You’ve probably heard their voices during a match, but how much do you know about the WTA commentators that call all the action?
In this episode of WTA’s Behind The Tour, go inside the booth with Mikey Perera and Pete Odgers, the men behind the mic at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global.
“It’s a pretty special and privileged position to be in, to be watching sport for a living,” Odgers said. “But not only watching sport, but to be watching it with legends and people you’ve looked up to as a child.”
Perera added, “I just like to have fun, because after all, it’s sport. It’s entertainment; it’s supposed to be fun and that’s what I try to get into my commentaries.”
Want to hear more from WTA World Feed commentator Mikey Perera?
Check out our exclusive WTA Insider Q&A right here!
The US Open is the most fashion-forward Grand Slam, as its host city inspires tennis apparel companies to experiment with vibrant colors and prints. References to NYC’s bright lights and architecture can be recognized in this season’s aesthetic, while advanced temperature-regulating technologies are there to help WTA players perform their best. Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog will give us a closer look at the styles we’ll see at Flushing Meadows.
Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic and Angelique Kerber will sport the adidas adizero collection whose striking, triangular print is inspired by the landscape and environment of New York. The lightweight collection, built for speed, comes in a variety of bold color combinations.
The flash red version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank, as seen here on Halep, stands out with its stylish tech steel contrast racerback and keyholes. The eye-catching pattern of the adidas Fall Pro Skirt harnesses the good vibes of Big Apple, energizing players to perform their best.
Besides the recognizable geometric sublimated print at straps and bottom, Ivanovic’s adidas Fall Pro Dress features stylish V-shaped mesh color-block at back, which has a ventilating purpose.
The entire collection is focused on keeping athletes dry through Climacool moisture management.
Nike’s collection for the 2016 US Open is inspired by chromatic shift of the lights in New York City, reflecting it through pops of vibrant colors, while comfort in humid summer days is ensured by engineered knit construction.
Serena Williams will go for the NikeCourt Power Dress, which promises to be one of the best outfits of the tournament with its mock neck, that the world number one altered for the promo photo shoot, mesh back ventilation and energizing pleats on the woven skirt. The item comes in black and in white with hyper pink.
Madison Keys will rock a striking black and volt combination in the NikeCourt Dry Slam Tank and NikeCourt Flex Victory Skirt.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Caroline Wozniacki will showcase key looks from the adidas by Stella McCartney Barricade Fall/Winter 2016 apparel made of advanced Climalite fabric that keeps players cool. The collection includes innovative shoe designs intended for the fast and hard surface at the US Open.
The Spaniard’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Tank and the Adidas Stella Barricade New York Skirt play with white, oyster grey and flash red through color-blocking and marble print.
Clean lines and side color-blocks of Wozniacki’s Adidas Stella Barricade New York Dress have a figure-slimming effect, while bonded no-sew seams at arm holes and hem provide a modern feel.
Muguruza’s Barricade shoe (left) is engineered for maneuverability, while supreme ventilation is ensured by its full mesh knit upper. Wozniacki’s Barricade BOOST footwear (right) and its BOOST™ energy-returning cushioning give players an extra edge on abrasive hard surfaces.
As Venus Williams herself said, the EleVen Prism collection takes colors and prints to a whole new level. Besides the appealing print, the American’s EleVen Prism Chela Dress features lightweight color-blocking mesh at back and a nice wrap design. Moisture-wicking properties, superior breathability and EleVen Ozone for UVA and UVB protection are performance features of this stylish dress.
Agnieszka Radwanska will play in a rose neon version of the Lotto Nixia Dress, unique for its dramatic use of mesh at back and drop-waisted skirt with several pleats.
Heather Watson will sport the lightweight and breathable New Balance Fall Yarra Tank, whose burnout stretch mesh along the back, together with a poly/Spandex knit with NB DRY, will help the Brit feel comfortable. The tank’s match is the 40 Degree Skort which includes laser perforations, engineered waistband, as well as NB DRY and NB FRESH for breathability.
Fila-sponsored stars will wear the Heritage collection, a fusion of Fila’s time-honored silhouettes with contemporary elements. The clothes combine red, white and black, either in color-blocks or modern blurred stripes.
Karolina Pliskova is pictured wearing the Fila Heritage Stripe Dress, while Jelena Jankovic‘s promo image showcases the Fila Heritage Racerback Dress.
Tennis fashion fans can definitely look forward to the 2016 US Open!
The WTA season is over but the Mannequin Challenge is here to stay – at least for now. Simona Halep, Nicole Gibbs, Daria Kasatkina and more stars gave the social media craze a try – whose do you like best?
Nicole Gibbs, CiCi Bellis and squad:
Before her run to the Hawaii Open title, CiCi Bellis joined up with Nicole Gibbs and a whole cast of American rising stars – including Sachia Vickery, Samantha Crawford, Jamie Loeb and Asia Muhammad – for their video.
The Chan Sisters and the whole Taipei 125K Challenger:
Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan enlisted everyone at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger – from ball kids to photographers to umpires – in their epic Mannequin Challenge.
Simona Halep… and half of Romania’s athletes
Maybe not half, but there’s a lot: Simona Halep joined over 20 of Romania’s top athletes and trainers for a cameo in the Stejarii Country Club’s Mannequin Challenge. Check it out below – they saved the best for last!
Daria Kasatkina & Ons Jabeur:
Daria Kasatkina and Ons Jabeur and more took a break from practice to freeze for their Mannequin Challenge. Kasatkina was caught mid-racquet smash, much to the dismay of her coach.
What's going on @EMPIRETennis?@DKasatkina, @Ons_Jabeur & @platno76 are doing #MannequinChallenge! #tennis #girls #MannequinChallenges @WTA pic.twitter.com/aeyEuThzYm
Opening Day at the US Open is always backed with action – here’s a look at everything that happened during a busy Round 1.
Arthur Ashe Stadium debuted a brand new look, as the world’s largest tennis venue now has a retractable roof overhead.
Arthur Ashe Kids’ day brought fun for everyone as hundreds of children packed the site for games, music and tennis.
A pair of Olympic medalists were on hand to teach the kids some tennis, including Monica Puig and Venus Williams.
Gold and silver medalist swimmer Simone Manuel was also in attendance.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay kicked off the first-round in historic fashion: besides grabbing her first win in her US Open main draw debut, she also recorded the first victory of the tournament.
A few minutes later, last year’s finalist Roberta Vinci recorded the tournament’s first win on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki inaugurated the new Grandstand court with a three set battle.
Wozniacki came back from a set down against Taylor Townsend to advance to Round 2.
WTA Legend and two-time US Open champion Monica Seles also surprised fans at an on-site activity.
She answered lots of questions, as well as gave a few tennis tips.
As the sun set, the first night session of the US Open was inaugurated with a spectacular Opening Ceremony.
Phil Collins provided the night’s musical entertainment, along with Leslie Odom Jr.
And we finally got to see the roof in action. (Thankfully, there was no rain in sight, just lights!)
The roof was back open for Madison Keys and Alison Riske, who made history by finishing just shy of 2 a.m., the latest finish ever recorded in a women’s match.
The stars were out in full force at the US Open, including fashion icons like Vera Wang and Anna Wintour.
They packed the stands to see World No.1 Serena Williams begin her 2016 US Open campaign with a straight sets win over Ekaterina Makarova.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Naomi Osaka scored a huge win on her US Open main draw debut, and she was powered to victory by a little bit of Lemonade.
Up against the No.28 seed CoCo Vandeweghe in a match dubbed by the WTA Insider team as a must-see opening round contest, Osaka had to recover quickly after dropping the first set in a tie-breaker. She rallied for a 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3 upset over the big-hitting American.
“You wouldn’t want to know what I was thinking,” Osaka said, when asked what was going through her head after losing the first set in a tiebreak to Vandeweghe. “I shouldn’t really repeat what I was thinking. But basically just try to focus more because I had moments in the tiebreaker and I hit some very bad shots.”
Osaka finished 2015 ranked No.203, and her consistency has skyrocketed her up the rankings to enter the US Open with a career high of No.81. She’s been boosted by strong Grand Slam results, too, reaching the third round at her Australian Open and French Open debuts this year.
So what was the key to last night’s comeback victory?
“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I just relaxed and started singing Beyoncé in my head. It’s the [song] where she’s very upset. It’s the one where she’s wearing the Yeezy clothes and cursing into the camera. That one.”
“You just gotta let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be baby.”
With the win, Osaka advances to the second round where she will face a qualifier Duan Ying-Ying of China.
And while Osaka was singing Beyoncé en route to victory, she wasn’t the only one feeling inspired by the pop icon.
This past weekend, World No.1 Serena Williams took to the stage at the MTV VMAs to present none other than Beyoncé herself.
Serena, who was featured in the singer’s visual album Lemonade, introduced her good friend and fellow tennis fan before the pop star tore up the stage in what was arguably the performance of the night.
When you see your girl at the @vmas killing it and looking ?? @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/Ugw9OdmLnQ
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) August 29, 2016
??? queen Serene!!
— Nicole Gibbs (@Gibbsyyyy) August 29, 2016
You should be focused on the US Open! Oh no wait, you're Serena ? #VMAs pic.twitter.com/B0jIZhKWHb
— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) August 29, 2016
#shhhh Beyoncé and Serena are on ?? https://t.co/Y3yVPV7ShS
— CoCo Vandeweghe (@CoCoVandey) August 29, 2016
And then the next day, Osaka – big fan of Serena and Beyoncé – sang the same songs on her way to the US Open second round.
Sometimes things really do come full circle.
.@WTA New kid on the block Naomi Osaka takes a quick selfie with @serenawilliams @BOTWClassic #wta pic.twitter.com/DfriomFvDy
The season behind us offered everything — from tennis fashion extravagance to classic sporty designs, from retro pieces to experiments with modern trends, from neutral colors to vibrant tones. Let’s give the word to our fashion contributor Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog and see which outfits are the most memorable from 2016.
1. Serena’s Nike crop tops
In the last two decades, Serena Williams has made a profound mark on tennis fashion with her daring outfits and in her 21st pro season the American continued to push the boundaries.
Williams made a style bang at the first Grand Slam of the season, rocking a vibrant yellow Nike crop top, functionally and aesthetically enhanced by an open hole mesh at back and rounded side vents, and a super lightweight skirt, whose Breathe material gave an additional twist to the all-around pleats.
In Indian Wells and Miami, Williams showcased an omega blue version of the mind-blowing outfit, continuing to show how well crop tops work in tennis fashion.
2. adidas’ zebra print
One of the most memorable collection of the season is definitely Adidas’ Roland Garros “zebra”. Designed by Japanese Yohji Yamamoto, who found inspiration in dazzle painting used for ship camouflage in World War I and World War II, the Y-3 collection was the talk of Roland Garros with its eye-catching black and white print bringing a sense of movement and fluidity.
The fearless designer went for the bold print all the way, so not even the shoes from the collection calmed down the look.
3. Serena’s Wimbledon whites
Brands usually make their designs stand out with busy patterns, but Wimbledon’s all-white clothing rule always forces tennis apparel companies to find ways to create outstanding designs that don’t rely on the power of color and Serena Williams’ Nike dress for the grass-court Grand Slam is a perfect example of how a few well thought-out details can make a simple clothing piece outstanding.
The American’s Wimbledon dress stole our hearts with its elegant half turtleneck, flirty tiered pleated skirt and classic sporty racerback.
4. Venus’ EleVen Prism collection
Venus Williams likes to challenge her competition with prints and her Prism collection for the US Open was the most beautiful colorful design of the year. Introducing fall, the EleVen Prism Chela Dress features the season’s cool tones, but vibrant colors of summer are also there to lift our spirits for a tough match or training.
5. adidas’ US Open geometric prints
Adidas closed the season with what is in my opinion an overall best collection of 2016, inspired by the New York City skyscrapers. The collection’s main features include the triangular print, a perfect ratio of bright colors to cooler tones, and specific racerback design. What adidas did with absolute success here is offer a lot of variety, with the collection’s leitmotifs present in every clothing item.
Angelique Kerber climbed to the world number one ranking at the US Open wearing the adidas Fall Pro Tank in flash red and the adidas Fall Pro Skirt, whose geometric print represents the world’s most famous cityscape.
Simona Halep paired a tech steel version of the adidas Fall Pro Tank with the adidas Fall Pro Short, whose white mesh layer makes it the most spectacular tennis shorts we’ve had in recent years.
Ana Ivanovic rocked this gorgeous adidas Fall Pro Dress, which stands out with the way its colorblock racerback design is executed.
6. Stella McCartney’s soft color palette
The season’s best tennis clothes in pale colors were from Stella McCartney’s summer collection. Soft yellow and lilac, subtle floral print and hexagon-shaped laser-cut details characterize the separates sported by Andrea Petkovic, Caroline Wozniacki and Garbine Muguruza. Another lovely item from the collection is the adidas Summer Stella McCartney Tour Dress promoted by Wozniacki.
7. New Balance’s vibrant sportiness
The best youthful sporty look of the season included the New Balance Spring Tournament Tank, unique for its spaghetti straps with an Y-back, matched with the New Balance Spring Reversible Skirt or the New Balance Spring Tournament Skirt. Heather Watson and Nicole Gibbs energized the courts with their juicy orange combined with azalea.
8. Fila’s Heritage collection
Fila was very prolific in 2016 and they even launched a colorful collaboration with Marion Bartoli, but their best collection happened late in the season, at the US Open, featuring Jelena Jankovic’s and Yaroslava Shvedova’s Fila Heritage Stripe Dress, a harmonious marriage between modern blurred stripes and retro feel brought by the simple cut and red head tie.
Karolina Pliskova made her first Grand Slam final in the basic Fila Heritage Racerback Tank and the Fila Heritage Skirt.
NEW YORK, NY, USA – Venus Williams began her record-breaking 72nd Grand Slam campaign with an eventful win over Kateryna Kozlova on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Father time remains undefeated, or so the saying goes. However, a couple of months on from her 36th birthday, Williams continues to defy the aging process, taking the best part of three hours to defeat Kozlova, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
The tennis landscape is much changed since a teenage Williams – accompanied by beads and garish outfit – made her Grand Slam bow against Naoko Sawamatsu at the 1997 French Open. Remarkably, the American, now an iconic figure in the sport, remains a threat at its four flagship events.
Last year, quarterfinal appearances at both the Australian and US Opens – backed up by no little success elsewhere – propelled Williams back into the Top 10. And this campaign she has maintained the momentum, reaching the semifinals at the site of her greatest triumphs, the All England Club.
At Wimbledon, Williams matched Amy Frazier’s Open Era record of 71 Grand Slam appearances, marking the occasion with rollercoaster victories over several of the game’s brightest young talents. Against Kozlova – who was just three years old when Williams made her US Open debut – she was once against forced to draw on her wealth of experience.
Venus Williams: Improves to 18-0 in US Open 1st round. Only Chris Evert (19-0) has a better record in the 1st round at US Open (Open Era)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) 30 August 2016
The 2000 and 2001 champion has never lost an opening round match at Flushing Meadows, a statistic that looked in little danger when she pocketed the first set and moved 4-2 ahead in the second.
Kozlova, though, had other ideas, silencing the partisan crowd by rattling off five of the next six games to take the match the distance. A similar story looked to be unfolding in the decider, the Ukrainian falling 5-2 behind only to produce an unerring down-the-line backhand to break back in the ninth game. This time she was unable to complete the comeback, erring on the backhand to succumb the following game.
Despite a messy afternoon the No.6 seed, who finished with 63 unforced errors, was characteristically upbeat afterwards. “The errors told the story today,” Williams said. “Once you’re at this level everyone can play. Today I had to hit a lot of balls and I think that will help me going into the rest of the tournament.”
NEW YORK, NY, USA – With 186 straight weeks at the top, World No.1 Serena Williams is sure to have a few recovery tricks up her long Nike sleeves. In her post-match press conference after her straight sets win over Ekaterina Makarova, Williams revealed that she’s a believer in cupping therapy.
Cupping, an ancient therapeutic modality used to promote healing and recovery, came into the spotlight recently during the Rio Olympics after American swimmer Michael Phelps was seen winning gold medals with dark red circles across his shoulders and back.
According to WTA Sports Science & Medicine team member Kathy Queen: “In cupping, a cup is placed on the skin and a vacuum is created, using a flame or mechanical device, that lifts the skin and immediate layers underneath, including fascia. This allows for an increased flow of fresh blood and fluid in the area and, if moved along the body’s surface (called “sliding”), helps break up fascial adhesions. The temporary bruising created from the vacuum effect also plays an anti-inflammatory role.
“Athletes often feel immediate relief after treatment and increased range of motion and flexibility.”
But while Phelps used the therapeutic suction as a method for recovery, Williams has been using it for relaxation.
“I’ve always done that. I didn’t know it was something for recovery,” Williams said. “If I go to my lady in Palm Beach, it’s part of acupuncture.
“I love getting it, it makes me relax. I was like, Wow, you can do that for recovery?”
So what exactly does cupping feel like?
“It feels like a suction. It feels like an octopus, although I don’t know what an octopus feels like,” Williams tried to explain to press. “I think I snapped once a while back. It looks weird, the cupping. Yeah, I always do it, but I just did it for fun, so…
“But, yeah, so it just feels like it’s suctioning and it just feels good.”
We use technology such as cookies on our website, to provide functions and analysis of our visitor data. Click Accept to confirm that you agree to its use.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
