Top 10 tennis players send a second letter to the Grand Slam tournaments, asking for a hike in prize money
A collection of top-10 tennis players sent a second letter to the four Grand Slam tournaments to push for a greater share of revenues — aiming to rise from the current 16 per cent to 22 per cent by 2030 — contributions to pension, health and maternity benefits that would go from zero to $12 million annually by that same year, and greater say via a new player council. This letter, signed by stars such as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Switek, Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Drapper, but not, unlike the original letter sent by players including Novak Djokovic to the Slam events in March, dated July 30. The second letter, which was seen this week by AP, set out specific benchmarks for ways in which the sport’s four most prestigious and profitable tournaments could offer more money and influence to the athletes. The players are working with Larry Scott as a consultant; he used to be the chairman and CEO of the WTA women’s tennis tour and, later, ran the Pac-12 conference in American college sports. There have been meetings among Scott, some players and the leaders of the All England Club, which runs Wimbledon; the French Tennis Federation, which runs Roland-Garros; Tennis Australia, which runs the Australian Open; and the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open. All four were asked to reply to the July 30 letter, and all four did. The USTA’s response, dated August 18 and obtained this week by the AP, was signed by Brian Vahaly, the group’s interim co-CEO, and Stacey Allaster, the USTA’s chief executive of professional tennis, who just completed her last U.S. Open as tournament director.
Winning 84 percent of his ‘first serve’ was the key to Alcaraz’s triumph against Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz’s transition in last two months after losing to Jannic Sinner in Wimbledon final has been the key and an inspiring tales that guided him to record a thumping victory at the Flushing Meadows on Sunday, winning two consecutive US Open titles. Alcaraz and his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero designed the plans about the rectification in his game. Alcaraz was the outstanding player at Flushing Meadows, not dropping a set until the final, and was virtually impregnable on serve. The way in which the 22-year-old regained the US Open title and number one ranking has been a product of the intense work he has done to develop his game. At the start of the year, Alcaraz and Ferrero highlighted the importance of improving his serve. The opening shot has continued to be a work in progress, ultimately breaking down in his Wimbledon loss, but it was key to his success over the past fortnight. The statistics has revealed that Alcaraz has improved his first service mainly as a part of its reflection he won 84 percent of his first serve points. At the same time the Spaniard worked out on the improvement of his technique also. Often accused of lacking concentration and letting opponents back into matches, Alcaraz possessed a laser-focus throughout the tournament. It allowed him to serve with pace and precision, as well as playing with variety in the rallies, using spin, slice and power to confound Sinner. Alcaraz put the unwavering focus down to his growing maturity. “I feel it is best tournament I’ve played from the first round to the end,” he said.
Alcaraz praises ‘Spider-Man’ Holland’s swing, offers him to play golf after Wimbledon!
Carlos Alcaraz and Tom Holland sparked excitement among fans after a video emerged of the two discussing a potential golf match. Alcaraz, now preparing for his Wimbledon semi-final clash against Taylor Fritz, complimented Holland’s golf swing during their conversation, fueling speculation of a fun off-court showdown. Alcaraz has already been hogging limelight in the ongoing Wimbledon by his performance on the court. But the two-time defending champion at Wimbledon found himself in the limelight off it as well, after being spotted chatting with the British actor on Tuesday. Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man, attended Alcaraz’s practice session before the Spaniard’s quarterfinal against Cameron Norrie—a match Alcaraz won comfortably 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. both were seen exchanging laughs and compliments, with the conversation quickly turning to golf. “Tom! I saw you playing golf as well. Good swing, good swing, eh?” Alcaraz said in a video published by Wimbledon. “We should play!” Holland responded instantly. Despite having a high-stakes match ahead that day, Alcaraz enthusiastically agreed to the idea of a golf match. Tom Holland is a known tennis fan and was last seen at the BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells alongside Zendaya, a match Alcaraz also won. Now, it seems the tennis star might take on Holland—not on the tennis court, but on the golf course.
