Tennis News You Can Use
A fun thought exercise for the week is to rank the first three stories in order of credibility: A) IOC president Thomas Bach is an unbiased source regarding the well being of Peng Shuai, B) any future Novak Djokovic vaccination claim without independent verification, or C) that the Serbian legal system legitimately investigated the irregularities in Djokovic’s positive Covid test at the center of the Australian Open kerfuffle.
IOC president Thomas Bach to Thomas Bach won’t request an inquiry of Peng Shuai’s accusations unless she asks: ‘It’s her life.’
Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said Thursday that he would meet at the Winter Olympics with Peng Shuai, the tennis player from China who largely disappeared from public life after making sexual abuse accusations against a political official in November. Full Story: The New York Times
Novak Djokovic’s Biographer Thinks Tennis Star Could Be ‘Getting Vaccinated’ Ahead Of French Open
“From what I have heard from those around him, I think he is getting vaccinated,” Daniel Muksch, who has written A Lifetime At War, a book chronicling the journey of the 20-time Grand Slam champion that comes out later this year. Full Story: Forbes
Novak Djokovic’s positive COVID-19 test valid, Serbian prosecutors say
Serbia’s state prosecutors on Wednesday rejected suggestions that Novak Djokovic used a fake positive test for COVID-19 to try to enter Australia and compete in the Australian Open. Full Story: ESPN
Tennis umpire Soeren Friemel banned over abuse of power claims
US Open referee Soeren Friemel has reportedly been suspended for 12 months over claims of unethical conduct and abuse of power. He was coincidently the tournament referee who defaulted Novak Djokovic out of the 2020 US Open, though that is unrelated to the suspension. Full Story: Daily Express (UK)
Wearable Technology Taking Center Stage in Tennis
Already an indispensable part of most athletes’ pre- and post-match routines, wearable technologies are increasingly making their way onto the courts—even in competition. Full Story: Tennis (I previously wrote about the Catapult device in “Andy Murray Wore a Bra During Schroders Battle of the Brits“)
Why You Should Be Eating More Bananas
Packing this superfruit in your racquet bag is a great start to playing better tennis. Full Story: Tennis
Men’s tennis and the real-world consequences of its Big Three era
For all their excellence on court, there has been a self-perpetuating element to an enabled and encouraged dynasty. Full Story: The Guardian
How Many ATP Former World #1s Can You Name
The ATP released a cute video of current ATP players trying to name the full list this week. Full Video: YouTube
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location/Timezone |
| 2/7-13 | St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy | WTA 500 | St Petersburg, Russia (GMT + 3) |
| 2/7-13 | ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament | ATP 500 | Rotterdam, Netherlands (GMT + 1) |
| 2/7-13 | Dallas Open | ATP 250 | Dallas, USA (GMT – 6) |
| 2/7-13 | Argentina Open | ATP 250 | Buenos Aires, Argentina (GMT -3) |
