Spectators at the Canadian Open were treated to a bizarre spectacle yesterday as a rally was suddenly halted for the strangest of reasons.Jessica Pegula, seeded fourth, was taking on Iga Swiatek, the top seed, in the semi-final and after the former took the first set 6-4, we entered a crucial stage in the second. It was 6-6 in games, meaning a tiebreak was needed, and with the tiebreak score at 4-3 in favour of Pegula, the moment of hilarity struck.The game was halted mid-point as the song 'Cotton Eye Joe' by Rednex suddenly started playing over the speakers. The umpire very quickly stopped play as the crowd reacted in a bemused fashion, and the television announcer can be heard saying: "Oh wow. 'Cotton Eye Joe' just came on mid-rally... are we in Texas?," while the umpire can be heard telling the players to replay the point.It was certainly one way to liven up proceedings, and despite the inadvertent music break, Pegula was eventually able to put the distraction behind her and win the match 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.

Amarissa Kiara Toth has made a bad situation even worse after her comments on what happened in her round of 32 match against Zhang Shuai at the Hungarian Grand Prix.Shuai retired from the match after she hit a cross-forehand shot that appeared to be in, with a mark on the court suggesting just that.Shuai appealed to the umpire to bring in another referee to look into the decision. As play was paused for a few minutes, the crowd appeared to be mocking her, with her opponent Toth also laughing.Then, in a hugely controversial moment, Toth walked over to the mark that was on the court and wiped it out, so it could not be seen.

The Hungarian Grand Prix, a WTA 250 tournament, is in hot water with the governing body for women’s tennis.The event was thrust into the spotlight after a dramatic incident during a first round match against China’s Zhang Shuai and home favourite Kiara Toth.Zhang had a shot called out during the first set, despite the ball appearing to land right on the line.She argued with the chair umpire for several minutes about the call, but to no avail. At this point, Toth walked over to the spot where the ball landed and crossed out the mark with her foot.Zhang reacted with frustration at Toth’s unsportsmanlike behaviour, eventually bursting into tears. She later revealed she had a panic attack, which led her to retire from the match.Despite the unfavourable circumstances surrounding her opponent’s retirement, Toth still celebrated as Zhang walked off the court.

The tennis world has been shocked by an act of disgusting behaviour that left Zhang Shuai visibly distressed on court.The Chinese player broke down in tears and retired from the match as a result of an incident during the first set against Amarissa Toth.Commentators around the world have been left horrified by the scene with saw Shuai robbed of a point - and the situation that followed exploded into a moment of immense controversy.

For the first time since 2002, the name etched onto Wimbledon’s Champions board will not be that of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, or Rafael Nadal as Carlos Alcaraz overcame seven-time winner Djokovic on Sunday to become the new gentlemen's singles champion.Djokovic held the 20-year-old to a thrilling five-set match in a final full of breathtaking points and the occasional on-court drama, but after losing to Djokovic in the French Open just two months ago, the Spaniard, who went into the tournament as top seed, was able to see out the match in incredible fashion.During the tournament, Alcaraz was being dubbed as the new generational talent - a player that might finally be able to compete with and challenge the likes of Djokovic and Nadal.And in his post-match conference, Djokovic compared Alcaraz to the three greats of the game."His game [consists] of certain elements of Roger, Rafa, and myself. He has the best of all three worlds.”And viewers agreed. Indeed, one eagle-eyed viewer posted a video that compared this year’s final point with the concluding point of the iconic 2008 duel between Federer and Nadal, widely considered as one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time, and it reveals some uncanny similarities.

Tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz has showcased his impressive footballing knowledge, naming his dream XI and it's pretty incredible.The Spaniard dethroned Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon on Sunday, becoming the first champion outside of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray since 2003.He also became the youngest player (20) to win the men's tournament since Boris Becker (17) in 1985. The future is seemingly very bright for Alcaraz, who looks set to be a major player in tennis for years to come, but it seems it isn't the only sport he's quite familiar with.It turns out, the Spaniard has quite the footballing brain too. He recently named his dream football XI, and it is pretty damn impressive. There aren't many teams in history that would stand a chance against his fantasy team, which is filled with some of football's greatest-ever stars.Born and raised in Spain, it's no surprise that the majority of the players involved spent large chunks of their time playing in La Liga. In fact, every single inclusion in his team managed to play in his home nation for at least one season throughout their careers. Enough beating around the bush, though, it's time to look at Alcaraz's dream football XI.

Men's tennis has been dominated by three players for the best part of 20 years. Cue, Carlos Alcaraz. Prior to the 2023 Wimbledon final, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, collectively known as the 'Big Three', had won 65 of the past 78 Grand Slams between them. In fact, if you factor Andy Murray into the equation, it had been 21 years since someone other than these four players won the Wimbledon title. Djokovic himself had won the past four in a row heading into this year's final and hadn't lost a match on Centre Court since his defeat to Murray in 2013. Many had tried to topple the Serbian on grass and all had failed, regardless of how well they'd played. But Alcaraz is no ordinary tennis player. Indeed, as he emerged victorious in an epic five-set encounter on Sunday, it became clear that he is the only man on the planet capable of toppling Djokovic right now and may well be the one to finally end his reign of dominance.

Carlos Alcaraz had the centre court crowd cracking up after delivering a brilliant interview following his memorable triumph at this year's Wimbledon.The Spaniard defeated the seven-time winner Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set encounter to become the third youngest male Wimbledon champion in history.After the match, Djokovic paid tribute to his opponent and joked that he was not expecting the youngster to have become so good on grass so quickly.Alcaraz, who was the fans' favourite throughout the contest, was equally humourous in his own speech on centre court.VIDEO: Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon

Mirra Andreeva’s impressive run at Wimbledon came to an end following a 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 loss to Madison Keys. Andreeva was in the driving seat for much of the match against her American opponent, and had been just two games from victory in the second set. But Keys came roaring back and forced the encounter to a deciding set, which she won 6-2. It was a disappointing end to Andreeva’s magnificent run to the fourth round at Wimbledon. The Russian star is just 16-years-old, and today’s defeat was only her seventh career match on grass.She had shrugged off Spain’s Rosa Vicens Mas, France’s Chloé Paquet and Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in qualifying, before getting past China’s Wang Xiyu, Czech Barbora Krejčíková and fellow Russian Anastasia Potapova in the main draw.Andreeva could not hide her emotions following her exit from the Grand Slam, particularly after a controversial end to the match.The teenager had received a penalty point for throwing her racket, which gave Keys match point.

Andrey Rublev pulled off one of the most impressive tennis shot in years during his round of 16 tie against Alexander Bublik at Wimbledon.The pair faced off in a close encounter at Wimbledon with the match taking place on Centre Court.The winner of the bout was set to be the first player to make it into the quarter-finals of the tournament.Meeting the winner of Novak Djokovic vs Hubert Hurkacz, a big tie loomed around the corner.The world number seven, Rublev, was able to get the better of his opponent and advance to the next round.His win was topped off with a brilliant shot in the final game of the match.

Tennis star Paula Badosa was subjected to an awkward post-match interview after being forced to retire from her second-round Wimbledon match.Due to an ongoing stress fracture flaring up, Badosa handed Marta Kostyuk the game on Court 18 today.Before calling it quits, the Spaniard was losing 6-2, 1-0 to the 21-year-old Ukrainian.Following the confirmation of the flare-up, Badosa has revealed that she will not be able to play her second-round mixed doubles match with Grecian boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas tomorrow.However, it seems like an unnamed reporter had missed the memo and didn’t know that the 25-year-old had retired from the match earlier that day.

According to Frances Tiafoe, Serena Williams ‘didn’t get’ how Roger Federer could beat her in a mixed-doubles match in 2019.Recently appearing on the Ultimate Tennis Showdown Talk Show, Tiafoe, 25, told Christopher Eubanks and Ben Shelton about the time he played in a Perth-based international team competition with the 41-year-old.Tiafoe told Eubanks, 27, and Shelton, 20, about an exchange that allegedly took place when he and Williams came up against Federer and Belinda Bencic in the 2019 Hopman Cup.

Ingrid Martins pulled off one of the best tennis shots seen this year at the Bad Homburg Open.The Brazilian star was playing in a round of 16 doubles match with her Belarusian teammate Lidziya Marozava at the WTA 250 event. The pair were forced to a tiebreaker by Norway’s Alexandra Panova and Ulrikke Eikeri, eventually triumphing 4-6, 6-3, 12-10. The moment of the match came when Martins hit an incredible behind-the-back winner during a rally.

Katie Boulter has replaced Emma Raducanu as the British number one women’s tennis player. The 26-year-old earned the position for the first time after reaching the semi-finals of the Surbiton Trophy, an ITF tournament played in the run-up to Wimbledon. Boulter is now ranked 126th in the world, two places above her compatriot Raducanu, who is currently recovering from hand and ankle surgeries and will miss the summer season.Jodie Burrage, Katie Swan, and Harriet Dart are all within the world’s top 150 too, giving all of them a feasible chance of usurping Boulter as Britain's number one women's player at some point this year.Boulter has now responded to her new ranking, posting a statement on social media.

It's time to reopen tennis' longest-running debate. Who is the greatest of all time among the Big Three? Who is tennis' GOAT?Novak Djokovic became the most successful men's tennis player in history on Sunday night as he beat Casper Ruud to clinch a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam at the French Open. His victory in Paris means that the Serbian star now has one Grand Slam more than former world number one Rafael Nadal and three more than the recently retired Roger Federer.That gap could extend further come July, with Djokovic being the undoubted favourite going into Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz has recreated one of the most memorable shots in Roland Garros history 17 years on from the Roger Federer original in the Philippe Chatrier.Almost two decades on from when the world number one hit an incredible shot past the world number three in the French Open semi-final, the current world number one has hit an almost identical shot past the current number three.The shot from Alcaraz is virtually beat for beat the exact same shot as Federer’s in 2006.

The French Open men's semi-final are well underway at Roland Garros, and already Carlos Alcaraz has proven why he's one of the biggest stars in tennis right now.In fact, he's proven why he's the world number one with one of the greatest tennis shots you're ever likely to see against none other than Novak Djokovic.

US tennis star Sloane Stephens has revealed the FBI is investigating the abuse she has received on social media. The world number 30 powered into the second round of the French Open with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Karolína Plíšková yesterday (May 29th). She was asked post-match about the AI software in place at Roland-Garros which is able to filter out abusive comments on social media platforms. Stephens questioned the ability of the software to block abuse, before revealing the extent to which she had been subject to discrimination online.

A heartbreaking statistic has revealed the two tennis players who receive the most hate online are Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic.The 25-year-old star won her first Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year when she beat out the reigning Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina.However, a new study conducted by the World Sports Network (WSN) has revealed that over the last 16 months, Sabalenka has received a ton of negative feedback across social media.To achieve the worrying data, WSN “measured the social sentiments of tweets mentioning players in a negative light as well as the public’s reaction towards particular Facebook posts.”Google Bard was deployed by the company to analyse any tweets that mentioned the top six seeds at this year’s French Open.Social media interactions were monitored from January 2022 to May 2023, and studies conducted at the University of Belgrade were also utilised.Arnya Sabalenka receives the most hate on social media Results found that 15 percent of the Belarusian's Twitter sentiments were negative and five percent of Facebook interactions relating to her were marked as ‘angry’.Rybakina came in second place with 10 percent Twitter negativity and four percent adverse reactions via Facebook, while 29-year-old Caroline Garcia took third with 10 percent and one percent respectively.As per Tennis 365, the data also discovered that WTA players receive a higher rate of online abuse compared to their male counterparts.The top six female seeds at this year’s French Open have an average negative sentiment of 8.6 percent — higher than the male’s 8.3 percent average.

British tennis star Emma Raducanu has shared a glimpse into her not-so-private life as she is seen being hounded by paparazzi.Raducanu, 20, is currently taking some time away from tennis as she recovers from minor hand and ankle surgery.The young athlete has recently undergone operations on both hands and one of her ankles, forcing her to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon Championship this year.She’s also not expected to recover in time for the US Open, which she miraculously won back in 2021.The American tennis tournament takes place between Monday, August 28 and Sunday, September 10, and is celebrating 50 years of achieving equal prize money.And although Raducanu hasn’t been totally ruled it, it is unlikely that she will recover in time to play this summer.Despite taking leave of the court, it seems there’s no rest for the wicked as the 20-year-old has recently been mobbed by the paparazzi.

Russian tennis star Veronika Kudermetova was unhappy with an Italian Open chair umpire and line judge, calling them 'old' and saying that the call was 'a joke'.The 26-year-old Kudermetova went head-to-head with China’s Qinwen Zheng on Tuesday, 16 May, and dominated in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 showdown.However, during the quarter-final match, an altercation with officials took place and Kudermetova was left extremely unhappy when a decision was called against her.It was an all-out battle in Rome - the Russian professional dropped her first set, but quickly recovered and continued to command the rest of the game.

When it comes to writing your name in the tennis history books, nobody did it quite like Billie Jean King.After winning her first Wimbledon singles championship in 1966, the US legend went on to form the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), lobbied for equal prize money at the US Open and eventually received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.However, 50 years ago this week she decided to change the face of women’s tennis forever.In a tweet written yesterday (Saturday 13), King said: “50 years ago today, Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Smith Court in a tennis match in CA.“This match laid the groundwork for the Battle of the Sexes, which happened 4 months later, on September 20, 1973.”She then continued to say that in 2023: “We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Battle of the Sexes.”

Organisers of the Madrid Open have been criticised after replacing ball kids on the main court with women in “skimpy” outfits. The tournament in the Spanish capital has reached the semi-final stage, with top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek still in contention for the respective men’s and women’s titles. With the majority of action now taking place on the main court, tennis fans have noticed a change in the personnel retrieving and supplying balls for the players. On the outside courts, both ball girls and boys have been used, with the girls wearing a loose blue top and a pleated skirt. On the main court, women in midriff-baring tops and short skirts have been deployed to retrieve and supply the tennis balls for the players.

World number one Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka went head-to-head in the final of the Stuttgart Open. It was a repeat of last year’s final, and it was ÅšwiÄ…tek who won the tournament for a second time. The 21-year-old triumphed 6-3, 6-4 against Sabalenka in one hour and 50 minutes.It was Sabalenka’s third successive loss in the Stuttgart Open final, having fallen to Ashleigh Barty in 2021 and ÅšwiÄ…tek last year. The 24-year-old had a brilliant reaction to yet another defeat, showing off her famous sense of humour.

Bianca Andreescu was forced to leave her Miami Open match in a wheelchair after suffering a horrific ankle injury. The 22-year-old was playing Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16 at the WTA 1000 tournament, having already defeated Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari and Sofia Kenin.Andreescu had lost the first set to a tiebreak, but battled back at the start of the second to immediately break Alexandrova’s serve. Disaster struck in the third game, however, with the Canadian slipping and immediately falling to the ground in agony. Andreescu was in serious discomfort as she clutched her left ankle, screaming: "I've never felt this kind of pain before!”She continued: "It's so bad! It's so bad!", before shouting: "Not again!"Andreescu was then taken off court in a wheelchair looking heartbroken, with her mum wiping away tears in the crowd.

Russian tennis player Anastasia Potapova has hit back at criticism she got for wearing a Spartak Moscow shirt while at Indian Wells.Potapova commented on the situation after defeating Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk 6-1 6-3 in the Miami Open second round. She received an official warning from the WTA after donning the football shirt as she walked out for a match at Indian Wells earlier this month, with Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek accusing the world number 26 of being insensitive in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Despite the fierce backlash, Potapova claimed she was “surprised” to have received a warning for wearing the shirt.

Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka may have become serious rivals on the tennis court, but they also have a great relationship.The duo met in the final of Indian Wells on Sunday night, replaying the thrilling Australian Open final just two months ago.After Rybakina was snubbed of the Grand Slam title in Melbourne, she made sure she avenged her loss in California.But Sabalenka is determined to make sure it doesn't happen again, and she made Rybakina and the crowd well aware of this during the post-match interviews.

Carlos Alcaraz has already established himself as the newest superstar in men's tennis and the Spaniard has continued his remarkable rise by notching a new milestone not even achieved by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. Collectively known as the 'Big Three', Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have dominated the sport this millennium – winning 64 of the last 76 Grand Slam titles between them. While the likes of Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka have managed to win a handful of majors between them, no player has been able to de-throne the 'Big Three' for more than a decade - that is until Alcaraz came along. At the age of just 18 last year, the Spaniard became the first player to defeat Nadal and Djokovic consecutively on clay, when he beat both at the Madrid Open. But the teenager wasn't done there. Later in 2022, he claimed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open – becoming the youngest ever men's number one in the process. Despite missing this year's Australian Open through injury, Alcaraz is now on the charge again, having won the Argentina Open and reached the final of the Rio Open last month. And now, having reached the last-16 of the prestigious Indian Wells tournament - the 19-year-old has reached 100 wins on the ATP Tour, in just 132 matches.

The 2023 Indian Wells is well underway, with British favourite Emma Raducanu among those in the last 16 of the women’s tournament. Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Iga ÅšwiÄ…tek are among the other big names left in the draw. This year’s edition of the WTA 1000 event may be star-studded, but it used to be the case that the most famous name in all of women’s tennis would be absent from the “fifth Grand Slam”. Serena Williams and her sister Venus boycotted Indian Wells from 2001 to 2015 due to allegations of racist abuse from the crowd. Shocking footage from the incident which sparked the boycott has now re-emerged on social media.

Camila Giorgi ended her tennis trophy drought on Monday after emerging victorious at the Mérida Open Akron in Mexico, a WTA 250 event,It was a tight affair between the Italian and her opponent Rebecca Peterson, with the final lasting two hours and 23 minutes, and ending 7-6, 1-6, 6-2 in Giorgi's favour.Her triumph at the hard court tournament marked her fourth WTA title, and first in almost two years.A delighted Giorgi will be hoping this spring in her step will set her up for even bigger wins throughout 2023.

Jessica Pegula had a tough day at the Dubai Tennis Championships, crashing out of the tournament at the semi-final stage. She lost 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 to Barbora Krejčíková, despite her best attempts to turn the match around. To make matters worse, Pegula was celebrating her 29th birthday on the day of the defeat.The tennis star – the daughter of billionaire Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula – fortunately seemed to find the situation humorous. She poked fun at herself in a hilarious post on Twitter.

The Dubai Tennis Championships is the first of several hard-court WTA 1000 events set to take place in the coming months.With a prize pool of nearly $2.8 million (£2.3 million) available, and 900 ranking points for the winner, the stakes at this week’s tournament in Dubai will be high.GiveMeSport Women runs through everything you need to know about the Dubai Tennis Championships, including the schedule, the draw and how to watch.

It may only be February, but Qinwen Zheng may have already hit the shot of the year. Up against Greece's Maria Sakkai in the Qatar Open first round, Zheng pulled off a stunning tweener-winner – much to the delight of the Doha crowd.While Zheng ultimately went on to lose the match in three sets, fans were nonetheless astounded by the Chinese star's remarkable passing shot.

Australian tennis star Arina Rodionova has revealed she's been subject to widespread social media abuse after poking fun at Novak Djokovic. The 33-year-old questioned the seriousness of Djokovic's injury at the Australian Open – on his way to winning a 10th title in Melbourne. While the Serbian frequently stressed that he was suffering from a hamstring problem, he nonetheless stormed to his 22nd major title – dropping just one set in the process.

In 2017, Eugenie Bouchard famously made a bet with a fan regarding the outcome of Super Bowl LI. The Canadian tennis star was so confident the Atlanta Falcons would beat the New England Patriots that she agreed to a date with a fan if they lost. As we all know, the Patriots, inspired by Tom Brady, completed the best comeback the sport has ever seen and Bouchard remained true to her word. Now, six years later, the 28-year-old has joked with fans about the incident and asked fans to send in their bets for the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles."Ready for your bets guys! I’m actually on the same couch as that time I agreed to a Super Bowl bet…," the former Wimbledon finalist wrote on Twitter.

Rihanna's half-time show at Super Bowl LVII has got everyone talking, including a number of the world's biggest tennis stars. Performing at the NFL's most prestigious event is an honour bestowed to very few artists and many of the biggest musicians on the planet have never been afforded the opportunity. And while the Super Bowl has tended to feature more than one artist in recent years, Rihanna took centre stage and gave a spine-tingling solo performance. It's fair to say that the nine-time Grammy winner put on a memorable show and plenty of athletes took to social media to stress their admiration for the Barbadian singer.