Talk About Tennis 2.0

Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 5:16 am I'm afraid anytime you hear someone under 50 has died suddenly suicide is high on the list of potential causes. Probably only below heart disease of some kind.

Or drug overdose..but yes, my mind immediately jumped to suicide or accident

Belorussian hockey and tennis people are historically close to their dictator Lukashenko. For example, Sergey Teterin (former Soviet tennis player) is his personal friend. Being close to such political figures bears the heightened risk...

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 5:19 am

Suliso wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 5:16 am I'm afraid anytime you hear someone under 50 has died suddenly suicide is high on the list of potential causes. Probably only below heart disease of some kind.

Or drug overdose..but yes, my mind immediately jumped to suicide or accident

Yes, but that's kind of a suicide too.

mick1303 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 7:34 am Belorussian hockey and tennis people are historically close to their dictator Lukashenko. For example, Sergey Teterin (former Soviet tennis player) is his personal friend. Being close to such political figures bears the heightened risk...

Apparently he jumped off the balcony of the hotel. Weird how many Russian/Belorussians of note throw themselves off balconies.

Owendonovan wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 2:19 pm

mick1303 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 7:34 am Belorussian hockey and tennis people are historically close to their dictator Lukashenko. For example, Sergey Teterin (former Soviet tennis player) is his personal friend. Being close to such political figures bears the heightened risk...

Apparently he jumped off the balcony of the hotel. Weird how many Russian/Belorussians of note throw themselves off balconies.

interesting point! I know what you mean.. did they jump? or were they pushed? probably not relevant in this case, of course..

Whatever lets you sleep at night Simona.

Women's Tennis Blog
@womenstennis
Ex-wife of Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov thinks he didn't commit suicide, rather that he got very drunk and accidentally fell. Empty alcohol bottles were found in his room.

Spinopsys
@spinopsys@aus.social
Everything said by Craig Tiley and Lew Sherr in this paywalled piece is probably a lie #tennis

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/it- ... 5ffh8.html

RybotCalbearo
@calbearo@convo.casa
@spinopsys this is one of those where you get a quick chance to scroll and skim before the paywall comes down. From what I was able to read it does seem laughable. It does seem like there are definitely competing parties and proposals. Tennis Australia seems to have the most to lose here with the lead up to the Australian Open potentially getting swallowed up by a Saudi event. A problem for that group is that ATP has already moved forward with partnering with PIF and Gaudenzi seems all in on that plan.

If you've been watching Miami the PIF logo is everywhere.

Spinopsys
@spinopsys@aus.social
@savannahstennis @calbearo this response on Gaudenzi is BS

“Asked directly whom of the slam CEOs would be the face of the Premier Tour, Sherr said they had not “spent one minute” discussing that possibility, and it was “not [for] the grand slams to run”.

“We want to be attached to it, we want to be a part of it, we want to contribute, but we’re not looking to run it or direct it,” the US Open boss said.”

you have a guy leading one arm of the sport selling it to KSA and running an agenda counter to yours and you haven’t discussed leadership? LOL

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 9:27 pm

If you've been watching Miami the PIF logo is everywhere.

I seem to remember it being at Indian Wells too.

Wertheim said on Roddick podcast this week that he expects a "middle ground" where they take the money, Saudi gets a tourney but won't be in January.

The WTA will hold its Finals in Riyadh from 2024 through 2026.
That is the same thing as holding the awards ceremonies for a journalism prize in Pyongyang. Or Havana.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2024 1:41 pm The WTA will hold its Finals in Riyadh from 2024 through 2026.
That is the same thing as holding the awards ceremonies for a journalism prize in Pyongyang. Or Havana.

agree.. this is beyond disappointing but I expected nothing else from Steve Simon..

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2024 1:41 pm The WTA will hold its Finals in Riyadh from 2024 through 2026.
That is the same thing as holding the awards ceremonies for a journalism prize in Pyongyang. Or Havana.

Same-sex couples can share rooms at WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia
The WTA has confirmed that Riyadh will host the Finals for the next three years

Simon Briggs,
TENNIS CORRESPONDENT
4 April 2024 • 1:00pm

Same-sex couples will be allowed to share rooms when the WTA Finals move to Saudi Arabia at the end of this season, according to a representative of the tour.

In an announcement that underlined the Middle East’s growing influence within tennis, the WTA confirmed today that Riyadh will host the Finals for the next three years. The prize money will begin at $15.25 million, matching the expected payout for the men’s finals in Turin, and setting a new record for an event on the women’s tour.

One of the issues surrounding this decision is that homosexuality of any kind is forbidden under Sharia law. “Tough to talk about,” said Daria Kasatkina, the tour’s most visible gay player, when the subject came up last summer. “For me, I don’t think that everything is about the money.”

But Marina Storti, chief executive of WTA Ventures, told Telegraph Sport that “we have been assured that everybody will be welcome in Saudi Arabia, regardless of sexual orientation or religion. If there are same-sex couples travelling to Riyadh and they want to share rooms in the hotel, that will be accommodated”.

Storti was also asked about the vocal opposition to Saudi Arabia that was expressed in January by tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. In a joint column published by the Washington Post, Evert and Navratilova said: “Taking a tournament there would represent a significant step backward, to the detriment not just of women’s sport, but women.”

In reply, Storti said: “We have been in discussions with Chris and Martina, I have huge respect for the legends of the game. We had conversations, listened to their concerns, shared everything with the players, read the letters they have sent us. We continue to have a really good relationship with them but we had to make the right decision for the players, the fans and the tour.”

The decision has been taken against the background of a turbulent few weeks within tennis politics, as the four grand slams try to develop a streamlined “Premium Tour” consisting of 15 high-level events.

Meanwhile, Andrea Gaudenzi – who runs the ATP Tour – is auctioning off a tenth Masters 1000 event, with most insiders expecting Riyadh to be the winner of that contest as well.

According to the terms of the deal, the WTA Finals will take place from Nov 2 to Nov 9 and remain in Riyadh for at least another two seasons. The top eight singles players and doubles teams will qualify, and the prize money pool is expected to grow in line with the ATP Finals over the remainder of the contract.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024 ... di-arabia/