(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: Hop on the media merry-go-round with the Noles

US Open champ Novak Djokovic hopped on the media merry-go-round today, a tradition the day after the winner is crowned. He and Trophy stopped by the Today Show to talk to Matt Lauer and the gang about his phenomenal win and season so far. But that was just the first stop of many, and all the Noles came for the fun. Why? Because six Noles are better than one, I guess.

Dancing Nole at Regis & Kelly!

Pointing Nole at the Early Show!

Famous Nole with Sarah Michelle Gellar!

Thumbs Up Nole with fans at the Empire State Building!

And Romantic Nole smooching Trophy while overlooking New York City. It must be lust.

UPDATE: Here's vid of Dancing Nole in HD at Regis & Kelly.

[Photo(s) credit: AP, Mike Stobe/Getty Images for ATP]

PHOTO OP: Feeding time

"Just a nibble, k?"

Li Na looks good dressed up as shark bait, eh?

The Roland Garros champ was swarmed by the media during the WTA All-Access Hour for the Rogers Cup in Toronto today. I guess I could handle it to if it meant I could snuggle up to $42 million in endorsements when I got home. And, before you laugh, I'll let you know I look good wearing a Rolex, stuffing my face with Haagen-Dazs and taking out life insurance, too. She's not the only one.

[Photo(s) credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images]

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Do you like your women beautiful and athletic? Well, you'll get that and more in Nike's 'Make Yourself Girl Power' campaign shot by famed photog Annie Leibovitz and starring Grand Slammers Maria Sharapova + Li Na along with track-and-field stars Allyson Felix + Perri Shakes-Drayton, soccer's Hope Solo, dancer Sofia Boutella, and surfer Laura Enever. The Double Bagel has additional shots, including Shrieka getting her crunch on.

- Speaking of Li Na, WSJ.com has a good piece on the influence her win at Roland Garros will have on sports in China. One person who's happy about the changes in the Chinese system is Zheng Jie. "I am so thankful for this mini-truce," she said.

- GQ.com showcased some of the best and worst styles worn by Rafael Nadal over the years (pirate pants!) while CNBC.com says Nike's decision to move the Mallorcan Matador towards more conservative attire helped retailers' bottom line.

- Andy Roddick knows how to deal with those pesky rain delays in London. With - what else? -  Angry Birds! Oh, and if you need to know what's been on his iPod while there, click here. For reals.

- So, this is what happens when you reach 20,000 fans on Facebook, for better or worse:



- Andre Agassi was interviewed for The New York Times and discusses everything from his charter schools, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, his controversial memoir "Open" and the 1999 French Open where he and wife Steffi Graf reigned as singles champs: "We don’t really talk about it, but the memory is so alive. But you also live with the fact her experience was way different than mine. This was a hard tournament for me, so to get over the line at that moment was something special."

- Federer likes it FAST.

- Deadspin's Dylan Stableford talks Borg-McEnroe and JMac's man-crush on the iconic Swede: "But did you know McEnroe had something of a heterosexual man-crush on Borg when he first saw Bjorn? 'I'd never seen a tennis player look like this," McEnroe admits in HBO's 'McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice,' documentary, which airs on Saturday night. 'He had this sort of perfect Viking godlike look, and I certainly wanted to get the same type of things that he seemed to be getting, which was a lot of interest and a lot of girls. … I think everyone wanted to look like Bjorn. Certainly he had the cool clothes and the sweet headband and the great locks.'"

- Dinara Safina on Rafael Nadal + Novak Djokovic for Sport.ru: "I like them both, I know them both, and they are both nice guys. What I like about Nadal is how he turns the audience on, charges everyone with his emotions, even when something is not going right. But if we take the beauty of the game Djokovic has the advantage."

- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Tracy Morgan still feeling the heat for homophobic rant; Britney Spears covering Madonna's 'Burning Up' on tour (just kill me); Congressman Weiner's sexts get the dramatic (and hilarious) treatment; Well, hello there Jessie Williams; Brief-tastic Francesco Totti moments courtesy of Kickette of course; MTV cans 'Skins'

[Photo(s) credit: Nike]

(UPDATED) Roland Garros officials ban posting of transcripts - isn't that called 'censorship'?

I'm pissed. If you read this blog during the majors then you know I usually do a post called 'HE SAID/SHE SAID'. It's pretty popular with readers. Personally, I find it interesting to read through the post-match transcripts and pull quotes I think you guys might find interesting/funny/insightful/whatevah. And, usually, the quotes aren't the ones the mainstream media pulls for their stories because they 1) are going to be everywhere anyway 2) usually don't give you a real feel for the baller's personality and quirks. They're standard. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't serve the purposes of this blog or give you guys anything new to explore.

After the first day of play I went to the usual place on the RG site to begin reading transcripts. All I came up were the videos which had been edited. I thought they would post later, but when I went back to check they were not there. Next day, the same, and so on. Well, today, it came to light that the International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA) and a number of journalists sent in a request to the Roland Garros tourney organizers to stop posting the transcripts on their website. AND THEY COMPLIED. The blog Any Given Surface has a nice write-up about it and, in the comments sections, posted a email response from Sandra Harwitt, a member of the ITWA, explaining her views on the issue.

Of course, it got really REAL on Twitter with people completely and understandably outraged, including myself, about this action. Even the journos heard it from everyone with one, in particular, have a bit of a meltdown.

To me, this is censorship - a handful of people deciding what the masses get to read/hear about in the pressers. We're all getting screwed.

Listen, I understand there aren't many journos/media being sent to tourneys due to the economic times. So if this is the case, wouldn't it makes sense to find another way to get the interviews/quotes out such as feeding them to smaller websites, bloggers, social media outlets, etc.? Or what about a 24/48 hour embargo on the transcripts? How would either of these options hurt the tourney? But, in the end, it's all about control of information. The mainstream media want to horde the quotes for their own means and decide what we, the fans, get to read. Apparently, if others get to utilize the transcripts then their jobs will be in danger by - gasp! - a blogger or a tweeter. So they make a request to ban it all together and the RG tourney agrees. You know, compromise is usually a better option than censorship.

UPDATE: Here's the what the RG site said - "We are very sorry, we have been asked by the International Tennis Writers Association not to release transcripts of post-match interviews this year, so as not to disadvantage reporters here at the French Open. You can find many of the relevant quotes in the articles posted on our website." There's been talk they may change their decision because of all of the complaints.

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- It was Les Enfants de Roland-Garros a.k.a Kids' Day at Roland Garros today. Weeee! Shockingly (not), Novak Djokovic stepped in for Bob Sinclar and hit the decks with DJ Big Ali in Philippe Chatrier Stadium. And he doesn't look one inch out of place. I see a post-tennis career in the making. Don't you? More shots from Kids' Day here and video here.

- Speaking of Nole (and who isn't - right Johnny Mac?) you must check out this awesome story by SI's S.L. Price on the Serb and his move towards history this fortnight.

- Tom Perrotta interviewed the head of the USTA baller development program, Patrick McEnroe, and Jose Higueras, the USTA's director of coaching, on the challenges facing U.S. tennis and what steps they're taking to overcome them - namely getting the ballers to be more proficient on the clay. "You can't predict the future, technology, whatever," PMac said. "But the way the game is going, it would be very surprising if we went back to some kind of bang-bang tennis. One-shot tennis is dead."

- Make sure to check out the Roland Garros Twitvid page. It's chalk full of quick but super fun footage of practice sessions, interviews and other action you don't normally get to see. Insidery, if you will.

- Marty's got Maria's back: "There is no real reason, though, why Sharapova, whose victory in the Italian Open in Rome came against last year’s French Open runner-up Sam Stosur, cannot also win this year’s title at Roland Garros."

- Bethanie Mattek-Sands is at it again. No, it's not her on-court fashions. Yet. She's blogging for USA Today again.

- Bear Grylls grabbed a hit with Andre Agassi and apparently held his own. Um, yeah.

- Christopher Clarey of The New York Times interviewed Bjorn Borg and grabbed a money quote: "I always have said that records are meant to be beat, not only in tennis but in all sports. I wish Rafa the best of luck. It would be great to see him win the sixth time or seven or eight times." You should also check out his other piece. It's 20 years in the making.

- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams all made the 2011 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Translation: How to Make Bank and Influence People.

- Mary Carillo, who is now with the Tennis Channel as a broadcaster and analyst, not only enjoys being in front of the camera but also behind the scenes as she explained in a conference call this past week for Roland Garros:

I love the sport of tennis, but I also really like the sport of television. I like a lot of different parts of it. I like pre-production. I like post-production. I like live. I like editing. I like writing. I have written a couple of documentaries. I am really hoping that if this goes well, I get to hang around and do all kinds of things for Tennis Channel.

So I guess it should come as no surprise that one of the reasons for her departure from ESPN late last year may have been due to differences in opinion with regards to the production of their telecasts. Here's Mary in an excerpt from ESPN Book:

ESPN is very graphics oriented, and [it] was explained to me – because I was having a hard time watching the screen get smaller and smaller – that all the wizardry is there because there’s a lot of places where the sound is off. ESPN is shown in bars or people have it on in the background. They’re watching out of the corner of their eye...So they want to give them a lot of graphics. I got some really big issues with that.

While we're on the subject of Tennis Channel here's a look at their promo spot for Roland Garros. And don't forget: TC will be streaming matches LIVE on their website starting tomorrow at 5 AM EST and showcasing matches in 3-D for fans with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast or DIRECTV during Memorial Day Weekend. CHECK IT:



- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Darren Criss and all his adorkableness for GQ; Bert sans Ernie meets Andy Samberg and all hell breaks loose (not really); Hunger Games' Jennifer Lawrence takes Elle in Miu Miu; RIP Macho Man; it's a boy for Oscar winner Marion Cotillard; Bane from The Dark Knight Rises is revealed; Messi the genius; "Stand by your man..."

[Photo(s): Deadspin.com, AFP PHOTO / ALEXANDER KLEIN]

News of Note

True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard covers the June issue of GQ really, really well...author Philip Roth won the Man Booker International Prize but it wasn't unanimous, to say the least...Pippa Middleton's infamous ass-ets inspired a Facebook page and now we know how...Newt Gingrich gets GLITTER BOMBED (sadly it wasn't JJ)...ladies, keep your weaves and real hair on lockdown...Mrs. A-Rod pulls out her best Britney for charity...Ronald McDonald under attack...speaking of overly made up characters, Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' was released today...Netflix is taking over the internets and making us pay for it...'Oz: The Great and Powerful', the prequel to the iconic and legendary 'The Wizard of Oz', has found its cast. DYING.

[Photo(s): GQ]

+ NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Credit Suisse has released the official commercial for their international image campaign I previewed last month starring a soaking wet Roger Federer and shot by Jordan Scott.

- Maria Sharapova is interviewed in the June edition of O Magazine in a feature called 'My Best Life'. Apparently she discusses the joys of karaoke. Can someone please get her in the French Open karaoke box please? I'm sure it'll be an instant classic.

 - Andy Roddick ain't happy with the ATP. He and doubs partner Mardy Fish were docked $42,800 - the prize money they made for reaching the final in Rome - after the former U.S. Open champ pulled out with an injured shoulder. Here's a bit of what he said about the incident: "We're going to have to beg for the money we've earned. Why should Mardy be punished when I can't play? Mardy has played the (semifinal) match, he won the match, he earned the money, you can't take away something he has already done. This is embarrassing for the tour."

 - Looking for Marat Safin fix? Well, you're not alone - believe me. So here you go: The sexy Russian is interviewed and featured in a pretty good looking photo spread for the May 2011 issue of InStyle Russia. Did I mention I drool for a SexGawd in stripes? I do, it's true.

- While we're on the topic of Safin, little sister Dinara has put her tennis career on hold indefinitely to deal with her never-ending injury issues. Sad news for the former top lady baller. Be well.

- Double OMG. Feliciano Lopez was caught in the act! And then he wasn't. WHATEVAH pretty boy.

- As we all know, Serena Williams isn't competing next week at Roland Garros due to her continued recovery from the pulmonary embolism she suffered recently. Her absence will def be a blow to the fashion meter at the tourney. But FEAR NOT! Here's a look at what she would've worn has she made it to Paris. Click here to check out what a few of the other Nike ballers will be wearing.

- Tennis Channel will be streaming French Open matches live and on-demand again this year via their website. Those fans with AT&T U-verse®, Comcast or DIRECTV will have the added bonus of viewing matches from Philippe Chatrier Court in 3-D during Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30. Love it.

- Never one to shy away from ANY spotlight the undefeated Novak Djokovic hit the catwalk at the Cannes Film Festival's Fashion for Relief benefiting Japan. Not sure who he's wearing but I've seen him in better outfits on a runway. Check out the pics here and some video footage here. (Thanks for the tip OnTheGoTennis!)

- Vienna tourney Tennis Trophy has lost its main sponsor, Bank Austria. TD Herwig Straka is hoping to announce a new main sponsor shortly. The CEO of Bank Austria explained the decision saying the tourney venue announced a sponsorship deal with their main rival.

- For all of you who are lucky enough to be in Paris this week: Rafael Nadal will be making an appearance at the Nike store on the Champs-Elysées this Friday. Get it, peeps. BONUS: Here's a Babolat print spot featuring Rafa, A-Rod and Kim Clijsters from the latest issue of TENNIS.

- Kei Nishikori will be ready for Roland Garros. The Japanese baller had to forfeit his opening round match in Rome last week after suffering from kidney stones. Via his FB page: Hi everyone, just wanted to give you a little update. I went back to Japan to get a second opinion from a Japanese doctor last Saturday. After some examinations and more treatment from the doctors here in Tokyo, I am feeling better and I am ready to play the French Open. Had my first practice today in Tokyo and I am leaving Japan tomorrow to join my coaching team in Paris and start preparing for the French Open.

- Tomas Berdych + Marcos Baghdatis take to the streets of Nice.

- I'd like to wish all the best to Ken Rosewall who was hospitalized after becoming ill during the Rome Masters last week. Though the exact cause is unclear, the Australian media was reporting the tennis legend may have suffered a stroke.

- TOTALLY OFF-TOPIC: Arnold Schwarzenegger had another baby mama; Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld is the new face of Miu Miu; stateside The X Factor is ramping up(front); Steven Tyler tried to go gay while an NBA exec has come out all the way; so what's with this Bamboo Ceiling?; the trailer for "X-Men: First Class" fucking rocks; and since it's Frenchie time here's a last little tid bit: First Lady Carla Bruni may be preggers. BOOM.

[Photo(s): TENNIS, InStyle Russia, Credit Suisse]

+ NETCORDS: News from around the grounds

- Unless you're Andy Roddick or photographer Mark Squires you've probably never seen Brooklyn Decker like this (NSFW).

- The Spanish tennis federation (RFET) be mad. Well, more like they're in a questioning mood. Albert Costa, their Davis Cup captain, has raised issue with the court surface the United States has chosen for the Spain-U.S. tie scheduled for July in Austin. The court's manufacturer, Premier Courts Inc., is not one of the 91 ITF-approved manufacturers according to the RFET. "So the problem I have right now is to explain to the players what kind of court they will encounter because even if we wanted to train on a similar one we could not install it because it is not approved," said Costa. They appealed to the ITF who will give their decision on Thursday. The RFET aren't happy about the USTA presale either.

- Andy Murray pulled out of Barcelona with the elbow injury he sustained at the Monte Carlo Masters while Tomas Berdych sited a stomach virus for his withdrawal.

- With Roland Garros on the horizon SI's Bruce Jenkins isn't seeing this depth in the WTA that some fans and pundits keep discussing. Listen, when you're missing a dominant No. 1 or a compelling rivalry the next best storyline is "depth". Anyway, he's bucking his journalistic objectivity (as if THAT really exists) and backing his fave lady baller to take the RG crown: "So I'll say it again: Go, Francesca. Shameless rooting from the press box. I've got everything but the T-shirt." Way to be honest about it, Bruce.

- Did you know that Julia Goerges isn't "jealous" of the recent attention given to compatriot Andrea Petkovic? Because two female athletes couldn't possibly be competitive without being jealous, you know. Fucking dumb.



- If you like your Roger Federer soaking wet then check out some behind-the-scenes footage (above) from an ad he recently shot for Credit Suisse.

- TENNIS' Tom Perrotta penned a piece for the Wall St. Journal online about Novak Djokovic's brilliant start to 2011 and the rise of Serbian tennis.

- The Monte Carlo Baller Party wasn't a total drag. Janko Tipsarevic and friends took to the stage to give their best impression of Nole dealing with his team. "I had to do it...even thou he is not like this...I had to do it" is what he said on the video's YouTube page. Sure Tipsy. Suuuure.

- And more Nole: The Serb first gave us black, white and grey and today he gives us good face.

- Serena Williams, who recently returned to light practicing and flashy on-court fashion, was spotted on Miami beach in a mis-matched tini-wini bikini. Poor thing is struggling. The bikini, not ReRe y'all.

- Anna Chakvetadze was forced to retire from her first round match in Stuttgart against Zuzana Kucova with dizziness. It's the third straight match that Chaky had to retire because of this mystery illness. "I saw a doctor before the tournament and they told me everything would be ok, which is why I decided to play here," said the Russian. "But now it's the third tournament in a row I have had to retire with this dizziness problem. It seems the doctors don't have all the answers yet, so I have to rest. Hopefully we will find a solution." Petty worrisome stuff.

- Balls, Balls, Balls: NaturAna's top matches in her career so far...TAG Heuer gave Shrieka a sick gift for her 24th birthday...Wozzi was named Female Athlete of the Month by the United States Sports Academy...Tommy Haas gets a visit from his fave physio, Klaus Eder...La Monf has launched a new website.

- Totally Off-Topic: Having a horrid day? Well, click here. And if this video doesn't make you feel a little bit better you ain't human. You might want to check on that. Cheers!

[Photo(s): Mark Squires, Daily Mail]

+ NETCORDS: News from around the grounds

- Here come the French Open fashions! Check this adizine by adidas (you CLEVAH) showcasing the duds their ballers will be wearing to Roland Garros this year. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (who just dumped his coach), Ana Ivanovic, Andy Murray, Andrea Petkovic, Flavia Pennetta and Fernando Gonzalez are featured in the digital piece wearing their new kits and answering questions in an embedded video on the page. My fave? Gonzo's super cute multi-striped polo.

- Speaking of Gonzo the Chilean tweeted about his return to full-time action after undergoing hip surgery at the end of last year: "Today i finish my 6 months post-op rehab. I was discharged and ready to go back to game."

- Rolex has released their latest ads featuring NaturAna.

- Kim Clijsters will be out for the next 4 - 6 weeks to rehab her right wrist and shoulder which have been overstressed according to recent tests. She will be forced to miss the FED CUP semifinals and Madrid. The 4-time Grand Slammer made the announcement via her website:

I think this is a great pity. The Fed Cup is something I was really looking forward to. But I felt that something was out of the ordinary: There were too many minor ailments, one after the other, which did not seem to disappear. Something like that gets into your head.

I don't want to force anything, because I want to prevent it from becoming chronic by any means. I really want to be there at this year's. Now there is no other option than to rest and I certainly can't use a tennis racket for the first few weeks. We will continue with lots of physiotherapy and exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles."

- Maria Sharapova shot this video during her visit to the Cole Haan boutique at The Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables, FL where the Russian launched her Spring 2011 Collection. Like her outfit? Well, Vogue.com liked it enough to place her on their Best Dressed list at No. 7.

- Bruce Jenkins won't be placing Shrieka on anything but MUTE. In his latest column the SI.com scribe doesn't hold back, blasting Shrieka, Vika and the sound storm they created during the Sony Ericsson Open women's final:

Both players seem to think it's all perfectly fine, that they're at the vanguard of a trend we should all deeply respect. Wow, are they wrong. Viewers are bailing out like passengers on the Titanic. And when it comes to the people in the stands, here's a message to both of you caterwaulers: They are laughing at you. Got it? And they find it so strange when you warm up in silence.

Is this grunting tirade old and tired? Yes. Are people ever going to stop getting annoyed by it? No. Will the lady ballers ever stop? Probably not, unless they start measuring that shit and creating acceptable levels. Or duct taping. That could work. Honestly, I don't see where this discussion ever ends.

- Fernando Verdasco will not be defending his title in Barcelona. And he's not happy about it.

- Mirka Federer, with a bootylicious Roger in tow, celebrated her 33rd birthday at Italian Prime restaurant in Miami last Saturday. Fed fanatic Anna Wintour and Mary Jo Fernandez were on hand. So was a Victoria's Secret gift bag. Just saying. On Sunday, Tommy Haas rang in his 33rd birthday but he was whisked off to the Bahamas by his wife Sara. Lucky for us they took pics and posted them on his FB page. Sadly, no shirtless shots. Drats.

- Nadia Petrova is not taking any of the blame credit for her recent Ellesse fashion moments. In fact, she mentioned she has no voice in the decision of what she wears, is leaving the sports apparel brand after this year and even says they send her whatever sells well in Japan. Really, Nads?? I wouldn't blame the Japanese for this one - THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH ALREADY. Tennis blog A Change of Ends spoke to the Russian during the WTA's All-Access Hour in Charleston and bravely brought back the money quotes. Cheers!

[Photo(s): adidas, Pacific Coast News, Vogue.com]

TIMELINE: Murray making changes in coaching line up

Andy Murray's coaching sitch is in a bit of flux again. He's completely slumptastic at the moment and needs a restart. I think we can all agree on that one. But, the news of a potential coaching switch-a-roo is happening fast so here's a quick timeline to catch you up...

March 25: Falls to 118th ranked Alex Bogomolov in Miami losing his third straight match post-OZ and going 0-9 in sets dating back to the final loss to Novak Djokovic.

March 28: Rumors begin to circulate online about Ivan Lendl's interest in the top coaching post; the 8-time Grand Slammer informally reaches out to the Muzz camp The Guardian confirms.

March 29: Brother Jamie says to The Times of London via BBC reporting: "If he goes (down that) route, you have to give your trust to that person. You have to let your guard down a bit and listen...Andy could do with some advice from the right person...He is good enough to get to that next level, but he needs that something extra that's missing. It's a mental thing, he has all the ability in the world." Ouch, but most likely the truth. He would know, no?

Then, part-time coach Alex Corretja gets the boot as Mama Murray tweets: "No more Andy n Alex C :( gr8 guy, gr8 player, gr8 coach, gr8 fun. Will miss him." Sal y pimienta HAWTNESS is gone. *sad face*

And finally The Times' tennis scribe Neil Harman has a strange night and tweets: "Had a very vivid dream last night that Boris Becker became AM's coach - I did dream it, didn't I?" Yes, Neil, you dreamed a dream.

I guess it's your move, Muzz. If anything is confirmed I'll make sure to update this post so stay tuned!

[Photo(s): Matthew Stockman/Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: What's in a wheelchair?

We've all heard it said in different ways: "Stay tough", "Play up your strengths, hide your weaknesses", "There's no crying in [enter sport]!" or as the famous saying goes, "Never let them see you sweat." (Thanks Dry Idea.) However it's said, professional athletes are never supposed to show vulnerability when competing, never mind showing up in a wheelchair.

But don't tell that to Esther Vergeer. She may have wheels for life but she's also turned it into her weapon of choice, along with HEAD, dominating her sport like no other athlete on the planet. And that's not hyperbole. 

Esther, 29, is unbeaten in wheelchair singles tennis since January 2003 and is currently riding a 396 match winning streak. Oh, she's also tied with a one Roger Federer with 16 major singles championships, the latest one coming courtesy of a double bagel win over Daniela di Toro in the final at this year's US Open. But even the Swiss star can't claim the same dominance.

Remarkably, the Dutch lady baller gets to try on a new title this Friday: cover girl for ESPN The Magazine's second annual 'Body Issue.' There she is in the buff, for all the world to see, with only her racquet, arms and a seated position hiding what we know is already there. Scary much? Not by the look on her face or the intense gaze into the camera lens. "Come for me" she seems to be saying.

But wait - people with disabilities aren't supposed to be sexy, right? Well, leave it to Esther to prove us wrong all over again.

[Photo(s): ESPN The Magazine]

TENNIS magazine hit by layoffs, print work to be outsourced

Tough times for TENNIS magazine.

The word going 'round the Internets is that there have been at least four layoffs at the print arm of the pub, not including Peter Bodo + Steve Tignor who are said to be safe. The website will continue to run while print work is being outsourced to 10TenMedia.com.

I noticed the alarming lack of ad pages all the way back in September 2008 so this news doesn't come as a surprise. They did a really good job of getting this far in a tough economy but I don't think it'll go much further. I would bet by next year TENNIS will be fully online.

I'll make sure to update this post as more news becomes available. Feel free to contact me, though, if you have any more info at DownTheLineTennis[at]GMail[dot]com.

[Photo(s): TENNIS magazine]

PHOTO OP: Fisting it

 

"Ok, just smile and pump, smile and pump..."

See what I mean? It's just a pre-presser for Tokyo and not the baller party but they've still got them doing some freaky stuff on stage. Let's hope that whatever they've got in store for them at the actual party has nothing to do with fists or pumps. *shivers*

In any case I bet JJ's channeling her best NaturAna. I mean, it's not like she hasn't done THAT before.

 [Photo(s): Getty Images]

(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: Nadal takes his turn on the New York media merry-go-round

Rafael Nadal did what Juan Martin del Potro did last year and what Roger Federer did the five times he won at Flushing Meadows: He hopped onto the New York media merry-go-round to meet with journalists, TV personalities and fans a day after capturing his first US Open championship and completing the Career Slam.

He made the requisite stop at Times Square with his new bestie and was joined by throngs of photogs, well-wishers and most of Team Nadal:

Afterward the 9-time Grand Slammer made his way to the Today Show to discuss the historic win and what more he'd like to accomplish:

Next up? Live with Regis & Kelly! Who knew Reg had a man-crush on Rafa? Join the club.

He also made a stop at Niketown in Midtown to take questions from John McEnroe and meet and greet more fans. (via @GVTennisNews)

Now, usually the winner makes a trip to the top of the Empire State Building for a photo op and also visits with Charlie Rose for some tennis talk. I'll update this post if and when the appearances occur.

UPDATE: First Fed, now Rafa. Blake Lively sure gets around.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

PHOTO OP: The stars line up for Arthur Ashe Kids' Day

After a week full of exciting pre-US Open events it finally came to a close for me yesterday with the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day presented by Hess. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Melanie Oudin and the Bryan Brothers took part in the festivities which also included headline act the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, David Archuleta and a few more.

It was a picturesque day that began with an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the show's participants, except for the singles ballers, during a media session. They came through a photo op line and then sat down at different seated stations for more pictures and questions from the press. I made my way over to gold medal-winning skier and Roger Federer fan Lindsey Vonn, someone who knows what it's like to compete at the highest level of a sport and win. I asked Lindsey, who said she felt really confident Fed "was going to get another [US Open] title", about the mindset of an athlete going into a major tournament.

DtL: Obviously being a gold medal-winning athlete you understand what it’s like at these elite events. Can you take us through what the experience is going into an event like the US Open? What’s the preparation?

LV: I would imagine that it’s somewhat like an Olympics or a World Championships for us. I think you want to prepare mentally and physically, you want to use leading tournaments going into Grand Slams, you know, to build the confidence and feel like you’re mentally ready and at the peak of your game. 

You know for me World Championships and Olympics is always tough because there’s so much more media, there’s just so much going on. There’s constantly things that are taking away your time where it should be spent on training or doing physiotherapy, stuff like that. I think at a big event you just have to balance everything.

DtL: How do you find that balance? What’s the key?

LV: (smiling) My husband is always there to make sure everything is going smoothly and makes sure my interview, if it’s running long, let’s them know I’ve got to go train. And I think that’s what Roger has as well. He’s got a good support system around him, Mirka and his managers and everyone. I think as long as you have people who are supporting you and helping you do, helping you be the best at your sport I think that really helps.

I also got a chance to throw out a quick question to the BryBros, who had to prepare for their musical performance that included a guest rap - which was LEGENDARY - by Nole , and asked if they had any more interesting collabs in store for fans perhaps with another aspiring rapper: Ivo Karlovic. "Uh, probably not - too tall." Lulz (full disclosure: I have no idea whether it was Mike or Bob who answered. Forgive me, I beg of you.) Other baller spottings in the media area included Marcos Baghdatis, Patty Schnyder, Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Laura Robson while Francesca Schiavone & Co. looked lost in the parking lot right outside the gate. Poor Schiavo. Schiavo not happy.

After the media session ended we were escorted to the Arthur Ashe Stadium press section and joined the record 23,000 + to watch the big show. It was a great way to end the week of events. The vibe was happy and the kids were beyond excited. Now, who's ready for some Grand Slam tennis, huh?

More pictures from AAKD below. Again, please credit Michael Alan if you borrow any of the images. I'll upload the full album to the Down the Line! FB page.

[Photo(s): Michael Alan, Lindsey Vonn: DtL]