Tennis News Today: Sebastian Korda becomes victim of robbery during Monte-Carlo Masters campaign; Jessica Pegula & Madison Keys throw shade at Sloane Stephens

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(Left to Right) Sebastian Korda, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, (Inset) Sloane Stephens
(Left to Right) Sebastian Korda, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, (Inset) Sloane Stephens

Sebastian Korda became a victim of a robbery as his €300,000 Richard Millie watch was reportedly snatched near Monte-Carlo Masters tennis courts, while, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys jokingly threw shade at compatriot Sloane Stephens for having 'worst' match snack.

Meanwhile, Holger Rune received an unsportsmanlike conduct warning for hushing the booing crowd and arguing with the chair umpire during a quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Coco Gauff expressed her delight as footage of her watching tennis legend Venus Williams at the 2012 US Open resurfaced.

Also, Novak Djokovic hilariously dedicated his Monte-Carlo Masters Round of 16 win against Italian Lorenzo Musetti to "orchestra" after tackling boos in a unique manner.

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


Sebastian Korda's €300,000 Richard Mille watch reportedly snatched near Monte-Carlo Masters tennis courts

Sebastian Korda at the 2023 Australian Open
Sebastian Korda at the 2023 Australian Open

America tennis star Sebastian Korda had his €300,000 Richard Mille watch snatched near the Monte-Carlos Masters courts on April 4. According to France Bleu Azur, he was approached by two helmeted individuals near a staircase, who then fled on a scooter and are currently being pursued by the police.

Although Korda was not physically harmed, he was reportedly left in a state of shock, as reported by France Bleu Azur on Friday, April 12. The American, who lost in the second round to second seed Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-2, wears a Richard Mille RM67-02 Automatic Winding Extra Flat sports watch, sponsored by the luxury brand, which also sponsors Rafael Nadal.


Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys throw shade at Sloane Stephens for having 'worst' match snack

Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys jokingly teased Sloane Stephens for her choice of match snacks in a fun video promoting the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.

In an Instagram video posted by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Pegula and Keys playfully criticized sushi as the "worst" snack, with Stephens getting a humorous mention.

"Sushi @sloanestephens," Keys said.
"Probably sushi. And I’ve seen Sloane eat sushi, and I just like cringe every time. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, I’ve seen her eat sushi, and I’m like, absolutely no chance," Pegula said.

Pegula and Keys joined forces with Taylor Townsend, Emma Navarro, and Caroline Dolehide to represent Team USA, which is currently ranked fourth and is competing against Team Belgium in a group tie.

On Day 1, Pegula overcame Sofia Costoulas in singles with a score of 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and is scheduled to play against Hanne Vanderwinkel on Day 2, while Keys will partner with Townsend in doubles against Marie Benoit and Kimberly Zimmermann.


Holger Rune faces off with Monte-Carlo crowd and chair umpire in dramatic quarterfinal

Holger Rune's quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters was filled with on-court tension.

Rune received a time violation in the second set, prompting the crowd to cheer against him. In response, the Dane gestured for them to quiet down, but this led to a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire. Rune disputed the decision, requesting the supervisor's intervention, but to no avail.

As the match progressed, both players held their service games, leading to a tiebreaker. Controversy arose when a shot from Sinner was initially called out but was overturned by the umpire after inspecting the ball mark. This further frustrated Rune, who felt that luck was not on his side.

Despite his efforts, Sinner ultimately won 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals, where he will face 12th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.


Coco Gauff expresses delight as footage of her watching tennis legend Venus Williams at the 2012 US Open resurfaces

Coco Gauff reacted to seeing a photo of herself cheering for tennis legend Venus Williams at the 2012 US Open. Gauff, who was eight years old at the time, attended the tournament to watch Williams' first-round match against Bathanie Mattek-Sands.

The picture, recently shared on social media, captured Gauff as a young fan behind Williams during a changeover. Gauff was surprised but confirmed her presence, speculating she was looking at the jumbotron.

"WOWWWWWWW NO WAY SOMEONE FOUND THIS. THAT IS ME WATCHING VENUS at Us open. didn't even know the tv caught me in the stands. whoever found this shoutout to you omg. THIS IS CRAZY . time flies. Lol I def was looking at the jumbotron to see if the camera was showing me lol. thank you for sharing!" Gauff wrote in an Instagram story.
Coco Gauff on Instagram
Coco Gauff on Instagram

Reflecting on the moment, the American tennis star emphasized how close dreams can be and expressed gratitude to the user who shared the photo online.

"If this isn’t proof that your dreams are closer than you think then idk what is," Gauff wrote on X.
"Wow wow wow. how did anyone find this omg," she commented.

Novak Djokovic attributes Monte-Carlo Masters R16 victory over Lorenzo Musetti to 'Orchestra'

Novak Djokovic responded to the booing crowd during his Round of 16 match against Italian Lorenzo Musetti at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.

The match began with Musetti breaking Djokovic's serve and maintaining a lead until a line call in the former's favor frustrated the latter. This led to the Serbian tennis star's disagreement with the umpire and subsequent booing from the crowd. The World No. 1 then responded by playfully imitating an orchestra conductor.

Djokovic, who eventually won the match 7-5, 6-3 in just under two hours, shared a picture on X (formerly Twitter), which depicted him mimicking the motions of a conductor.

"I dedicate this victory to the orchestra," Djokovic wrote.

Novak Djokovic went on to defeat 11th seed Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals and will now face eighth seed Casper Ruud.

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy
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