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Coco Gauff's mother Candi opened up about the bond she shares with her daughter's boyfriend, while, Andy Roddick suggested that Rafael Nadal's farewell match should be doubles with Roger Federer at the 2024 Laver Cup.
Meanwhile, the French Open director asserted that Rafael Nadal would have no special privileges at the tournament. Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian called out the pay discrepancy between Caitlin Clark’s contracts with Indiana Fever and Nike.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Coco Gauff's mother Candi opens up about the unique bond with daughter's boyfriend
Coco Gauff recently opened up about being in her first serious relationship in an interview with TIME magazine.
"This is my first real relationship. To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective," she said.
Meanwhile, Gauff's mother, Candi, shared insights into her connection with her daughter's boyfriend, revealing that he was once a fourth-grade student of hers, and described him as intelligent and kind.
"My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults. He’s always been a smart, nice kid," Candi said.
Coco Gauff will be facing 31st seed Dayana Yastremska in the third round at the 2024 Madrid Open, following her 6-0, 6-0 victory over Arantxa Rus in the second.
Andy Roddick proposes Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer's doubles match for the former's farewell at 2024 Laver Cup
Andy Roddick suggested Rafael Nadal pair up with Roger Federer for doubles at the 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin before bidding farewell to tennis. The Laver Cup takes place in September and this would be Nadal's first appearance since teaming up with Federer for his emotional farewell in 2022.
In a recent podcast, Roddick suggested Federer could surprise everyone by joining Nadal for a doubles match without prior announcement.
"If Roger shows up, I almost hope like he could just pass off practices like I just wanted to hit my friend again. And then, don’t announce the lineups, just have him f**king walk out with Rafa. Can you imagine? I have goosebumps just talking about it right now," Roddick said on 'Served with Andy Roddick Podcast.'
"If I see those two just cruise down for another hit, oh my god, how good that would be. I had not thought about it yet," he added.
Rafael Nadal is in the midst of his Madrid campaign where he defeated 16-year-old American wildcard Darwin Blanch 6-1, 6-0 in the first round. He will now face 10th seed Alex de Minaur in the second round.
French Open director rules out special treatment for Rafael Nadal
The French Open director Amelie Mauresmo stated that Rafael Nadal will not receive any special treatment at this year’s tournament, even though it could potentially be his last appearance.
During the French Open’s official presentation press conference, Mauresmo acknowledged the practice of granting preferential treatment to legacy players but assured that Nadal would be treated like any other unseeded player, maintaining fairness throughout the tournament.
“I know that this kind of preferential treatment took place at one time at Wimbledon, with pros and cons, but here, it is not in the plans," Amelie Mauresmo said (via Le Soir).
"We keep our fingers crossed for him and, like everyone else, we will obviously be attentive to all his next performances,” she added.
Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian comments on disparity between Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever contract and Nike deal
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian highlighted the significant disparity between Caitlin Clark’s contract with Indiana Fever and her Nike deal. Clark, the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, will earn $76,535 in her first year, while her Nike contract is reportedly worth $28 million.
Ohanian, in a video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, expressed his views on Clark’s rookie salary and contrasted it with her Nike contract.
“I just left Nike global headquarters, where Caitlin Clark allegedly has an eight-figure sneaker deal which is amazing for her, but it seems weird juxtaposed with her $76,000 Indiana fever contract. Should you be upset at all the institutions around sports? Yes. Should you also be upset at fans? Yes,” Ohanian said.
