Latest news with #IndianWellsOpen
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why tennis players undergoing fertility treatment will have their world ranking protected
Female tennis players over time have expressed great difficulty balancing family ambitions with aspirations for career greatness. However, a new empowering rule introduced by the WTA will help to dispel this conundrum from these players' minds, encouraging them to start a family at a time that suits them. Advertisement Female tennis players who undergo fertility treatment will no longer feel pressured to rush back to the court after the WTA's groundbreaking promise to protect their world rankings. Any of the world's top 750 players who wish to freeze their eggs or embryos will now be given a 'special ranking' to provide additional peace of mind when planning to start a family. Players often use the off-season to receive fertility treatment, or are forced to weigh up the dilemma of peak fertility conflicting with top sporting displays. This new rule will not only protect the health of these sporting stars, but ease the pressure to return to competitions if not full recovered or at peak physicality. Advertisement Here's everything you need to know: Who is eligible? The option can be taken up by any female player who is ranked within the top 750 if the time they spend outside of competition surpasses 10 weeks. More than 320 players are also eligible for up to 12 months of paid maternity leave, which was introduced by the WTA for the first time earlier this year. All players will receive the same level of statutory maternity pay, regardless of where they rank. What is the 'special ranking'? The special entry ranking will allow any eligible player undergoing treatment to enter up to three tournaments within 10 weeks of their return. Advertisement The SER is calculated by a player's 12 week average, spanning before and during their out-of-competition period. However, players will be prohibited from using this ranking to enter any of the WTA premier 1000 events. These include the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open. Who set this rule up? This initiative was 'very much at the instigation of the players', according to WTA chief executive and Player's Council member, Portia Archer. Player reactions "Being able to have the security to take care of that, have that peace of mind and know we can come back to the tour without working our way up the rankings is such a gift." - Maddison Keys, 2025 Australian Open champion "Someone might be out for three months, someone might be out for one week. Some people gain a tonne of weight, some people can go back immediately. I think when you are family planning, it's better if you have that support." - Sloane Stephens, 2017 US Open champion
BBC News
17-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Jack Draper's mother praises son after Indian Wells win
Jack Draper's mother has praised her son for his hard work after the Surrey tennis star won the biggest title of his career to British number one, from Leatherhead, beat world number 13 Holger Rune in the Indian Wells Open final on was the 23-year-old's first trophy at an ATP Masters event - the tier below the four Grand Slam mother, Nicky Draper, said: "He's worked so hard for this. He's always been a really good player. "But that doesn't get you too far. You've got to really put in the work and do it day in, day out, and just work on all the different aspects that you need in tennis." Ms Draper, who declined a call from her son while on BBC Radio Surrey, added: "It wasn't straight forward, but in terms of other matches where I've been watching for four hours and literally [been] on a rollercoaster all night wondering what's going to happen, it was fairly straight-forward."After beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday's semi-final and his straight-set victory over Rune, Draper climbed to his highest world ranking of an interview with BBC Sport, he said: "I'm incredibly happy, obviously, and incredibly proud of my achievements this week."Draper, who went to Reed's School and Parkside School in Cobham, started his training at Sutton Tennis Club before joining the Weybridge Tennis Academy when he was five.
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bill Gates and 'Serious Girlfriend' Paula Hurd Attend Tennis Tournament in California
Bill Gates and his girlfriend, Paula Hurd, were in the stands last week as the BNP Paribas Open continued in California. The billionaire tech mogul and philanthropist and Hurd, the widow of Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, attended the second day of the famed tennis tournament, also known as the Indian Wells Open. The pair were low-key attendees — he in a ball cap while she wore dark sunglasses. Gates, 69, recently said that outings at sports events are one of the ways the couple enjoys spending time together. Related: Bill Gates Opens Up About Romance with 'Serious Girlfriend' Paula Hurd for First Time: 'We're Having Fun' "We're having fun," he said on the Today show last month. "Going to the Olympics and lots of great things." He and Hurd were first publicly linked in 2023 and have become increasingly public with their relationship, at Jeff Bezos' engagement party, on the red carpet and more. He told Today that she was his "serious girlfriend." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hurd also joined Gates during a stop on his book tour this year, promoting the first of three memoirs, Source Code, in which she got a special mention alongside the three kids he shares with ex-wife Melinda French Gates. "Early readers of the manuscript included Paula Hurd, Marc St. John, and Sheila Gulati," Gates wrote in the acknowledgments of the book. "The close read from dear and trusted friends provided much-needed thoughtful and insightful feedback at critical stages in the writing." Read the original article on People
Arab News
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
King of sarcasm: Daniil Medvedev on speaking his mind, adjusting to slow courts, and making the most of Sinner's absence
After his opening round victory in the Indian Wells Open tennis tournament a few days ago, Daniil Medvedev scribbled a sarcastic message on the camera lens. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport '6-2, 6-2, 1h 36m, very fast courts,' wrote the former world No. 1. Medvedev has never been a fan of the slow hard courts at Indian Wells. One of his most famous mid-match rants came at this very tournament two years ago when he became so frustrated at the speed of the court, he told the umpire between sets: 'It's a disgrace to sport, this court. It's not a hard court. I know what is hard court, I'm a specialist on hard court.' This year, the courts have been redone and several players have said they felt the surface has been playing faster than usual. Not Medvedev, though, who made sure to point out that his 6-2, 6-2 win over Bu Yunchaokete last Friday should not have taken him more than 90 minutes to complete. "I know what a hard court is - I'm a specialist" Pure gold, @DaniilMedwed — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 14, 2023 Last month in Dubai, Medvedev mocked the net-cam for failing to show whether his opponent had touched the net or not on a video replay, and suggested on social media he should be refunded the $60,000 fine he paid for breaking the net-cam during the Australian Open a few weeks earlier. 'What is this $60k camera doing there, if it cannot show if he touched the net or not?' said Medvedev in the post-match press conference. Whether he is losing his cool on court, taunting the crowd, or speaking his mind in press, Medvedev has become a fan favorite for being both funny and authentic. Even his peers find his openness refreshing, with one player recently telling me he particularly enjoys watching Medvedev's press conferences because 'he is true to himself.' Medvedev found that amusing when I told him and did not hesitate when I asked him if he had a personal favorite public speaker. 'I definitely love Jose Mourinho. That's my favorite one,' Medvedev replied in a recent interview in Dubai. 'He's the king of sarcasm. I can be like this sometimes, but I don't really, in a way, like to do it during press. I could be, but in press I try to be more serious. But I absolutely love his sarcasm. It's like so on point all the time. Because there is sarcasm, which you are like looking and you think it's stupid, but he's on point 99 percent of the time.' Refund? — Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) February 26, 2025 Most people will say that Medvedev's sarcasm is also 'on point,' although he admits he sometimes should hold back when he is on court. 'The thing is that here (in press), I speak what I think,' he said in Indian Wells this week. 'On the court sometimes I say things which I don't really think. It's just because of the adrenaline, the stakes, the pressure of the moment, I sometimes say things which after the game I can clearly say I did not think this, it's not true.' Has he ever been discouraged by anyone from his entourage to be less forthcoming to avoid controversy? 'I could be discouraged, but only from myself,' he said. Tennis can be seen as a polished sport, with most players advised to keep things diplomatic when speaking to the press, especially in this age of social media when statements can easily be taken out of context. It is why someone like Medvedev can stand out, as one of a only a few who try to share their honest thoughts about difficult subject matter. As an entertainment product, tennis faces stiff competition from other major sports and the endless content available on streaming platforms. Medvedev is a sports fan and realizes tennis can be lagging in certain areas on the business front, but is unsure what the tour can adopt from other leagues or disciplines in order to boost its popularity. 'When I look at tennis as a sport and what it is and which players we have and how many people watch it, that there could have been something that much better and maybe tennis would be... I would not be surprised if it would be even second after football, maybe, which it's not in a way,' he said. 'But for this, I don't know what needs to be done. 'I'm sure that something could have been done better because I see that tennis is struggling in some parts of business. And at the same time, I'm not the one to change it.' The definition of a lung busting rally @DaniilMedwed continues to amaze us #TennisParadise — Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 8, 2025 One thing that has kept tennis in the headlines in recent weeks is the three-month ban handed to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol, which authorities accepted was transmitted into his system via an over-the-counter cream used by his former physiotherapist to treat a wound in his hand. Sinner, who won eight titles last season, including two Grand Slams, will be out of action until May. Does Medvedev believe the Italian's absence can open the door for him to scoop some silverware? 'It depends because in the big picture, not having Sinner, who's winning probably lately one out of two tournaments he's in, maybe even a bit more, is definitely favorable in terms of results for everyone on the tour, not only me, literally everyone,' said Medvedev. 'And at the same time, the way my results were lately, I don't care in a way about Sinner because last many, many tournaments, I haven't even faced him because I was not far enough to face him. So it depends. 'But I like what Carlos (Alcaraz) said, that the most important is to look at yourself, try to do what you can best, win matches. You play Sinner, you try to win, you play someone else, you try to win, and that's the most important.' In Medvedev's own words, his start to the season has been 'slow,' with an early exit at the Australian Open and just one semifinal appearance in five tournaments contested so far in 2025. The 29-year-old dropped out of the top five in January, for the first time in two years and is ranked No. 6 this fortnight at Indian Wells. Owner of 20 career titles, Medvedev has not lifted a champion's trophy since May 2023, which he mostly attributes to the heavier balls introduced by the ATP Tour in recent years. 'It brings some disadvantages to some players. It brings some advantages to some others. And that's normal. The only thing I'm asking is, we have slow balls, no problem. We have slow courts, no problem. Let's sometimes make fast balls and fast courts. Fast courts do exist. Fast balls, I don't think they exist anymore,' he said. 'And that's a problem for some players. So when some players go down the rankings and we're like, upset, upset, upset. No, there is a real reason for this.' Daniil Medvedev: "I didn't really get tight or anything. I played good shots at the good moment. He made it happen for him today." "It was ridiculous how slow the balls were. I do not understand how it's not 5-7 ball change in the ATP Tour. I don't get it." — Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) February 27, 2025 Some players, like Stefanos Tsitsipas, have reacted to the introduction of slow balls by making some drastic changes, like switching their equipment. Tsitsipas recently changed his racket, using a blacked-out-framed Babolat instead of his previous Wilson, and immediately won the title in Dubai as a result. Medvedev describes himself as someone who is 'resistant to change,' but admits he has tinkered with strings and some specs to his racquet in the past in an attempt to adapt to the new conditions on tour. He remains convinced he can get back to winning ways with these balls in play, but it remains a work in progress. 'In 2023, the balls were already like this and I managed to win, what was it, four out of five tournaments. So, I can do it. I need a lot of confidence. I need a lot of mental toughness, which maybe sometimes I didn't have lately,' he said. 'But I can do it. This, I'm sure. What I always said, this put some disadvantages to my game because I know my strong sides. It kind of keeps my strong sides but makes my weak sides worse, the slow balls. 'Some other guys, it advantages them. It's no problem to have it sometimes. I would love it 50/50. Sometimes fast balls, sometimes slow balls. But it's not the case right now. I did already try many different things: racket, strings, whatever. Some worked, but then the other tournament they don't work.' Medvedev feels he has played many close matches this year and not finding his best at the most important moments is what cost him dearly. He is certain those slim margins will swing his way sooner or later. 'When I play good, I'm one of the best in the world and I want to try to find it again,' he said. Edging closer to the 30-and-over club, Medvedev maintains he is as hungry as ever to contend with the world's best. He said the love of competition is what drives him the most, and it is something that has never waned. 'I like to compete. A lot of things we as tennis players do, you know, I just came from the lounge and there, I see like three tables playing cards and they all want to win. And that's how we are,' he said. 'We play games, someone on the phone, PlayStation, cards. Even when I have a car trip, if it's more than three, four hours, we try to find games to play when you are in the car, you know, let's count, I don't know, yellow cars, whatever. 'So, for me, it's about competition. I like to compete. I like to win. I miss it a little bit and I'm trying my best to find it back.'
South China Morning Post
11-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
China No 1 Zheng Qinwen says she does want to make friends in tennis after all
Olympic champion and China's No 1 tennis star Zheng Qinwen has backtracked on previous claims that she is not in the sport to make friends, saying there are some people 'I really want to befriend'. Advertisement In November, the world No 9 said that she preferred to keep her distance from other players on the tour, saying that she finds it hard to compete against friends. But following Zheng's 6-4, 7-5 win over Lulu Sun in the round of 32 of the Indian Wells Open on Monday, she told Chinese media that she was warming up to the idea of getting close to her colleagues. 'Actually, there are two people in the tennis community whom I really want to befriend. But I haven't taken that step yet. I'll talk about it once I do,' the 22-year-old said. Zheng has been in several high-profile rows on the court, leading some people to think the Olympic women's singles champion is a frosty character. Advertisement After beating American tennis player Emma Navarro in the round of 16 of the Paris Olympics, the pair shared heated words as they approached the net to shake hands.
