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Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena expressed admiration for her husband's look for the new Lacoste promo shoot. In other news, Maria Timofeeva voiced her frustration after losing over €10,000 amid the Madrid Open Campaign.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz assisted a young fan in distress in the crowd during an autograph session in Madrid. Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs dismissed speculations about Rafael Nadal's preferential first-round draw at the Madrid Open.
Also, Aryna Sabalenka responded to backlash following her controversial remarks on preferring men's tennis over women's.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena gushes over Serb in Lacoste promo shoot
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena couldn't hide her admiration for her husband as he filmed a promotional video for his sponsor, Lacoste.
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Djokovic, who signed with the prestigious French fashion brand in 2017, teamed up with Belgian fashion photographer Willy Vanderperre for this latest marketing endeavor.
Lacoste shared a snippet of the shoot with Djokovic on Instagram, where Jelena couldn't resist praising her husband's appearance in the comments section.
"You’re so beautiful," Jelena Djokovic commented.
Novak Djokovic is not participating in the Madrid Open for the second straight year. Djokovic was last seen in the Monte-Carlo semifinals, where he lost 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 to eventual runner-up Casper Ruud.
Maria Timofeeva expresses frustration over being robbed of €10,000 amid Madrid Open campaign
Maria Timofeeva revealed that she had been robbed amid her Madrid Open campaign. The World No. 99 stated that she noticed unauthorized transactions exceeding €10,000 on her debit card, which she had with her most of the time during the tournament.
"So apparently in the past few days, I’m here in Madrid, someone has been spending money from my bank account and spent little more than €10,000 and I’m freaking out because I don’t know how it could happen because physically my card was with me most of the times except for one episode when I left it in my room while the room was being cleaned by the maids of the hotel I’m staying in," Timofeeva said in an Instagram video.
Maria Timofeeva couldn't make it to the main draw in Madrid as she was defeated 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of qualifiers by Harriet Dart.
Carlos Alcaraz comes to the rescue of young fan struggling in the crowd in Madrid
Carlos Alcaraz showed his compassionate side by assisting a young fan, who was caught in a chaotic crowd frenzy, during an autograph session at the 2024 Madrid Open.
Seeing the young fan struggling, Alcaraz stopped the signing and asked security to bring the kid over. The Spaniard then made sure the fan was alright, signed an autograph, and even took a picture together.
Watch the video below:
Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his Madrid Open campaign by defeating Kazakh Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-1 in the second round, and will now face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the third.
Serena Williams' ex-coach dismisses assertions of Rafael Nadal's preferential 1R draw at Madrid Open
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs criticized the Madrid Open for giving a wildcard to 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch to play against Rafael Nadal in the first round. Stubbs argued that major tournaments should reserve wildcards for Grand Slam winners and former World No. 1s.
"I don’t think giving a 16-year-old a WC into a 1000 is a good idea. I actually think we need to get rid of WCs in 1000s," Rennae Stubbs wrote on X. "The only 1s that should ever be given are to former Major champs or former #1s. Everyone else should have to play Qs. A WC is NOT bringing in more fans to a 1000."
A fan chimed in, suggesting that the tournament owner's connection to Blanch's management company, IMG, influenced the decision. Stubbs agreed that company ties might be a factor, but disagreed that the draw itself was rigged to favor Nadal.
"Stop with the corruption s**t on the draw," Stubbs wrote in reply to the fan. "It’s nonsense talk. The IMG point is 100% but the other comment is ridiculous."
Aryna Sabalenka responds to controversy over her preference for men’s tennis over women's
Aryna Sabalenka clarified the backlash she faced for her comments favoring men’s tennis over women’s. Currently participating in the 2024 Madrid Open, Sabalenka expressed in her pre-tournament press conference that she finds men’s tennis more logical and engaging.
Her statement sparked discontent among fans who believed that it undermined women’s tennis. In response to the controversy, the Belarusian clarified that she spends so much time studying her opponents that she just prefers to watch something different when she relaxes.
"I didn't mean to disparage women's tennis, I just find it more fun to watch men play because I spend a lot of time studying my opponents, so then in my free time I don't want to see girls again that I can play against," Aryna Sabalenka said in the press conference.
Aryna Sabalenka started strong in Madrid by defeating Magda Linette 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round and now will face American Robin Montgomery in the third.
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