logo
'Everybody Dance Now': Aryna Sabaleka, Coco Gauff Shake A Leg Ahead Of Wimbledon

'Everybody Dance Now': Aryna Sabaleka, Coco Gauff Shake A Leg Ahead Of Wimbledon

News182 days ago

Last Updated:
Sabalenka and Gauff were filmed grooving to Bob Sinclair's hit number 'Rock This Party' ahead of the grass court major at SW19.
Top-ranked women's tennis player Aryna Sabalenka and American ace Coco Gauff were seen in high spirits as the duo danced together on Friday ahead of the grass court grand slam event at Wimbledon.
Gauff pipped Sabalenka to the French Open 2025 crown at Roland Garros a couple of weeks earlier, but there seemed to be no bad blood between the competitiors as they moved in sync to the famous Bob Sinclair's hit number 'Rock This Party' ahead of the grass court major at SW19.
'TikTok dances always had a way of bringing people together," Gauff posted on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Aryna Sabalenka (@arynasabalenka)
Sabalenka is slated to open her Wimbledon campaign against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine, while Gauff begins her chalenge for the SW19 crown against Dayana Yastremska.
The No. 1-ranked Sabalenka and the No. 2-ranked Gauff held a practice session together at Centre Court ahead of the year's third Grand Slam tournament, which begins on Monday.
Three weeks ago, Gauff got the better of Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match at the last major, the French Open.
Following the win, Sabalenka faced criticism for stating that Gauff won the match not because she played incredibly, but because I made all of those mistakes with easy balls. Later, however, Sabalenka described her comments as unprofessional and said she had written to Gauff to apologise.
The 27-year-old Belarussian, Sabalenka, is a three-time Grand Slam champion and was the runner-up both times Gauff, a 21-year-old American, won a major trophy, including at the 2023 U.S. Open. At Wimbledon this year, they could only meet each other in the final on July 12.
First Published:

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Wimbledon Could Be The Best Chance': Aging Djokovic Eyeing Historic 25th Career Slam
'Wimbledon Could Be The Best Chance': Aging Djokovic Eyeing Historic 25th Career Slam

News18

timean hour ago

  • News18

'Wimbledon Could Be The Best Chance': Aging Djokovic Eyeing Historic 25th Career Slam

Last Updated: Novak Djokovic, aiming for his 25th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, seeks to match Roger Federer's record of eight titles as well. So close yet so far. The end seems to be nearing for the legendary Novak Djokovic, and the Serb realises the same, as he remains in hot pursuit of his 25th career Grand Slam title — a feat achieved by none before. But, the World No. 6 realises that his window is dwindling, and there's never a time better than the present — at Wimbledon — to seal the deal and etch history. 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is on a quest for his record-breaking 25th major title at Wimbledon, where he has already triumphed seven times, most recently in 2022. Only Swiss legend Roger Federer has more men's singles titles at SW19, with eight, and Djokovic aims to match his long-term rival's record. However, he hasn't added a Grand Slam title since the 2023 U.S. Open, with young guns Alcaraz and Sinner claiming three each since. Wimbledon may now offer Djokovic his best shot at ending their reign and becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the professional era. 'I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform at the highest level," he said. 'I'll try to have a very good tournament and go as far as I can." 'In a sense, you're always hunting because you're always going for the titles, and in my privileged position, the records and more history," he told reporters. 'I do feel that I'm always in that position of going for something with the attitude of trying to win rather than trying to defend." Djokovic begins his campaign Tuesday against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, needing three more wins to become just the second man to hit 100 Wimbledon match victories. First Published: June 30, 2025, 15:39 IST

Two-time champion Petra Kvitova makes a final appearance at Wimbledon before she retires
Two-time champion Petra Kvitova makes a final appearance at Wimbledon before she retires

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

Two-time champion Petra Kvitova makes a final appearance at Wimbledon before she retires

This year's visit to Wimbledon is special for Petra Kvitova. It marks her return to competition at the All England Club — the site of her two greatest triumphs as a professional tennis player — after missing the event last year while on maternity leave. And it also marks her farewell to the grass-court Grand Slam tournament she won in 2011 and 2014: Kvitova, a 35-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic, announced 1 1/2 weeks ago that she plans to leave the tour after the U.S. Open, which ends in September. 'It's crazy to see that she's retiring, because I remember playing her when I just started,' said Aryna Sabalenka, 27, the three-time major champion who is seeded No. 1 at the All England Club. 'I'm kind of sad. I was thinking when I saw the news: Come on. Give it try. Why? Why would you retire? Keep going.'' Kvitova, who received a wild-card invitation from the tournament, was scheduled to play in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday against No. 10 seed Emma Navarro of the United States. 'It'll be amazing, for sure. It's my favorite tournament. It always has been and it always will be. So it'll be very nice to be back,' Kvitova said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'It's always brought me so many memories. Some really good memories, of course. But also bad memories, because losing with the pressure there is hard. Even with the two best results of my career, I do feel like sometimes the losses were very, very painful. But at the end of the day, winning two titles is what counts the most.' Kvitova's first two appearances at the tournament she refers to as 'Wimby' did not go perfectly. She lost her opening matches in both 2008 and 2009. But the following year, she made it all the way the semifinals. And then, in 2011, Kvitova beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 in the final. Three years later, Kvitova earned her second trophy, defeating Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-0 in the title match. 'It took me a while,' Kvitova said, 'to get used to the grass.' Kvitova, who's been ranked as high as No. 2 but is currently outside the top 500 because of her absence and a 1-6 record since her February comeback, also associates two other key memories with Wimbledon. Jiri Vanek, her coach since 2016, proposed to Kvitova at Centre Court and they're now married. Their first child, a son named Petr, was born during the middle weekend of the 2024 fortnight. Kvitova described her 17 months away from the tour as feeling akin to just a short break. 'It actually feels like I never quit. It feels like I've been here every year,' she said before returning to Grand Slam action at the French Open in May. 'My mindset is still in a good place, so it feels good to be here. And my game is getting better.' Motherhood does present its challenges, as for any working mom. The biggest difficulty, Kvitova said, has been being away from her family when they don't accompany her when she is playing. 'Traveling together is not easy sometimes, either. The worst part is the logistics that come with it. Having so much stuff. Being in the hotel room it can be a little tough, especially when they're small. He is starting to crawl and everything, so it's a mess everywhere,' she said. 'But it also is fun. He's a very good boy, so that makes it all a little bit easier.'

Michelle Kang takes over as president of Ligue 1 team Lyon as John Textor resigns
Michelle Kang takes over as president of Ligue 1 team Lyon as John Textor resigns

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Michelle Kang takes over as president of Ligue 1 team Lyon as John Textor resigns

American businesswoman Michele Kang has taken over as president of seven-time French champion Lyon after John Textor resigned following the club's relegation over financial irregularities. HT Image The South Korea-born Kang is also majority owner of the Lyon's women's team — OL Lyonnes — and has been on Lyon's board of directors since 2023. Lyon said in a statement that Kang will play an 'active role' in leading the club's appeal against the relegation handed down last Tuesday by the French league's soccer watchdog, known as DNCG. The case is expected to be heard within the next week. That ruling could also decide whether Crystal Palace will be allowed to play in next season's Europa League, which Lyon also qualified for. Textor also held a 43% stake in Palace — which he has agreed to sell to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson — and UEFA has rules against clubs with the same owner playing the same competition. Lyon added that Textor has also resigned from the board of directors. He became Lyon president three years ago, taking over from longstanding incumbent Jean-Michel Aulas, who sold to Textor's Eagle Football Holdings. The 66-year-old Kang will be supported in her role by Michael Gerlinger, the general manager of Eagle Football Holdings. 'A highly respected figure in European football administration, Michael brings over two decades of experience in governance, regulatory affairs and sports operations,' Lyon said in its statement. Lyon's run of Ligue 1 titles from 2001-08 made it the powerhouse of French soccer. Since Paris Saint-Germain took over at the top, fortunes have steadily dipped for Lyon. The decision to relegate the club followed an audit of its finances by the DNCG, with Lyon's current debt estimated at 175 million euros . The DNCG had already provisionally relegated Lyon to Ligue 2 in November, with the club reporting at the time that it had more than 500 million euros of debt. A transfer ban was also imposed in the January transfer window. News of Lyon's relegations was met by dismay from Lyon fans, with one historic supporters group — The Bad Gones — leading calls for Textor's immediate resignation. The club shop was tagged with a blunt message urging him to go. A Champions League finalist five years ago, Lyon narrowly lost to Manchester United in the Europa League quarterfinals this season and missed out on a cash windfall when it failed to qualify for next season's Champions League after finishing sixth in Ligue 1. Three weeks ago, Lyon received a much-needed cash injection by selling coveted playmaker Rayan Cherki to Manchester City for 36 million euros, while high earners like forward Alexandre Lacazette left the club. But it wasn't enough to convince the DNCG that Lyon's books were in order, a task which now falls to Kang. Ligue 1 resumes in mid-August with Lyon scheduled to play at Lens if it wins the appeal. Forbes estimates Kang's worth at $1.2 billion. Kang assumed majority ownership of Lyon one year after taking over the Washington Spirit women's team in 2022 when average gates were around 3,000. They are now around 15,000. She also heads Kynisca Sports International, a women-led, multi-team global sports organization. Last November, she pledged $30 million to U.S. Soccer over five years for women and girls — the largest single investment specifically for women's and girl's programs in the federation's history. As well as her donation to U.S. Soccer, in August 2024 her Kynisca Sports organization set up a $50-million global investment fund to help improve the health and performance of elite female athletes. Lyon's women's team — a record eight-time Champions League winner — will enjoy a new, female-specific training campus when it opens in July 2026. The women's team will also share the Groupama Stadium with the men's side. Last season's women's Champions League semfinal against rival PSG attracted 38,466 spectators. ___ soccer: /hub/soccer This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store