Latest news with #VStarr
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Will we see Venus Williams on a tennis court again?
At the end of March, Venus Williams will lose her world ranking and her page on the WTA Tour website will turn from purple to seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will be considered an inactive player, having gone a whole year without that status may not last long. The feeling persists that the American icon is not yet ready for retirement.A wildcard for Indian Wells was announced but then swiftly declined. A "miscommunication" was the reason say Williams was then offered a wildcard for the Miami Open, which began on Tuesday and was the venue of her last 44-year-old thought about it for a couple of days - although it was no great surprise when she turned it down. Indian Wells and Miami were the only two tournaments Williams played last year. Her last Grand Slam appearance was at the 2023 US Open and her last victory at any level came against Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati two weeks before last time Williams played a full schedule was 2019. It was some achievement to do so in the year she turned 39, having been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, external - an autoimmune condition which can cause fatigue and joint pain - a few years turning 45 - which she will do just two weeks before Wimbledon on 17 June - is historically not a barrier to competing on tour. After all, Martina Navratilova won a singles match at the All England Club aged 47. Should Williams request a wildcard for either Wimbledon, where she is a five-time singles champion, or for the US Open, where she won the singles twice, it seems unlikely it would be is a big part of Williams' life and she was at Paris Fashion Week two weeks ago - one of the reasons she did not play in Indian owns the interior design company V Starr but, even though more than 30 years have passed since her professional debut, many feel she will attempt a final foray into professional tennis. It is possible Williams, who is ranked 1,151, will never retire. Former US Open and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has not played since Wimbledon 2021, but is yet formally to call it a day. Venus' sister Serena, meanwhile, did not like the word retirement, preferring instead to "evolve away from the sport" in September name does, however, appear on the International Tennis Integrity Agency's retired players list. Joining that list is a strong commitment to retiring, as any player who later changes their mind must make themselves available for drug testing for six months before returning to means Venus could still expect a visit from out-of-competition testers. But she no longer needs to submit details of her daily whereabouts as she was removed from the international registered testing pool last June - a usual process for singles players who drop out of the world's top has not played frequently enough to qualify as either a full or associate member of the WTA Tour this year, but she has also not completed a WTA retirement form. To play again she would need to fill out an annual player form and find a $250 administration fee from the nearly $43m of prize money she has earned. Her management team did not respond to a request for information about her plans and it seems Williams will keep us guessing a little longer. Any ideas she might have for the summer have not been widely shared within the retirement tributes have been written and signed off a long time may still need updating.
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
This Florida golf course which hosts a PGA Tour event was sold to a private equity firm
AI-assisted summary PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has been sold to London-based private equity firm Henderson Park. While the exact sale price was not disclosed, it was previously estimated at $425 million. The new owners plan to further enhance the resort's facilities, which include six golf courses, a spa, and multiple restaurants. The sale includes a partnership with luxury boutique hotel brand Salamander Hotels and club and resort community operator South Street Partners. PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida — PGA National Resort & Spa is under new ownership after a purchase by the London-based private equity firm Henderson Park. As of early Monday, no deed had been filed in public records noting the sale price, and a release announcing the deal did not include a dollar figure. But it was previously reported that the resort, golf club and signature residential community could sell for an estimated $425 million. Henderson Park executives touted the 44-year-old resort's storied history and future potential following a recently completed $100 million renovation. 'We are very excited to be stewards of PGA National, historically one of the most dynamic golf destinations in the U.S.,' said Rob Duckett, Henderson Park managing director of golf and club operations, in a prepared statement. 'Our plans include further enhancing the facilities while enriching the experience provided to our members and guests.' The 807-acre property at Jog Road and Florida's Turnpike in Palm Beach Gardens includes six golf courses, a 40,000-square-foot spa designed by V Starr, multiple restaurants including The Butcher's Club run by 'Top Chef' winner Jeremy Ford, and a sports and racquet club. It will host the Cognizant Classic, part of the PGA Tour, Feb. 27-March 2. The property was purchased in a joint venture with luxury boutique hotel brand Salamander Hotels and club and resort community operator South Street Partners. 'PGA National is one of the most iconic golf resorts in America and we are excited to share our authentic and diverse style of hospitality, which guests enjoy at our other destinations,' said Sheila Johnson, Salamander founder and CEO, in a prepared statement. Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program in Florida Atlantic University's College of Business, praised the Salamander brand in a November interview. More:Honda Classic: PGA National set for $100M renovation to hotel, club, spa "Salamander is known for running very fine establishments," Ricci said. About 5,000 homes are in PGA National, with high-end properties fetching upwards of $4 million, said Jeff Lichtenstein, president of the Echo Fine Properties real estate brokerage in Jupiter. Residences include homes on half-acre lots in gated communities to houses with zero-lot lines. Lichtenstein said the community is popular for its amenities, and he sees the resort becoming more in demand as corporations opening offices in West Palm Beach, and a planned campus of Vanderbilt University, need places to host events. "With the amount of wealth and political activity, there are going to be limited facilities for banquets and golf outings," Lichtenstein said. "There are only so many holes at The Breakers and only so many events you can hold at Mar-a-Lago." The seller, Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, paid $218 million for the resort and club in 2018. It completed $100 million in renovations to the hotel and spa and upgrades to restaurants. Palm Beach Post staff writer Alexandra Clough contributed to this story. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism: Subscribe today.
