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Sofia Kenin slammed the officials after being forced to play on a wet court at the Italian Open while Rafael Nadal's baby son and sister Maribel support him from the stands during his first-round victory over Zizou Bergs at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka confessed to analyzing Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Andrey Rublev’s clay court strategies for her Italian Open campaign. Wimbledon 2023 Girls' runner-up Nikola Bartunkova received a provisional tennis ban for doping violations.
Also, Daniil Medvedev expressed his belief that Novak Djokovic’s rivalry cost Rafael Nadal more titles on hard and grass courts.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Sofia Kenin lashes out at Italian Open officials for making her play on a wet court during her first-round match
Sofia Kenin slammed tournament officials for making her play on a wet court during her Italian Open first-round match.
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Despite voicing safety concerns during the opening set, officials disregarded her protests, leading to Kenin expressing her dissatisfaction. The American faced a hostile crowd but managed to hand a 6-3, 6-2 defeat to home-favorite Lucia Bronzetti.
"Fu**ing dumba**es people literally," Kenin yelled.
Sofia Kenin advanced to the second round where she will face eighth seed Ons Jabeur.
Rafael Nadal's baby son and sister Maribel steal the limelight during the Spaniard's Italian Open 1R clash
Rafael Nadal's son Rafael Nadal Jr. made an adorable appearance in a bucket hat with grandfather Sebastian during the Spaniard's first round 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Zizou Bergs at the 2024 Italian Open.
On the other hand, Nadal's sister Maribel can be seen hyping up the Spaniard from the stands.
Watch the video below:
With this victory, the Spaniard advanced to the second round in the Italian Open, where he will face seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Naomi Osaka talks about her clay-court preparation for the Italian Open
Naomi Osaka prepared for the Italian Open by studying the clay court performances of players like Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and Andrey Rublev. After straight-set wins over Clara Burel and Marta Kostyuk, she's set to face Daria Kasatkina in the third round.
In a post-match press conference, Osaka mentioned traveling to Mallorca to gear up for Rome following her early exit in Madrid. The Japanese also said that she watched many videos of ATP's top clay-court players to improve her game for the Italian event.
"So I went to Mallorca. Honestly, I did a really solid block of just focusing on what I want my clay court tennis to look like. I watched some videos. I watched Rafa. I watched Alcaraz. I watched Rublev actually which is very inspiring because he's smacking the ball," Osaka said.
Wimbledon 2023 Girls' finalist Nikola Bartunkova faces provisional tennis ban for doping
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has provisionally suspended 18-year-old Czech tennis player Nikola Bartunkova for suspected anti-doping violations.
Bartunkova, a finalist at the junior Wimbledon Championships last year, received notice from the ITIA on April 16, 2024, following positive doping tests during tournaments in Slovakia and Slovenia.
The 18-year-old tested positive for a banned substance 'Trimetazidine', a heart medication, leading to her provisional suspension effective April 16, 2024. Bartunkova, however, denies the charges, stating her innocence and expressing shock. The Czech denied ever using banned substances and stated that her team is investigating the matter.
Daniil Medvedev suggests Rafael Nadal's hard-court and grass-court dominance hindered by rival Novak Djokovic
Daniil Medvedev suggested that Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's rivalry has cost them Grand Slam titles, noting the Spaniard's potential on hard and grass courts without the Serb.
Nadal has won 14 French Opens, two Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships each, and four US Open titles, while, Djokovic has dominated the Australian Open with 10 wins and Wimbledon Championships with seven.
Medvedev stated during the Italian Open press conference that the Spaniard's clay dominance has impacted the Serb's title chances due to their surface-specific strengths.
"Novak, he's amazing on all the surfaces. Maybe because of Rafa on clay, he has a bit less titles than he could have had. It works the same for Rafa. If there would not be Novak on the hard and grass, maybe Rafa would have more titles there," said Medvedev during the Italian Open press conference.
Daniil Medvedev is seeded second at the Italian Open and received a bye into the second round where he will face Jack Draper.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
