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Former Australian tennis pro Paul McNamee lauded Novak Djokovic's remarkable feat of being World No. 1 at the age of 37. In other news, Elina Svitolina expressed gratitude as she shared a heartwarming family portrait with her husband Gael Monfils, daughter Skai, and pet dog.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the upcoming Italian Open due to an arm injury. Ana Ivanovic and her husband Bastian Schweinsteiger arrived in Madrid to watch the Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka final.
Also, Garbine Muguruza opened up about her first meeting with her now-fiance Arthur Borges.
On that note, here's a summary of today's top tennis news:
Novak Djokovic earns high praise from Paul McNamee for holding the top ranking in tennis at 37
Former Australian tennis pro Paul McNamee expressed admiration for Novak Djokovic's continued dominance in tennis at the age of 37. Despite a season without trophies, Djokovic maintains his lead with 9,990 points, surpassing his closest competitor, Jannik Sinner, by over 1300+ points. Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev follow in the rankings.
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McNamee commended Djokovic for maintaining his top position despite facing challenges such as the visa controversy during the 2022 Australian Open.
"After all Novak Djokovic has been through, including in my country, which would have broken many athletes, let’s give credit where credit is due… being #1 turning 37 years of age is a remarkable achievement," said McNamee.
Djokovic last played at the Monte-Carlo Masters and is next scheduled to compete at the Italian Open.
Elina Svitolina expresses gratitude as she shares adorable family portrait
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils captured an adorable family moment with their daughter Skai and their pet dog, Cuddles. The duo shared the heartwarming picture on Instagram, where Svitolina conveyed her feelings of humility and gratitude for their life together. The Ukrainian tennis star emphasized that these family times are the greatest source of happiness for her.
"Moments like these make us grateful for the love that surrounds us. Family is our greatest joy," Svitolina wrote on Instagram.
The couple recently concluded their campaign at the 2024 Madrid Open, where the 16th-seed Ukrainian was defeated 6-3, 7-5 by Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round. Monfils, on the other hand, faced an early exit against Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-2.
Carlos Alcaraz skips Italian Open due to arm injury
Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the 2024 Italian Open because of an arm injury, the same issue that previously led him to skip the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open.
Following his quarterfinal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat against Andrey Rublev at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz announced on Friday that he will not be able to compete in the upcoming Italian Open, attributing his withdrawal to "muscle edema" in his pronator teres.
"I felt some pain after playing in Madrid, some discomfort in my arm. Today I did some tests and I have a muscle edema in my pronator teres, a consequence of my recent injury," Carlos Alcaraz wrote on Instagram.
"Unfortunately I will not be able to play in Rome. I need to rest so I can recover and play 100% pain free. I am very sorry, I will see you next year," he added.
Ana Ivanovic and husband Bastian Schweinsteiger land in Madrid for Iga Swiatek vs. Aryna Sabalenka final
Ana Ivanovic and her husband Bastian Schweinsteiger arrived in Madrid just in time for the final match between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 Madrid Open. Ivanovic shared a selfie with her husband on Instagram to mark their arrival in Madrid.
On the men's side, Felix Auger-Aliassime will face seventh seed Andrey Rublev in the final on Sunday, May 5.
Garbine Muguruza discussed her first encounter with fiance Arthur Borges
Garbine Muguruza likened her initial meeting with her now-fiance Arthur Borges to a scene straight out of a Hollywood film, as they experienced love at first sight.
Muguruza, who announced her retirement last month, was seen alongside Borges at the Madrid Open semifinal between Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev.
During an interview with the Tennis Channel, Muguruza recounted how Borges managed to secure a date with her the very next day after their first encounter.
"It's like a Hollywood movie, it's a crazy story. We met in the street in New York. It was love at first sight," she said.
"It was one of those boring days, I didn't know what to do so I decided to go for a walk in Central Park, as always. Yeah, I just bumped [into] him. And, I was like, wait a minute, you're very handsome. Who are you? And, he is a tennis fan so he recognized me and said 'Hey, good luck'... That's it. That was enough. Next day, we were on our first date," Muguruza added.
Muguruza finishes her career with two Grand Slam titles and three WTA 1000 titles. She also won the WTA Finals in 2021 and attained the World No. 1 ranking.
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