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  • Julia Lemigova Marries Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova

    Julia Lemigova and tennis great Martina Navratilova are married.

    The 58-year-old Tennis Channel analyst and fiancée Julia Lemigova said “I do” in front of family and friends at New York’s Peninsular hotel on Monday.

    The ecstatic tennis hall of famer spoke to the BBC following the nuptials to talk about their big day.

    “It’s just really odd,” she said. “I’m 58 years old and I got married for the first time. It’s about time, right?

    Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian in 1981, said she was feeling the gambit of emotions, admitting to feeling both “terrified and relieved.”

    “Growing up as a gay woman you just don’t think about that, but then about 10 years ago I thought, ‘In about 10 years, gay marriage will be legal,’ and here we are,” she said.

    Navratilova, who has won 18 Grand Slam titles, was decked out in a white turtleneck top, white pants and a sparkling silver jacket for her special day.

    Lemigova and Navratilova have been dating since 2006. In September, the tennis champion, who entertained fans with her rivalry with Chris Evert in the 1970s and 80s, publicly proposed on air to Lemigova at this year’s US Open.

    Russian model Lemigova, who has two daughters from a previous relationship, said the proposal came out of the blue.

    “I was so overwhelmed and surprised,” she told the BBC “But by proposing and marrying in such a public I way, I hope we’ll give inspiration to families like ours, that they too can be married legally one day.”

    Navratilova said times have changed since she first came out as a lesbian in the 1980s, but said there are still those, particularly in the sports arena, who keep their sexuality a secret.

    “I’m surprised more players haven’t come out,” said Navratilova. “Particularly no male players. They’re so far in the closet, I don’t even know who they are.”

  • Caroline Wozniacki Forgot To Take The Money, $1.45 Million!

    Tennis sweetheart Caroline Wozniacki, currently holding the seventh spot in the world rankings, was said to be more excited about New York Fashion Week than her U.S. Open runner-up winnings. She was apparently so excited that she left the tournament without claiming her $1.45M prize money.

    After losing to her close personal friend Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final earlier this month, she dutifully faced the press and then headed for home. About half an hour later, WSJ reports that she arrived back at the tennis center saying “I forgot to pick up my prize money.”

    The Danish-born Wozniacki apparently doesn’t concern herself much with money. Not only did she forget to claim her $1.45 million check, she also didn’t inquire about an extra $500,000 in sponsorship incentives that is due her for her strong showing in the Open.

    The fact that she earns over $10 million in annual endorsements may have something to do with her cool. But even her agent and manager, John Tobias, has stated that the 24-year-old star gives more weight to how she feels about a product rather than her potential earnings when discussing business particulars for her endorsements.

    “I have enough to eat, buy nice shoes,” Wozniacki told WSJ. “For me, it’s about the tennis and the trophies. I’m not motivated by money.”

    Wozniacki’s focus is set on winning a Grand Slam tournament. She definitely got far with rejuvenating her career with a 43-16 record this season. Fans expect a lot from this former world No. 1, who played her best tennis in years and made it back to her first Grand Slam final since 2009.

    It is said that her tennis declined in the past years that she was engaged to pro golfer Rory McIlroy.  Her comeback became apparent earlier in the season when Wozniacki won a tournament in Istanbul, which came after McIlroy broke off their engagement.

  • Li Na: Chinese Tennis Champion Retires Due To Chronic Knee Injuries

    Tennis superstar, Li Na, has announced her immediate retirement from the sport saying her chronic knee injuries cause so much pain that she is no longer able to give 100% to her game.

    The current world No. 6 is the first Chinese player to win a grand slam singles champion title, which she won twice, in the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014.

    “It took me several agonizing months to finally come to the decision that my chronic injuries will never again let me be the tennis player that I can be,” Li wrote on her Facebook page. “Walking away from the sport, effective immediately, is the right decision for me and my family.”

    The 32-year-old Li has had four major knee surgeries in the span of her career, the most recent one being in July, which forced her to withdraw from the recent U.S. Open. Credited for helping popularize the sport in China and the rest of Asia, Li has no regrets about her decision to hang up her racquet. She now plans to focus her efforts on helping develop the next generation of tennis stars from her home country. “We’re putting together various plans on how we will continue to grow the sport of tennis in China,” she said. “These plans include opening the Li Na Tennis Academy, which will provide scholarships for the future generation of Chinese tennis stars.” She also said she will continue to be involved in the Right to Play, an organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children overcome challenges through sport.

    WTA chairman and chief executive officer Stacey Allaster paid tribute to her career by highlighting the Chinese star’s role in promoting tennis in Asia:

    “She is a pioneer who opened doors to tennis for hundreds of millions of people throughout China and Asia,” Allaster said in a statement. “It’s hard to be a household name in a nation with 1.4 billion people, but that’s what Li Na is.”

  • Martina Navratilova Proposes At US Open

    Tennis legend Martina Navratilova proposed to her longtime girlfriend Julia Lemigova at the US Open at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City on Saturday, September 6.

    Navratilova, 57, could be seen wearing a white ensemble as she got down on one knee to pop the question. Lemigova wore a black pencil skirt and a black and white V-neck top.

    “I have been waiting for the right time to ask Julia to marry me. I thought this was the right place and the right time to pop the question and thankfully I got a ‘yes’,” Navratilova said. The big screen then caught the couple as they kissed.

    Navratilova admitted that she was incredibly nervous to ask Lemigova, especially in front of so many people. “I was very nervous,” Navratilova said.

    “It came off. She said yes. It was kind of an out-of-body experience,” she continued. “You’ve seen people propose at sporting events before, in movies, in real life. Here it was happening to me. It was like I was watching myself do it.”

    Navratilova later tweeted about her proposal thanking her friends, fans, and family members for their support. “Thanks everyone for your good wishes. I am very happy, so is Julia and our whole family.”

    Navratilova and Lemigova have been dating for six years and currently live in Miami with Lemigova’s two daughters.

  • Stacy Lewis Stays No. 1 With Win at NW Arkansas

    Stacy Lewis Stays No. 1 With Win at NW Arkansas

    Last week, LPGA No. 1 ranked golfer Stacy Lewis finished second to Michelle Wie at the US Open, losing by two shots. Despite the fact she was competing for a major golf championship last week, Lewis admitted that she was more nervous at this week’s LPGA NW Arkansas Championship. “It’s so hard to play here, it’s so much harder than people think. I can tell you I was more nervous today than I was at the U.S. Open last week, that’s just how much this place means to me,” stated Lewis.

    Why was Sunday’s final round at the NW Arkansas Championship so nerve-wracking for Lewis? Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was playing in front of her adopted home-crowd, having been a four-time All American at the University of Arkansas during her college years.

    Lewis, now age 29, fed off the adrenaline from her screaming fans to complete a come-from-behind victory on Sunday, shooting a 6-under 65 to claim her third LPGA victory of the year and retain her world No.1 ranking.

    Things were not looking so great heading into Sunday’s final round, however. Last week’s US Open winner, Michelle Wie, was ahead of the pack and looking confident once again. However, struggles on the first two holes and a three-putt bogey at the ninth left Wie with a 2-over 73 for the day, finishing tied for eighth place.

    “Coming off of last week where I was so close and to come here and to win, it’s really nice to just have that going into the British (Open in two weeks). I don’t know what it is about these final rounds, I love getting in the heat of the battle the last day and making some birdies,” Lewis remarked.

    Down the stretch, Lewis’s birdie-making abilities held true as she was able to birdied three of the last four holes, finally taking a one-stroke lead after a seven-foot birdie on the 18th.

    “This place just means so much to me. So, to win here, it’s just crazy how far I’ve come … It’s just really, really special to win here,” stated Lewis.

    Lewis hopes to keep her 2014 momentum as she heads to the British Open in two weeks.

    Image via Twitter

  • Ivan Lendl and Andy Murray End Coaching Relationship

    Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl parted ways after a two-year working relationship, the two announced on the British player’s blog Wednesday.

    “I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far,” said Murray, who returned from back surgery this season.

    “As a team, we’ve learned a lot and it will definitely be of benefit in the future. I’ll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here,” continued Murray, who is prepping to compete at the Sony Open this week in Miami.

    The partnership took Murray, who hired Lendl in 2012, from a four-time Grand Slam runner-up to winning an Olympic Gold medal in London in 2012 and a US Open title later that same year. Murray also took Wimbledon while working with Lendl, and became the first British man to take the title in 77 years.

    On working with Murray, Lendl said:

    “Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me. He is a first class guy. Having helped him achieve his goal of winning major titles, I feel like it is time for me to concentrate on some of my own projects moving forward including playing more events around the world which I am really enjoying.”

    “I will always be in Andy’s corner and wish him nothing but great success as he too goes into a new phase of his career,” continued Lendl.

    Murray had back surgery in September 2013 and has not made it to a final eight since he won Wimbledon. The 26-year-old player is defending his title at the Sony Open this week.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Victoria Azarenka Eliminated from China Open

    Victoria Azarenka has not fared well since her runner-up performance at the US Open. The current Australian Open champion lost to Venus Williams in her first match of a tournament in Tokyo last week. This week, Azarenka was unable to defend her win last year at the China Open, losing to Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

    Azarenka displayed uncharacteristic talents during the match, committing 15 double faults and 44 unforced errors during the 2 hour and 22 minute contest. Azarenka was also broken 5 times by Petkovic, who reached the finals of the China Open in 2011.

    “It was an awful match and a very bad performance from me, so there’s not much to say about it. It happens once, twice a year to every player, and it happened to me today,” stated Azarenka, despite turning in two poor performances in a row.

    The 43rd ranked German, Petkovic, felt great following her performance: “I’m very happy with my performance. I was happy with my movement and my serve for the most part, and I managed to get a lot of balls back very deep and very strong. Parts of the match were a really, really good level — some parts I lost a bit of energy, but overall I’m very happy.”

    Azarenka looked shaky in the first set, but seemed to pull things together in the second set, when her opponent was struggling with some health issues. Petkovic had to ask for a medical timeout in the second set, going on to lose 7 of the next 8 points and allowing Azarenka to force a third set.

    Azarenka is no stranger to feeling ill during this Asian tour. During her match with Venus Williams last week, Azarenka asked for a fan due to feeling feverish.

    At 4-4 in the third set, however, Azarenka double-faulted to give Petkovic the break point, allowing her German opponent to serve for the match.

    It was at this moment that Azarenka took advantage of being a Belarusian in a foreign country, outwardly voicing her disappointment while on the court: “I was saying a lot of things. I’m not going to repeat them… there was a lot of emotions and frustration that I let myself get into because I wasn’t doing the right thing.”

    Azarenka attributed her poor play to bad time-management, stating that “If I’m going to be doing it again, I probably should have taken a longer break (between tournaments) and just prepared myself. I don’t feel like I was ready to play… It’s just my mistake for not paying much attention after the US Open how I managed my time and how I managed my health.”

    Azarenka has plenty of time to rest up for the Australian Open, which starts January 13. Azarenka, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, is the defending champion of the Australian Open.

    Image via Facebook

  • Maria Sharapova Denies Engagement Rumors

    Tennis star Maria Sharapova didn’t play in the US Open last week, but she’s managed to stay in the spotlight nonetheless.

    As her official Twitter feed indicates, she’s been making the talk show rounds, and attending New York Fashion week events:

    Sharapova took advantage of her appearance on Larry King Live, to dispel rumors of her recent engagement to boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov: “No I’m not getting married. Not that I know of.”

    Dimitrov is a Bulgarian-born professional tennis player who lives in Stockholm, Sweden. He is currently the No. 29 ranked male tennis player in the world.

    Sharapova, four-time Grand Slam winner, pulled out of the US Open because of a shoulder injury. Rumors have swirled around the Russian beauty since her early exit from Wimbledon in June. Besides being involved in a fairly public war of words with rival Serena Williams, Sharapova made headlines in mid-August when she fired her coach Jimmy Connors a mere 34 days after hiring him.

    She was expected to enter the US Open, which commenced August 26, without a coach.

    Amidst it all, Sharapova launched her Sugarpova accessory line at Henri Bendel in New York City on August 21:

    photo credit

  • Novak Djokovic Advances To US Open Final

    Novak Djokovic Advances To US Open Final

    Novak Djokovic, top-ranked when entering the U.S. Open tournament, has survived in a rally to advance to the final match. Djokovich, the Serbian native, defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals in order to advance and play against Rafael Nadal in the finals. This will mark his seventh hard-court grand slam final in a row. Nadal defeated his opponent Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the semi-final match.

    This victory ensures that Djokovich will remain at No.1 following the U.S. open. In the match, Djokovich started slowly and continued to play defensively throughout the match. Wawrinka, the Swiss native, surprisingly took a lead at the beginning, defeating Djokovich in the first set. Wawrinka strained his right leg in the fourth set, causing him to leave the match temporarily. After the injury, it seemed that his prospects of upsetting Djokovich were dwindling, mentions Sports Illustrated. Djokovich said that “I just tried to hang on and fight and be mentally tough and believe all the way through [that] I can actually win.”

    Djokovich says in an interview that he was not playing as well as he wanted to and gave credit to Wawrinka for playing so aggressive.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WGl5fFRrr4

    Djokovich used his usual relentless defense and contorted his body in order to slide into certain shots during his incredible comeback on Saturday. When he reached the finals in 2012, he lost to Andy Murray, who also defeated him at Wimbledon in July. This was also Djokovich’s 14th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. It marks a 3 and a half year stretch that is the second longest in history, behind only Roger Federer, according to NBC News. Federer’s record is held at 23.

    The semifinal match lasted for 4 hours and 29 minutes. The final match is to be played on Monday, September 9th. It will be the 37th time that Djokovich and Nadal have played each other in the era of the U.S. Open. It is the most between any two males in the tournament, with Nadal currently leading 21-15. Getting ready to face Djokovich makes Nadal happy and he told the LA Times, “He’s an amazing competitor.” Nadal looks forward to the match and after missing the U.S. open last year due to a knee injury, he is now into his 18th Grand Slam-level final.

    Image via Twitter

  • Olivia Culpo Getting Serious with Nick Jonas

    For all you Jonas fans out there (do you all even still exist?), you no longer have to live in the limbo of is Nick dating Olivia Culpo or not, because, he is.

    While in New York, the pair attended the U.S. Open tennis tournament on Tuesday. And of course, photos were taken of the comely couple. One of which shows them kissing. (Is kissing a common occurrence at tennis tournaments or do they have a kiss-cam I’m unaware of?)

    The couple was apparently on a double date of sorts with Nick’s brother Joe and his girlfriend, Blanda Eggenschwiler. Nick even tweeted out an Instagram photo of the gang with a fifth wheel another friend.

    A source close to the couple told E! News, “They’re pretty much inseparable. They’re together all the time, unless she has a Miss Universe event.”

    And apparently they already have plans for the future which involve the upcoming Jonas tour. The source said, “Olivia is pretty much confirmed to go on tour with him. He’s buying her ticket. She has a few events, but she is going to go to as many shows as possible.”

    Culpo is the current Miss Universe and met the youngest Jonas while he co-hosted the Miss USA pageant in June.

    Rumors began swirling about Culpo and Jonas after they reportedly had a dinner date in early August. Adding more fuel to the rumor-mill-fire, Jonas visited Culpo and her family in Rhode Island at the end of August. Culpo’s mother told Celebuzz he even went to church with them. If that’s not serious, I don’t know what is.

    Culpo’s mother, Susan also told Celebuzz, “They’re just getting to know each other. They’re in the beginning stages. So who knows where it goes from here. But they are interested in each other and definitely like each other. Good taste on Olivia’s part.’

    He definitely has the best hair of the three Jonas brothers, I’ll give him that.

    Image via Olivia Culpo’s personal Instagram.

  • US Open Golf Tourney Underway, PGA Tour Players Go Viral For Charity

    The second Major of the year and undoubtedly the toughest, The U.S. Open, kicked off today at the famed Blue Course at the Congressional Club in Bethesda, Maryland. As Tiger Woods news tends to be the star of any PGA event, his announcement a little over a week ago on Twitter that he will be sitting this one out has made quite the splash.

    It’s a well known and regrettable fact that PGA Tour viewership drops when Tiger isn’t in the field. In an attempt to create buzz for the tour and to raise money for charity, Farmer’s Insurance has partnered with four of the tour’s younger stars to create a song and accompanying music video entitled “Oh Oh Oh” by the band Golf Boys.

    Part OK Go, part boy band and part rap video, it shows Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan acting a fool on the course. It’s a pretty entertaining watch. Check it out below –

    Here’s how the charity part works –

    As part of Farmers’ support of “Oh Oh Oh,” Farmers will donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the “GOLF BOYS” video. The charitable proceeds will support both Farmers and Ben Crane charitable initiatives in support of Farmers’ sponsorship of the Farmers Insurance Open. Crane has released a series of entertaining videos in 2010 and 2011, his most notable being a spoof on his workout routine which landed nearly 600,000 views on YouTube.

    As of right now, the “Oh Oh Oh” video has around 621,000 views in just a couple days. Do the math that’s not a bad little piece of change for watching a viral vid. Also, according to Bubba Watson’s tweet, the song is available on iTunes and the proceeds will go to the same charities.

    @bubbawatson
    bubba watson    Everyone GOLF BOYS song Oh Oh Oh is on iTunes! Buy it, it’s for charity!!
    #GolfBoys #ohohoh 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    Sure, cynics can say that this was just a way for Farmers Insurance to promote their ties with the PGA, and that’s fine. (They would be right) But anything that is entertaining, promotes the PGA tour, and helps charity is OK in my book.