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Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya reportedly temporarily unfollowed her boyfriend Jannik Sinner on Instagram. In other news, Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen made a statement with a cheeky hoodie choice at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian pledged to "build something better" after alleged racism against American gymnast Jordan Chiles at the Paris Olympics. Holger Rune refuted 'insider' claims about the imminent split from his Nike partnership.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Anna Kalinskaya temporarily unfollows her boyfriend Jannik Sinner on Instagram
Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya has reportedly temporarily removed her boyfriend Jannik Sinner from her Instagram follow list, not long after their happy vacation in Sardinia, Italy.
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This news emerged during their participation in the 2024 National Bank Open, where Anna Kalinskaya was forced to retire during her Round of 16 match against American Amanda Anisimova. Defending champion Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, reached the quarterfinals where he will take on fifth seed Andrey Rublev on August 10.
Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen steals the spotlight with cheeky hoodie at Cincinnati Open
Zheng Qinwen, fresh off her singles gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will compete at the Cincinnati Open.
Amidst a recent spat with American Emma Navarro, who criticized her as ‘cut-throat’, Zheng made a playful fashion choice by donning a hoodie that nodded to her Olympic victory.
Following a defeat by Zheng with scores of 7-6(7), 6-7(4), 1-6, Navarro disclosed a post-match exchange where she expressed a lack of respect for the Chinese tennis star’s competitive nature. Zheng, upon her arrival in Cincinnati, took to Instagram to flaunt her Olympic-themed hoodie which read:
"Medaling isn’t for everyone."
Seventh seed Zheng Qinwen received a bye into the second round where she will take on either Czech tennis star Marie Bouzkova or a qualifier on August 14.
Tennis legend Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian commits to "building something better" following alleged racism toward gymnast Jordan Chiles
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian expressed frustration over alleged racist comments directed at athletes, vowing to "build something" in response. This came after Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles faced alleged racism following her controversial bronze medal finish at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Initially placing fifth in the floor exercise final on August 5, Chiles moved to third after a score adjustment, displacing Romania's Ana Barbosu. Chiles then received racist remarks, leading her mother, Gina, to defend her.
"The racist disgusting comments are still happening in 2024. I'm tired of people who say it no longer exists. My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched...and she's being called disgusting things," Gina wrote on X.
The Reddit co-founder reposted Gina's update with his own response.
"I am so sick of this. Gonna build something better for athletes."
Holger Rune dismisses speculation about leaving Nike
Holger Rune has refuted claims that he’s considering a split from Nike before the US Open. The Dane humorously dismissed a post on X (previously known as Twitter), which cited ‘insiders’ alleging his departure from the iconic brand in search of a new sponsor for the upcoming tournament.
"Been speaking with a few insiders and looks like Holger Rune is done with Nike. Look for a new sponsor to debut at the US Open potentially," the post from page 'Tennis connected' read.
Rune later quipped that these insiders must not be very good at their jobs, reaffirming his satisfaction with Nike.
"Don’t know who these insiders are but they are not very good at their job I can tell you that. I am very happy with my Nike collaboration" Rune stated.
13th seed Holger Rune recently concluded his National Bank Open campaign with a 3-6, 6-7(5) loss to second seed Alexander Zverev in the Round of 16. The Dane will now participate in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he is the 15th seed and will take on Matteo Berrettini in the first round on August 10.
Rune is also in contention for doubles with partner Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Danish-Greek pair will take on the American duo of Mackenzie McDonald and Alex Michelsen on August 12.
