Halep gets an unexpected reversal of her suspension as Rublev also wins an appeal of his recent controversial suspension, a wholesome tennis moment not to be missed and the solution to yesterday’s contest.
Simona Halep gets her biggest win — but there is no making up for lost time: In an instant, CAS had reduced her ban from the sport to nine months, giving her the green light to compete immediately. She had been provisionally suspended in October 2022 and then received the four-year ban in September 2023. So she missed eight more months than her reduced punishment. CAS ruled that her anti-doping violations “were not intentional” but came from a contaminated dose of the supplement, Keto MCT, just as she had said, having admitted to and taken responsibility for her mistake. Full Story: The Athletic
Simona Halep’s Ban Reduced: What It Means for Tennis’s Anti-Doping Policy: The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Simona Halep’s doping appeal and knocked down what had been a four-year punishment to a nine-month sentence. Given that she has not played since her positive test in the late summer of 2022, she has more than served her time and is now eligible. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
Does tennis need VAR? After Andrey Rublev’s controversial default in Dubai, players say it’s overdue: According to the tournament referee, the No. 2 seed was defaulted for “verbal abuse”—an accusation the player has emphatically denied. So why not rewind the tape? Full Story: Tennis
Andy Murray says players need to respect officials: “All of us players – and I think I’ve been guilty of it myself – we need to be a little bit careful of the way that we speak to officials and treat officials,” Murray said. Full Story: The BBC
Eligibility of Russian & Belarusian Athletes at Paris 2024 Olympics: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has published a statement regarding the Paris 2024 Olympic Tennis Event and Paralympic Tennis Event. Qualified and eligible athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Full Story: ITF
Laver Cup to be held in San Francisco: The 2025 edition of the Laver Cup will be held in San Francisco at the home of the Golden State Warriors, tournament organizers said Thursday. It marks the first time the three-day team tournament, pitting six top men’s players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world, will be held on the U.S. West Coast. Full Story: ESPN
‘Netflix Slam’ tennis match a hit as platform’s second live sporting event: Netflix “stuck the landing on a star-studded exhibition match” between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz this weekend. Branding was “so pervasive in the hotel and casino” at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas that pedestrians “lined up 100 deep to take photos in front of a ‘Netflix Slam’ sign, installed on a massive wall of tennis balls.” Full Story: Sports Business Journal
On to launch tennis apparel line in collaboration with Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton: The Swiss sportswear giant recently announced it is gearing up to release its first tennis-specific collection in April—another major milestone in the brand’s growing presence at the highest level of the game.“Drawing on the brand’s close collaboration with tennis stars like Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton, the collection combines cutting-edge materials with thoughtful design, ensuring athletes experience unparalleled comfort and freedom of movement,” On’s statement reads. Full Story: Tennis
Novak Djokovic’s campus appearance recalls legacy of tennis legends at UCLA: Considered by many as the greatest tennis player to ever walk the planet, the ATP No. 1 and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion practiced at the LATC’s top court Wednesday afternoon, preparing for this week’s Indian Wells Masters. His unheralded appearance ushered in a mass of hundreds over the course of a 90-minute training session. Full Story: The Daily Bruin
Charlize Theron teases Novak Djokovic at Desert Smash: ‘Let’s go, you lazy bastard’: Actress Charlize Theron, world No. 1 men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic, and singer Gavin Rossdale all walk onto a tennis court, and no, that’s not the set up to a joke. Full Story: The Desert Sun
Wholesome Tennis Moment of the Week:
The Solution to Yesterday’s Contest: Yesterday’s contest was to correctly identify an obvious yet exceedingly rare facility best practice shown in a photo. The correct answer is mounting a roll of plastic bags on the side of the ice dispenser. That is extremely convenient for icing muscles after play. In case of sudden injury, having the bags with the ice cuts precious time off the start of treatment. Congratulations to Anne Jones and Angie Urrea, who submitted the correct answer within one minute of each other.
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 3/6-17 | BNP Paribas Open | ATP 1000 WTA 1000 | Indian Wells, CA |
| 3/11-16 | Fifth Third Charleston 125 | WTA 125 | Charleston, SC |
