Tennis News

Last month, SportsPro unveiled it annual list of the world’s 50 most marketable athletes. Once again, the WTA was well represented with three players making the cut.

French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza led the way, entering the list at No.14 on the back of her recent exploits. Joining her is fellow new entrant Sania Mirza and last year’s No.1 Eugenie Bouchard.

Muguruza first burst onto the scene two years ago when she inflicted a humbling second-round defeat on defending champion Serena Williams at Roland Garros. Since then her star has grown, a Wimbledon final appearance laying the foundations for a brilliant second half of 2015. The 22-year-old hit her first bump in the road at the start of the current season, before a spectacular return culminating in her Paris triumph.

Viewed by many as the sports next big crossover star, Muguruza has seen sponsors come flocking – BBVA Bank, Maui Jim, adidas and Babolat are among her current portfolio – capitalizing on the decade-long quest to find a female icon to join Rafael Nadal atop the pedestal of Spanish tennis.

Life has not been quite so rosy for the new generation’s other great young hope, Eugenie Bouchard. However, following a turbulent 2015 campaign, the green shoots of recovery have begun to sprout.

Success on the court and charisma off it fuelled the Canadian’s initial rise to prominence, and now unburdened by the weight of expectation that hung around her neck for much of 2015, she has begun to climb back up the rankings. The qualities that first attracted Nike, Babolat, Coca-Cola and others remain, and her reunion with childhood mentor Nick Saviano is sure to hasten her return to tennis’ top table.

Mirza, on the other hand, has had no shortage of success over the past 12 months, her all-conquering partnership with Martina Hingis – the duo have won three of the past four Grand Slams – thrusting her back into the spotlight.

A superstar in her homeland for the best part of a decade, the Indian, whose contracts include adidas, Sahara India and Tata Tea, is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and was flagbearer at the 2012 Olympics.

Since SportsPro released its inaugural list in 2010, WTA players have been near ever-presents at the top of the pile, Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Sloane Stephens all featuring down the years.  

MALLORCA, Spain – When the 19-year-old Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo takes the court against the No.3 seed Ana Ivanovic for a spot in the Mallorca Open quartefinals, she’ll be facing off against a very familiar opponent.

The two have never played before, at least not in real life, but when it comes to playing as Ivanovic in video games, Sorribes Tormo is an expert.

“It’s such a dream to play Ivanovic,” Sorribes Tormo said. “Back when she won Roland Garros, playing Wii was a big thing, I had the tennis game and I always picked her as my player. In fact, yesterday I was talking to my brother and he reminded me of it.

“Obviously we don’t play video games anymore because we’ve grown up, but she’s a player that I really like.”

Ivanovic and Sorribes Tormo are set to take the stage in Mallorca tomorrow at 7:00 pm local time, and it’ll be the first time the Spaniard plays on the tournament’s sunken center court. She comes into the matchup fresh off a grass court title at the ITF 50K in Essen.

“It’s a huge motivation to play on the center court,” she assured. “I’m in a moment where I’ve been playing very well, with confidence.

“I know that it is a match where I have to try to do my best and focus only on me. I have to forget who is at the other side of the net and do my job.”

Sorribes Tormo made her way to the second round after coming back from 0-3 down against fellow Spaniard Paula Badosa Gibert, 6-3, 7-5, while Ivanovic pushed past Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-4.

Modo Winner…?ON! @AnaIvanovic ya está en los cuartos en dobles. Mañana turno para el cuadro individual. pic.twitter.com/40t5JLcS75

— MallorcaOpen (@MallorcaOpen) June 15, 2016

– Via Mallorca Open

Maria Sharapova has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking to annul or reduce her two-year suspension for a failed drug test at the Australian Open in January. The parties have agreed to an expedited track for the case, which will allow CAS to issue its decision no later than July 18th, 2016.

Last week, an independent tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Federation found that Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, and imposed a period of ineligibility of two years. Under the tribunal’s decision, Sharapova would be allowed to return on January 27, 2018.

According to a statement from CAS regarding Sharapova’s appeal, “Ms. Sharapova seeks the annulment of the Tribunal’s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation. Ms. Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced.”

CAS further confirmed the parties have not decided whether or not a hearing would be held on appeal. However, “at the request of the parties, this arbitration procedure will be kept confidential and the CAS will not comment any further on this matter.”