Emma Raducanu Faces Criticism for Cincinnati Open No-Show and Serena Williams Accused of ‘Entitlement’ Over Paris Restaurant Drama Due To…
British tennis star Emma Raducanu faced criticism her absence at the 2024 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati after failing to secure a wildcard. In other news, Serena Williams landed in hot water after Paris Restaurant countered her accusations of being denied entry to the American.
Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov addressed the controversy surrounding his Mubadala Citi DC Open disqualification. Tennis media called out for seemingly overhyping Jannik Sinner’s ‘humble’ comments on Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Also, Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield voiced her frustration over a controversial line call in her boyfriend’s National Bank Open first-round loss. Martina Navratilova slammed the IOC following Lin Yu-Ting and Imane Khelif’s Paris Olympics gold medal controversy.
On that note, here’s a recap of the top controversies from last week:
TrendingEmma Raducanu came under fire for Cincinnati Open absence after wildcard snub
Emma Raducanu faced criticism for missing out on the Cincinnati Open qualifiers after not receiving a wildcard.
Despite expectations to participate in the Cincinnati Open as her final preparation for the US Open, the British tennis star did not receive one of the four main-draw wildcards, which went to Caroline Wozniacki, Bianca Andreescu, Peyton Stearns, and Caroline Dolehide, while Taylor Townsend and Marina Stakusic secured the qualifying wildcards.
It should be noted, though, that while the 2021 US Open champion is now ranked No. 69, she failed to make the cut when the Cincinnati qualifying entry list was finalized, forcing her to skip the event altogether.
Serena Williams faced backlash after Paris restaurant refutes ‘denied access’ claim
Tennis icon Serena Williams faced backlash after the luxury Peninsula Paris hotel disputed her claims of being denied access to its rooftop restaurant L’Oiseau Blanc, despite empty tables.
Williams, who was in Paris last week with her family for the Olympics, shared on social media that she and her daughters, Olympia and Adira River, were denied entry to the two-Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant, even though the restaurant appeared empty.
“Yikes @PeninsulaParis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places 🫠but never with my kids. Always a first. 🙄 #Olympic2024,” Serena Williams posted on X.
The hotel, however, quickly responded, clarifying that the rooftop bar was fully booked and the remaining tables at the gourmet restaurant were reserved. The restaurant also offered apologies to the former American tennis icon for the unfortunate experience.
“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved,” the restaurant responded.
“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris,” they commented further.
Following these revelations, fans criticized Williams for portraying herself as a victim in the situation.
“Oh yes, let me set my rabid fans upon this fine establishment because I couldn’t be bothered to reserve a table in advance. Entitlement at its worst,” a fan wrote on Reddit.
Denis Shapovalov spoke out on controversial Citi Open disqualification
Denis Shapovalov has spoken out about his controversial disqualification from the Mubadala Citi DC Open quarterfinal against Ben Shelton, who later finished as the runner-up.
In the second set, Shapovalov’s frustration over an unforced error led him to hurl his racket and verbally confront a spectator. This outburst resulted in a penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior issued by the chair umpire, and the match supervisor decided to disqualify him, handing the victory to Shelton.
As a result, the Canadian tennis star initially lost all his ranking points and prize money from the tournament and faced a $36,400 fine. Nevertheless, Shapovalov challenged this ruling and managed to overturn the decision, thus preserving his ranking points and prize money.
Following these events, Shapovalov took to social media to express his gratitude towards his fans and to convey his astonishment over the disqualification.
“Dear fans, I would like to thank you for standing by my side through these last few days. As you can imagine it’s been an extremely stressful time for me. I continue to feel shocked and disappointed over the decision to disqualify me from my match against Ben in Washington,” Denis Shapovalov wrote on X.
“It was not fair to me, him or anyone that was there to watch the match. I of course immediately submitted my appeal to the ATP and I am pleased and thankful with the quick decision to reinstate my points and prize money,” he added.
Denis Shapovalov recently concluded his campaign at the National Bank Open in Montreal with early exits in singles and doubles.
Tennis media criticized for seemingly glorifying Jannik Sinner’s remarks on Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic
Tennis media faced backlash for apparently glorifying Jannik Sinner’s ‘humble’ remarks about Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Ahead of the National Bank Open, the Italian tennis star praised the Paris Olympic final between Alcaraz and Djokovic, won by the latter in straight sets, and acknowledged them as the world’s top players.
“It was a very high level match, I think everyone agrees with that,” Sinner said. “It was a very physical match. When two best players in the world, they face each other at the moment they are producing something very special.”
Tennis Channel shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter), labeling Sinner’s words as humble, which irritated fans who believed the Italian was simply stating facts.
Jannik Sinner recently failed to defend his title at the National Bank Open in Montreal, as he lost 3-6, 6-1, 2-6 to fifth seed Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.
Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield voiced concerns over controversial line call in Canadian Open 1R loss
Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield criticized a contentious line call during her boyfriend’s 4-6, 2-6 loss to 15th seed Alejandro Tabilo in the National Bank Open first round in Montreal.
The disputed call occurred in the tenth game of the first set when Tabilo’s shot, which was out according to electronic evidence, was incorrectly awarded to the Chilean by chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani.
Broomfield expressed her shock on X (formerly Twitter), pointing out that the incorrect decision was made despite “electronic proof” showing otherwise.
“Someone please explain to me how they didn’t give Frances this point when it was clearly stated that his opponent hit the ball out … genuinely confused. 30-30, serving down 4-5. no player challenges, only electronic line calling. There was ELECTRONIC proof that he won the point,” Broomfield wrote.
Tennis fans on X also reacted to the controversy, questioning Lahyani’s judgment.
Frances Tiafoe will now participate in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on August 12.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova criticized IOC over controversial boxer Lin Yu-Ting’s Paris Olympics gold medal
Martina Navratilova voiced her disapproval of the IOC’s decision to permit Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, who had previously failed gender verification tests, to compete and ultimately win gold in the women’s boxing events at the Paris Olympics.
On August 9, Khelif won the gold medal in the women’s 66kg category by defeating China’s Yang Liu, while Lin clinched the gold in the women’s 57kg category on August 10 by beating Poland’s Julia Szeremeta.
Navratilova, along with others, has consistently argued that Khelif and Lin possess an undue advantage in competition. The former Czech-American tennis legend publicly expressed her indignation after Khelif’s victory and reiterated her stance when Lin secured her gold medal win.
“This is what happens when you let males compete against females. And in boxing in particular- you don’t need any technique, really- because your punch is so much harder than anything coming at you. Despicable. And dangerous,” Navratilova wrote.
Leave a Reply