Tennis News Today: Martina Navratilova "jealous" of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon practice; Corentin Moutet clashes with journalist over false accusation

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova expressed jealousy over Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's Center Court practice session at Wimbledon. In other news, Corentin Moutet lashed out at a journalist for false claims about his Wimbledon withdrawal.

Meanwhile, former tennis player Conor Niland opened up about the ranking-based hierarchy on the tennis tour. Iga Swiatek joined ‘The Office’ star Steve Carell for a picture on Wimbledon courts ahead of her grass-court Grand Slam campaign.

Also, Holger Rune quipped about not having a private chef post top 10 exit.

On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:

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Martina Navratilova reacts to Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon Centre Court practice

Martina Navratilova admitted feeling envious after seeing Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner practicing on Wimbledon's prestigious Centre Court, a privilege allowed since 2022.

Navratilova, a nine-time singles and seven-time doubles champion at SW19, noticed a photo on X (formerly Twitter) and envied that the ATP rivals could practice on such an iconic court.

"This I am jealous about- getting to practice in Centre Court!" Navratilova wrote.

The draws for the grass-court Grand Slam are out where second seed Novak Djokovic is set to clash against Vit Kopriva. Top seed Jannik Sinner, on the other hand, will take on Yannick Hanfmann.

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Corentin Moutet confronts journalist following false accusation

Corentin Moutet confronted journalist Jose Morgado for wrongly accusing him of strategically withdrawing from Wimbledon. Moutet clarified that he withdrew due to a bone injury sustained since the French Open and his focus on the Paris Olympics.

Morgado claimed Moutet's withdrawal benefited French player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard as a lucky loser, suggesting a different outcome if Moutet had withdrawn earlier. However, in Grand Slams, withdrawals after the draw result in the position going to a randomly selected lucky loser from a specific group. In this case, Moutet's spot went to James Duckworth of Australia, not Perricard.

Moutet criticized Morgado on X (formerly Twitter) for not fact-checking before accusing players.

"Do your job before talking," Moutet wrote.

After Moutet's correction, Morgado deleted his tweet and issued an apology, which Moutet found unsatisfactory.

"Why did you delete your other tweet accusing me?" Moutet responded to the correction.

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Ex-tennis pro Conor Niland discusses the role of rankings in shaping a player's social standing on tour

Conor Niland at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships

Former tennis pro Conor Niland discussed how tennis rankings heavily influence social dynamics within the sport. Speaking to The Guardian, Niland shared examples involving Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Grigor Dimitrov to illustrate his points.

Niland revealed that interactions with top players often reflect their hierarchy on the tour, remembering an instance where the Williams sisters preferred engaging with higher-ranked players over him.

"Your ranking determined your social status on tour. The guy ranked at number 90 in the world doesn’t get as warm a handshake from the Slam champion as the guy ranked at 20."

"The Williams sisters didn’t linger to have a chat with me when Serena and I were 16-year-olds training at the Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida, but a girl I hit with who was ranked 50 in the world did stop and talk. Where a player sits in the hierarchy determines how they act, and everyone knows it," Niland said.

Regarding Grigor Dimitrov, Niland described how the Bulgarian initially approached him during his early career. However, as Dimitrov climbed the rankings to reach the top 20, Niland observed a noticeable change as their interactions dwindled, with the Bulgarian eventually ignoring him altogether.

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Iga Swiatek hangs out with actor Steve Carell on Wimbledon courts ahead of the tournament

Iga Swiatek got the chance to hang out with 'The Office' actor Steve Carell as he visited Wimbledon before the Grand Slam event, which is set to begin on July 1. Swiatek was beaming as they took photos together. A fan of 'The Office,' the pole also shared a funny Michael Scott meme on social media.

Top seed Iga Swiatek will take on Sofia Kenin in the first round on July 1.

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Holger Rune joked about not having a private chef after dropping from the top 10

Holger Rune humorously remarked about not having a private chef after falling out of the top 10 rankings. During an interview at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, he joked that he now relies on Uber Eats for meals.

"Do you have a chef? Does someone cook your meals?" the host asked.

"Unfortunately no," Rune replied.

"What? Come on. You are no 4 in the world," the host replied, shellshocked.

"But now I am 15 so that’s why," Rune joked. "No, you guys heard about Uber Eats, right? I think we are going to cook Saturday we had some talk about the barbeques."

The current World No. 15 admitted he had only cooked once, preparing beef with mashed potatoes and peppers, and planned to barbecue beef that Saturday, as it was the only dish he and his team could make.

Watch the video here:

Holger Rune will now make his third appearance at the Wimbledon Championships, where he will face Kwon Soon-woo in the first round on July 1. Victory for the Dane will see him take on either Paul Jubb or Thiago Seyboth Wild in the second round.