Colombian Players Creates History With Winning of First Master Title

During the Foro Italico, two players, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah were pinned against a wall and a hard place through the entire week. Though, on Sunday the two Colombian based players stunned again as they went on to claim their Maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns.

Farah and Cabal easily rode past Pablo Carreno Busta along with Joao Sousa with a 3-6, 6-4, and 10-4 in their pursuit to achieve the title during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. As their appeared at their second final match at the Masters 1000 level, while finishing up as only runners-up during the Miami tournament in 2014, the iconic duo trained harder and played with true preciseness to come out as victors.

Cabal commented on the duo’s win with a smile before saying that the title they received was one they were striving to get for years now. He continued that he and Farah worked hard since their Miami tournament to reach where they are. He finished up the sentiment by stating wins like keeps the duo motivated to keep achieving their goals.

The Only Colombians to Win Masters 1000 Title

The duo of Cabal/Farah are making headlines, not only because they are the first Colombians to win the prized Masters 1000 title. They are doubling as the world’s first all South American team to prevail so flawlessly at this elite level. After their win, the duo is taking home a total of €289,670 in prize money along with an impressive 1,000 additional points for the ATP Doubles Ranking. The point increase has raised the duo to third place in the ATP Doubles Race to London.

Farah added on that they feel amazing before reminiscing about how they played in finals the previous years but never won a title. He continues by stating that winning a Masters 1000 event feels even more special due to the elite level. He finished off with a smile proudly saying that this is something they worked hard before, and it is something that they are going to remember for the rest of their lives.

All the six seeds were told to work and practice in Rome all week, with a shocking three of the four wins coming from the Match Tie-Breaks. Opening with a narrow win over the well-known Dutch pair Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer. The upset the top seeds, Marcelo Melo Lukasz Kubot played straight sets and easily battled against players, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in a match during the semi-final that took place on Saturday.

This was the 11th title won by the Cabal/Farah duo, who, at the beginning of the 2018 campaigns, opened with the first Grand Slam Final at the highly anticipated Australian Open.
On the other hand, the other duo of Carreno Busta and Sousa will remain to keep themselves in high spirits as they make an impressive run to the final matches. The duo was the as the team in the field as they Spanish-Portuguese pair were appearing in their first Masters 1000 title competition.

This was due to the pair of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan withdrawing due to a hip injury that Bob received. This immediately gave Busta/Sousa a chance to take their place and test their abilities on the field. This was Carreno Busta’s first doubles final since the impressive win in Rio de Janeiro last year. On Sousa side, this was his first double final at the prestigious tour-level. The pair split a total of €141,820, along with 600 points of the ATP Doubles Ranking.

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Rafael Nadal wows crowds at Internazionali BNL d’Italia

Rafael Nadal witnessed firsthand his 4-1 set lead vanish on Friday, thus prompting him to give it his all to beat the famed and skilled Italian player, Fabio Fognini. Fognini name gained more fame as he was boosted by the capacity Court Central audience that was spectating the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

Nadal, also dubbed as the Spanish superstar, brutally denied Fognini his wishes of scoring a win as an early present for his young son, Federico. During the match, Nadal managed to score an impressive 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory that is keeping him in the strong pursuit of retiring to the prized number one spot in the ATP rankings.

If Nadal manages to score his eighth trophy during the Foro Italico competition in Rome, it would be his 32nd record ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown. Nadal will then be in the process of succeeding and eventually replacing the skilled player from Switzerland, Roger Federer at this upcoming summit for men’s professional tennis on May 21st, 2018. On Saturday, Nadal will be playing his 10th Rome semi-finals game against the Siberian number eleven seed and four-time recorded finalist, Novak Djokovic or, depending on the results, The Japanese player, Ken Nishikori.

Nadal – Multiple Championship Wins


Nadal has been the Rome champion of 2005-2007, 2009-2010, and 2012-2013, is currently ranked 54-6 at the historical and ironically known clay-court tournament. Nadal’s intensity was obviously shown as he netted the first break of the match, which had a 3-1 lead at the time. At first, Fognini led the Spanish based player through an extremely wide backhand volley into the open court. However, Nadal flawlessly ran back in and hit the winning backhand strike.

As Fognini was cheered on by his courtside companions, he was finally broken during the 2-4 during the fourth break point with a miscalculated forehand return down the court. Thus, causing Nadal to lead 4-1. During this match, Nadal won 11 out of 41 of the available points. Moreover, Fognini was moving at a fantastic pace and skill around the court, managing to win the first set against Nadal. However, Nadal showed that he wasn’t ready to give up yet as he made a shocking return and refocused his intentions. On the set point moment of the game, Nadal managed to hit a perfected slice serve out wide before striking a crosscourt backhand.

After the game, the beaming Spanish player commented on his performance. Nadal stated how having a break as early as the second set gave him a much-needed confidence boost for this match. The 31-year-old player added on to his statement, reflecting on his playing skills, stating that as he used his forehand strikes more aggressively, his backhand strikes become more precise and effortless. As the Spaniard chucked, he reflected on how every part of the game was a positive learning experience that was needed for his career at this point. Nadal finished his sentiment with a piece of advice that he always keeps in his heart, stating the importance of having the ability to change the dynamics in the match to achieve the desired result – winning.

While Fognini competitor suffered a minor setback during the match, Nadal managed to come back with a passion for victory scored him that desired win after a two hour and fifteen-minute game. This was Fognini first quarter-final in Rome, during his 11th showing at his home tournament.

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What are some benefits to playing tennis?

Over the last few decades, tennis has been growing in popularity. Everyone from all age groups can play this simple yet intensive sport to improve their physical health – along with just having a fun sport to play. One of the main attractions of tennis is that it can be played solo with an automatic tennis ball machine, competitively at school or during tournaments, professionally, or just for a recreational activity. Though, scientists have stated that tennis is one of the best athletic disciplines that anyone can choose to play in their free time.

Even Serena Williams, a prominent and well-respected name in professional tennis, has claimed her love for the sort on multiple occasions. Even going as far as to state that while her life may not be dedicated to it, she truly enjoys playing it and loves the effects it has had on her during her tennis career and recognizes there are  benefits to playing tennis

Listed below are some of the key benefits that scientist has correlated with playing tennis.

1) Tennis can slim down the risk of death

While this claim may seem outlandish, many sports do have this ability. However, since tennis is a sport that requires full body participation due to its usage of the arms, legs, and core – people who play tennis for at least three hours a week are cutting down their risk of death in half from an array of causes. This claim was made after a Harvard University of Public Health physician, Ralph Paffenbarger, studied a whopping 10,000 people over a period of 20 years. He labelled this study “College Alumni Health Study”, and the focus of it was to see the overall effects that playing sports, mainly tennis, had on the human body for 20 years. He studied people from all age groups to ensure the accuracy of his results.

2) Tennis can improve the mental state

It has been proven through multiple studies that tennis the  benefits to playing tennis can increase the player’s mental state along with the physical state. Throughout multiple tests, tennis players scored higher in vigour, self-esteem, optimism, and overall happiness. While they also scored incredibly lower in depression, anxiety, and tension compared to other athletics, and people who did not play a sport at all. Many believe that due to the high intensity that this sport requires, players are releasing more endorphins, a chemical in your brain that is connected to happiness and satisfaction, and the higher release of endorphins can last even while players are off the court.

3) New brain connection could be created

Due to tennis requiring a high amount of overall alertness and physical awareness – some players may generate new connections between nerves in their brain and body. These connections can also promote the development of the brain – regardless of the player’s current age. Plus, tennis can serve as a great way to help some patients suffering from medical illness or injuries.

4) Calorie Burning

Tennis has been provided time after time again as being one of best way to burn calories.The sport is known to burn more calories than aerobics, skating, or even cycling for 30 to 34 minutes. This means that this sport is even perfect for those who are trying to tone their shapes, or just find a fun way to workout outside of the gym

What are some benefits to playing tennis?

The History of Wimbledon

The history of Wimbledon is a rich one, and it is one of the four Majors. It is also the most prestigious of the Majors, and it is formally referred to as The Championships, Wimbledon. The first Wimbledon was back in 1887, and it takes its name from its location of Wimbledon, which is a suburb of London. The tournament is played at the All England Club, is the only major played on grass courts, and takes place from the end of June to mid-July.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is the full name of where Wimbledon takes place, and it was established in 1868. In 1875, they added lawn tennis to the activities and at this time held the Lawn Tennis Championship which is now known as the Wimbledon Championship. In the first tournament, rules were laid out for the event, and it was held at Worple Road in Wimbledon. The rules of the tournament have not changed much, but some that have included the height of the net, and the distance from the service line to the net.

First Wimbledon Tournament


For the first Wimbledon tournament, there was only the Gentlemen’s singles with Spencer Gore being the first champion. The ticket to the inaugural even was a shilling, and 200 people were in attendance for the finals. The main court at Wimbledon is referred to a Centre Court since it is in the centre of the All England Club. In the first Wimbledon, there were 22 players competing for the title and these days there are 128 in both the men’s and women’s singles.
In 1884 ladies’ singles and men’s doubles were added to the tournament and in 1934 the ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles were added. One of the main rule changes to the tournament occurred in 1922, as previous to that year the defending champion automatically made it to the finals where they would face the challenger, who had advanced through the draw. This is why early on in the tournament’s history there are many that won consecutive titles. After 1922 byes into the finals for the defending champion was eliminated and that champion was in the main draw just like every other player.

Wimbledon: The Biggest Sporting Event in Britain


Wimbledon is not only the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world but one of the biggest sporting events in Britain. The British had a long drought for the Men’s title, as no British person had won the event since 1936 until Andy Murray won in 2013. No British woman has won the tournament since Virginia Wade won in 1977.
British Royalty attends the tournament every year, and they have their own Royal Box at Centre Court. One of the things Wimbledon is well known for is the strawberries and cream served at the tournament and in 2017 34,000 kg of strawberries, and 10,000 litres of cream were served. As of 2018, Roger Federer holds the record for the most men’s singles titles with eight and Martina Navratilova holds the record for the most women’s singles titles with nine.

Tennis Events

Serena Williams Biography

Serena Williams was born Serena Jameka Williams on the 26th of September, 1981. The tennis player is from the United States of America and is currently unranked after only recently returning to the sport after giving birth to a daughter.

As a player, Serena began at the tender age of three, and as she entered the Women’s Tennis Association, she won her first major championship in 1999 and achieved the first of several Grand Slams in 2003. Williams went on to earn twenty-three Gram Slams to date, with her last coming with her defeat of sister Venus at the Australian Open 2017.

Record of Grand Slams

Serena Williams has won a staggering twenty-three Grand Slams since 1999 and has the most on record after her 2017 surpassed the 22 Steffi Graf had won, putting Williams in the history books once again. September 2012 saw Serena beating Victoria Azarenka at the U.S Open to earn her 15th Grand Slam. This was a final that many thought Williams would not win but as history has shown, Williams is one never to count out, yet the win even surprised Williams due to the level of play she faced.

While Williams has won twenty-three Grand Slams as a single, she also has racked up thirteen in the Women’s Doubles. Her sixteenth Grand Slam came at the French Open after defeating Sharapova in two sets. In 2002, Williams added three more titles to her record with victories at Wimbledon, the U.S Open and French Open.

The following year saw her win the Austria Open for the first time and again won the U.S Open in 2013. Her 20th Grand Slam came once again in 2014 at the U.S Open after she proved victorious against Caroline Wozniacki. The wins continued to accumulate with another victory at the Australia Open in 2015.

Serena Williams Personal Life

Serena Williams is married to husband Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit. Engaged in 2016, the married in November 2017 in Louisiana. Williams was adorned in a stunning dress designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen dress. The wedding included a long list of celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé.

In the spring of 2017, it was announced that Williams was pregnant and expecting her first child after a snapchat picture was posted with a caption that said “20 weeks”. While the picture was soon deleted, the information quickly spread and was confirmed by Williams shortly thereafter.

On the first of September of 2017, Serena gave birth to a healthy baby girl that they named daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. Williams posted a picture of her daughter on her Instagram account and included a video on YouTube and her website to share the news of her daughter’s birth.

Net Worth

Serena Williams has had a lucrative career in the sport of tennis, having earned many million dollar prizes for her multiple Grand Slam victories. To add to her net worth, the star has entered into multiple endorsement deals with the likes of Mike, Gatorade, Beats By Dre, Intel and others. Her estimated net worth is $84million based on earnings and endorsement deals.

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Jelena Ostapenko – What You Need to Know

Jelena Ostapenko was born in June 8, 1997. At 20 years old, she has reached the biggest stage in her career in tennis. She has played in the 2017 French Open, for the women’s single final, winning her first opportunity to be in the finals for a Grand Slam tournament. She is also considered as among the younger tennis stars who quote Serena Williams as their idol.

One thing about Ostapenko is that sports run in her blood. Her father, Jevgenij Ostapenko served as a professional soccer player. Despite this, it was her mother, Jelena Jakovleva-Ostapenko who boosted her interest in sports. Her mother is a tennis coach, encouraging her to develop a deep love for this sport. It was the ambiance at home that probably sparked her interest in sports.

With this said, there was no doubt that her very first, ‘personal’ coach was her own mother. Her father also served as her personal fitness coach. During her professional career, she is coached by professional Spain player Anabel Medina Garrigues. Even though Garrigues never actually won at a Grand Slam Tournament, she won 11 titles in singles, and 20 titles in doubles. She won Silver Medal at the 2008 Olympics in Doubles.

Aside from tennis, Jelena Ostapenko is also fond of ballroom dancing. In fact, she danced starting when she was five years old, and until 12 years old, she was simultaneously enjoying both dancing and tennis. After that, she decided to focus more on tennis. Jelena also credited her skills in ballroom dancing to her success in becoming a good tennis player. The coordination required in dancing is essential in the sport.

With both parents as sports fanatics, it was quite surprising that both of them did not pressure her to pursue a career in tennis. During an interview in 2014, right after winning in Junior Wimbledon, Jelena Ostapenko stated that her parents never pushed her to playing tennis. It was her personal decision to do so because she loves the sport. In fact, her own mother noticed this desire and her talent even when she was still 3 years old.

When it comes to personal life, Jelena Ostapenko has a half-brother, Maksim Ostapenko. She explained that her brother currently resides in Los Angeles, after graduating from an Academy of Arts. As she turned 20 on June 8, only two days before the finals during the French Open, she became the very first athlete from Latvia to reach the finals for the French Open. She was ranked at 47 prior to January 2017, where she eventually reached rank 33.

This Grand Slam final is also her very first. In 2015, she was able to make it to the second round of Wimbledon. Earlier this year, she also reached the third round. Wherever tennis would take Jelena Ostapenko, fans would be assured that she is there because she loves what she is doing, not because somebody is pushing her to it.

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The Best Men and Women Tennis Player

Like any major sport, there have been several greats in tennis. Some tennis players are universal, and we know their names even if we weren’t necessarily old enough (or even alive) to see them play. Who are these greats of tennis, though? Everybody has their own opinions, but same names stand out more than others and are repeated time and time again. We’ve taken on the challenge and come up with the best men and women tennis player

Who is the Best Men’s Tennis Player Ever?

Andre Agassi won over 60 career titles before retiring in 2006, and this American tennis player’s record of 8 Grand Slams, is tough to beat. John McEnroe may have 7 Grand Slams himself, but he is more famously regarded for losing his temper and slamming is racket down in defeat. Both of those pale in comparison to Björn Borg. With 11 Grand Slam titles over a 10-year career, this Swedish star is regarded as one of the best in the business. And who can forget Pete Sampras? His 14 Grand Slam titles over a 14-year career is still remarkable, even today.

The big winners are all involved in the current game, though. As good as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are, they don’t hold a candle to Rafael Nadal, whose 16 Grand Slams and 75 career titles grow each year. Inevitably, the all-time best men’s tennis player, though, must be Roger Federer. The Swiss started in 1998, has won 96 career titles, earned over $115m and won 20 Grand Slam titles. There’s just no matching that, really – not even for Nadal.

And the Best Women’s Tennis Player?

Picking the all-time best female tennis player is more challenging, as the competition is a lot fiercer. Justine Henin, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Monica Seles are all right up there, as is Billy Jean King is still a firm favourite with tennis fans. King’s 15-year career saw her win 129 career titles, and 12 grand slams, with her aggressive play much admired even today.

Going into the past, Australia’s Margaret Court and the USA’s Chris Evert dominated in the 70s and 80s, respectively, and deserve to be towards the top of the list. Serena Williams is most people’s pick for the all-time best ladies’ tennis player, but to be honest, many people are biased in this regard. She may be more famous, but she hasn’t won anywhere near as many titles as our top two.

Few real tennis fans would argue that Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf are duking out for the top spot. We couldn’t pick a winner between these gals, with the Czech winning 167 career titles and 18 Grand Slams from 1975-1994, and her German counterpart bagging 107 career titles and a record 22 Grand Slams between 1982 and 1999. By contrast, Serena Williams has just 72 career titles and 23 Grand Slams. Serena may go on to eventually take our title, but as far as we’re concerned, Navratilova’s double record, and 190 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles, and Graf being the first woman to win the Golden Slam but them out in front.

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Tennis

When we think of the highest paid sports personalities on the planet, those players of basketball, American football, baseball, association football, boxers and Formula One often spring to mind. However, tennis players aren’t shy of a few notes, either. In fact, some tennis players are amongst the best-paid sports stars on the planet. As with any athlete, there is a great disparity between the top and the bottom earners. If you wanted to play professional tennis right now, though, what would you likely to be able to earn?

How Much Does a Tennis Player Earn?

As mentioned, the amount a tennis player earns varies, depending upon several factors. For starters, the average salary can be in the millions of dollars range for seasoned pros such as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or the Williams’ sisters and Maria Sharapova. These types of world famous tennis stars can easily rack up $5 million or more per annum (solely from tennis). At the middle-end of the top, players ranked around 100th in the world are looking at $100,000 and up. Of course, at the lowest echelons of the tennis ranking system, rank newbies seldom earn anything at all.

The amount a tennis player earns depends on the prize money they win, and any endorsements or sponsorship deals they may have. They can also supplement their income by doing television interviews, appearing in commercials and other media-orientated opportunities. In many cases, it is these endorsement and sponsorship deals which generate the vast portion of a pro tennis players income. Take Maria Sharapova’s 2012 deal with Nike, for instance. This was estimated to be worth around $70 million over several years. In 2011, Sharapova pocketed $25 million (before tax) from various deals.

The Hidden Costs of Tennis

Tennis players don’t have everything their own way, though. In fact, the pro tennis tours cost money, even for their star players. The high-ranking tennis players in both the men’s and women’s game can cost around $150,000 a campaign or season. These are largely fees for entering the tours, travel expenses and hotel costs for all the luxurious parts of the globe that they travel to, as well as expenses for coaches and assistants and managers.

Provided a tennis player has a sponsorship deal or an endorsement, they often have their clothing, shoes and rackets written off by said companies. At the bottom of the totem pole, budding tennis stars must also raise their own income for such equipment and attire.

The fact of the matter is, this isn’t harsh at all. In fact, if you were to look at any major sport, you’d see the same pattern emerge. The most successful players end up multi-millionaires from sponsorship deals and on the back of their own success, of course. However, the lower-ranking stars must pay their way. For the very best of those budding stars, they will eventually stop paying their dues and make considerable incomes in their own right. But for now, they, the same as you, must start somewhere.

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The Biography of Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza is a Spanish-Venezuelan professional tennis player who was born in the year 1993. She consistently represents Spain for international competition, and she became a pro last 2012. Her first ever WTA title happened last 2014 when she defeated Klara Zokapalova at Hobart International. She claimed her first ever Grand Slam at the 2016 French Open after defeating another legend, Serena Williams. She showed an amazing performance over the years and has improved her foot works. Experts believe that she will continue to become a tennis star in the coming years.

Personal Life of Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza was born in October 8, 1933, in the city of Caracas, Venezuela. Her mother, Scarlet Blanco is from Venezuela while his father, Jose Antonio Muguruza is from Spain. She also has two brothers, Igor and Aser who also holds a dual citizenship. She started playing tennis when she was just 3 years old. Her family then decided to move to Spain when she reached the age of six. She will then train her tennis skills at the Bruguera Tennis Academy which is situated near the Barcelona.

The Professional Career

Muguruza turned pro on March of 2012 she was then given with the wildcard entry to join the 2012 Miami Open Tournament that serves as her first appearance at the WTA. She then managed to defeat the tournament favourite and the rank no. 2 that time, Vera Zvonareva during the 2nd round. At the third round, she also showed an amazing performance and beat Flavia Penneta. After the promising season, she acquired an injury last 2013. In the end, she had to miss a huge part of the 2013 season.

She then returned to the tennis scene in 2014 and started it with a bang by winning her first ever WTA Title. She also managed to advance on the 4th round of the Australian Open 2014. She entered the quarter finals at the French Open after defeating Serena Williams. In 2015, she effectively defended her Title of Hobart International. She also entered the final rounds of Wimbledon, but unfortunately, she lost to Serena Williams. After the event, her ranking jumped to the 9th slot.

In 2016, Muguruza finally managed to win her first ever Grand Slam after defeating Serena Williams at the French Open Tournament. This victory has propelled her ranking to the 2nd slot. In 2017, she entered the US Open where she managed to beat Magdalena Rybarikova that led to her rise at the no.1 rank.

Aside from the single matches, Muguruza is also playing the doubles where she already won a total of 4 WTA Titles. She is a right-handed player, and according to her, her favourite shot would be the two-handed backhand. She has an approximate height of 6 feet. She looks at Serena Williams and Pete Sampras as her idols in tennis. After her consecutive winnings, Muguruza became an effective endorser of various brands. She became the brand ambassador of Babolat, Maui Jim, Addidas, Rolex and Mazda Spain.

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Karolina Pliskova Biography

Karolina Pliskova is a female tennis player and a former champion though she is not performing very well lately. However, during her best times, the fans have always had her back and cheered her through several victories playing in singles and doubles. So who is Karolina?

About Karolina Pliskova

She is a twin sister to Kristyna also a tennis player, and they were born on the 21st March 1992 in the Czech Republic. She currently resides in Monte Carlo in Monaco. She started playing tennis when she was four years old, and since then she has always been on the court. Asked how she first started playing tennis, Karolina said that she was introduced in sports by her parents. Her inspiration was her dad who was playing Ice Hockey, and there was none of her family member who was in active sports. She further explained that she used to watch tennis on TV and her best female stars from who she got the inspiration were Martina Hingis and Monica Seles not forgetting the many players who came from her home country. This was the reason why she started playing her favourite sport.

Career

Karolina has had nine singles wins in her tennis career and five doubles on her WTA tours. In her ITF, she has registered 10 singles and six doubles only. Her best achievement has been when she was crowned worlds number one female tennis player in Grand Slam Final which was in 2016 during the 2016 US Open. Her first win was when she was playing as a junior during the 2010 Australia Open playing against Laura Robson. In her professional as a senior, she won her first Grand Slam tournament main draw in the year 2012 at the French Open. However, she lost to then world number 8 Marion Bartoli after losing to her in her first round. Later in 2013 while at the Malaysian Open, she won her maiden title after defeating Bethanie Mattek in the three sets they played.

Breakthrough

After losing on several occasions, the year 2014 she had several major breakthroughs reaching the finals of her second major WTA tour which was played in Pattaya City after beating an American. Unfortunately, she also lost again to Ekaterina Makarova in the finals. In 2015 she showed signs of improvement when she beat the former world champion Victoria Azarenka, but she lost the second round to her. However, the year would not end without her achievement to the top twenty players of 2015. The year 2016 was a bright one for the former world champion since that is when she won several titles. This was the same year when she won the US Title and became a world champion.

Karolina Pliskova is known for her aggressiveness while on the pitch, which is characterised by forceful groundstrokes. In midcourt, she is known for accuracy and power. She is currently ranked worlds number 4. We look forward to seeing more from her in 2018.

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