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      in Tennis

      French Open: Hsieh Su-Wei Is a Dominant Force in Doubles

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      She has won seven majors, including the French Open twice.When Hsieh Su-Wei walked on the court to play doubles at the Miami Open in March with her partner, Elise Mertens, she wasn’t burdened by a cumbersome tennis bag holding half a dozen rackets, an assortment of snacks and multiple changes of clothes and shoes.Despite being No. 1 in the world in doubles, Hsieh, 38, wore an outfit that she bought off the rack and that bore none of the logos associated with lucrative sponsorship deals that many of her colleagues on the WTA Tour have. Until recently, Hsieh had no manager, requiring her to sell herself to sponsors. Her efforts so far have been unsuccessful.“It’s not an easy job dealing with the sponsorship when the people are not sure if they are going to have you or not,” said Hsieh, who typically competes with just two rackets, which she said was no problem since she had never broken one and could not remember the last time she even popped a string. “I don’t want to waste the time to do it. I just want to focus on my tennis.”Hsieh has never been consumed by the trappings of her sport, preferring to travel her own circuitous path. An accomplished singles player, she ranked a career high No. 23 in 2013 but has never gone beyond the quarterfinals at a major. She first ascended to No. 1 in doubles in 2014, winning Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014, both with Peng Shuai. She won her second Wimbledon in 2019 with Barbora Strycova and her third with Mertens two years later.Hsieh and her partner, Barbora Strycova, celebrating after winning the final of the women’s doubles at Wimbledon last year. Strycova retired after last year’s U.S. Open. Hsieh will partner with Elise Mertens at this year’s French Open.Alastair Grant/Associated PressAfter leaving the tour for nearly 18 months at the end of 2021 to heal a nagging muscle strain in her leg that had her contemplating retirement, Hsieh returned in April of last year and has now won three of the last four majors, each with a different partner. At last year’s French Open, she paired with Wang Xinyu, who is nearly 16 years her junior, to win the championship. Hsieh then captured Wimbledon with Strycova.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      in Boxing

      My dad’s a British boxing legend – now I’m making my own way in another sport following my dream

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      BRITISH boxing legend David Haye has wished his son Cassius, 15, good luck as he looks to make his own way in a different sport.Haye is one of just three fighters alongside Evander Hollyfield and Oleksandr Usyk who have won a title at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.David Haye has wished his son Cassius luck in his budding tennis careerCredit: instagramThe two often workout togetherCredit: InstagramDavid is determined to use his boxing expertise to help him make it as a tennis starCredit: InstagramHe memorably won the WBA heavyweight belt in 2009 when he beat the giant 7ft Russian Nikolai Valuev.The two had a height difference of nine inches and Valuev weighed 45kg more than the Brit.The boxer finally retired from boxing in 2018, a year after losing to Tony Bellew in the final fight of his career.But rather than follow his father into the fight game, Cassius appears determined to make it in tennis.READ MORE IN BOXINGThat’s despite the fact that Cassius is named after Muhammad Ali.Haye took to Instagram today to wish Cassisus an early happy birthday and good luck in his future tennis career.He wrote alongside a picture of the two of them: “@mrcassiushaye developing into a fine young man! “He’s 16 at the end of the month, I’m so proud of him following his tennis dream. 💥❤️🔥”Most read in BoxingCassius is hoping to become a pro tennis playerCredit: InstagramHe said a tennis training camp was his ‘dream’ holidayCredit: InstagramThree years ago, when Cassius was just 13, he went on a “dream” tennis camp in order to work his way to becoming a pro.But the plan for Cassius to make it in tennis goes back way further than that.David Haye’s son Cassius trains alongside his fatherIn 2016, when Cassius was just eight, Haye defended being a “pushy” parent and vowed that his son would become a tennis star.Cassius is now a member of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and playing the necessary matches towards turning pro. More

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      in Tennis

      Here Comes Padel, the Newest Racket Sport Taking Up Game Courts

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      I first learned about padel last summer, when my partner sent me a photo from a small court during a visit to Germany.What is that? I wondered.“Padel. A childish version of tennis,” he texted, anticipating my question.As an enthusiastic tennis player, I was not very interested.A few months later, while biking in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, I noticed a large building with a sign that read “Padel Haus,” which billed itself as the first padel club in New York City. This sport wanted my attention, so I invited Victor Mather, a veteran sports reporter, to join me for a lesson.Victor was willing to try. “I am a reasonably fit guy,” he said. But he was turning 60, he said, and added: “My eyesight isn’t what it used to be, I haven’t played tennis since prep school, and I have never played squash or racquetball.”I was just happy to be on a court with a racket in hand because it isn’t easy to book a tennis court in the city.Here’s what we learned.First, what is padel?Padel is a racket sport that has been growing in popularity in parts of the United States and other countries. Christian Rodriguez for The New York Times

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:nth-child(4){grid-column:2;grid-row:3 / 5;}.css-5h54w2 > :nth-child(5){grid-column:2;grid-row:5 / 7;-webkit-align-self:end;-ms-flex-item-align:end;align-self:end;}.css-rrq38y{margin:1rem auto;max-width:945px;}.css-1wsofa1{margin-top:10px;color:var(–color-content-quaternary,#727272);font-family:nyt-imperial,georgia,’times new roman’,times,Songti TC,simsun,serif;font-weight:400;font-size:0.875rem;line-height:1.125rem;}@media (min-width:740px){.css-1wsofa1{font-size:0.9375rem;line-height:1.25rem;}}@media (max-width:600px){.css-1wsofa1{margin-left:20px;margin-right:20px;}}Martin Sweeney, the president of the U.S.P.A. said that “Padel is very much in its infancy in the U.S.A. in comparison to most, certainly Europe and South America.”

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      in Soccer

      Champions League knockout stages set to change forever thanks to Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal

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      FOOTBALL bosses have focused on the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal over the planning for next season’s new-look Champions League.The single-league format features 36 clubs, with the top eight then gaining direct entry to the last-16 stage.Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s rivalry has inspired the new-look Uefa knockout formatCredit: GettyThe new-look Champions League begins next seasonCredit: AFPSides that place from ninth to 24th will have play-offs — with the eight winners also going through to the first knockout stage.In planning meetings over the last few years, Uefa chiefs spoke at length about the tennis finals between Nadal and Federer.They discussed how they were kept apart by seeding until the end, of course, Novak Djokovic was also there.So, the teams who finish first and second in the new-style league after eight games will be seeded and not be able to play each other until the final.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd that means for the last-16, there will be a structured route to the final — similar to tennis tournaments — to plot potential clashes.As a result, there will be no quarter-final or semi-final draws as the route will already be planned.And it is also good that there will be no teams in next season’s Champions League dropping into the Europa League, as this silly bonus for failing clubs has been scrapped.Meanwhile, Uefa deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti has revealed a fully manual draw is no longer possible in the new format as it could take four hours to complete and 900 balls would be needed.Most read in Champions LeagueCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVAL Therefore, a “hybrid” draw will be used that incorporates manually pulling teams out the hat and automated elements to speed up the process.Uefa insist any sections that are computerised will be independently monitored to ensure draws are not rigged.’Very good, I like that’ says Europa League draw host after Man Utd icon John O’Shea’s cheeky joke live on TVThe exact system that will be used has not yet been revealed. More

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      in Tennis

      Australian Open: Ben Shelton, the American With the Blinding Serve, Returns

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      He made a splash at last year’s event, reaching the quarterfinals, and went on to have a breakout season.It all started with a simple text message that, if Bryan Shelton’s memory serves him, went something like this:“That coulda got really interesting,” wrote his then-20-year-old son, Ben, moments after he won a fifth-set tiebreaker against Zhizhen Zhang at last year’s Australian Open, clinching that first-round match.Had it not been for that win, in a match that began in the morning and ended at night under the lights, during which Shelton survived a heat postponement, a rain delay and a match point, he might never have had the breakout season that he had last year.“Not sure I remember it that way, because it did get kind of interesting,” said Shelton by phone shortly after he and his father traveled to Brisbane, Australia, from their Florida home in late December to begin the 2024 season with a pre-Australian Open warm-up tournament. Shelton did, however, recall the unreturnable serve he hit at 4-5, 30-40 down in the fifth set.Shelton left last year’s Australian Open, his first trip abroad, as a quarterfinalist after succumbing to his friend and fellow American Tommy Paul. By season’s end, Shelton had reached the semifinals at the United States Open alongside the world’s top three players — Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev — and cracked the ATP’s top 15. The young American had begun 2023, his first full year on tour, ranked barely inside the top 100.Shelton is still very much a work in progress. Despite a serve that topped out at 149 m.p.h. at last year’s U.S. Open, he struggled trying to adapt to clay and grass courts. It is something that he and his father, who left as head coach at the University of Florida last spring to coach his son full time, have worked on diligently during the off-season.“The biggest thing for him is movement,” said Bryan Shelton, a tour player mostly in the 1990s. “It’s efficiency, being more balanced. The men’s game today is all about the serve and return and creating opportunities to come forward, which Ben can do.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?  More

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      in Tennis

      The Notable Comebacks at the Australian Open

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      After extended layoffs, Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and others are back on the court.A comeback provides no guarantee of success, but few sports provide more comebacks than professional tennis.They are arriving wave after wave, particularly in the women’s game, where returning to action after maternity has become more common.After the WTA stars Elina Svitolina and Caroline Wozniacki came back last season, the trend is continuing in 2024, with Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, both former No. 1 players and multiple major champions.Both are new mothers who have been out of the game for more than a year and both will be in the draw as the 2024 season begins in earnest on Sunday with the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, which Kerber won in 2016 and Osaka in 2019 and 2021.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?  More

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      For the WTA and ATP, 2024 Could Be a Year of Formative Change in Tennis

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      Tennis is trying to reposition itself by altering tournaments and spreading more money around.Steve Simon was feeling optimistic.Despite a 2023 season that ended with an avalanche of grumbling following the WTA Finals in Cancún, Mexico, which featured bad weather, a potentially dangerous center court and unrelenting complaints from the players, Simon, the chairman and chief executive of the women’s tour, was doing everything he could to move forward into 2024.“The WTA is very fine,” Simon said by video call in mid-December, just after it was announced that the WTA will soon separate the roles of chairman and chief executive, with Simon becoming executive chairman. He no longer will be in charge of day-to-day operations and instead will be tasked with, as he said, “working on strategic geopolitical issues, which are now very prevalent and affecting our business in many different ways.”There are formative changes coming to the WTA and ATP this year. The ATP has put into place its OneVision strategic plan designed to align the interests of players and tournaments with an eye toward enhancing the fan experience while also creating more lucrative media contracts.Part of the plan involves increasing the duration and draw size at several ATP tournaments. Madrid, Rome and Shanghai all went from one-week, 56-player-draw events to 12-day, 96-draw tournaments in 2023. Canada and Cincinnati will do the same in 2025. Indian Wells and Miami are already staged that way.All are Masters 1000 tournaments, the highest level in terms of prize money and ranking points other than the four majors — the Australian, French, and United States Opens and Wimbledon. Several of the tournaments are combined men’s and women’s events. Other tournaments, like ones in Dallas, Munich and Doha, Qatar, are increasing in value while still others, including Atlanta and Newport, R.I., are falling off the calendar after this year.Daniil Medvedev after winning the Qatar Open in Doha last year. The tournament is one of several ATP events increasing in value this year.Mohamed Farag/Getty ImagesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?  More

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      in Soccer

      I’m a former Man Utd star – I was more worried about meeting my wife for the first time than before World Cup final

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      FORMER Manchester United star Bastian Schweinsteiger has played in the final of the Champions League, World Cup and Euros.But he was more nervous when meeting his now wife for the first time than he was prior to some of the biggest matches in world football.
      Bastian Schweinsteiger played for United from 2015 to 2016Credit: AFP or licensors
      He is married to ex-tennis champion Ana IvanovicCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The couple met in New York after being set up by a mutual friendCredit: Instagram @bastianschweinsteiger
      Schweinsteiger won 18 trophies during a glittering spell with Bayern Munich as well as the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and FA Cup with United two years after.
      And his wife Ana Ivanovic has an equally impressive collection of accolades.
      The former tennis world No1 has 15 career titles to her name, including one Grand Slam at the French Open in 2008.
      Sports worlds collided when Schweinsteiger and Ivanovic were set up by his basketball pal Steffen Hamann in New York.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      The retired German footballer explained to Bild that he was extremely anxious before meeting Ana.
      But he had a code word either – “come on, let’s go for a walk together” or “okay, see you later, Steffen” – depending on how first impressions went the Serbian tennis ace.
      Schweinsteiger said: “I wasn’t that good at English when we met, so I listened to Ana a lot at the beginning.
      “I was a bit on the defensive and saw what was coming.”
      Most read in Football
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      Schweinsteiger says it was love at first sightCredit: Instagram @anaivanovic
      The couple are expecting their third childCredit: AFP
      “It was love at first sight. You feel special moments and you can recognise them when you look deeply into someone’s eyes – that’s exactly how it was with me.”
      The couple tied the knot in Venice in 2016 and the combative midfielder showed his softer side with a romantic proposal.
      He revealed: “In London there are small parks that are only accessible to local residents and then I secretly rented the park from the film called Notting Hill.
      “Of course I knew that Ana was extremely curious and when we walked past the gate ajar, I said to her: ‘Come on. We’ll see.’
      “And then we went in there and then I asked her. This came as a complete surprise to her.
      “I was able to score a few points with her family by asking Ana’s father for her hand in marriage in Serbian.
      “I flew to Belgrade and asked.”
      The power couple have two sons together and are expecting a third kid soon.
      Schweinsteiger is currently being coached tennis by his wife and he jokes that he is getting blown off the court by Ana, who is putting in 30 per cent effort.
      Bastian Schweinsteiger won the World Cup with Germany in 2014Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Ana Ivanovic is a former world No1Credit: Alamy More