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Tennis legend Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena wished her husband on his 37th birthday with a heartfelt message. In other news, Elina Svitolina opened up on the difficulties in spending time away from her daughter Skai.
Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman's final French Open campaign ended following their respective second-round qualifier loss. Serena Williams' former tennis coach Rennae Stubbs criticized WTA's multi-year deal with Saudi Arabia's PIF.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Novak Djokovic receives touching birthday note from wife Jelena
Novak Djokovic was greeted with a touching birthday message from his wife Jelena as he turned 37. On May 22, Jelena shared a romantic video featuring the couple and accompanied it with an affectionate caption expressing her sentiments.
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"Happy birthday amore... Happy birthday to the silly, goofy, tireless daddy with a heart as big as the universe:heart: it's not that you're ours but you really are the best. WE LOVE YOU," Jelena Djokovic captioned her Instagram Reel.
Novak Djokovic is currently participating in the 2024 Geneva Open as a top seed. Djokovic, who was granted a wildcard for his debut at the ATP 250 tournament, received a bye into the second round where he defeated Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals where he will face either Denis Shapovalov or Tallon Griekspoor.
Elina Svitolina discusses the hardships of being away from daughter Skai
The Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina shared her challenges in juggling tennis and motherhood as she prepared for the 2024 French Open. In October 2022, she and her husband, Gael Monfils, had their first child, a daughter named Skai.
Speaking in an interview with the French Open, Svitolina expressed the difficulty of being apart from Skai during tournaments. The Ukrainian said that the couple has their mothers to help them with Skai, but they also make an effort to be with her in between their travels.
“It is tough for us for sure to be apart from her, but I think it’s important that she has her routines at home, she has two grandmothers taking care of her. As soon as we’re done, we easily can go back, it’s a short flight and we’re there. We also try to balance it and see how she feels and how we feel, so it’s a family decision,” Elina Svitolina said.
Elina Svitolina recently failed to defend her title at the 2024 Strasbourg Open. The 29-year-old lost 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 to Clara Burel in the Round of 16.
Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman exit final French Open of their tennis career after respective second-round qualifier loss
Dominic Thiem’s final French Open appearance ended with a 6-2, 7-5 defeat to Otto Virtanen in the second round of qualifiers. The Austrian, who had reached the final twice at the clay-court Grand Slam, was not given a wildcard to enter the main draw directly.
After the match, French Open director Amelie Mauresmo honored him with a commemorative plaque during a short ceremony.
Thiem also thanked the crowd for the memories and the great relationship he had with them.
"I slowly built up a great relationship with the tournament, a relationship with all of you guys, with all fans. I had so many great results, so many great memories and experiences, here on the courts. This was the Grand Slam with my best results, so I really enjoyed every single year of it. Thank you so much for all the memories," Thiem said.
Diego Schwartzman, on the other hand, lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) to Quentin Halys in the second round of qualifiers. The Argentine was also not given a wildcard entry to the main draw.
Schwartzman was in tears after the match as the crowd applauded him. The Argentine thanked the fans in the stands during his on-court speech, saying that he appreciated their support even when he faced a home player. The 31-year-old also reminisced about his journey at the clay-court Grand Slam.
"The last match here shows how I played the entire career. Roland Garros, for me, is very special. Thanks, everyone. It is not easy playing against a French guy, and I feel like, and I felt like I was at home," he said.
Serena Williams' former coach spoke out against WTA's multi-year partnership with Saudi Arabia's PIF
Tennis legend Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs criticized the Women's Tennis Association's recent deal with Saudi Arabia's investment fund (PIF). This multi-year partnership makes PIF the first-ever sponsor to have its name on the WTA rankings.
Stubbs was not pleased with the news and expressed displeasure on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
The announcement followed Saudi Arabia’s contentious acquisition of the hosting rights for the WTA Finals for three seasons.
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