Every week in the tennis world, countless stories emerge that don’t always make headlines but are too intriguing to overlook. It can be on-court or off-court stuff that goes under the radar of bigger storylines. Everyone’s attention is focused on the spectacular tennis at the US Open, but some interesting news and stories occurred, off the court as well. This week’s “Tennis News Weekly Roundup” edition covers them.
Tennis News Weekly Roundup
Ben Rothenberg’s Fundraiser for Zverev Defamation Lawsuit
Ben Rothenberg is a renowned journalist in the tennis world, who is in an ongoing legal battle with Alexander Zverev. Rothenberg revealed the story of alleged domestic abuse at the hands of Alexander Zverev to his former girlfriend, Olga Sharypova. Subsequently, Zverev sued Rothenberg. Zverev also sued Racquet Magazine, which posted Rothenberg’s story about Sharypova and Slate Magazine.
This lawsuit happened long ago and Zverev already “won” a court order in Germany to ban the articles in the EU which the magazine enforced. The magazines have pulled out of the appeal and Rothenberg is left on his own to pay out of pocket to defend his reporting and reputation. He raised a fundraiser of $22,000 which was completed within two days. Former player Kevin Anderson and his wife donated $1000 to Rothenberg’s fundraiser.
Hubert Hurkacz Splits with Longtime Coach Craig Boynton
World No.7, Hubert Hurkacz has parted ways with his coach Craig Boynton after 5 years. Their partnership began in March 2019 and they had some awesome results together. Hurkacz won eight titles under Boynton, which includes two Masters 1000 titles. Boynton also helped him to reach a career-high ranking of six. Hurkacz’s serve became elite under the coaching of Boynton.
Hurkacz failed to reach the third round of the US Open for a sixth consecutive time. His record at Slams isn’t great and maybe he needed a fresh start. He needs someone to stabilize his forehand and overall game. His level fluctuates a lot, one day he can beat anyone and the other he loses without fighting, even between games or sets his level tends to fluctuate a lot.
Insane Big 3 Stat
Novak Djokovic lost in the third round of the US Open against Alexei Popyrin. This is just the fourth season since his first Australian Open in 2008 that Novak Djokovic will not lift a single Grand Slam trophy. This loss means, for the first time since 2002, no Big 3 members finished the year without winning a Grand Slam. “Big 3” is a famous term used for the trio of— Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
We were blessed to watch a golden age of tennis, as well as an unprecedented level of dominance by the Big 3. The question becomes, is this the end of an era? If not, it’s certainly close.
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
