It’s like Tennis’ Summer Break right now. Sure there’s Davis Cup, but even stalwarts like Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal have (understandably) withdrawn. The WTA has two clay court tournaments – in Bastad and Budapest (yes, the tennis calendar is crazy) and Santoro and friends are playing on waterlogged grass in Newport, Rhode Island. But for the most part, our favorite players are off doing their own thangs.
Here’s what they’re up to:
ROGER FEDERER: He’s in Switzerland with the very preggers Mirka until (maybe) the Roger’s Cup in Montreal at the beginning of August. “It’s now my turn to support Mirka back home as much as I can.” Translation: He’s rubbing feet.
Or, if you believe the NYTimes, Roger’s flying to a mutant planet to replenish his superhero juice (click here).
RAFAEL NADAL: Like Roger, reports say Rafa will return to the tour in Montreal. In the meantime, off-court Rafa’s where he almost always is (when not golfing, video gaming or hanging in the basement) – on or near watersports equipment.
Rafa photo via tennislust.com
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: According to Blic, Novak Djokovic and his girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, set off today for a month long Mediterranean cruise on Nole’s new yacht. I have no idea if this is really true, but I like the story:
Novak Djokovic, world number four tennis player, will spend this summer with his girlfriend Jelena Ristic. The couple will cruise across the Mediterranean Sea in early July after the Wimbledon Championship on a 2,5-million-dollar yacht “Manhattan 60” which he bought last year. . .
“Novak will go on a cruising trip as soon as the Wimbledon Championship ends. Jelena and he can’t wait to spend time together. Jelena has recently started working in Monte Carlo, while Novak is, as always, training and this will be a unique opportunity for them to dedicate to each other and make their love stronger. They will spend some time on a yacht and later they will be joined by other members of the Djokovic family,” says a person close to the successful tennis player.
Assuming it’s a go, the lovebirds will stop in Croatia, where Novak will play doubles with his brother, Marko, in the Umag tournament. Novak will return to singles action in Montreal.
ANDY RODDICK: After Wimbledon, Andy stopped in NYC to check his injured hip and to do some shopping at the Apple Store with Brooklyn (via The Gossip Center).
Photo: Lenny Abbot/INFphoto.com
Since then, Twitter tells us Roddick’s back home in Austin, enjoying the lake and cheering on his Davis Cup teammates from afar.
ANDY MURRAY: I have no idea – go-karting?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes, I know Marat’s playing (doubles only) in Israel this weekend for Davis Cup (pics here), but I found this photo from a June 29th party in Moscow and just have to ask: Is Marat stud enough to pull off this ridiculous t-shirt? My head says no but. . .
SERENA WILLIAMS: Definitely busy with Summer School. Since Wimbledon, she’s peddled a new skin care line, appeared on Letterman, been serenaded by Kanye West and has played World Team Tennis this week for the Washington Kastles. And just because it’s WTT, doesn’t mean Serena’s slacking at her press conferences (via WickedLocal.com):
“I think the level (of WTT) is very intense. Last year I was more nervous at Team Tennis than I was at Wimbledon,” said Serena, just five days after defeating Venus at Wimbledon’s ladies singles final. “I feel a little pressure. You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for your team and your teammates and every game counts. It’s not the easiest thing, that’s for sure.”
VENUS WILLIAMS: V was in Washington D.C. on Monday helping to launch the city’s new tennis initiative for kids (click here for the article).
There’s cute video of Venus playing ball with the kids here.
Since then, Venus has been traveling the east coast playing World Team Tennis for the Philadelphia Freedoms in D.C., Philly and last night in Albany (where she lost to 16 year-old Sloane Stephens.) Yes, I feel lazy now. . .
ANA IVANOVIC: It’s nice to see Ana (kind of) enjoying herself as she comes off of the minor muscle tear that hampered her at Wimbledon. Yesterday, Ivanovic watched her golfer boyfriend, Adam Scott, play at the Scottish Open.
Image via The Daily Telegraph
When asked about Adam, Ana just said: “I am having a very nice time here in Scotland. Of course, I am here to support Adam.”
More photos of Ana as spectator here.
Speaking of love matches, congratulations to Sania Mirza, who is now engaged to 23-year-old “business scholar” Sohrab Mirza. Family members say that they are in no rush to tie the knot and Mirza has no plans for an early retirement. (Via Reuters.) The lead up to Sania’s engagement has included the arrest of two men for scary, stalkerish behavior.
Did I miss anyone who you have been (faux) stalking from your computer?
Tags: Djokovic, Federer, Ivanovic, Murray, Nadal, Roddick, Serena, tennis, Venus
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Hi, FreakyFrites! Thank-you for the wondeRFul effort you constantly apply to this web site
!!
Hello!
Gael Monfils and Jo Wi Tsonga attended Mathieu Montcourt’s funerals today. By the way, the analysis showed that Mathieu hadn’t any kind of drugs in his blood. I felt that it had to be mentionned because there is some ugly talk here and there which is really painful to all his fans.
http://photos.dppi.net/palms/zimagettes/Omnisport/TENNIS/TENNIS_2009/DIVERS_2009/HOMAGE_MONCOURT_2009/20809038_DPVI_HOMAGE_3_JPG/guest_600.jpg
http://photos.dppi.net/palms/zimagettes/Omnisport/TENNIS/TENNIS_2009/DIVERS_2009/HOMAGE_MONCOURT_2009/20809038_DPVI_HOMAGE_2_JPG/guest_600.jpg
(I don’t know if you can see the pics, they’re from dppi but there are some on getty images too.)
Sorry to ruin the mood ! Thanks for your site and the efforts you put in it, it’s the first time I comment but I appreciate it a lot and I’m a regular visitor
Hi Kei!
Thanks for the photos. What a sad day for these guys – it’s just crazy to think of such a friend and loved one dying so suddenly, so young.
It’s too bad to hear rumors were swirling in France – couldn’t people wait until the autopsy results?
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. It’s so nice to have long time readers come out of hiding
I think the NYT is focusing on the wrong half of the couple: if I were them, I’d be asking about Mirka’s superhuman capacity to sit in that Players Box for hours.
Ribbons, you are so right. Mirka deserves her own epic feature in the NYT magazine. Or an interview on Charlie Rose.
Marat’s shirt cracks me up: so Dostoyevsky. “Affliction.”
I wonder if Roger and Mirka are taking some late term Lamaze classes?
And Rafa is lookin’ hot. Yay!
So is this a “yea” on the ridiculous t-shirt?
so Ivanovic and Scott are a couple then? Oh ADAM! *runs to corner to cry*
Marat is testing the depths of our devotion….
Oh yes, big thumbs up on Marat’s crazy shirt. In fact, he might be the only man alive who can pull it off.
And I’m crazy enough to want one for myself. Fer real.
btw I would PAYYYY to see Federer wear the same tshirt. At Wimbledon.
As for Marat, he can wear whatever the hell he wants and still look good. He’s THAT kinda guy.
OMG! We could write a book about the reaction if Fed wore that one.
But maybe he could pull it off. . .Roger does wear novelty tees quite well. We all love Superfly and the robot/waffle maker.
I’m a teeny bit worried about Marat, as he’s retired. Partaying in Moscow is s scene I’d like to explore, but the guy needs a job. Coach? Leadership role in Russian tennis? My date to vodka soaked parties?
I worry. Really.
I still refuse to believe Marat will really retire at the end of the year. This is a man who set out on a well-documented Himalayan mountain climbing expedition only to give up and go home half way through. So he’s not always one for follow through. Maybe retirement will be that way!
Hey FF,
Just wanted to say love LOVE your website! I am now obsessed with it, it’s on my morning email list along with check email!
Read the Op-Ed on super Roger and it was pretty cool. Although, I really really wonder how Mirka sits through it. I mean as a pregnant woman don’t you have to run to the bathroom a lot, and plus with the stress.. I don’t know!
but I was wondering – since you are such a resource.. has Mirka ever done an interview, cause I’ve always been curious to see what she has to say cause she’s such a presence. I tried googling it and came up with zilch, like not even a quote…just curious…
Hola Wahoo!
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting. Glad you like the site
I’ve been dying for a Charlie Rose style interview with Mirka – maybe something with the both of them and Barbara Walters. The cover of People, maybe?
But I’ve never found so much as a Q&A in Tennis Magazine. She lets Roger do all the talking I guess. . .
I don’t think she’s ever done a formal interview with the press or anything. she tends to stay out of it. however, here is a clip of her back in 2002, speaking with Roger after a defeat at the Hopman Cup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGvh_nnDERM
Oh poor Anna. Stuck in cold damp Scotland when she could (and should) be in the Med. It must be love!
Well Adam is pretty cute so it’s worth it I guess.
Hey Freakyfrites,always enjoy your blog but as for what Novak is doing,there are pictures on MTF and his own forum of him and Jelena swimming,golfing and riding a scooter in Portofino,Italy in case you want to update his section
Oh yeah? Do you think it was a stop on his yacht? I’ll check it out. . .
Thanks for the update!
Probably was,as far as i know Portofino is a coastal town in Italy so it makes sense that it would be and about the info,no probs,glad to be of help
Probably was,Portofino is a coastal town in Italy so it makes sense that it would be and no probs abot the info,glad to be of help
GLad to see everyone is doing well. I’m glad Andy is back in town so I can try to stalk him
Just kidding….
Please do jfk! We want all the updates, of course