With a mist hanging in the sky and the back of the court still wet, Rafael Nadal thought it was dangerous to head into Arthur Ashe Stadium to start his US Open match on Wednesday. Andy Roddick and Andy Murray weren’t thrilled about starting their matches, either.
Too bad, tournament officials said. The show must go on.
It did. For about 15 minutes.
Photo: AFP
Then, the rain picked up, and as soon as Nadal, Murray and Roddick came off the court, they were in the tournament director’s office to discuss the decision to start the matches in the first place.
Nadal’s take: It’s all about the money.
“We’re part of the show,” the defending champion said in an interview on ESPN after falling behind 3-0 to his unseeded Gilles Muller.
Murray and Roddick also weighed in.
“It didn’t really make a whole lot of sense in the end to go out for nine or 10 minutes when it’s still raining,” Murray said.
Roddick said he spoke to the chair umpire before play began.
“I was just wondering if he saw the same mist in the air that I saw,” Roddick said. “The back was still a little wet. I understand everyone wants to see it on TV and certainly, at the end of the day, we’re a sport, but this whole thing is a business.”
Because of the rain, which washed out the entire day of play on Tuesday, all players in the bottom half of the draw were faced with the possibility of having to win four matches in five days to win the US Open.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS