The WTA has signed an exclusive five-year, multi-territory deal with television broadcaster beIN MEDIA GROUP.
The agreement gives beIN broadcast rights for all WTA tournaments, including the 21 Premier events and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, in over 30 territories worldwide including Spain, the USA, Australia and pan-regionally throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
“We are pleased to continue to provide our subscribers with the best international tennis tournaments. Since its creation, beIN SPORTS has broadcast the greatest sports competitions and the addition of the WTA Tour events further strengthens our promise to deliver the best content to our audiences,” said beIN’s deputy Chief Executive Yousef Al-Obaidly.
In addition to tennis, beIN, which is available on all major pay-TV platforms, holds the rights to the UEFA Champions League and RBS 6 Nations rugby. Starting in 2017 and running until 2021, beIN will hold the media rights for all WTA events in the agreed regions, covering all live matches, replays, highlights and the weekly WTA magazine shows.
“We are delighted to announce our partnership with beIN MEDIA GROUP across multiple regions. This will allow the WTA to take advantage of beIN SPORTS’ dominance in certain territories and their ambitious growth plan in others,” WTA CEO Steve Simon said.
The agreement ties in with the start of the WTA’s new partnership with leading digital sports content and media group, Perform, creating WTA Media, the tour’s dedicated media arm. The live media rights and production deal is worth $525m over 10 years (from 2017 to 2026), the largest in the history of women’s sports.
“Partnering with an aggressive multi-sport network, specifically beIN, allows us to introduce our product to a new fan base,” added WTA Media’s John Learing. “Their stable of internationally attractive sports properties, specifically in soccer and rugby will give us a chance to introduce ourselves to a wider base of different sports fans. The bottom line for our viewers is that beIN Sport is generally available in the basic tier and not just the sports package, this will not only mean drawing a larger audience but will also make it easier for fans to find us.”
Just one month away from the first edition of June’s Mallorca Open, Ana Ivanovic tried for the first time the centre court of the grass tournament along with Carlos Moyà and Toni Nadal during an event held at the Country Club Tennis Academy Santa Ponsa, the tournament’s venue.
The former Wprld No.1, one of the favorites to win the title, practiced on the new grass court with Carlos Moyà, a former ATP No.1, as well as Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s uncle and coach.
“It is a big event for Mallorca, with big names and a hard draw,” said Ivanovic after practicing for over 10 minutes on a grass that has been tested and supervised by the All England Lawn Tennis Club. “It is a pleasure for me to prepare Wimbledon in a place I feel like at home,”
Ivanovic also unveiled one of the surprises of the event, a giant tennis ball made of 600 ensaimadas, a typical majorcan pastry.
I am so excited to play the @MallorcaOpen later this summer. Their new grass Centre Court is slick! Who's coming? pic.twitter.com/eNNhw0U6pN
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) May 18, 2016
Apart from Ivanovic, the Mallorca Open will have a great line up, full of grass court specialists. Garbiñe Muguruza, Eugenie Bouchard and Sabine Lisicki all reached the Wimbledon final in the last three years, and will try to become the first champions on the inaugural edition of the event. Other big names with the likes of former No.1 Jelena Jankovic, Sara Errani, Kristina Mladenovic, Annika Beck and Julia Goerges.
A few months ago Muguruza was the selected player to put the first stone on this centre court.
Las pistas de hierba del @wtamallorca toman forma!! Grass courts at Mallorca Open are looking good!! See you there! pic.twitter.com/sercwC1JOW
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) May 15, 2016
“I am very excited and I can’t wait for this tournament to start” she said at the itme. “I am really happy because this surface is one of my favorites. In Spain we have a clay tradition but I think this novelty is great news. I’ll be there in a few weeks, excited to play another tournament in Spain, in a very special place like Majorca.”
I wish there was a confetti flying from the sky after every good serve! ? @MallorcaOpen pic.twitter.com/gNk7fYp1P7
On Tuesday afternoon Serena Williams will begin the defense of her French Open crown when she meets Magdalena Rybarikova on Philippe Chatrier.
By her own high standards, Williams’ made a slow start to 2016. But judging by her performance in Rome, where she lifted the 70th title of her career, she appears to be rounding into form at just the right time.
Ahead of her return to the French capital, CNN Open Court sat down Williams to discuss her love of clay, coaching set-up and the quest for Grand Slam title number 22.
Three-time Roland Garros champion Serena Williams leads the top half of the draw into the second round on Thursday in Paris. We preview all the action here at WTATennis.com.
Thursday, Second Round
[1] Serena Williams (USA #1) vs. Teliana Pereira (BRA #81) Head-to-head: First meeting Key Stat: Serena Williams improved to 62-1 in first-round matches at Grand Slams with her win on Tuesday.
Serena Williams’ potential road to the Roland Garros title got easier on paper when No.5 seed Victoria Azarenka, her rival and potential quarterfinal opponent, was knocked out of the draw on Day 3 by Karin Knapp of Italy. But the 21-time major champion was more concerned about working her way through the draw than monitoring other results on Tuesday. “In order to get the warm weather you have to last to the second week,” Williams joked after her 42-minute victory over Magdalena Rybarikova on a chilly afternoon in Paris. On Thursday the American will bid for her 56th career Roland Garros win against a very talented clay-courter in Brazil’s Teliana Pereira. The 27-year-old world No.81 has amassed 16 wins and two titles on clay over the last two years, but she’s gone 0-4 in that span against players in the Top 25. She’ll face the challenge of a lifetime when she faces the game’s greatest player on the world’s biggest showcourt. How will she respond?
Pick: Williams in two
[26] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA #30) vs. Timea Babos (HUN #45) Head-to-head: Mladenovic leads, 3-1 Key Stat: Mladenovic and Babos won three doubles titles together in 2015 and qualified for the WTA Finals.
A pair great friends and former doubles partners will duke it out in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy on the singles court on Thursday. 23-year-old Timea Babos is blossoming as a singles player in 2016, winning 21 matches to best her previous career high by nine, and reaching semifinals in Shenzhen and Rabat. Mladenovic has struggled to live up to expectations at times this season, but the Frenchwoman has demonstrated the ability to put bad patches behind her at Grand Slams in the recent past. She has been to at least the third round at the last four majors, a feat that Babos has never accomplished in her own budding career. Can rising Babos pull an upset and knock off her good friend on her home soil on Thursday? Or will it be big-match Mladenovic who seizes the energy of the moment to prevail?
Pick: Mladenovic in three
[8] Timea Bacsinszky (SUI #9) vs. Eugenie Bouchard (CAN #47) Head-to-head: Bascinszky leads, 1-0 Key Stat: Bacsinszky is 11-2 on clay this season and has not lost to a player ranked outside the Top-10 on the surface.
Eugenie Bouchard snapped a long losing streak against the WTA’s elite in Rome when she knocked off Angelique Kerber to register her first Top 10 win on clay since the 2014 French Open. Will Bouchard’s renaissance continue in Paris against red-hot Bacsinszky on Day 5? Already having registered seven more wins in 2016 than she did in all of last season, the 22-year-old Canadian believes she is on the right track. “I feel like it’s kind of my first year on tour again,” Bouchard said on Tuesday after defeating Germany’s Laura Siegemund in straight sets. “I try to see it as a positive thing, like I’m going to try to prove to myself how well I can play and prove that I do belong at the top. Nobody’s going to hand it to you.” Bacsinszky, a semifinalist in Paris last year, will look to wear Bouchard down like she did when the pair met for the first time at Indian Wells this spring. Her world-class defense, variety on the clay and fighter’s mentality should give her chances to repeat that result.
Pick: Bacsinszky in three
[29] Daria Kasatkina (RUS #32) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA #184) Head-to-head: First meeting Key Stat: Razzano is the lowest-ranked player left in the draw.
Opportunity knocks in a tiny section of the top half of the draw, where not a single seeded player stands between rising Russian Daria Kasatkina and her first round of 16 appearance at a major. 19-year-old Kasatkina has turned heads all season with her athleticism, maturity and court sense, now maybe it’s time for her to turn the corner at a Grand Slam? Standing in her way on Thursday her will be a heart-and-soul veteran that is the only player in history to have ever defeated Serena Williams in the first-round of a major. Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano accomplished that tremendous feat right here in Paris in 2012. In her 18th appearance at the French Open, does the 33-year-old have more magic to summon?
Pick: Kasatkina in three
Around the Grounds: Other than defending champion Serena Williams,14th-seeded Ana Ivanovic is the highest-seeded player remaining in top quarter of the draw. She’ll meet Japan’s Kurumi Nara in the day’s first match on Court 1. No.9 seed Venus Williams will bid to reach the third round at Roland Garros for the first time since 2010 when she meets American qualifier Louisa Chirico on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
By The Numbers
3 – Number of former Grand Slam champions in action on Day 5 (Serena and Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic).
70 – Venus Williams is playing in her 70th Grand Slam draw at Roland Garros, most among active players and second only to Amy Frazier’s 71 all-time.
5 – Number of former Roland Garros Girls’ Singles champions in action today (Mladenovic, Razzano, Cornet, Svitolina and Kasatkina).
Having seen in action all the clothes bound to bring a new twist to Paris’ reputation as the fashion capital of the world, Marija Zivlak of Women’s Tennis Blog made a selection of the best styles and now it’s your turn to tell us your thoughts – vote for your favorite outfit right here!
The most striking collection of the tournament has definitely been adidas’ Y-3 Roland Garros collection, better known as the zebra collection, even though the designer Yohji Yamamoto’s inspiration were not the elegant African animals, but dazzle painting used for ship camouflage in World War I and World War II.
The distinctive black and white stripes bring movement and fluidity to the attire and the 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic is the most graceful and elegant zebra on the loose in the adidas Roland Garros Y-3 On Court Dress which features faux red braces at back.
“I actually really like it. The cut is beautiful in the dress, and I think it looks very feminine,” the Serb said about her eye-catching outfit. “The design also supports my favourite club, Partizan Belgrade. I really like it. It was very comfortable to play in.”
Another dominant member of the zebra family is Simona Halep, rocking the printed Y-3 tank and a solid black skirt with layered jacquard mesh overlay.
Players rocking adidas have been equipped with limited-edition adizero Y-3 shoes, which blend style and performance to make players feel confident, ensuring quick, safe and comfortable movement for hours of court wear.
Eugenie Bouchard’s sleeveless polo dress is reinventing a traditional polo look and the fresh approach to the classic style is nothing short of stunning. This NikeCourt Premier Advantage Dress features a lovely mock collar with two-button placket for a personalized fit, while split hem and racerback provide ease of movement. The soft performance pique fabric brings a flowy feel, keeping players dry and comfortable.
The Canadian’s footwear of choice are these unisex Nike Air Zoom Ultrafly shoes, nicely matching the complete hyper cobalt look.
Serena Williams opted to remove the mid-back mesh panel of her NikeCourt Premier Dress, making the outfit extra edgy and no other player could pull off those side cutouts better than the World No.1.
To complete the stunning effect, Nike created these NikeCourt Flare shoes, offering supreme ankle support during explosive, agile and quick movements. The rose details adorning the swoosh are inspired by the tennis icon’s ever-blossoming career.
Venus Williams’ EleVen Geo Swirl Dress has an exceptionally flattering shape featuring a high neckline with an edgy narrow cut, contrast binding at waist and a flowing fit at the skirt. The abstract print features light orange elements, to nicely match the French Open clay.
Agnieszka Radwanska merged her ninja game with the soft feminine energy of Lotto’s limited-edition Lacy line. Technical perforated fabric with a lace effect makes this item fashionable without putting performance in the backdrop, while ruffled skirt brings the extra touch of flirtiness.
The Pole’s vigorous on-court movement is supported by new SS16 Stratosphere shoe model, the latest innovation in Lotto tennis. The speed-oriented shoe studied for high-level players ensures optimal level of cushioning, improved adaptability to different weight of athletes and maximum transpiration.
Double trouble ? time for doubles with @Gibbsyyyy pic.twitter.com/6uMDVyqzyW
— Heather Watson (@HeatherWatson92) May 26, 2016
The New Balance Tournament Dress made my April’s best dressed list, but it’s not too much to include it in the French Open fashion favorites as well, since the item, worn by Heather Watson and Nicole Gibbs in their first-round clash and then when they joined forces in doubles, is truly outstanding.
The classic navy is revived with white stripes, as well as with a subtle functional detail in the form of an “N” houndstooth burnout mesh at back. Modern thin racerback straps, clean finish neckline with mesh and NB DRY technology which efficiently wicks sweat away make this a genuinely refreshing design that stays true to sports fashion while adding just the right amount of stylish touches that rule contemporary tennis clothing trends.
A little bit of color provided by the 996v2 shoes and accessories is propelling this look to the very top of tennis fashion scene this clay-court season.
With Fila’s Jelena Jankovic out in the first round, when the weather was so cold that players wore long sleeves over their dresses, we saw pretty much nothing of Marion Bartoli’s Love Fila Tennis Dress inspired by Paris, but the brand’s Fila Spring Gingham Racerback Dress, as seen here on Irina-Camelia Begu, brought a ton of style with a classic racerback dress in gingham pattern, enhanced by the perfect peacoat navy contrast piping and pleats at bottom hem. Brigitte Bardot famously wore a pink gingham dress at her wedding, making the pattern so popular that France ran out of it. Will Fila manage to emulate the actress’ success?
PARIS, France – No.4 seed Garbiñe Muguruza was made to work in the first set of her much-anticipated French Open quarterfinal against Shelby Rogers, but from set point down, the Spaniard rallied and never looked back, easing past the American, 7-5, 6-3, to reach her first career semifinal at Roland Garros.
Rogers had enjoyed a most impressive run into the last eight, upsetting No.17 seed Karolina Pliskova, Volvo Car Open finalist Elena Vesnina, No.10 seed Petra Kvitova, and No.25 seed Irina-Camelia Begu to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Muguruza herself had played solid tennis to reach this stage for a third year in a row, but it was the young American who steadied first, edging out to a 5-3 lead and getting within a point from the opening set.
The 2015 Wimbledon runner-up had only dropped one set through her first four matches, and promptly saved the set point and only lost three more points to sneak off with the opening set a few games later.
Rogers stopped the rot at six straight games, and took one last stand when she recovered from a 0-3 deficit to level the second set at three games apiece.
Muguruza ultimately had too much experience for the American, duly serving out the match to reach the final four for the first time at the French Open.
In a battle of first strike tennis, the No.4 seed proved far more consistent, striking 21 winners to Rogers’ 16, and only 13 unforced errors to 21 from the American. Coverting four of her six break point opportinities, the Spaniard also hit five aces in the 81 minute affair.
Up next is either 2010 finalist and No.21 seed Samantha Stosur or Tsvetana Pironkova.
PARIS, France – Kiki Bertens continued her French Open fairytale on Thursday afternoon with a straight set victory over No.8 seed Timea Bacsinszky.
Prior to this fortnight, Bertens had only ever been beyond the second round of a major once before – reaching the fourth round here in 2014 – but after defeating Bacsinszky, 7-5, 6-2, she will now face reigning champion Serena Williams for a place in the final.
An opening set littered with breaks and momentum shifts hinged on the 11th game when Bertens bucked the trend by holding serve. A sequence of errors from Bacsinszky brought three set points, Bertens wrapping it up courtesy of a thumping forehand.
By contrast, the second set was all Bertens, her confidence soaring after prevailing in the 70-minute opening stanza. Understandably given her recent exploits – this was her 20th match in singles and doubles in the past 20 days – the Dutchwoman began to run out of steam as the finishing line approached.
Bacsinszky, though, proved to be equally exhausted, dragging a forehand wide to bring up match point. Moments later it was over – Bertens tumbling to the clay, scarcely able to believe her accomplishment.
Afterwards, Bertens was quick to highlight the importance of the see-saw first set: “I think it was really difficult today. The circumstances were really tough. The court is really slow. The balls are heavy. It’s really tough to play aggressive, and especially with Timea. She is like changing a lot, like with some slower balls and some higher ones, so it was pretty tough for me.
“But I think afterwards I was 4-2 down, and then I was just like, Okay, we are just going to be calm and try to fight for each point. I did it and I won the first set. Yeah, it was just keep on fighting for every ball.”
The last Dutchwoman to make it this far at one of the four majors was Betty Stove, who lost in the semifinals of the 1977 US Open, while the last in Paris was Marijke Schaar, six years earlier.
It has been a remarkable clay court season for Bertens, who kicked it off by nearly leading the Netherlands to the Fed Cup title. This was followed by a semifinal in Rabat and then a title in her last tournament before Roland Garros, in Nürnberg.
The turning point came in Rabat, a particularly painful loss to Marina Erakovic leading to a frank post-mortem in the Bertens camp. “I remember like one thing I remember is like my semifinal in Rabat. I had match point there I was losing the match and I wasn’t just – in my head I was so stressed and all the time and we were like talking with my coach after that match for so long.
“I think after that match I just was so calm in my head and just trying to go out there every day and just give everything and then, yeah, just do my own thing. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Having ended 2015 at No.101, the new rankings will see Bertens break into the Top 30 for the first time in her career. It is the reward for an arduous training regime that allowed Bertens outplay and outlast Angelique Kerber, Daria Kasatkina, Madison Keys and now Bacsinszky.
“I think like in the pre-season I did a lot of work. Like the first three weeks was only physical practices, like two, sometimes three times a day. It was a hell really, but I’m really glad we did it. Like with my whole team we were like working every day like really hard. Physically I feel good the whole year. I played a lot of matches, so I feel good.”
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