Ed Warner: Soft power and sport – why do they do that? December 9, 2021 To the Guildhall for the launch of EY’s study of soft power and major sporting events, commissioned by Canada and UK Sport. The publication was timely, coinciding with the findings of the inquiry into the chaos at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley which tarnished Britain’s hosting credentials, as well as the [...]
Peng Shuai: WTA suspend tournaments in China over tennis star December 1, 2021 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have this evening suspended all WTA tournaments in China and Hong Kong over Peng Shuai’s sexual assault allegations and the events which subsequently followed. In a statement, WTA chief executive Steve Simon said: “With the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of [...]
Former British No1 tennis star Johanna Konta retires at 30 December 1, 2021 British tennis player Johanna Konta has retired at the age of 30. The former British No1 reached the semi-finals of three Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, between 2016 and 2019. In a statement on her social media, Konta said: “My playing career has come to an end, and i am so incredibly grateful for the career [...]
Davis Cup: Britain face Germany tonight for place in semi-finals November 30, 2021 Great Britain’s knock-out path to attempted Davis Cup glory has begun in the same way as it did last time the competition ran, in 2019. The British team topped their group to earn a quarter-final tie with Germany, the same side they overcame in the last edition of the Cup. The two teams play tonight [...]
Novak Djokovic set to skip Australian Open over vaccine rules November 29, 2021 Novak Djokovic is likely to pass up the chance to defend his Australian Open title over the Grand Slam event’s strict Covid-19 vaccination rules, says his father. The men’s tennis world No1, who has won the Australian Open a record nine times, has repeatedly defended his right to keep his vaccination status private. “Under these [...]
Davis Cup: Feliciano Lopez’s heroics in vain as Russian defeat helps Novak Djokovic’s Serbia reach quarter-finals November 29, 2021 Feliciano Lopez’s heroics were in vain as the Russian Tennis Federation eliminated holders Spain from the Davis Cup Finals and helped Novak Djokovic’s Serbia reach the quarter-finals. Forty-year-old Lopez, now ranked 106, thrilled a partisan crowd in Madrid by beating world number five Andrey Rublev 2-6 6-3 6-4 to give Spain hope of making the [...]
Peng Shuai: What we know, the IOC and the Olympic Games November 24, 2021 The curious case of Peng Shuai gets curiouser and curiouser as the days roll by. From initial allegations, to a prolonged period away from public view, to a court-side appearance, to a video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach. It’s almost unbelievable. The timeline began on 2 November, when Peng accused a [...]
Sophie Nelson: An ATP and WTA merger could be a true sporting force November 23, 2021 Rumours of a merger in the world of tennis between the ATP, which runs the elite men’s tour, and WTA, its women’s counterpart, are long-running. The pandemic amplified calls to unite the two organisations after the sporting calendar was disrupted and revenues impacted. A more unified system for the game could reap commercial benefits in [...]
Exclusive: Sportradar signs major new NBA betting data deal November 17, 2021 Sports data giant Sportradar has continued its spree of major deals by signing a new contract with the NBA until 2031, Morning Wire can reveal. The agreement, announced today, will see the Swiss company provide betting data to the world-leading basketball competition on an exclusive basis. The eight-year deal extends Sportradar’s current arrangement with the [...]
David Haggerty interview: ITF president on revamping Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals, anti-vaxxers, Osaka, domestic abuse and Raducanu November 1, 2021 Eighteen months later and in a different location than planned, the first Billie Jean King Cup Finals finally begins today. The tournament formerly known as the Fed Cup has been rebranded in tribute to the trailblazing former world No1 and reformatted to create a climactic week-long finale that mirrors the new-look Davis Cup, itself taking [...]