CELEBRITY
SERENA WILLIAMS BECOMES FIRST STAR TO CONFIRM US OPEN ATTENDANCE
Serena Williams led the from the front by becoming the first major player to confirm that she will play at the US Open after its dates were confirmed.
The 38-year-old American will try and win her 24th Grand Slam singles title when the event is staged under highly restrictive conditions from August 31 for two weeks.
‘I really cannot wait to return to New York and play,’ she said. ‘I feel the USTA (Tennis Association) is going to do a really good job of ensuring everything is amazing and everything is perfect and everyone is safe.’
She added that she will miss the fans who, along with the media, will be excluded under strict anti-Covid-19 protocols at what is normally a teeming and noisy Flushing Meadows.
Williams may have been swung by relaxations in the rules which will control how many people players can bring with them, and where they can stay.
In response to concerns already expressed by top players, they will now be allowed to stay privately if they wish to go to the expense, and not be bubbled in the official tournament hotel.
his will have to be done through an official US Open estate agent, who will not be offering properties in Manhattan. Players will also be allowed to bring three support staff on site, going some way to answer concerns of the big names.
The next month will determine whether or not there is a full turnout, now that both men’s and women’s tours have announced provisional calendars to try and salvage the season.
Having suffered severe constipation compared to other sports in producing comeback plans, a glut of information was released by tennis about its future schedule, which are all subject to wider developments in the coronavirus crisis.
The WTA Tour announced 20 events beginning on August 3 in Palermo, going through to late November.
The men announced a package of events going through to mid-October, with the Madrid, Italian and French Opens being confirmed. A further announcement will be made next month, but there is optimism that November’s ATP Finals at London’s 02 Arena can still happen, subject to government advice.
Early indications are that some players will still require some persuading to travel.
Nick Kyrgios complained via Twitter that there had been a lack of collaboration with the players and labelled ATP Tour Chief Andrea Guadenzi a ‘potato’.
More soberly, Wimbledon champion Simona Halep reiterated her opposition to travelling, although she promised she would reassess the situation.
Stacey Allaster, the US Open Tournament Director, also confirmed that the Cincinnati Open would be played at Flushing Meadows the week beforehand, at the expense of the Grand Slam’s qualifying event.
‘We have 59 days until we open the tournament hotel,’ she said. ‘We will be opening discussions (with players) to help them understand the plan.. They will make their own decisions.’
On the relaxation of accommodation restrictions she added: ‘We will provide options for the athletes. They are used to staying in private houses at Wimbledon and other places so if they want to invest in a private home they can.’
She did not want to put a figure on how many will actually turn up, but with a total of $60million on offer for the Open and the supplementary event moved from Cincinnati the large bulk of players can be expected to go.
They are working with local health authorities on removing quarantine restrictions for arrivals, and there will be a strict testing regime for everyone going on site. Provisions have been made to isolate anyone who tests positive.
Among the strange conditions will be a much reduced count of officials on duty. Outside the two main show courts there will be only three ballkids and no line judges, with all the calling done by Hawkeye.
Meanwhile a note sent to male players, seen by Sportsmail, has warned that there will be prize money reductions at the ATP Tour events remaining this season.
The first main tour men’s event back will be the Citi Open in Washington, taking place on August 14, while the lower tiers of the tennis tour will also resume in August.
ADWAIDH RAJAN, BBC
He’s better known as a Premier League and international footballer, but Alex Iwobi wants his music – as well as his on-pitch exploits – to inspire young people.
After starting his rap career earlier this year, the Fulham and Nigeria midfielder has released his second single, titled What’s Luv?.
Iwobi’s debut offering was Don’t Shoot in June, which has been streamed almost 60,000 times on Spotify.
The 28-year-old, who goes by the name ’17’, collaborated with his former Arsenal team-mate Chuba Akpom (performing as Skoli) and former England youth international Medy Elito (Don-EE) for his first release.
Iwobi’s debut song was aimed at deterring youngsters from street violence, while his latest release is a “celebration of his African roots”.
“Growing up in an area of London that is challenging for some people, I know how hard it can be and I’m grateful to have a platform to try and make a difference,” Iwobi said.
“I hope that my music is another way of proving that young people do not have to feel they have to fit in just one box. I want them to be encouraged to achieve their dreams, to put their focus into positive things.”
Iwobi has started all nine Premier League matches for Marco Silva’s Fulham this season and scored his second goal of the campaign in a 1-1 draw against his old club Everton last week.
“Creating music doesn’t take anything away from my football, it helps me switch off. I will always work hard and try to improve in my sport, but this is a good use of my spare time,” he said.
Footballer forays into music
Iwobi, however, is not the first footballer to go into music.
A reworked version of folk rock band Lindisfarne’s track Fog on the Tyne, with vocals by Paul Gascoigne, reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1990.
Former England striker Andy Cole’s cover of the Gap Bands’ song Outstanding peaked at number 68 while then Tottenham and Three Lions team-mates Glenn Hoddle and Chris Waddle released Diamond Lights, which reached number 12 in 1987.
Kevin Keegan’s 1979 song Head over Heels in Love made it to 31 in the charts.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is an accomplished drummer, while former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin invented his own musical instrument which he called the Dube.
A masked rapper named ‘Dide’ rose to fame last year, claiming to be a Premier League footballer.
-BBC
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
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