Latest news with #AssociationofTennisProfessionals
Roya News
6 days ago
- Sport
- Roya News
Jordanian tennis player refuses to play against ‘Israeli' player
Jordanian tennis player Abdullah Shelbayh, 21, has withdrawn from the 50-point Hersonissos Challenger tournament in Greece after being drawn to face an 'Israeli' player in the Round of 32. Shelbayh's withdrawal was widely praised, and the official website of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) listed Italian player Filippo Moroni as his replacement. Shelbayh's move follows similar actions by other Jordanian athletes who have refused to compete against 'Israeli' players. Last month, the Jordanian youth national basketball team forfeited a game against 'Israel' at the World Cup in Switzerland, resulting in an automatic 20-0 loss. Shelbayh recently rose 33 places in the international rankings, reaching a world ranking of 353. The jump came after he won seven of his last 10 matches in three competitions, most recently the Grodzisk Mazowiecki tournament in Poland.
Toronto Sun
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Tennis: Vernon's Vasek Pospisil retires with 'no regrets', but stays in fight to protect players
'Injuries played a huge factor the last three years. It gets very discouraging and you have to be realistic. I did everything I could. I left no stone unturned.' — Vasek Pospisil Vasek Pospisil of Canada took on Tennys Sandgren of the United States in second round 2019 U.S. Open match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports Vasek Pospisil was always up for a good fight on the court, or off it. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Whether competing against Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) elite, fighting for players' rights to combat suppressed earnings and off-court opportunities, or growing the game in his home province, the Vernon native met challenges with vigour. The 35-year-old Pospisil is retiring after accomplishments that include a 2014 Wimbledon doubles title, helping Canada capture the 2022 Davis Cup crown, and a string of strong singles and doubles finishes on the Grand Slam circuit. He received a main draw wild-card entry for the National Bank Open in Toronto next weekend for his final farewell. Pospisil, who turned pro in 2007, rose to a No. 4 raking in doubles (2015) and No. 25 (2014) in singles and finished with US$7.2 million in career earnings. He also endured a lot of pain. A trio of elbow tears, herniated disk surgery in 2019, and then another back setback last summer, in the long grind to keep mind and body in sync. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There can always be a little bit of bittersweet, no question about it,' Vasek told Postmedia on Sunday. 'Tennis has been my whole life and all I ever wanted to do, and there's going to be a little difficulty saying goodbye, but I'll keep it in perspective. I'm ready to move on to the next thing. There's so much I want to do. 'The last three or four years have been very tiring and it's quite safe to say I'm burned out to a point where I'm not getting as much enjoyment out of training or being on the court. It's incredibly exhausting, and all year long, you're always on and always travelling. Vasek Pospisil (right) and Jack Sock celebrate 2014 Wimbledon doubles title at The All England Tennis Club. 'A lot of times, it's a very lonely sport with enormous stress. Eventually, that weighs on you and burns you out. I definitely feel like a shell of the player I was. The injuries played a huge factor especially the last three years. It gets very discouraging and you have to be realistic.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, it's also rewarding, if you put in the time to get to a rare level, and have the will to press on as the career clock ticks. Pospisil advanced to the Wimbledon singles quarterfinal (2015), fourth round of the U.S. Open (2020), and third round of the Australian Open (2014, 2015). In doubles, he also made the quarterfinals in the French Open (2015), Australian Open (2016) and third round of the U.S. Open (2013, 2014). It spoke to longevity and longing to always get his game to the next level. Does Pospisil believe he left it all out on the court and did the best under different circumstances? 'I do,' he stressed. 'Until 2022, I did everything I could. I left no stone unturned and confident to say I have no regrets.' Pospisil was named the ATP's comeback player of the year in 2020 for advancing to his first singles final since 2014, collecting his seventh doubles title and getting to fourth round of singles at the U.S. Open. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Pospisil didn't have to look very far find his work ethic. Two years before he was born in 1990, his parents Milos and Mila, along with older brothers Petr and Tom, escaped Communist Czechoslovakia by driving unlawfully to Austria. They worked long hours at low wages to save money for an eventual move to Canada and arrived in Vernon in the summer of 1989. Milos worked two jobs and took to tennis because his older sons started playing. He would coach on outdoor courts and a three-year-old Vasek tagged along as ball boy at practices. He even dragged a mini tennis racquet around the house and seemed destined for the sport. A young Vasek Pospisil works on his swing in Vernon. He's retiring from ATP Tour. Photo: Pospisil family. At age six, Pospisil won an Under-12 tournament and by 2002, it became apparent that the family had to move to Vancouver to find the right coach for the prodigy, who was home-schooled. They found the mentor in Vadim Korkh, who worked with Andrei Chesnokov while also a professor at the Central Sport Academy in Moscow. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In November 2002, Vasek went to Florida and won the Prince Cup, beating several of the best under-12 players from Europe. In 2004, he won the Canadian Nationals at the U14 level, to become best player in the country in his age group. His father saw the obvious potential and returned to coaching his son. 'I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for my parents and family and what they sacrificed,' said Pospisil. 'It made me the man I am today and I'm forever grateful for the tennis career I had. I still look back to this day as it's a family project. This is just so much — my dad quitting his job so he could coach me. 'I'm so lucky. They mean everything to me and this is a very important week.' So, when will Pospisil pick up a racket again? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It might take a while,' he laughed. 'It will be for fun, but who knows? I will say, I do have a love-hate relationship with the sport right now, but it is a huge part of me. I know that. I still love the game so much and when I'm hitting balls with my friends, it's so much fun. 'It won't take me too long to pick up a racket again.' How about the Oldlum-Brown VanOpen that returns in 2026? Pospisil won the singles title in 2013. 'Maybe that will be it,' teased Pospisil. Fighting the good fight off courts Pospisil's connection with the game is now a higher calling to protect players' rights. He formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) with Novak Djokovic in 2019. In March, a dozen players sued the sport's four major tennis organizations — they oversee four Grand Slam events and men's and women's pro tours — to contest economic restraints placed among competing players. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The PTPA alleges the organizations suppress tournament earnings and withhold opportunities for players to have additional opportunities to supplement incomes away from the courts. Potential earnings with name, image and likeness (NIL), are also reportedly under fire because organizations have players sign over the NIL right without compensation. Vasek Pospisil celebrates upset win over Milos Raonic at 2020 U.S. Open on Sept. 3, 2020 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran / USA TODAY Sports 'It's one of the contentions with my injuries and eventually burning out,' said Pospisil. 'It (lawsuit) is for the right cause and something I really believe in. When you look under the hood, it (tennis) is very broken. It was important to stand up for what I believe in. It's something I'll continue to work on. It's in hands of the lawyers right now.' In 2024, a Spotrac list of 100th-ranked players of salary and incomes in a variety of sports had the ATP and WTA (Women's Tennis Association) ranked seventh globally. The NFL was first at $17.3 million, followed by the NBA ($14M), Major League Baseball ($13M), European Professional Soccer (EPL, $8.1M), NHL ($7.7M), PGA, LPGA ($3.1M) and ATP, WTA ($1.2M). 'Those (tennis) players are also paying their own expenses,' added Pospisil. 'Team sports have everything paid for and there's something wrong with it. Tennis is definitely broken.' bkuzma@ Celebrity Other Sports Toronto & GTA World Toronto Blue Jays
Vancouver Sun
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Tennis: Vernon's Vasek Pospisil retires with 'no regrets', but stays in fight to protect players
Vasek Pospisil was always up for a good fight on the court, or off it. Whether competing against Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) elite, fighting for players' rights to combat suppressed earnings and off-court opportunities, or growing the game in his home province, the Vernon native met challenges with vigour. On Monday, the 35-year-old Pospisil officially retired amid accomplishments that include a 2014 Wimbledon doubles title, helping Canada capture the 2022 Davis Cup crown, and a string of strong singles and doubles finishes on the Grand Slam circuit. He received a main draw wild-card entry for the National Bank Open in Toronto next weekend for his final farewell. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Pospisil, who turned pro in 2007, rose to a No. 4 raking in doubles (2015) and No. 25 (2014) in singles and finished with US$7.2 million in career earnings. He also endured a lot of pain. A trio of elbow tears, herniated disk surgery in 2019, and then another back setback last summer, in the long grind to keep mind and body in sync. 'There can always be a little bit of bittersweet, no question about it,' Vasek told Postmedia on Sunday. 'Tennis has been my whole life and all I ever wanted to do, and there's going to be a little difficulty saying goodbye, but I'll keep it in perspective. I'm ready to move on to the next thing. There's so much I want to do. 'The last three or four years have been very tiring and it's quite safe to say I'm burned out to a point where I'm not getting as much enjoyment out of training or being on the court. It's incredibly exhausting, and all year long, you're always on and always travelling. 'A lot of times, it's a very lonely sport with enormous stress. Eventually, that weighs on you and burns you out. I definitely feel like a shell of the player I was. The injuries played a huge factor especially the last three years. It gets very discouraging and you have to be realistic.' However, it's also rewarding, if you put in the time to get to a rare level, and have the will to press on as the career clock ticks. Pospisil advanced to the Wimbledon singles quarterfinal (2015), fourth round of the U.S. Open (2020), and third round of the Australian Open (2014, 2015). In doubles, he also made the quarterfinals in the French Open (2015), Australian Open (2016) and third round of the U.S. Open (2013, 2014). It spoke to longevity and longing to always get his game to the next level. Does Pospisil believe he left it all out on the court and did the best under different circumstances? 'I do,' he stressed. 'Until 2022, I did everything I could. I left no stone unturned and confident to say I have no regrets.' Pospisil was named the ATP's comeback player of the year in 2020 for advancing to his first singles final since 2014, collecting his seventh doubles title and getting to fourth round of singles at the U.S. Open. Pospisil didn't have to look very far find his work ethic. Two years before he was born in 1990, his parents Milos and Mila, along with older brothers Petr and Tom, escaped Communist Czechoslovakia by driving unlawfully to Austria. They worked long hours at low wages to save money for an eventual move to Canada and arrived in Vernon in the summer of 1989. Milos worked two jobs and took to tennis because his older sons started playing. He would coach on outdoor courts and a three-year-old Vasek tagged along as ball boy at practices. He even dragged a mini tennis racquet around the house and seemed destined for the sport. At age six, Pospisil won an Under-12 tournament and by 2002, it became apparent that the family had to move to Vancouver to find the right coach for the prodigy, who was home-schooled. They found the mentor in Vadim Korkh, who worked with Andrei Chesnokov while also a professor at the Central Sport Academy in Moscow. In November 2002, Vasek went to Florida and won the Prince Cup, beating several of the best under-12 players from Europe. In 2004, he won the Canadian Nationals at the U14 level, to become best player in the country in his age group. His father saw the obvious potential and returned to coaching his son. 'I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for my parents and family and what they sacrificed,' said Pospisil. 'It made me the man I am today and I'm forever grateful for the tennis career I had. I still look back to this day as it's a family project. This is just so much — my dad quitting his job so he could coach me. 'I'm so lucky. They mean everything to me and this is a very important week.' So, when will Pospisil pick up a racket again? 'It might take a while,' he laughed. 'It will be for fun, but who knows? I will say, I do have a love-hate relationship with the sport right now, but it is a huge part of me. I know that. I still love the game so much and when I'm hitting balls with my friends, it's so much fun. 'It won't take me too long to pick up a racket again.' How about the Oldlum-Brown VanOpen that returns in 2026? Pospisil won the singles title in 2013. 'Maybe that will be it,' teased Pospisil. Pospisil's connection with the game is now a higher calling to protect players' rights. He formed the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) with Novak Djokovic in 2019. In March, a dozen players sued the sport's four major tennis organizations — they oversee four Grand Slam events and men's and women's pro tours — to contest economic restraints placed among competing players. The PTPA alleges the organizations suppress tournament earnings and withhold opportunities for players to have additional opportunities to supplement incomes away from the courts. Potential earnings with name, image and likeness (NIL), are also reportedly under fire because organizations have players sign over the NIL right without compensation. 'It's one of the contentions with my injuries and eventually burning out,' said Pospisil. 'It (lawsuit) is for the right cause and something I really believe in. When you look under the hood, it (tennis) is very broken. It was important to stand up for what I believe in. It's something I'll continue to work on. It's in hands of the lawyers right now.' In 2024, a Spotrac list of 100th-ranked players of salary and incomes in a variety of sports had the ATP and WTA (Women's Tennis Association) ranked seventh globally. The NFL was first at $17.3 million, followed by the NBA ($14M), Major League Baseball ($13M), European Professional Soccer (EPL, $8.1M), NHL ($7.7M), PGA, LPGA ($3.1M) and ATP, WTA ($1.2M). 'Those (tennis) players are also paying their own expenses,' added Pospisil. 'Team sports have everything paid for and there's something wrong with it. Tennis is definitely broken.' bkuzma@
Malaysian Reserve
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malaysian Reserve
Why there isn't a best chef in the world
Awards are one thing but the culinary universe has no real centre. For that you can thank 2 chefs IN VICTORY, top chefs are much like the classiest of professional tennis players: Self-deprecatory, admiring of their rivals, grateful to their teachers. Three weeks ago, just after his restaurant Maido was proclaimed No 1 among the 50 Best Restaurants in the World at a ceremony in Turin, Italy, Mitsuharu Tsumura told me: 'There is competition, but when you finish, you shake hands, you have a beer.' Unlike tennis and other sports, though, the world of haute cuisine doesn't really have a universally recognised ranking system like the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women's Tennis Association. For those who point to the Michelin Guide, I will politely say the French tyre company provides ratings not rankings. The 50 Best franchise certainly provides a glitzy showcase for some of the finest eating establishments in the world, but it's incomplete. The list has lots of Latin American representation, like Maido in Peru, but sparse North American luminaries. (One of my favourites, Atomix in New York City, placed 12th this year, dropping six spots; the next US restaurant isn't even in the top 50: Single Thread in Healdsburg, California, at 80.) Once upon a time, the best chef in the world was whoever was at the top of the French culinary universe. Paul Bocuse — who died in 2018 and whose name is enshrined in the Bocuse D'Or cooking competition in his native Lyon — was perhaps the most infallible of these culinary arbiters of fine dining. However, for about a three-decade span — from the very end of the 20th century to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic — there was wide consensus that two non-French cooks were the world's most influential chefs. For the first half of the period, it was Ferran Adria of El Bulli in Spain. For the second half, it was Rene Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. Their primacy is reflected in the history of the 50 Best: Adria has won the top spot five times; Redzepi has done it four times. In 2019, the organisation changed its rules, automatically promoting all past and future top-notchers into a 'Best of the Best' hall of fame. It was a way of getting new restaurants into the rankings while assuaging the older guard with apotheosis. The reform was a polite way to freshen up the list, but it unwittingly reflects a real change in the nature of the culinary world, one effected by the legacies of Adria and Redzepi. Let me summarise it by way of an anecdote. During a dinner, the Spanish chef, who is a friend, turned to me with one of the terrifying restaurant history questions he likes to hurl at friend and foe alike. Get the answer right and you are golden. Get it wrong and you'll get an hour-long lecture to set you right. 'What is the greatest lesson of El Bulli?' he asked me. Fortunately, a couple of months before, I had heard the answer — from Rene Redzepi. The Dane, whom I also consider a friend, had worked briefly in Adria's kitchen and has feted the Spaniard on his birthday at Noma. And so, I repeated what I'd learned: 'The most important rule of El Bulli is that there are no rules'. Adria smiled approvingly and I got no lecture. Adria dethroned the French as world champions with his genre-busting kitchen techniques; and Redzepi pushed the revolution further by turning Nordic notions into haute cuisine, further showing everyone that their local cuisines too could become global standard-bearers. You didn't have to be French — or Spanish or Danish. Today, I find it quite moving that among the James Beard Awards and nominations for best restaurants in the various US regions were establishments serving Filipino, Tamil, Thai, Korean, Mexican, Vietnamese and a host of other non-European cuisines. It's also inspiring that one of the chefs who got the most attention at the Turin ceremony was Pichaya Soontornyanakij and her restaurant Potong in Bangkok. Ikoyi, the highest-placed London restaurant at 15, has its roots in West African cooking. A quick round of interviews with top contenders for the 50 Best revealed a consensus for the cuisines with increasing global influence: Mexican, Chinese, Korean and Indian. It's going to be hard to figure on parameters that will allow you judge whether the wok hei technique of a Hong Kong chef is better than the bhuna caramelisation of a top restaurant in Mumbai. Even as all this decentralisation continues, the world of chefs seems to be settling into two semi-ideological camps. Or perhaps the word is egocentric. The 50 Best appears to be a favourite annual stop of Adria; his disciples have followed. Meanwhile, a more nebulous but just as influential group gathers around Redzepi, who not only has been taking Noma around the world (Kyoto last year; Los Angeles next) but also this year revived the MAD Symposium, which was legendary in the 2010s for allowing chefs to voice big and deep thoughts. Both men continue to project their authority and personality onto a cooking universe without a centre of gravity. But chefs still like prizes — especially those with the label 'best'. I started this column with tennis players. If you believe that they are as gracious in private as their victorious personas on the podium, well, you haven't been watching enough matches with the athletes grunting, growling and scowling. Chefs share the same passions and instincts. This year at the 50 Best, a popular expectation was that the No 1 spot would go to Bittor Arginzoniz's Asador Etxebarri in Spain's Basque country. Maido, with its celebration of Peru's Japanese immigrant Nikkei cuisine, has been working its way up the list for years, but Etxebarri, with its innovative grilling, has been one of the most influential restaurants in the world for a long time. Its chef is also famously fiery and competitive. So, despite his smiling demeanour in Turin, he was probably unhappy that the restaurant came in at No 2. One foodie friend — who asked not to be named because he knows too many sensitive chefs — quipped that 'Bittor is probably so mad at the snub that he's only going to make Etxebarri better than ever, just to show everyone up. Better book a table now.' — Bloomberg This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Novak Djokovic injury update: Tennis star addresses match, future at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic's shot at an eighth Wimbledon title will have to wait another year. Djokovic, the No. 6 player in the world per the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), fell to No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in the men's singles semifinals on July 11. Sinner will face No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles finals on Sunday, July 13 in what might have been Novak's 25th career Grand Slam title. Advertisement Throughout the set, Djokovic was seen in discomfort from his recent injury, which impacted his game on the grass court and caused those within the tennis world to wonder 2025 would be the final year he took Centre Court at Wimbledon. Here's the latest on his injury: REQUIRED READING: Carlos Alcaraz beats USA's Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon, will play for third straight title Novak Djokovic injury status Meeting with assembled media at Wimbledon following his semifinal loss, Djokovic said it wasn't pleasant to be on the court vs. Sinner as he played through his groin injury. "It wasn't really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don't want to talk (about) in details about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best. I want to congratulate Jannik for another great performance. That's it. He's in the finals. He was too strong," Djokovic said. Advertisement "I do feel disappointed that I just wasn't able to move as well as I thought or hoped that I would." Asked further about having to push through another injury during a Grand Slam, Djokovic said it is just age, and "not bad fortune." "I don't think it's bad fortune, it is just age. The wear and tear of the body as much as I'm taking care of it and the reality hits me right now, last year and a half like never before, to be honest," Djokovic said. "It's tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I'm fresh, when I'm fit, I can still play really good tennis and I've proven that this year. "I guess playing best of five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets. ... It is what it is. It's one of these things that you just have to accept, embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is and try to make the most out of it." Advertisement Novak Djokovic injury update The 38-year-old Djokovic was dealing with a hip and groin injury in the Wimbledon semifinal matchup vs. Sinner on July 11. He sustained the groin injury in the final game of his quarterfinal win over Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday, July 9 when he slipped on the baseline of the court at Wimbledon during a rally. Novak did mention in his post-quarterfinals news conference that he wouldn't feel the impact of the injury until the next day. He ultimately canceled practice ahead of his semifinal match. Djokovic even had to take an injury timeout during his semifinal match, in which ESPN's cameras saw a member of his team trying to help him stretch. Djokovic's injury at Wimbledon comes after he had to pull himself out of his semifinal match at the 2025 Australian Open vs. Alexander Zverev due to a torn muscle in his left leg after just one set. As noted by the Associated Press, Djokovic's decision to remove himself from the Australian Open marked the second time in what was then his last four major tournaments that he was unable to finish because of an injury. Advertisement Will Novak Djokovic play at Wimbledon again? Asked whether the 2025 Wimbledon Championship would be his last one, the 24-time Grand Slam winner suggested he sees at least one trip to Wimbledon in his future. "Hopefully it's not my last match on the Centre Court. I'm not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today, so I'm planning to come back definitely at least one more time, plain and simple," Djokovic said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Novak Djokovic injury update: Tennis star discusses semifinal match
