Tag: Serena Williams

Michelob ULTRA heads to Bushwood Country Club for Super Bowl 57 teasers

Tony Romo, Serena William, and Brian Cox are teeing it up for Super Bowl 57.

While Molson Coors is getting back into the Big Game commercial scene, Anheuser-Busch isn’t going anywhere. AB InBev is still set to appear on the small screen during the breaks, including a spot with Michelob ULTRA, which has dropped several teasers that unveil the stars of its Super Bowl campaign —one that pays homage to an all-time classic film: “Caddyshack.”

First up (and quite possibly the best of the lineup) is Tony Romo teeing it up as “Carl,” who was played by the great Bill Murray:

And the lackadaisical greenskeeper soon had company on the course when Michelob ULTRA’s dropped a second teaser, this time highlighting some of the esteemed members of the reimagined Bushwood Country Club:

It’s the second consecutive year for Serena Williams and the beer brand making headlines in the Super Bowl ad space. Along with the tennis legend, an impressive cast that featured Peyton Manning and Steve Buscemi, among others, hit the bowling lanes in 2022 for the Michelob ULTRA’s “Superior Bowl’ spot that finished 12th in the Ad Meter ratings.

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How this year’s creative plays out still remains to be seen, but as Ricardo Marques, VP of Marketing, Michelob ULTRA, explained, the messaging is clear.

“Michelob ULTRA believes it’s only worth it if you enjoy it and that comes through in our spot. ‘New Members Day’ celebrates how golf is crossing over into mainstream culture and shows Serena and Brian alongside other amazing athletes having fun on their day off. We’re looking forward to debuting the full spot and celebrating with fans everywhere as the beer for the next generation of golf.”

Speaking of those “other amazing athletes”… a few others have also been seen around Bushwood as well.

Canleo Alvarez looks like he has a new gig…

…and Alex Morgan apparently was fitted with Al Czervik’s golf bag.

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Stephen Curry, Justin Timberlake and Serena Williams lead A-list investors in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports

The group boasts 113 F1 wins, 40 Emmy Awards, 26 Grand Slams, 21 Olympic medals and 8 MVP titles.

The star-studded combination of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy aren’t the only big names involved in TMRW Sports.

The pair are founders of the new company – pronounced “tomorrow sports” – that will focus on “building technology-focused ventures that feature progressive approaches to sports, media, and entertainment.”

Seven-time world champion and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton was announced as the first name in a strong list of strategic investors on Tuesday, and the full list was released on Wednesday morning.

“From the very beginning our plan has been to partner with the best-in-class in every way imaginable and Tiger, Rory, and I value the support of this unrivaled team of investors, advisors, and ambassadors who believe in our vision to harness technology to create progressive approaches to sports,” said Mike McCarley, CEO and also a founder of TMRW Sports.

Here’s who else is involved.

F1

  • Alex Albon: Williams Racing driver
  • Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes driver
  • Lando Norris: McLaren driver
  • Carlos Sainz: Ferrari driver
  • Mark Webber: retired driver and 9-time F1 Grand Prix winner

NFL

  • Josh Allen: Buffalo Bills quarterback
  • Kelvin Beachum: Arizona Cardinals lineman
  • Larry Fitzgerald: retired Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
  • Tony Romo: retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback, CBS Sports analyst

Entertainment

  • Justin Timberlake: 10-time Grammy Award and 4-time Emmy Award winner

Tennis

  • Andy Murray: 3-time Grand Slam Singles Champion, 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Serena Williams: retired 23-time Grand Slam Singles Champion, 4-time Olympic Medalist

Gaming

  • Tyler “Ninja” Blevins: professional gamer and entertainment personality

NBA/WNBA

  • Stephen Curry: Golden State Warriors, 4-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA MVP
  • Andre Iguodala: Golden State Warriors, 4-time NBA Champion
  • Chris Paul: Phoenix Suns, 12-time NBA All-Star
  • Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics, 3-time NBA All-Star in first five years
  • Diana Taurasi: Phoenix Mercury, 3-time WNBA champion, 2-time WNBA Finals MVP

Soccer

  • Jozy Altidore: MLS, New England Revolution, 2-time U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year
  • Gareth Bale: MLS, Los Angeles FC, 3-time Champions League winner in Europe
  • Servando Carrasco: retired MLS player, married to Alex Morgan
  • Alex Morgan: NWLS, San Diego Wave FC, 2-time World Cup champion

MLB

  • Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels, AL MVP and AP Athlete of the Year in 2021
  • Trea Turner: Los Angeles Dodgers, World Series champion

NHL

  • Sidney Crosby: Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-time MVP and 3-time Stanley Cup champion

Surfing

  • Kanoa Igarashi: World Surf League, Olympic silver medalist

The institutional investment was co-led by Connect Ventures and 25madison Ventures.

The group of business leader investors includes the likes of Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United and PGA Tour Superstore owner), David Blitzer (ownership of Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Cleveland Guardians, Real Salt Lake), John Henry (Fenway Sports Group owner), Steve Nash (former NBA MVP and coach), Kevin Warren (Big Ten commissioner), Jimmy Dunne (Seminole Golf Club president), Dick Ebersol (former NBC Sports chairman) and Alexis Ohanian (Reddit founder).

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Serena Williams explained why she’s eyeing a return to tennis for the first time since U.S. Open

Everybody stay calm.

Is the GOAT planning to make a comeback?

Serena Williams announced in August prior to the U.S. Open that she would be stepping away from the game of tennis, which was widely seen as a retirement announcement.

Yet even during her farewell at the U.S. Open, there was speculation that Williams’ playing days weren’t quite over. In her first public appearance since losing in three sets to Ajla Tomljanovic in September, which was expected to be the final match of her career, she added fuel to that fire.

Speaking at Tech Crunch Disrupt in San Francisco on Wednesday, Williams clarified that she isn’t retired and called her odds of a comeback “very high,” per The San Francisco Standard:

“I am not retired,” Williams said “The chances [of me returning] are very high. You can come to my house and [see] I have a court.”

Williams attended the event to promote her investment company, Serena Ventures. While discussing the company, she elaborated on her mindset regarding the break from tennis.

“I still haven’t really thought about it. But I did go on the court the other day and [realized] for the first time in my life that I’m not playing for a competition and that felt very weird,” Williams continued. “It was like the first day of the rest of my life, and so far, I am enjoying it. But I’m still trying to find that balance.”

This is far from a confirmation that Williams will be back on the court for high-level competition in the future, but it’s certainly a good sign for fans hoping that Williams has a bit left more in the tank.

We’ve already seen a legendary player in one sport come out of retirement in the last year in Tom Brady. Based on these comments from Williams, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that we see another.

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Serena Williams is already making Tom Brady jokes about possible unretirement (but is she serious?)

Does this mean she’s thinking about unretiring???

It’s been a hot minute since Serena Williams finished her legendary on-court career in tennis after a loss at the 2022 U.S. Open.

But now, let the unretirement speculation begin!

The GOAT appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, who asked her if she was going to pull a Tom Brady and come out of retirement.

Her answer?

“You know what? Tom Brady started an amazing trend,” she said … and added nothing more.

OK, fine. That’s a late night joke, very funny Serena.

But then on Wednesday, with Good Morning America, SHE MADE THE SAME JOKE!

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Hmmmm.

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Sports stars shower Serena Williams with praise after her U.S. Open loss

“Literally the greatest on and off the court.”

After nearly three decades in professional tennis, along with 23 Grand Slam trophies and 73 singles titles, Serena Williams’ tennis career is over, as she’s said the U.S. Open would be her last tournament.

Williams advanced to the third round of the tournament she’s won six times and took on Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night. After a more than three-hour grueling match, Tomljanovic topped Williams in three sets, presumably ending the GOAT’s incredible career.

Although Williams wasn’t quite playing at the same level as her first two tournament matches, she didn’t go down without a fight, of course. It was a thrilling match, and although she lost, it was a memorable final appearance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The tributes, thank-yous and messages of love for Williams poured in after the match ended, including one from former First Lady Michelle Obama:

But she certainly wasn’t alone.

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Ajla Tomljanovic after beating Serena Williams in U.S. Open: ‘It almost didn’t feel right’

Ajla Tomljanovic played exceptionally well to earn the W over Serena Williams in the U.S. Open.

Surely no one wanted to be the player who knocked Serena Williams out of the 2022 U.S. Open, as she’s said it’s her last tournament before moving away from professional tennis.

But Friday night, Ajla Tomljanovic became that player, beating Williams in a three-set thriller to advance to her first U.S. Open Round of 16 appearance. Taking down the GOAT is no easy feat, and Williams fought until the very end of the more than three hour match, forcing Tomljanovic to play six match points before eventually winning, 7-6, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1.

And when it was over, Tomljanovic handled her role as victor over Williams with tremendous grace and praised the legend in her subsequent interviews. In fact, she apologized even when no apology was necessary because she was just doing her job.

Tomljanovic said in her on-court interview afterward:

“I’m feeling really sorry just because I love Serena just as much as you guys do, and what she’s done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible. And I never thought that I’d have a chance to play her in her last match when I remember watching her as a kid in all those finals, so this is a surreal moment for me. …

“I just thought she would beat me, you know, so the pressure wasn’t on me. So, she’s Serena. I didn’t think that — even to the last point, I knew that she’s in a really good position to win, even when she’s down 5-1. And I don’t know how many match points I needed to finish it off, but that’s just who she is. She’s the greatest of all time, period.”

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But she also opened up a little about how challenging this match was for her, not just because she was playing a 23-time Grand Slam champion but also because it was difficult to be the one to beat Williams in her presumed final tournament.

Williams, obviously, also had the opportunity to speak on the court after the match, and she delivered a tearful thank you to her fans and her family, particularly older sister Venus Williams, saying, “I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus.”

It was a touching and emotional moment that had an impact on Tomljanovic as well.

More via USOpen.org:

“I would be cheering for Serena, too, if I wasn’t playing her. But it was definitely not easy,” Tomljanovic, who hit 32 winners and broke [Williams]’ vaunted serve eight times, said later. “I’d say the biggest thing was just to block out all the noise. … It’s just another tennis match for me. I’m happy to be in the third round and have a great opportunity to play on Arthur Ashe. It’s what I dreamed of when I was a kid. Just not make it bigger than it is because everyone else already made it huge.

“During the match, I was so eager to win. I wanted to win as much as the next person because I didn’t look at her like, ‘Oh, Serena, her last tournament.’ But then when it ended, it almost didn’t feel right.

“When she started talking about her family and everything, I got emotional because I can relate to having a strong bond with your family. When she said that she wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for them, I relate to that a lot. Just the whole moment after was just tough to handle a little bit.”

Although the masses surely hoped Williams would be able to steal another victory, Tomljanovic played exceptionally well and earned the W.

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See the most emotional moments of Serena Williams’ final match at the US Open, in photos

See the final moments of Serena’s career through these dazzling photos.

If this is truly it for Serena Williams then what a career it has been.

Ajla Tomljanovic eliminated Williams on Friday night after maybe the most grueling and agonizing 6-1 set you’ll ever see. It felt like each time Tomljanovic set up for a match point, Williams would fiercely counter the way she has through the entirety of her career.

She did not go down without a fight and no one expected her to. Tomljanovic said she didn’t expect Williams to lose until she actually beat her. That’s just how good she is.

The final moments of her career weren’t in victory, but they were still absolutely perfect. Take a look at them in the gallery below.

Serena Williams says emotional thank you after U.S. Open loss: ‘These are happy tears’

“I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus.”

It certainly seems that Serena Williams’ illustrious tennis career has come to an end after nearly three decades as a pro.

The 40-year-old tennis GOAT lost in an incredible three-set third-round match of the U.S. Open on Friday to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia, 7-6, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1. It lasted for more than three hours and delivered some of the best tennis we’ve seen all week.

And she left fans in the crowd and watching at home with a touching and tearful message after what’s expected to be her final tournament.

With the crowd roaring behind her and Tina Turner’s The Best playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams fought through her emotions to thank her family, particularly her parents and, of course, older sister Venus Williams, who’s a legend in her own right.

On the court, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said:

“Oh my god, thank you so much! You guys were amazing today. I tried but Ajla just played a little bit better. Thank you, Daddy. I know you’re watching. Thanks, Mom. Oh my god. I just thank everyone that’s here that’s been on my side so many years, decades, oh my gosh, literally decades. But it all started with my parents, and they deserve everything. So I’m really grateful for them.

Oh my god, these are happy tears! I guess, I don’t know. And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus! She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.”

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Is it dusty in here, or is it just us?

If this is Serena’s final performance on the court, it was a tremendously memorable one with a touching farewell from the best there ever was.

What a career.

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See Ajla Tomljanovic’s match point that knocked Serena Williams out of the 2022 U.S. Open

An incredible match that just didn’t go Serena Williams’ way.

Serena Williams’ run at the 2022 U.S. Open is officially over after she lost Friday in a three-set third-round match to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia, 7-6, 6-7 (7-4), 6-1. It’s expected to be 40-year-old Williams’ final tournament before she exits tennis (she’s been purposeful not to say “retirement”).

The match lasted more than three hours and was some of the best, hard-fought tennis of the tournament so far. For Tomljanovic, it’s her first U.S. Open Round of 16 appearance, and she had to take down the GOAT to do it.

It was truly an incredible match with exceptional performances from both players, but Tomljanovic seemed to have more left in the tank by the time the third set began. Here’s the match point that handed Tomljanovic the win and eliminated Williams from the tournament:

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From the beginning, Williams’ serve wasn’t at the high level we’ve seen throughout the week, and she lost the first intense set.

The second set was particularly grueling. Williams came out firing at the beginning and was up 4-0 in the set at one point before allowing Tomljanovic to claw back into it, in part by winning a marathon 15-miute eighth game with nine deuces. Tomljanovic followed that game win by breaking Williams to make it 5-4.

The second set was forced to a tiebreak with Williams again jumping out to a 4-1 lead before Tomljanovic tied it up. Williams ultimately won the tiebreak and the second set, forcing an intense third.

Looking a bit more tired than in the first two sets, Williams opened the third by breaking Tomljanovic, who responded with two breaks of her own. Add those to a strong serving game and an excellent command of the court, and Tomljanovic stormed to a 5-1 lead.

The final game saw the two play six match points with Williams putting up a valiant fight before Tomljanovic ultimately won.

Even though Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champ, lost, she had a great week and treated fans to one last U.S. Open appearance.

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Who is Ajla Tomljanovic? 5 things to know about Serena Williams’ U.S. Open third-round opponent

Get to know Williams’ latest opponent.

Wondering who Serena Williams is facing in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open, her final tournament as a pro before retiring?

You’ve come to the right place.

The legend will be facing Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in Queens, with the winner moving on to the fourth round (we don’t know who either will be facing then, at least as of publishing this).

So who is Tomljanovic? Can she end up being the answer to a trivia question about who beat Williams in what could be her final match if the GOAT loses?

Let’s dive in with some facts: