Tag: tennis

Nike’s awesome tribute to Rafael Nadal will absolutely give you chills

What an incredible tribute to Nadal here

Nike has always been great at making its athletes stand above the competition. It’s as good of a marketing company as it is a sportswear company.

Knowing that, it’s easy to be cynical about some of the ads we watch with the brand’s athletes. Usually, Nike makes things feel a bit bigger than they actually are.

READ MORE: The tennis world showed Nadal so much love after he announced his retirement.

But, man. It’s hard not to get emotional when watching this ad for Rafael Nadal.

Nike released this spot before Nadal’s debut at the 2024 Davis Cup for Team Spain. It’s absolutely chilling.

Nadal wiping the clay surface that he dominated his entire career clean in that way just brings back so many memories. This was awesome.

Fans gave Rafael Nadal a standing ovation at the Davis Cup after he lost his potential last match

If this is it for Nadal, it’s been a great ride.

Rafael Nadal has had a long career spanning through two decades. In that time, he’s become one of the greatest tennis players we’ve ever seen.

Now, he’s retiring. And he may have played his last professional match ever at the Davis Cup on Tuesday.

FEDERER SHOWS LOVE: Nadal received a beautiful tribute from Roger Federer on Instagram ahead of his match

Nadal played the first match for Team Spain on Tuesday, where he lost 6-4, 6-4 to Botic van de Zandschulp of Team Netherlands. Since it’s a team competition, we don’t know whether this is truly it for Nadal here.

But, regardless of if it is, fans still took the time to shower him with love. He received a standing ovation from the crowd after the match.

This is so well-deserved for Nadal. What a career. What a moment.

USC lands local 5-star recruit as part of new Big Ten regime

USC tennis adds yet another 5-star prospect to a young, exciting team in hopes of bringing home a Big Ten title and much more.

USC has a lot of intriguing teams on the playing fields right now. There is JuJu Watkins and the women’s basketball team. Jayden Maiava is the big story for the football team. Don’t forget a team that may have slipped under the average Trojan fan’s radar screen: men’s tennis.

While out of season, the tennis team is getting better and better this offseason. It recently landed a top recruit, five-star prospect Nathan Suh. He is a homegrown talent from Orange, Calif., and he already has USC ties.

In a recent interview, USC head coach Brett Masi touched on the connection while giving his thoughts on Suh:

“Nathaniel is a great young talent out of Southern California, who has been a top talent in the area over the course of his junior career from 12-years old to 18s– Nathaniel has a legacy of being a Trojan, and we are excited to continue that legacy as his mom was a Trojan.”

USC is keeping it in the family with this recruitment.

The incoming freshman has been impressive against other top-tier talent. Suh has a match record of 10-5 against other five-star recruits and an astonishing 8-1 record against four-star recruits.

Suh will join the Trojans in the fall.

While not as flashy as football or basketball, it is always good news for USC sports to land top talent.

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Ben Shelton eyes big week in Paris following Sinner withdrawal, advances to second round

Former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton is looking to make a deep run at the Paris Masters this week, following World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal.

Former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] was already eyeing a big week in Paris at the final 1,000-point Masters of the season, but his path to a deep run just got a bit easier following World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from the event.

Shelton cleared the first hurdle Tuesday afternoon with a 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3 victory over French qualifier Corentin Moutet less than 48 hours after coming up short in the finals of the Swiss Indoors.

Defeating Moutet in front of his home crowd was no easy task, especially after dropping a second-set tiebreak. In typical Shelton fashion, he leaned on his big serve and youthful endurance to take the Round of 64 match. Shelton won 78 percent of his first serves (56 of 72) and saved both break points he faced. He sent 36 winners across the net, including two aces.

Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal clears path

Shelton entered the tournament expecting to face Sinner in the Round of 32, but the World No. 1 withdrew from the Paris Masters earlier this morning, clearing the way for the former Gator.

Instead of facing the best tennis player in the world, Shelton will face lucky loser and World No. 85 Arthur Cazaux on Wednesday. The match is scheduled on central court not before 3:30 p.m. ET, but it could end up being played much later in the day, as it is the fifth match of the day on that court.

Advancing through the Round of 32 would set up a potential match between Shelton and 13th-ranked Holger Rune, who faces No. 33 Alexander Bublik tomorrow.

Three of the four players ranked immediately ahead of Shelton — who is currently No. 19 in the world — have already lost at the Paris Masters. A run to the semifinals would likely move him to No. 16 or higher, but that requires Shelton to win at least four games on tired legs.

Stay tuned throughout the week as Gators Wire tracks Shelton’s quest to finish the 2024 calendar on a hot streak.

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Ben Shelton’s finishes as runner-up at Swiss Indoors

Ben Shelton wanted to add another championship trophy to his mantle, but he settled for the runner-up in the Swiss Indoors final.

It’s not often that [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] comes out of a big-serve match as the loser, but 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard outdueled the former Florida tennis star on Sunday to claim the Swiss Indoors Basel championship, 6-4, 7-6(4).

“First of all, I wanna congratulate Gio on a great match today,” Shelton said after finishing as the runner-up. “So many parts of your game have improved, and you’re such a great young talent.”

Shelton joked that he nearly killed himself trying to return Mpethsi Perricard’s serve. The Frenchman averaged 140 mph on first serve and 129 mph on second serve, while Shelton averaged 120 mph on first serve. It’s rare to see Shelton out-powered, but the ATP rookie was on a mission to crack the top 35 — Mpetshi Perricard began the year outside the top 200.

Despite the loss, Shelton will move back into the top 20 thanks to the 300 points earned for making the final. He’ll move to No. 19 with a chance to improve in his final tournament of the year, the Paris Masters, a 1,000-point event.

Shelton’s draw is tough, though. He’ll face lucky loser Corentin Moutet in the Round of 64, following a withdrawal from current world No. 19 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and then a date with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner looms. Should Shelton advance to the Roud of 16, potential matchups include top-15-ranked Holger Rune and top-40-ranked Alexander Bublik.

No match time for Shelton’s Round of 64 battle has been set, but it should take place Monday evening.

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Ben Shelton secures spot in 2024 Swiss Indoors finals

Ben Shelton has dominated all week at the Swiss Indoors Basel with his powerful, lefty serve, and he’ll play for a championship on Sunday.

Ben Shelton will only spend a week outside the ATP Top 20 this year after securing a spot at the Swiss Indoors Basel with a straight-set victory over World No. 20 Arthur Fils, 6-3, 7-6(9).

Shelton didn’t face a break point in the 78-minute semi-final and won 88% (45/51) of his first serves against Fils. Still, the match looked destined for a third set when Fils went up 5-1 in the second-set tiebreak. Shelton rallied to secure his spot in the finals.

“I served really well today, and I had to because I know what Arthur is capable of when he touches the ball,” said Shelton after the match. “The goal was to let him know I got clean hits on the ball as much as possible, and I executed really well. He served well, so there weren’t that many long points. A really high-level match and I’m not sure how I pulled that tie-break out in the second set.”

Shelton faces 21-year-old Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who upset fourth-seeded Holger Rune in the other semi-final match. Rune is also 21, and Fils is 20. At just 22, Shelton is the veteran of the four semi-finalists.

“I think that shows how strong our next-gen is,” he said. “I’m the oldest of the four, so that’s kind of crazy to think about. Probably the first time that’s happened to me in the semi-finals.”

Mpetshi Perricard holds the head-to-head advantage over Shelton, beating him in the Round of 32 at the Cinch Championships in London this June. The championship match will begin not before 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, following the doubles final.

Shelton is guaranteed to move up to at least No. 19 in the world with a chance to move to No. 18 with a tournament victory.

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Ben Shelton upsets top seed at Swiss Indoors, advances to semifinal

Ben Shelton has struggled in quarterfinals throughout the season, but he pulled off a big upset over World No. 7 Andrey Rublev to advance to the semifinals at the Swiss Indoors on Friday.

Ben Shelton desperately needed a strong performance at the Swiss Indoors Basel after dropping 490 points and six places in the latest ATP rankings update, and the former Florida tennis star clinched at least 180 points with a quarterfinal win over top-seeded and World No. 7 Andrey Rublev — 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 — on Friday morning.

Known for his left-handed power serve, Shelton has dominated while starting off the rally at the Swiss Indoors. He’s yet to drop a serve in three wins, denying all 12 break points throughout the tournament — six of which came against Rublev.

The match wasn’t without drama, though. Lingering smoke from the player introductions delayed the first set, and Rublev began to take control after forcing a tiebreak in the second. Shelton’s game is built around that devastating serve, and longer rallies tend to work against him. But Shelton stuck to his game and overpowered Rublev in the end.

It’s Shelton’s second top-10 win of the season and puts him just two more wins away from claiming the ATP 500 event. Shelton hasn’t performed great in quarterfinals this year, advancing five times in nine tries.

“I struggled a lot this year in quarterfinals and I’ve lost a lot of them against top 10 players,” Shelton said. “It’s been a tough hump to overcome. To get to the second-to-last week of the year and finally do it is huge for me. Especially with the way I was able to overcome everything Rublev threw at me.”

It won’t be easy reaching the final, though. Shelton faces “one of his best friends on the tour,” 20-year-old Frenchman Athurt Fils, who is coming off an upset of his own.

Fils beat the No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to secure his place in the final. He’s ranked No. 20 in the world — three spots higher than Shelton. Shelton won his first head-to-head with Fils at the 2023 Laver Cup, but the Frenchman won in a third-set tiebreak during the quarterfinals of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open in late September — a tournament Fils went on to win outright.

Both men are likely to be ranked inside the top 20 once the Swiss Indoors concludes, but the winner of the semifinal match will take a much bigger jump up the rankings. Making the finals guarantees at least 300 points. Winning the tournament would add another 200 points to the tally.

The semifinal matchup is set to begin not before 9 a.m. ET and can be watched on the Tennis Channel.

Read more: Ben Shelton secures spot in 2024 Swiss Indoors finals

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Serena Williams jokingly claims Alabama’s Ryan Williams as her cousin after torching Georgia

Serena Williams had the best Ryan Williams joke.

Serena Williams has a fantastic sense of humor and brought it out at just the right time.

Williams is seemingly aware of another Williams — Alabama freshman sensation Ryan Williams. At just 17 years old, Ryan is gaining national attention for his tremendous skills, and an absurd game on Saturday against the No. 2 ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

The freshman lit up the field, wracking up 177 yards on six catches, including a 75-yard game-winning touchdown where he juked TWO Dawgs defenders mid-route and casually accelerated upfield and into the end zone. So many people have been talking about his impressive feat, including Serena Williams, who jokingly said Ryan Williams was her cousin.

Some fans immediately picked up on the joke and had some fun.

But there were others who thought she was totally serious.

Is Alabama receiver Ryan Williams related to Serena Williams?

Ryan Williams and Serena Williams are unrelated for clarity and to eliminate confusion. There is no evidence that suggests they are related.

Serena Williams’ tweet about her “cousin” Ryan Williams was purely a play on words. I’m sorry to rain on anyone’s parade who thought this may be the case. I’m sending my condolences to you.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Ben Shelton’s repeat bid ends in Tokyo quarter-final

After finishing on top in Tokyo a year ago, Ben Shelton came up short in the quarter-final of the 2024 Kinoshita Group Japan Open.

After winning the whole thing a year ago, former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] ended his run at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo with a quarter-final loss to Frenchman Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.

Both Fils and Shelton dealt with cramping during the match. Shelton reached for his right hamstring several times. Fils broke Shelton in the third set, but the young American returned the favor in the next game. Knotted at four games a piece in the final set, it became a race to a deciding tiebreak.

Fils upset the reigning tournament champion with a comfortable 7-2 tiebreak finish. He handled Shelton’s powerful, left-handed serve for most of the match. Still, Shelton aced eight times in the third set to force the tiebreak.

In the first round, Shelton beat fellow American Reilly Opelka in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and he took down Argentinian Mariano Navone in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round.

Ben Shelton moves up ATP Rankings

When the rankings are updated on Monday, Shelton will add 90 points to his total. He will move into the No. 15 spot, passing fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Tiafoe was eliminated in the first round.

However, because the Japanese tournament was played at the end of September rather than last year’s mid-October scheduling, Shelton will eventually lose the 500 points he earned for winning it all in 2023.

Shelton could participate in one of seven ATP events in October to avoid dropping significantly. It’s unlikely he participates in an ATP 250 event, which leaves two 1,000s and two 500s to pick from.

The Rolex Shanghai Masters (1,000) is just five days away and a three-hour flight from Tokyo. The Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria, and the Swiss Indoors Basel are both 500-level events scheduled around the same time as Shelton is set to drop those 500 points.

Finally, the Rolex Paris Masters (1,000) is at the end of the month and carries on into November. Shelton played in Vienna and Paris last year.

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Why the Broncos practiced on tennis courts ahead of Jets game

The Broncos moved Friday’s practice indoors to The Greenbrier’s tennis courts due to heavy rain and lightning.

After playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, the Denver Broncos opted to stay on the East Coast leading up to their Week 4 game against the New York Jets in New Jersey.

The Broncos stayed at The Greenbrier this week and heavy rain from Hurricane Helene prevented the team from practicing outdoors on Friday. So Denver held its final walkthrough practice at the resort’s indoor tennis courts.

“Real quick, [we had] a little audible with practice,” Broncos coach Sean Payton explained after Friday’s session. “Everything went good. The facility is good. We got our work done, and we’ll leave here in about an hour and a half.”

Payton wasn’t bothered by the audible forced by the weather.

“It’s part of the deal,” Payton said. “I kind of like it. It was good. I didn’t realize they had this facility.”

The coach was then asked if he considered practicing outdoors in the rain.

“At first we did and then the change was made relative to the lightning forecast,” Payton said.

Overall, Payton said the team’s week at The Greenbrier was good.

“Everyone was great, hospitable,” Payton said. “Governor [Jim] Justice was over here today and [he] talked to the team. [I] can’t thank these guys enough. They did a great job. They’ve done this nine times now, so it went smooth.”

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). New York is considered a home favorite against Denver this week.

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