CELEBRITY
Williams sisters crash out of U.S. Open doubles but Serena not done yet
- The U.S. Open turned over Arthur Ashe Stadium to the Williams sisters on Thursday for a prime-time first round doubles match that could have been Serena’s last after the pair fell 7-6 (5) 6-4 to the Czech duo of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
Winners of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including two U.S. Opens, the Williams sisters were playing together for the first time in more than four years, the occasion attracting a capacity crowd to watch one of tennis’s most successful partnerships take perhaps a final bow.
If it was indeed the last time the Williams sisters would stand shoulder-to-shoulder on court, the end came with little sentiment or emotion. The two greats embraced briefly at the net then stoically packed their bags, exited to a standing ovation and offered only a gentle wave to the cheering crowd.
“I’m so sorry for you that we beat them, but we are so happy that we did it,” apologised Hradecka to the crowd after the match. “I’m still in shock.”
Serena signalled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.
Flushing Meadows, however, has not seen the last of Serena just yet, with the 40-year-old back in action on Arthur Ashe on Friday for an eagerly anticipated third round singles clash with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
The prime-time doubles match reminded tennis once again of the immense popularity of the Williams sisters and the absolute hold they have on the sport.
Doubles are seldom seen during the early rounds on Arthur Ashe, usually banished to the outside courts until the men’s and women’s, or mixed doubles finals when they are brought in as opening acts for the main events.
Even then those Grand Slam championship contests are played in a mostly empty stadium to entertain early arrivals for the men’s and women’s finals.
But on Thursday the world’s biggest tennis stadium was packed to the rafters with Venus and Serena joining forces for their first U.S. Open since 2014.
With the exception of perhaps Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal – if they were to form a doubles partnership – it is doubtful any other players could cause the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to consider turning over the prime-time evening slot to a doubles match.
“You have Venus and Serena playing for first time here in eight years there’s a demand to see that,” USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier told Reuters about the decision to put doubles on the main show court. “There’s also the fans that aren’t here, they want to see that on television.
“To us it was the obvious thing to do.”
-Reuters
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
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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