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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ben Shelton cruises through opening round at Washington 500
Back on American soil following a quarter-final finish at Wimbledon, former Florida Gator and world No. 8 Ben Shelton cruised his opening match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open against fellow American Mackenzie McDonald (No. 95), 6-3, 6-4, on Tuesday night. It took just 1 hour and 15 minutes for Shelton to get the job done in the stadium, hitting 23 winners and nine aces. Shelton punished McDonald whenever the latter missed his first serve. Shelton won 17 of 24 second serve return points and won two of three critical break points. Shelton dominated the opening set. The two were about even whenever rallying, but Shelton's overpowering serve proved to be an early difference-maker. That's par for the course for Shelton, especially in these early rounds at 500-level events. He has only truly struggled against the world's No. 1 and No. 2 players this season in Grand Slam play, so these games are about fine-tuning his game and improving his weaknesses. He moved well on the hard court and played a strong return game. The second game was more of the same. McDonald spent most of Shelton's service points trying to figure out how to return a first serve coming in at 130 mph on average. Shelton's fastest of the day came in at 145 mph, and he only had to play a second serve twice. Shelton will face Gabriel Diallo in the Round of 16 on Thursday. While the two have never met at an ATP Tour event, Diallo got the best of Shelton, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3, at an October 2022 Challenger Tour event. Diallo reached the final in that tournament. Should Shelton advance, he'd have a chance to play doubles partner and fellow American Francis Tiafoe in the quarter-finals. Another option is Flavio Cobolli, which sets up a rematch of last year's semi-final at this event. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
ATP Washington picks: Gael Monfils vs. Yibing Wu odds, picks, and prediction
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Former champion Gael Monfils will take on World No. 243 Yibing Wu in the Round of 32 at ATP Washington on Tuesday. Monfils, 38, is one of the most beloved players in the sport and will have the backing of the crowd in D.C., but things may not be as straightforward as the odds and tale of the tape suggest for La Monf. Although he's ranked outside the top 200, Wu was once ranked No. 54 in the world and became the first Chinese player in the Open Era to win an ATP title when he captured the trophy at ATP Dallas in 2023. ATP Washington: Monfils vs. Wu odds and pick Injuries have followed Wu around since he burst onto the scene a couple of years ago. A terrific hard-court player at his best, Wu can hit through his opponents and shorten points with his power from the baseline. Yibing Wu will meet Gael Monfils in Washington on Tuesday. AFP via Getty Images That power and his steady play made it look like the native of Hangzhou, China, could become a force on the lower-level ATP tournaments on hard courts, but injuries derailed his career and forced him onto the Challenger Tour for much of 2025. Wu has had success on the JV circuit, capturing a title on hard courts in Tyler back in June. Although the quality of competition leaves something to be desired, seeing Wu rack up more wins than losses coming into Washington, which will be the biggest test he's faced all year. Wu looked in good form during qualifying, defeating Mitchell Krueger and Corentin Moutet, the No. 1 seed in qualifying, en route to Tuesday's showdown with Monfils. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps And while Monfils can still turn on the jets on a moment's notice, his current form is lacking. The Frenchman has lost four of his last five matches and could be feeling the effects of a busy schedule in 2025. Wu's current ranking is deceiving. He's a threat to pull the upset against Monfils on Tuesday. The Play: Yibing Wu +185 (BetMGM) Why Trust New York Post Betting Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bernard Tomic involved in tennis mockery featuring American billionaire
Australian tennis players Bernard Tomic and Omar Jasika have been involved in a controversial Challenger Tour doubles match against billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. The American 59-year-old was handed a wildcard to play in the doubles alongside former world no.8 Jack Sock at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport. Advertisement With Ackman having never played a professional tennis match before, Tomic and Jasika cruised to victory 6-1 7-5 but appeared to be not applying their full effort, particularly in the second set. MORE: Who will be the next Australian tennis player to win a grand slam title? However, the match drew strong criticism from several tennis voices, including Andy Roddick, who claimed on his podcast Served that it was "the biggest joke I have ever watched in professional tennis." Most of the controversy has stemmed out of the fact Ackman received a wildcard to play in the event, which denied a professional player an opportunity to continue building their career. Advertisement Roddick said: "It [the game] was a disaster.... This was beneath the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. It's nothing personal against Bill Ackman, he can do what he wants. If his dream was to do it and someone's gonna let him do it. I mean, it's not his fault, I don't blame him, right. Someone has to say yes to this.... It was rough." U.S. Open press officer Randy Walker stated on X: "I just watched the absolute worst professional tennis match I have ever seen...." Tomic and Jasika will continue in the men's doubles tournament at the Hall of Fame on Friday (AEST) against Blake Bayldon and Trey Hilderbrand.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
The challenge of the Challenger Tour
With the match no longer going his way, a seething Paul Jubb whacked a tennis ball out of the fenced-in tennis court and into the backyard of a house on Parkview Pointe Drive. That quickly earned himself a warning from the umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct. After Switzerland's Leandro Riedi took the second set 7-5 to force a third, Jubb — who dominated the first 6-2 — spiked his racquet in frustration. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., said the Challenger Tour is a grind as tennis is a truly individual sport, where players at this level pay their way around the tour and may not be able to afford a coach. 'I was seeing red for a good amount of time there,' admitted Jubb, who was competing in Round of 32 action at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger on Wednesday at the Tennis Manitoba Hub at West St. Paul. Welcome to the Challenger Tour — which mainly consists of players ranked between 100 and 300 in the world and is a tier below the top level in the sport: the ATP Tour. It's a level that can be far from glamorous, as most players are a one-man rock band who travel across the globe trying to scrounge up enough points to climb the rankings. The cost of having a coach hit the road with you can cost a player over a grand per week, and that's not including their accommodation and flight. So, for many, they're flying solo. When times get tough, it's up to them, and only them, to figure it out. On this day, Jubb, a 25-year-old from the United Kingdom, managed to do so as he rallied to win the third set 6-4 to advance to the next round. It's a big win, as Riedi played in the first round at Wimbledon last month. 'It's an individual sport, and pretty much every week you're most likely losing. You have to deal with being in your own head, and it's all on you if you lost. You got to deal with those thoughts week by week and it's a very, very lonely job at times,' said Jubb, who won an NCAA national championship in men's singles back in 2019 during his time at the University of South Carolina. 'It would be easy to kind of check out and maybe try and earn some money coaching, but that's not what I want to do. Deep down, I want to compete, and I want to get to the top.' Liam Draxl recently made it into the top 150 which has him as Canada's fourth best player after Felix Auger-Aliassime (28th), Denis Shapovalov (30th) and Gabriel Diallo (40th). Just two years ago Diallo, with Riedi, won the Winnipeg Challenger's doubles title. Draxl, who is hoping for a similar career trajectory, outlasted Challenger Tour veteran Hiroki Moriya of Japan (6-3, 6-1) Wednesday to move on to Thursday's Round of 16. 'It's an individual sport, and pretty much every week you're most likely losing.'–Paul Jubb The total prize money for this week — which has been the only professional tennis tournament in Manitoba dating back to 2013 — is $100,000 with the champion bringing home $14,200 of that for their efforts. 'Most people are ranked between 100-300… like, they'd be in the NHL or MLB and be making a living, a lot more than the guys on the Challenger Tour,' said Draxl, a 23-year-old from Newmarket, Ont. 'This level is not easy. You see a lot of the players who you see on TV, other than the exceptions like star players like (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner, they don't break through this level overnight. It's a grind to get through this level, it's really tough, and it feels like you're fighting for scraps. There's like nobody watching, it feels like your ranking is barely going up, and you're just trying to break even out here.' There's around 200 Challenger events in a year and they take place in roughly 50 different countries. Many players hit the courts in well over 20 of them, and they must always buy a one-way ticket as you just never know how far your game will take you that week. Thankfully the tour covers the cost of accommodations. 'I try and use a travel agent sometimes… I'd rather pay a bit more to worry less because, for me, I find that stuff very stressful. When you lose, sometimes you can't even decompress,' said Jubb, who battled Australian Nick Kyrgios in the first round at Wimbledon in 2022 but has since fallen to No. 422 in the world. 'It's like, 'Well, we gotta find a flight to get out of here,' otherwise you're paying more money to stay here when you don't want to be here. You've got to take care of yourself, rather than a team sport where everything's taken care of by the team.' In this calendar year alone, Draxl has competed all over the United States and overseas in Portugal, Switzerland, France and Scotland. But to even make it to the Challenger Tour, players need to pick up enough points on the level below which is called Futures. Draxl said that is quite the experience in itself as some of those events are, well, interesting, such as the M15 Cancun that he won back in 2021 in what was his first singles championship as a pro. 'You're not in the hotel zone in Cancun, that's for sure. It was in the middle of the jungle, literally,' said Draxl, who receives funding from Tennis Canada to help cover travel costs. 'You can't even practice, can't even get balls, it's tough to even warm up for your match. People eating there, getting food poisoning constantly. I mean, it just goes on and on and on.' 'There were scorpions in the dorm there. I was in the pool a lot after my match to cool down because it's insanely hot there and there's a tarantula in the pool. I saw snakes in trees, it's crazy, man.' 'It's really tough, and it feels like you're fighting for scraps. There's like nobody watching, it feels like your ranking is barely going up, and you're just trying to break even out here.'–Liam Draxl Thankfully for Draxl and his competitors, the Winnipeg event is a well-oiled machine — especially since it moved to the new West St. Paul facility in 2023. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. As close as some of these guys are to the big stage — and, more importantly, the big money — it can still feel so far away. And yet, they keep pushing ahead. 'I look back to a final in Mexico where I was completely dying in the heat and it felt like a boxing match. It was so tough physically, and it completely sucked in the moment, but I look back now and I'm like, 'Oh, that was so fun,'' said Draxl. 'So, I think there's a part of me that just enjoys the grind and I'm super grateful to chase my dream. You know, I'm only gonna have this 10-15 year window once in my life so I'm just trying to maximize it.' The Winnipeg Challenger kicked off July 6 and runs all week with the finals scheduled for noon on Sunday. Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billionaire playing in ATP tournament makes mockery of pro tennis
Despite its roots as a recreational pursuit of the elite, modern-day tennis is about as close to a meritocracy as you'll find in professional sports. Whether it's Wimbledon or the lowest-rung tournament in tennis' minor leagues, there aren't any shortcuts to getting in. You qualify based on accomplishment. You can only advance to the next level by winning. You eat what you kill. You get what you deserve. And you are what your ranking says you are. Unless, of course, you're billionaire hedge fund guy Bill Ackman. On Wednesday afternoon, the 59-year old founder of Pershing Square Capital Management will suit up at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, indulging his sports fantasy while making a mockery of the tournament and the ATP Challenger Tour where players strive to eke out a living. "I am playing the best tennis of my life," Ackman wrote last week on X, where he posts frequently about politics and is often far-too-eager to embrace ridiculous conspiracy theories. Including the idea that he belongs in a pro tennis event. Ackman's enthusiasm for tennis is indisputable. He's a bit of a gadfly on tour, befriending several players and helping bankroll the Professional Tennis Players Association when it was launched in 2019 by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil. He says he practices nearly every day, seems to be in good shape for a 59-year old and, because of his access to top players, has found himself on the other side of the net from all-time greats like Roger Federer in informal hitting sessions. And still, there is no deeper story to what's happening in Newport this week other than exactly what it looks like: A wealthy tennis benefactor who started playing seriously a decade ago using his privilege to say he competed in a pro tour event. We can be honest about how gross that is – both in Ackman's desire to make it happen and the ATP's willingness to humor him. How did it happen? According to Ackman's social media posts, former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios had proposed playing doubles together at one point, but ongoing injury issues delayed their partnership indefinitely. "Fortunately fate intervened," Ackman wrote. Of course, it's not fate. It's simply the privilege of being Bill Ackman. Let's explain. Even though entrants for every tournament on the ATP or Challenger Tour level must meet a rankings threshold or earn a spot through a qualifying event, every tournament reserves a handful of wildcards that can be given out at its discretion. The wildcard system isn't perfect and sometimes creates controversy, but in general they're used for reasonable purposes: An accomplished player who lost their ranking due to injury and is trying to come back, an up-and-coming star with local ties, a highly-ranked player who didn't enter initially but decided to play at the last minute. The Newport event, which was downgraded from ATP-level to a Challenger tournament this year, gave the wildcard in doubles to Jack Sock on the basis of being a former champion of the tournament and one of the most accomplished doubles players of the last decade. There's just one little issue: Sock, 32, is a pickleball player and podcaster now. His last professional tennis match was at the U.S. Open in 2023, and there is no indication that he's planning a comeback. Also interesting: In an interview with Front Office Sports last week, Ackman said he had never even met Sock but that they were going to begin practicing together last weekend. So Sock – out of the blue, apparently – requested a wildcard from Newport even though his tennis career has long been over. The tournament granted it, and Sock listed Ackman as his doubles partner. Which, again, the tournament allowed even though you can't find results on Ackman in any of the public tennis databases kept by the USTA or Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). Why was Ackman approved to compete? One truly wonders – unless, of course, you know how the world works. But that's not how tennis is supposed to work. Look, it's not the end of the world. While technically the Ackman-Sock wildcard could have gone to a legitimate team that needed the opportunity rather than a sideshow, nobody's career is going to hinge on missing the cut for the doubles draw at the Newport Challenger. But this isn't a golf pro-am. It's the real thing. And as long as we have pro sports, you'd like them to be played by professionals and not exist for the whims of potential benefactors who have a ton of money and a delusion about how good they are at playing tennis. It's a bad look, and it certainly doesn't help the image of a sport that does not necessarily deserve its country club reputation. While some top-ranked players came from privilege, it's not really that different from most other sports. The top two men's players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, both emerged from middle class backgrounds. Djokovic grew up flat-out poor in a war-torn country. Coco Gauff started on the public courts in Delray Beach, Florida, inspired by Serena and Venus Williams' rise from Compton, California, to the top of the sport. And even for those who had advantages like Jessica Pegula, whose parents own the Buffalo Bills, there's no faking it in tennis. You have to win the right matches to establish your ranking, which gets you in the right tournaments, which only allows you to maintain that privilege if you keep winning. You can't use your social media fame or friendships or wealth to buy your way onto the pro tour. Unless, apparently, you're Bill Ackman.
