaborated on her experience. She began dedicating herself to rigorous training, pushing to increase her speed. That’s when her passion truly blossomed. Describing her technique, she likened it to the sensation of driving a car downhill. Just as one accelerates by pressing the gas pedal, she finds herself gaining momentum simply by pointing her skis downhill. Her family-backed Olympic glory isn’t bereft of struggles and accidents, most important.
Vonn’s roadblock in 2013
Further divulging her experiences, Vonn disclosed her initial setback in 2013. It marked her first crash, serving as a precursor to a series of unfortunate events. She tore her MCL off the bone, resulting in a string of surgeries and injuries. Despite the MCL’s usual rapid healing process because of its rich blood flow, the severity of the tear complicates matters.
TOPSHOT – Third placed US Lindsey Vonn celebrates with the national flag during the flowers ceremony after the Women’s Downhill event of the 2019 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships at the National Arena in Are, Sweden on February 10, 2019. – Vonn, 34, who will retire from competitive skiing, is the most successful women skier of all time, with a record 20 World Cup titles to her name and 82 victories on the circuit. (Photo by FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)
Despite wearing a brace and adhering to all necessary precautions, nine months later, she encountered a similar injury again, underscoring the precarious nature of ski racing where even the slightest error can result in a devastating crash. We wish her crash free post retirement shenaingans though.
Behind every successful sportsperson, there is someone who stands as a pillar of support. Take the example of Venus and Serena Williams. Throughout their careers, their father, Richard Williams gave everything to support his daughters in tennis. Like the Williams sisters, Iga Swiatek has had a similar tale. She has been strongly supported by her father, Tomasz Swiatek. She hasn’t let him down, as she has become one of the best players in recent times. But where did she get the sporting genes from?
Like Swiatek, her father was also an athlete, representing Poland in various competitions. Let’s find out more about his sporting career and whether he represented his country on sport’s biggest stage, the Olympic Games.
Which sport did the father of Iga Swiatek pursue?
Tomasz Swiatek was an international rower and represented his country on many stages. He also competed at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, representing Poland in the men’s quadruple sculls. His performance enabled Poland to win the ‘B’ final and finish seventh overall.
However, his biggest success came at the 1987 Universiade in Zagreb where he won the gold medal in quadruple sculls event. Additionally, he was also conferred an Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta ‘for sports achievements, for promoting Poland in the international arena’ a few years back.
Not only has Tomasz Swiatek supported his daughter in her tennis career but also on the personal front. When the Polish tennis star faced the wrath of fans following early Wimbledon exit last year, her father defended her.
When Swiatek’s father acted like a pillar of support for his daughter
Ever since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Swiatek has often spoken about geo-political tensions. As a result, when Swiatek lost her Wimbledon match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, it didn’t go down well with a section of her fans.
Subsequently, during an interview, her father defended her and slammed the fans, saying, “She plays with a ribbon on her hat, her views are clear – she wants the war to end. Unfortunately, after the match with Elina Svitolina there were many negative comments. It was hurtful.”
Swiatek is going strong at the ongoing Indian Wells tournament. She will face Marta Kostyuk in a few hours. It’ll be interesting to see if the Pole can win the title in Indian Wells.
A winner of four World Cup Overall Championships in alpine skiing, Lindsey Vonn is a highly decorated name in the ski racing industry. Her recent co-partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League team, Utah Royals FC, has been gathering headlines. “I am of course a Utah Royals fan, but I wanted to make an announcement. I am not just a fan, I am also a part owner.”, the Olympian superstar announced on Utah Royals FC’s official page on X a few days back.
TOPSHOT – Third placed US Lindsey Vonn celebrates with the national flag during the flowers ceremony after the Women’s Downhill event of the 2019 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships at the National Arena in Are, Sweden on February 10, 2019. – Vonn, 34, who will retire from competitive skiing, is the most successful women skier of all time, with a record 20 World Cup titles to her name and 82 victories on the circuit. (Photo by FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)
She elaborated on her long-lasting association with Utah and her recent collaboration with the Utah club owners Ryan Smith and David Blitzer. Grateful for allowing her to ignite the American women’s professional soccer club, she recently announced her bestowal to the community supporting women in sports.
Lindsey Vonn once again stands up for women in sports “Women in sports is a movement, not a moment!!“, announced the former World Cup Alpine Ski Racer, Lindsey Vonn, on her co-partnership with the Utah Royals FC this season. He wrote on her official page on Instagram about her biggest goal concerning sports, which she says is empowering women. “The path we are paving together will hopefully make the road easier for the ones who come after us.“, she claimed.
Proud of her team, the Utah Royals FC, she was inspired to see the young players’ sheer determination and teamwork in the opening ceremony, corresponding to the lit atmosphere of the stadium. So, besides that, she, as the founder of the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, was thankful for having a few scholarship recipients on the field during the soccer half-time. She also declared that her foundation would be ‘donating 25 tickets every home game to underserved girls in the community.’ Ready to empower women in sports, this is not the first endeavor of Lindsey Vonn in the women’s sporting realm.
On a long-standing mission for women
The 2x Olympic medalist since her retirement has shown keen interest in supporting women in sports. In 2022, Lindsey Vonn became a co-owner of the NWSL team Angel City FC. Last year, partnered with Kevin Durant and other prominent figures in the launch of the LOVB, USA’s inaugural professional volleyball league.
Explaining her passion for supporting women in sports, Lindsey Vonn had said to Olympics.com on that occasion, “Since ski racing, I’ve really tried to find areas in which I could support women that are underrepresented…I feel lucky that I’m able to, again, invest in them. It’s not a monetary endeavor for me. It’s more of my belief in them and what they can achieve.” The same emotion came out when she spoke of her new venture.
Celebrating her latest venture, and adding more to her investment portfolio, the star skier aims to take forward equity in women’s sports. She recently said, “…girls are still falling out so we need more and more of them to stay in to play.” She further added, considering her long-term plans, “I’m looking 10 years down the road. So I’m not cashing out of anything.” Observing the decline of women in sports as per the statistics, we need more enthusiastic investors, such as Lindsey Vonn, to indulge in, to make it reach a pinnacle in the coming future.
British tennis star Emma Raducanu recently spoke about the challenges she faced while returning to the professional tennis court. Last year, Raducanu went through several rough patches as she faced many injuries. As a result, Raducanu’s performance was impacted negatively, and she had to step down from attending many tournaments. Now that this British tennis prodigy is back on the court, she talked about her ‘pretty intense’ days.
Emma Raducanu bagged her debut victory at the Abu Dhabi Open 2024 after recovering from a total of three surgeries. Emma Raducanu recently appeared on the sets of the Tennis Channel and had a conversation with Steve Weissman and Prakash Amritraj.
This tennis star defeated Marie Bouzkova in the Abu Dhabi Open and after that, she was asked about her surgeries. Raducanu said, “Yeah I had three surgeries in ten days, which was pretty intense. I mean for two-three weeks, you can’t do anything because all that has to swell and all that, you can’t move like I had a scooter and I can’t even use crutches. It’s because of my wrist surgeries. So, it was really difficult and I was kind of swapping two weeks in a cast and then take that of rise and spin. It wasn’t necessarily smooth coming back.”
However, this tennis star expressed her pride over her latest achievement. When asked about the things she is proud of, Raducanu commented, “I think I am most proud of the way that I have refocused in difficult moments in both situations like having a lead and losing a break.”
Raducanu continued, “I think the course the way I dealt with not particularly feeling myself out there and a lot of double faults more than usual I didn’t let that affect me or bother me and I also think that the way I was able to neutralize herself and that’s one way cause it was a great contract.”
Emma Raducanu is currently the World No. 298
Emma Raducanu’s story of coming back from three surgeries and dominating on the court is more than impressive. However now, let’s take a look at how she played against Marie Bouzkova.
Snippets from Emma Raducanu’s recent victory at the Abu Dhabi Open 2024
British tennis prodigy Raducanu successfully entered into the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open after defeating Marie Bouzkova. With a score of 6-4,6-1, Raducanu defeated Bouzkova. In a total of 82 minutes, this British tennis star won 10 out of 11 games after the first set.
Raducanu said after winning- “I think in the beginning I was just adjusting to the speed of the court, Marie is a really tough opponent, I knew I was going to have to play so many balls. In the beginning I was missing a few of the finishing shots but I cleaned that up so I’m very happy about that.”
Raducanu’s journey to return to the court this season is a testament to her hard work. If she continues to perform with such dedication, fans will soon get to see the former US Open champion acing in her tennis game again.
The Venezuelan-born Swiss-residing Spaniard made history against the most famous family in the women’s game, and there’s no mountains she can’t climb …
1. Kilimanjaro
Muguruza’s challenging off-season set her up perfectly for Melbourne
Garbine Muguruza has already climbed the summit of the tennis rankings, but after a tough 2019, which left her on the precipice of falling outside the top 30, the Spaniard turned her focus to ascending a different type of peak. A five-day expedition to the top of Africa’s highest, Mt Kilimanjaro, ensued. “We crossed waterfalls, rivers, icy rivers, caves, cliffs, and the hardest: frozen nights,” Muguruza wrote in Instagram posts. “At some point, I was crying when my guide told me to not look down at the 300m free-fall.” It was a challenge which helped give the 26-year-old a fresh outlook for the season ahead, to shift her concerns away from tennis for a while. “It was a very hard challenge, completely different of what I do,” she said. “You’re climbing that mountain and it’s only you. You don’t get any award, any prize, any photo, any nothing up there.
“It’s really challenging you physically and mentally to be there, and I was just looking for something fun, different experience outside from tennis.
“I really like the experience to see myself in the middle of nowhere and, yeah, just having one clear thought just to keep climbing.”
2. Martinez back on board
The Martinez-Muguruza partnership is again paying dividends
As Spain’s first woman to win Wimbledon in 1994, Conchita Martinez seamlessly slotted into an interim coaching role for compatriot Muguruza on her successful 2017 campaign at the All England Club. The 47-year-old rejoined her star charge in the off-season on a full-time basis, and again the Grand Slam results have immediately followed. “It’s like couples,” Martinez said. “We all want Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston to get back together, right? Sometimes it happens like that … Now being back with Garbine, it feels great to be back and united, working hard. For me to see her doing well is great.” Martinez joined Muguruza for a five-week training block in San Diego in the off-season, and was relishing having her compatriot as the main voice in her ear now. “We’ve known each other for so many years. We get along since the first day we met,” Muguruza said. “We’ve had successful experiences before together, also working with her and as a Fed Cup captain. Of course, there’s no guarantees. Nobody’s magical. I think the secret is put the work, hang in there, fight hard. So far I’m trying to put that together.”
3. She has experienced life at the top
Muguruza became a two-time major champion in 2017
Until this year, Muguruza had not tasted the kind of second-week success at Melbourne Park as she had at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, with her best result being a lone quarterfinal showing three years ago. But that’s not to say Australia hadn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds for the Spaniard – she won her first tour title six years ago at Hobart. Muguruza lost to Serena Williams in the second round on her Melbourne Park debut in 2013 but avenged that defeat in a huge boilover at the same stage at Roland Garros a year later against the world No.1 en route to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. In 2015, Williams again had her number when Muguruza appeared in her first major final at Wimbledon, but she didn’t have to wait long to land the Grand Slam silverware. After back-to-back quarterfinals at Roland Garros she again stunned Williams in straight sets, this time in the final to capture her first major in 2016. The triumph made her just the second Spanish woman after three-time champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario to win Roland Garros. In 2017, Muguruza triumphed over Venus Williams at Wimbledon. It made her the first player to beat both Williams sisters in major singles finals. Muguruza later rose to world No.1 in September of that year.
4. Star power
Despite finishing an inconsistent 2019 at world No.28, Muguruza’s star power still reeled in the big bucks. She ended the year tied in 10th place for the highest-paid female athletes on the planet with prize money for the season of $US2.4 million and endorsements worth $US3.5 million. In 2018, she was the fourth highest-paid female athlete in the world after only Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens, with $US11 million. It was following her 2017 Wimbledon triumph that her profile soared even higher with a hefty bonus from sponsor Adidas, as well as deals with Rolex and Evian. Her other sponsors include Babolat, Beats by Dre and Maui Jim sunglasses. Muguruza attracts a huge supporter base on social media too. She became the most popular top-five player on Instagram in the wake of her Wimbledon 2017 victory, picking more than 100,000 new followers. She now has more than 756,000 on Instagram, 492,200 on Twitter and 452,333 on Facebook. Should she complete three-quarters of a career Grand Slam in Saturday night’s final her following would skyrocket even higher. Fellow former No.1 Simona Halep saw no reason her semifinal conqueror could not return to being one of the biggest star’s in the women’s game. “If she can play every day like this, she can be No.1, for sure,” Halep said. “But it’s tough to do that. The consistency on tour, it’s the most important thing and the toughest one. She’s a great champion. She knows how to win Grand Slams, how to win titles. She’s OK. Everyone has tough periods.”
5. She first picked up a racquet in Venezuela
Muguruza spent her early years in Venezuela
Spain’s most successful women’s player since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario spent the first six years of her life in her mother’s native Venezuela. Born in Caracas, in October 1993, Muguruza first picked up a racquet when she was three, hitting balls with her two brothers, Asier and Igor. In 1999, her family moved to her Basque father’s home country, Spain, where she was enrolled in the Bruguera Tennis Academy in Barcelona. While listed as Spanish with the WTA, it was not until October 2014 the proud dual citizen made the difficult decision to represent Spain over her homeland, Venezuela. “I have Venezuela and Spain in my blood and heart, and family in both countries,” Muguruza said at the time. It was not an easy decision as both her brothers had picked up ATP ranking points played for Venezuela. “I was always following my brothers,” Garbine told Elle in an interview two years ago. “If my brothers hadn’t played [tennis], I never would have picked up a racquet. Tennis isn’t the most popular sport in Venezuela. They wanted to [move to Spain] because it’s a more important sport over there. So we all moved.”
Canelo Alvarez aimed a ruthless dig at Mike Tyson.
Canelo Alvarez did not hold back when he was asked about Mike Tyson following his damning comments over a proposed fight against David Benavidez.
Canelo, who is undisputed champion at super-middleweight, was briefly linked with a fight against Benavidez before opting to face Jaime Munguia.
The boxing superstar came face-to-face with the unbeaten 27-year-old in last night’s kick-off press conference in Los Angeles, California.
After the presser, the 33-year-old spoke to reporters on the red carpet and was asked about Tyson’s claim.
Tyson, who is set to face Jake Paul on July 20, accused Canelo of disrespecting the legacy of Mexican boxing by not agreeing to fight Benavidez.
“I can’t believe what I just heard,” the 57-year-old said.
“What’s wrong with Canelo? Is he afraid of losing? Doesn’t he want to give the fans the fight they want to see? Don’t you want to give the fans the fight they want to see?
“Do you not respect the legacy of the great Mexican champions who faced the best regardless of the money?” He asked. “This is a shame for boxing and for Mexico. If I were him, I would accept the fight with Benavidez and show the world that he is the best.
“But it seems he doesn’t have the courage to do it; It is a shame because he has a lot of talent, but he lacks heart.”
Well, Canelo has now responded, and he’s pulled no punches as he aimed a ruthless dig at the former world heavyweight champion.
Asked if he respects Tyson’s opinion after he called for him to fight Benavidez, the Mexican sensation ruthlessly replied: “I’d respect his opinion if he was sober.”
While Canelo holds the WBA (super), IBF, WBO, WBC and The Ring Magazine super-middleweight world titles, Benavidez is in possession of the interim WBC super-middleweight belt.
The American star boasts an undefeated professional record (28-0), having beaten the likes of David Lemieux, Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade.
But he’ll have to wait before landing a showdown with Canelo, who will return to action on May 4 against Munguia.
Boxing champion Claressa Shields is back in the studio, flexing a different kind of muscle – her musical prowess. Following the success of her first music video, Shields is dropping a new single titled ‘GWOAT’ (Greatest Woman Of All Time), a fitting title for someone who dominates both the boxing ring and is now looking to make her mark on the music scene. This isn’t Shields’ first foray into music.
Back in 2021, she released a song that garnered over 43,000 views, showcasing her talent beyond the ropes. Now, with ‘Pop My S**t’ fading into the distance, fans can expect another glimpse into the multifaceted world of Claressa Shields. Furthermore, Shields tried to give her fans a glimpse of some adventure she had BTS (behind the scenes) on the shoot of her latest music video.
Claressa Shields changed outfits 3 times
In the past, there have been many boxers who have made great music, and the list includes great names like Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson, and Roy Jones Jr. So much so that De La Hoya even received a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Latin Pop Album’ back in 2001. Well, now Claressa Shields is trying to do the same, as she aspires to make a great rap song with her new release.
But more importantly, she’s having a fun time doing it. And she shared it with her fans on the X, synonymously developing some hype for the track. In her post, she mentioned that she enjoyed trying out new outfits for the video shoot. She wrote on X, “My video shoot for my new single “Pop my s**t” went so well! I had so much fun ! I switched outfits 3x!” The fans definitely got excited about it.
The fans discussed the gorgeous pictures she uploaded in her tweet and how she looked stunning in all of them. Not only that but Shields also received praise for exploring new things.
Fans are all praise for the ‘GWOAT’
As of now, the fans are quite excited about her new music, so there’s a chance that it’ll garner more news than her first. They also loved the marketing style of ‘GWOAT’. One of the fans stated how Shields looked amazing in the outfit, and there was no criticism whatsoever from their side whatsoever.
The fans showed nothing but support for the boxing champion and could see potential in this upcoming music video. Hopefully, it’ll live up to the hype. What are your thoughts about this? Let us know in the comments section.
OK, not quite. But the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion did step out at a pair of shows this week for Paris Fashion Week for the fashion houses Balmain and Off-White.
Williams wore a black, midi dress adorned with a white rose down the front to the Balmain show, which was also attended by singer Cher and actress Ashley Park, who plays the role of Mindy Chen on “Emily in Paris,” and was joined at the Off-White show by models Alessandra Ambrosio and Ashley Graham, recording artists Halle Bailey and Willow Smith, and actress Lisa Rinna, among others.
Williams got a sneak peek at the brands’ 2024-25 fall and winter collections at the shows, but she owns a personal connection to the Off-White fashion house in particular — which was founded by Virgil Abloh, a close friend.
Abloh, who passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer, collaborated with Williams’ longtime apparel sponsor Nike to design her match clothes for the 2018 US Open and the 2019 French Open. He also designed her a pair of custom Nike Air Force 1s for the 2019 Met Gala.
In February of 2022, Williams walked the runway in the designer’s honor at Paris Fashion Week. She paid tribute to her late friend again on Instagram by posting “#VirgilForever” to go along with snapshots of the outfit she wore for this year’s show — a black, bodycon dress with cutouts along the sides, and a black-and-white varsity letter jacket.
At Off-White show, Williams joked with The People Gallery — an influential fashion TikTok account run by Brookyln-based stylist Maurice Kamara that boasts 1 million followers — that her “high-school boyfriend” gifted her the accent piece, and offered a style tip to fashion mavens everywhere.
“My style tip [is] be yourself. Own who you are, be OK with that,” she said. “If you want to be different, it’s OK to be different. Just be you.”
Will Smith reveals what made him read the holy book during podcast interview
Will Smith has recently opened up about reading the Holy Quran from cover to cover after Oscar slap controversy.
During an appearance on BigTime podcast earlier this week, the Men in Black actor said, “The last two years of my life have been a difficult time and my attention turned inward and I read all the holy books.”
He then revealed, “I even read the Quran cover to cover during last Ramadan.”
Will noted that this is the “spiritual seeking phase of my life,” where he’s “trying to cultivate as wide open as loving heart as I will be able to build”.
When questioned what did he discover after reading the Holy book of Quran, to which the Emancipation star replied, “I wish I would tell how much Musa was mentioned in the holy book.”
“Through Quran, I read about Musa and his experiences,” he remarked.
Will mentioned, “The other thing I love about Quran is its simplicity, I mean the holy book is so crystal clear and it’s hard to walk away with misunderstandings.”
“The spirit of the book is so beautiful and clear,” declared the Hollywood actor.
Meanwhile, Will disclosed that he read all the holy books of Abrahamic religion, adding, “From the Torah to the Bible and now to the Quran, I finally understood the line and the completion of the comprehension.”
