Connect with us

Entertainment

Tennis fans make feelings clear after Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner concerns

Published

on

The Shanghai Masters has been dominated by the extreme heat and humidity, with players being forced to retire.

The Shanghai Masters, marked by seven retirements, alarming incidents, and some breakthrough performances, concludes on Sunday. The fortnight has been characterized by intense heat and humidity, leading to numerous players seeking medical attention during matches.

Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp

Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.

Join us on WhatsApp

Defending champion Jannik Sinner was barely able to walk when he had to withdraw due to severe cramps in the third round.

Novak Djokovic vomited on the court twice, while Holger Rune was among several stars who had their vitals checked mid-match. Rune later called on the ATP to establish a heat rule, a sentiment echoed by tennis fans who are urging the men’s tour to take action, even suggesting that the tournament be rescheduled.

Over the past 12 days, the harsh conditions at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena have been a major topic of discussion as players struggled with the heat and humidity.

Similar situations were observed at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, where Emma Raducanu was among those forced to retire after having her temperature and blood pressure monitored before withdrawing from her first-round match.

However, the WTA Tour has a heat rule in place, allowing players a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in extreme weather. Play can even be suspended when the heat stress index reaches a certain level, as it did on the outdoor courts on Monday.

Grand Slam tournaments have similar rules, leaving the governing body for men’s tennis as the only one without a set protocol. Players and fans alike are now calling for change.

Rune, earlier in the week, expressed his concern about the heat, stating: “I think there should be some kind of rule. We can handle a certain amount of heat because, you know, we are fit, we’re strong, we’re mentally strong as well, but there’s always a limit. I think it’s also important to take care of your health. We need to survive,”.

Tennis fans seem to agree with Rune’s sentiments, as an overwhelming 97 percent of Express Sport readers expressed their desire for the ATP to implement a heat rule following the numerous retirements in Shanghai.

However, fans want more than just a heat rule. With no signs of the weather conditions changing in the foreseeable future, 91 percent of readers suggested that the Shanghai Masters should be rescheduled to a cooler time of year to avoid the intense heat and humidity.

But that’s not all tennis enthusiasts are calling for. In recent years, most of the Masters 1000 tournaments have expanded in both length and draw size, now featuring 96 players and spanning 12 days instead of seven.

The Shanghai Masters has followed this trend, but a significant 83 percent of readers would prefer the tournament to return to its original seven-day duration.

While these proposed changes may pose a challenge for organizers, the ATP seems open to the idea of introducing a heat policy.

Entertainment

Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

Published

on

The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp

Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.

Join us on WhatsApp

With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

Published

on

Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp

Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.

Join us on WhatsApp

It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

Published

on

It looks like LIV Golf is over.

Get Sports Updates on WhatsApp

Join our WhatsApp channel to receive breaking sports news and insider stories.

Join us on WhatsApp

The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

Continue Reading

Trending

error: Content is protected !!