Simona Halep has traveled to Greece on vacation amid a decision delay in her doping saga.
The Romanian has been suspended since October 2022 after failing the doping test. She was found positive for using a banned substance, roxadustat, at the 2022 US Open – where she lost to qualifier Daria Snigur in the first round.
The London District Court was supposed to deliver a judgment on Halep’s doping saga earlier this week. However, the court postponed its hearing, thus disappointing Halep. The Romanian turned to social media to express her frustration at her case being delayed.
“Today I found out that the decision in my case, which was expected this week, will be further delayed,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “This is terribly disappointing, as I have consistently said that all I ask for is to be judged.”
She also reflected on the mental toll the delay in her decision has had on her.
“It is hard to explain the emotional toll that all of these delays have had and continue to have on me.”
Amidst doubts hovering around Simona Halep’s doping decision, she has traveled to Greece to get some time off from her doping fiasco.
The Romanian posted a few pictures on her Instagram story. She visited the Parthenon, situated in Athens, Greece. The iconic monument is a former temple and is often regarded as the symbol of democracy.
“When life gives you a hundred reasons to break down and cry, show life that you have a million reasons to smile and laugh,” the Romanian wrote her Instagram story.
Simona Halep is a two-time Grand Slam winner
Simona Halep is a two-time Grand Slam winner and a former World No. 1. The Romanian hasn’t played on the tour since the 2022 US Open.
Halep won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2019 French Open. The Romanian beat Sloane Stephens in the final to win the title in Paris. She beat the likes of Elise Mertens, Angelique Kerber, and Garbine Muguruza, to reach the finals.
Halep won her second Grand Slam title later that year at Wimbledon. The former World No. 1 beat tennis icon Serena Williams in straight sets to win the prestigious title in 2019. The Romanian dropped just one set in the whole tournament as she won her second Grand Slam title.
Rafa Nadal, his wife Mery Perelló, and their newborn, Rafa, have shared their first image together. The family is on a trip to Greece and appears to be enjoying the gorgeous views together as they enjoy one of their first family trips together.
The photo was shared on Instagram and shows Nadal holding their baby while Perelló stands next to him. The three look ahead in front of them while the camera captures them from the back. “Holidays,” he captioned the post, adding in a waving emoji.
Earlier this month, Nadal celebrated the historic Wimbledon win of Carlos Alcaraz, the 20 year old Spanish tennis player who beat Novak Djokovic in a stunning match. He shared an Instagram post where he wrote a lengthy caption for Alcaraz, calling him a “champion.”
“Congratulations, Carlos Alcaraz. You’ve given us a great joy today and I’m sure our Spanish tennis pioneer Malona Santana has cheered you on to welcome you as another Wimbledon member, a group you’re joining today. I send you a big hug. Enjoy this moment!”
Alcaraz revealed that Nadal had sent him an encouraging text before the match. “He sent it to wish me luck for the final, and I appreciate it,” he said in a press conference. “That someone like him, an idol of my childhood and who continues to be so, sends you strength and luck for the most important moment of your life is something to admire.”
Nadal’s tennis break
Earlier this year, Nadal explained the reason why he was taking an extended tennis break. He revealed that he’d had some surgery following an injury he obtained at the Australian Open. Despite the discomfort, he made it clear that everything was healing correctly. He also made it clear that next year might be his last as a tennis professional. “You never know how things will turn out, but my intention is that next year will be my last year,” he said in a news conference.
Spanish tennis star Garbine Muguruza celebrated her 30th birthday on October 8, 2023. Garbine has a loving and humble nature off the court, but on it, she is one of the most competitive and passionate tennis players. We take a look at some interesting facts and figure about her.
Garbine MuguruzaGarbine Muguruza, known as a Spanish tennis player, was actually born in Venezuela. She has dual nationality.Garbine Muguruza began playing tennis at the age of just three. When Garbine Muguruza moved to Spain at age 6, she began training at Bruguera Tennis Academy.Garbine Muguruza’s mother Scarlet is of Venezuelan origin while her father Jose belongs to Basque group. She has two older brothers – Asier and Igor.Garbine Muguruza is a multiple Grand Slam winner. She won the French Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017.Garbine Muguruza has 7 WTA titles and 7 ITF titles. She is a former world number 1 and her running ranking in singles is 30.Garbine Muguruza has defeated Serena Williams on more than one occasion. Before she defeated Serena at the French Open in 2016 final, Garbine first handed Serena one of her worst losses, when she beat her in straight sets at Roland Garros in 2014.Garbine Muguruza is only the second player to be born in the 1990s who has won a Grand Slam (the other being Petra Kvitova.)Garbine Mugurza won both her Grand Slam titles by beating each Williams sister. She beat Serena to win the 2016 French Open and Venus to bag the Wimbledon crown in 2017.Garbine became the first Spanish woman to win a Grand Slam in 18 years when she won the French Open.Garbine Muguruza is also great at playing doubles. She has 5 WTA titles and 1 ITF title to her name.Garbine Mugurza’s nicknames include Garbi, Mugu and most famously mushroom. Muguruza is also a philanthropist. She is an ambassador for Room to Read, an NGO organization and has planned to help them in early grade literacy and secondary education for girls.Garbine Muguruza is also a philanthropist. In 2017, she became the ambassador for an international education NGO named Room to Read.
Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley on Thursday reiterated his full confidence in the return of Rafael Nadal at next year’s opening Major as the Spaniard continues his rehabilitation from the several different injuries that have plagued him over the past few years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had revealed earlier this year that he plans for 2024 to be his final year on the competitive tennis tour.
Nadal, who has not played a professional tennis match since bowing out of the second round at Melbourne due to a hip flexor injury, is yet to confirm where and when his comeback will take place. But Tiley maintains that he is confident the 37-year-old will not miss out on the opportunity to repeat his heroics from 2022, when he returned from a similar injury-induced break to win the Australian Open despite trailing Daniil Medvedev by two sets in the final.
“Rafa has been training, I follow him closely, probably every day, because he’s a massive drawcard for us,” the Australian Open chief was quoted as saying by Reuters. “He wants to play, he’s obviously planning on playing. It all depends on how he pulls up.”
“Hopefully in the next week or the next two weeks, we get some specific confirmation of that. I’m certain Rafa will be here because he’s not going to want to miss the opportunity to repeat what he did a couple of years ago,” Tiley added.
I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practising every day and working hard to come back asap 💪🏻😉
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) October 11, 2023
Updates on return
Last month, the executive had mentioned for the first time that he believes Nadal, a big commercial draw for the tournament, should return to the Australian Open in 2024, to which Nadal, neither confirming nor denying, just responded that he “appreciated the vote of confidence” in a post on his X account.
Since then, more definitive updates have been made by the Spaniard about his return. After laying low for many months, his social accounts have become more active with regular videos of his practice sessions – on hard courts – being posted.
Last week, Nadal issued the most clear-cut update on his return so far, confirming he will be back but asking fans to “stay tuned these days when I decide and announce with my team when and where,” on his social media channels.
Following that, Nadal was quoted as saying by atptour.com: “Until now I didn’t know if I would play tennis again someday, and now I genuinely believe I will. I’m still not ready to say when, but I’m able to train increasingly longer, and the progress is good.”
“We know that the pain will never disappear, but I’ve taken a step forward. That’s a lot for me. Talking about tennis is another matter altogether, as is the level I’ll be able to play at. But the steps toward trying to play again have been big and positive, which is what we have been fighting for for several months. I’m confident I’ll be able to say something more specific in the coming weeks,” the 37-year-old added.
While he remains tight-lipped on a potential return, it will evidently be the summer months where Nadal will be targeting to return to his competitive best. The Spaniard will be looking to get another crack at the European clay season to strengthen his bid for one last Major at the French Open, to add to his fabled record of 14 titles. Later in the year, Nadal will look to add another Olympic medal to his tally, especially considering the Paris Olympics will be taking place at Roland Garros as well.
Where the Australian Open fits into those goals remains to be seen.
Historic injury trouble
While it is his hip flexor injury that kept him out of the French Open last year, and subsequently caused him to give up on the 2023 season, Nadal has faced injury trouble throughout his beaten and battered body over the last few years.
RAFAEL NADAL (ESP) TENNIS – FRENCH OPEN – ROLAND GARROS – ATP – WTA – ITF – GRAND SLAM – CHAMPIONSHIPS – PARIS – FRANCE
In 2021, the Spaniard needed minor surgery for the chronic foot issue that he has suffered from since 2005. Despite that, his foot continued to give him trouble, flaring up again a few times, most notably during his run to the 2022 French Open title, which he played with pain-numbing injections on his heel.
The last time he was at a high competitive level was at Wimbledon last year, when he was forced to withdraw from the semifinal after tearing an abdominal muscle, which derailed the rest of his year.
An announcement is expected soon about his return, but, in view of his recent troubles, coupled with the multiple ankle, wrist, knee, and elbow problems he has faced in the past, he is likely to keep his schedule light to give himself the best chance in Paris for the French Open and Olympics.
Emma Raducanu is set to make her long-awaited return to competitive tennis in the New Year and the Brit is still searching for the sixth coach of her young career.
Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci has offered to take charge of Emma Raducanu’s fledgling career in a bid to help the Brit become “bulletproof” ahead of her return in 2024. Raducanu has been out of action since April after undergoing double wrist surgery as well as an operation on her ankle and she’s slowly made her return to training on the tennis court.
But the 21-year-old is still looking for a new coach after splitting with Sebastian Sachs in June. She’s now searching for her sixth coach in two years and recently admitted that part of the reason for the high turnover is because they “haven’t been able to keep up with the questions” she’s been asking.
Prior to undergoing surgery earlier this year, Raducanu had found it tough to build on the success of winning the US Open back in 2021 as an 18-year-old qualifier. There have been many teenage prodigies in tennis who have struggled to emulate that kind of success later on in their careers.
Serena Williams remains one of the youngest players to ever win a major after triumphing at the 1999 US Open at the age of 17. Macci helped mould both Williams sisters in their early years between 1991 and 1994 and still continues to shape the future stars of tennis at his tennis academy in Florida.
Emma Raducanu split with Sebastian Sachs in June
And the 68-year-old has admitted he’s reached out to Raducanu’s team to join the coaching list and believes the Briton can follow the same path as Carlos Alcaraz. “I spoke to her agent, but he said her parents deal with coaching appointments,” he told the Telegraph.
“I’m not a travel coach, people come to me. I can help her mentally and strategically like no other. I don’t know where her head is at, whether there is the hunger and belief there to be the best.
“If you look at Carlos Alcaraz, everything changed for him with success at an early age, but he was ready and loaded. I don’t know Emma or what’s in her head, but you don’t lose talent and ability. Yes, you might lose a little confidence and fitness, but technically she’s very good – you don’t win a Grand Slam otherwise. If she really wants to be one of the best in the world – and she has the ability – then you need to cope with the pressure that comes with that.
“She should want pressure. You do all this training to be a professional player and want to be the best in the world. She has to be able to deal with what comes with that. She must be prepared to deal with the media.
“To say she sometimes wishes she didn’t win the US Open because of the mental and physical strain it has brought cuts both ways; If she’s going to listen to every little thing that is said about her then that doesn’t work, you’ve got to be bulletproof and I can help her with that. You need an ability to forget just as importantly as the ability to remember and she must learn from the adversity she’s faced.”
Roger Federer has been enjoying his retirement this year, and one event earlier this week was so special that it reduced the Swiss icon to tears.
Roger Federer made a surprise appearance on stage at Andrea Bocelli’s concert in Zurich on Monday night. The tennis legend was reduced to tears as the Italian tenor concluded his performance with a jaw-dropping rendition of the famous ‘Nessun Dorma’.
Federer has been enjoying his retirement to the fullest since bowing out from the sport at the Laver Cup last year. The Swiss star has made several special guest appearances at competitions since and this is not the first time he’s been on stage at a concert.
With plenty of spare time on his hands, Federer has had the opportunity to enjoy more live music over the past few months – and his appearances at concerts has not gone unnoticed by artists spotting his name on the guest list.
Whilst attending Bocelli’s concert on Monday night, the 20-time Grand Slam champion was invited up on stage by the singer so that he could be by his side for his final song. Whilst preparing for his final number, Bocelli was heard saying: “Among us tonight, there is a living legend, Roger Federer.
“For me, it’s really an honor to dedicate the last hour to him for the emotions that he gave to everybody and I would like to have him here on stage.”
Federer duly accepted the offer and was escorted to the stage promptly by security. The pair embraced on stage before Boncelli belted out his iconic ‘Nessun Dorma’, which brought the house down. Federer was visibly moved by the performance, failing to hold back the tears as he stood aside the artist.
The 42-year-old was seen wiping his face throughout the performance, evidently touched by Bocelli’s unbelievable vocals. Federer’s appearance was vastly different to when he decided to go on stage with Coldplay in Zurich earlier this year, though lead singer Chris Martin did give the tennis legend plenty of fair warning.
Speaking of when he received the message from the multi-award-winning artist, Federer explained: “It was I got the invitation from Chris Martin from Coldplay. He said, ‘Don’t you want to come up on stage tomorrow?’ I was in Zurich at the time I just came back from an Elton John concert. You know stuff you just do when you don’t have much to do anymore.
“I looked at my daughter and I told her, ‘Do you think I should be going on stage to do this?’ And she was half-asleep, but told me, ‘Of course, papa, you only live once.’ Of course, I enjoyed it after. But, you know, I don’t need those anxiety moments anymore. I’m just happy and quite content to be away from it all, but I finished on top, you know, this is my music career. I ended it right there, I dropped the mic.”
ovak Djokovic says the Davis Cup knockout phase “has to travel” around the world as he prepares for Serbia’s quarter-final against Britain in Spain.
Since a revamp of the men’s team event in 2019, the final stages of the tournament have always been played in Spanish cities.
Novak Djokovic and Serbia have not played a Davis Cup tie on home soil since 2018
On Thursday Serbia play Britain in Malaga, where the semi-finals and final will be held at the weekend.
“This is a competition that is played globally,” Djokovic said.
“It shouldn’t stay in one place more than a year.”
Eight nations have been competing in the week-long event, but Spain failed to qualify.
The Davis Cup, which started in 1900, used to be played in a home-and-away format, often creating a partisan atmosphere but regularly missing top players.
Could Davis Cup return to home and away ties?
It led to a controversial revamp the tournament and the final stages were turned into a season-ending event, as part of a 25-year £2.15bn plan funded by the Kosmos investment group fronted by former Spain footballer Gerard Pique.
Billed as the World Cup of tennis, the inaugural event featuring 18 teams was held in Madrid in 2019 and the final stages of the 2020-21 event were also held in the Spanish capital.
The ‘Final Eight’ of the past two editions have been played at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga.
In January this year, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) ended the deal with Kosmos after less than five years.
World number one Djokovic, who has won a record 24 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, urged more communication between the ITF and the top players about the Davis Cup.
“Everyone should have their say because so far no-one has been really communicating with us from the ITF,” said Djokovic, whose nation have not played a Davis Cup tie on home soil since 2018.
“I don’t think we all agree. We will have probably difference of opinions, but the home-and-away ties is something the Davis Cup historically has been very famous for.
“Giving one nation to host the [Final] Eight for four years is too much. It has to travel.”
It is understood the ITF has written to the Serbian Tennis Federation on two occasions this month to gauge interest in hosting one of next September’s group-stage events, but has not received a response.
Australian world number 12 Alex de Minaur said he would go back to the home-and-away format in a “heartbeat”.
There will be no changes until at least 2025, with the current format set in place for next year.
The group stage of this year’s tournament, taking place in the week after the US Open, was played across venues in Manchester, Bologna, Split and Valencia.
Feliciano Lopez, who is the tournament director in Malaga, told BBC Radio 5 Live he had a “productive” conversation about the issue with Djokovic when Serbia played in Valencia.
It is understood the ITF contacted Djokovic via the Serbian Tennis Federation after the group-stage event in Valencia in September, with a view to arranging a meeting in Malaga.
Australian doubles legend Mark Woodforde, who is an athlete representative on the ITF board, says a “period of stabilisation” has been needed following Kosmos’ ill-fated intervention and disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The ITF does not feel there needs to be change because it is suffering, our feedback is it is not in any trouble, but we are always reviewing it,” Woodforde told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We’re the World Cup of tennis – it is not a European-based competition. We would love to see the tournament flourish, potentially played in the North America, South America and Oceania regions.”
(At least, not for now.) The newly turned 30-year-old recently revealed she’s been “trying to stay away from the courts” amid her indefinite break from tennis.
Former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza hasn’t competed since January amid an indefinite break from tennis.
And that’s likely not going to change anytime soon, as the Spaniard recently revealed that she has “no intention” of returning to professional tennis courts—at least not for the moment.
“As of today I have no intention (to return to competition),” Muguruza told Women’s Health, speaking during a Zumba instructors’ event last month in Malaga. “My plan right now is to sleep, rest, be with my loved ones, make up for lost time…
“I don’t look beyond what I’m doing today, tomorrow and this week.”
Muguruza at a Zumba instructors’ event last month in Malaga.
Muguruza’s last match took place at a WTA 250 event in Lyon, where the then world No. 82 fell in straight sets to qualifier Linda Noskova. But the two-time Grand Slam champion’s struggles date back to 2022, a season in which she won back-to-back tennis matches on just two occasions—a surprising drop-off, after Muguruza finished the 2021 season by clinching the WTA Finals trophy in Guadalajara.
The 30-year-old announced in April that she would be taking a break from competition in favor of spending the time resting and recharging with friends and family, and became engaged to Arthur Borges in May.
In the meantime, Muguruza has been trying out new things. She’s taken her love for Zumba to the next level, attended the San Sebastian International Film Festival and rang in her 30th birthday in style. The only thing she’s not doing? Playing tennis or getting anywhere near a tennis court.
“Tennis has no place in my routine,” Muguruza revealed. “I still follow my peers, from time to time I still play but not intensely, more for fun. It doesn’t occupy my mind, my day or my routines. I’m really taking a real break and trying to stay away from the courts.”
But that doesn’t mean she’s not keeping up with the game—or with her fitness. Muguruza admitted to watching tennis regularly and following her peers’ progress during tournaments, and says that she hasn’t strayed from her training during the break, although she is enjoying lighter workouts without the added pressure of having to be “match ready”.
“I go to the gym regularly, as many times a week as possible,” Muguruza said. “I love doing weight training, completing the cardio part with Zumba, Pilates classes, yoga, boxing…
“I’m taking advantage of doing all the things I didn’t have time to do when I was training for tennis.”
Muguruza is currently ranked No. 1038, having dropped out of the Top 200 in June.
In a recent candid video, tennis champion Coco Gauff gave the world a glimpse into her multifaceted life beyond the tennis court. The US Open champion opened up about her personal time and the many activities she loves outside of tennis- activities she doesn’t always share with the public.
Gauff’s heartfelt monologue emphasized the importance of prioritizing her mental health and staying present in the moment despite having a hectic schedule. The 19-year old underscored her vulnerability and commitment to mental well-being while coming across as an inspiration, reminding her fans and fellow athletes of the significance of taking time for oneself.
“Nothing is better for my game, then taking my mind off the game” – Coco Gauff
The video is part of campaign collab between Ray Ban and meta for its new smart sunglasses. Gauff shared it in both Instagram and TikTok with the caption: “Being fully present in my downtime lets me stay focused when its gametime. Thanks for helping me stay in the moment 💜🖤🙌🏾”
Some of the higlights included her revealing how she believes people saw her. “When I was young people used to think I lived and breathed tennis,” she says in a voice over. “I just feel like people see the work on court but don’t realize how many things I like to do off the court,” she said.
“I just don’t necessarily always share that stuff about myself. Some days I just like to sit in my hotel room and just do nothing.” – Coco Gauff –
She also talked about athletes in general and the relatability to the rest of us. “We’re people too,” she says. “I have two younger brothers, it feels like home when I’m with them.”
Coco Gauff’s family
Coco Gauff often speaks about the importance of her family, which has proved to be pivotal for her development as a person and a player. “I’m the oldest of three siblings. Maybe that has something to play with it. I don’t know. I feel like I have learned a lot quickly,” she said in a press conference at the Qatar Open.
Her parents are Corey and Candi and her brothers are Codey and Cameron. Codey is 14 years old and has an interest on many things, including baseball. Cameron is 9 years old and has a strong bond with his sister, helping her come up with some designs for her shoe line.
Novak Djokovic has predicted which three young talents will replace him, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Novak Djokovic has predicted that Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune will become tennis’ next great triumvirate. Djokovic is a member of the Big Three alongside Rafael Nadal and the now-retired Roger Federer, and fans have wondered which trio will follow in their footsteps once the Serb and Nadal have stepped away from the court.
The World No 1 defeated Sinner to claim a record seventh ATP Finals triumph on Sunday. He had previously lost to the Italian in the group stage of the tournament but recovered to claim the trophy.
Djokovic has now named the 22-year-old among the young stars who will eventually replace him, Nadal and Federer. However, the 36-year-old veteran has vowed to keep going until “they start kicking my butt”.
Alcaraz, Sinner and Rune have been listed by Djokovic as the three tennis aces to overtake the Big Three. But Djokovic has vowed to “hang around” in a quest for further silverware and hinted that he wants to add Olympic gold to his array of honors.
“Carlos, Jannik and Holger are the big three.. the next big three, if you want to call them. They are going to carry this sport,” Djokovic said.
Jannik Sinner can rival Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, Novak Djokovic says
“I will hang on for as long as I feel like hanging on, as long as I’m able to win against them on the big stage. I’ll still keep going because why stop if you’re still winning the biggest titles.
“Once they start to kick my butt, then I will consider probably having a little break or maybe a permanent break from professional tennis.”
Djokovic has revealed that he wants to win Olympic gold in Paris next year. The US Open champion has opened up on his plans for 2024, suggesting that he will target all four Grand Slams.
Wimbledon was the only major Djokovic failed to win in 2023, losing the final against the impressive Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic will target Olympic gold in Paris in 2024
But asked what else he could achieve in his career, he smiled before joking: “Well, you can win four Slams and Olympic gold.”
Djokovic added: “I have always the highest ambitions and goals. That’s not going to be different for the next year, that’s for sure. The drive that I have is still there.
“Motivation, especially for the biggest tournaments in sport, is still present. For me, obviously those are Grand Slams and Finals, and next year hopefully also Olympic Games.”
