The tennis news (but not only) of the week: Medvedev and a bald head

Nov 10, 2020, 6:00:00 AM | by Régis Delanoë

The tennis news (but not only) of the week: Medvedev and a bald head
We Are Tennis by BNP Paribas brings you the best of the past week, on but also off the courts. A week where Medvedev triumphed in Paris, Biden did the same in the US, and the AI of a camera mistook a bald head for a football.

Monday, November 2nd

Let’s start the week with a joke. During a Scottish football game which was broadcasted online, the AI of the camera mistook the bald head of the referee for the ball, and forced the viewers to watch a match which was essentially centered around the referee instead of the ball. We were also expecting a big show to the Rolex Paris Masters where a very competitive Masters 1000 took place this week, with Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas notably. To see Roger Federer back on the courts, however, we’ll have to wait a little longer. In an interview, the Swiss stated that he had become « a full-time chauffeur for his children », but also reassured his fans: « I’m not thinking of retiring yet. »

 

Tuesday, November 3rd

Halloween is over, but we would feel terrible if we didn’t show you Eugénie Bouchard’s latest disguise… This November 3rd was mainly the day of presidential elections in the US, and Sloane Stephens had a message to deliver on her social networks. In Paris-Bercy, it was a great day for French players, at home, as Humbert, Gasquet, Herbert and Mannarino all qualified. However, Corentin Moutet, who tested positive for Covid-19, had to withdraw from the tournament… Less serious news, but still annoying, Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was still lightly injured, was knocked out, and wondered whether he’d be able to play at the London ATP Finals which will begin on November 16th. 

 

Wednesday, November 4th

Still with Covid-19, but with good news this time: Fabio Fognini, who tested positive recently, announced that he had now tested negative and had therefore healed from the virus! It’s time for him to go on holidays. Holidays will have to wait for Rafael Nadal, who won his 1000th match on the ATP circuit after a hard-fought battle against his fellow countryman Feliciano Lopez in Paris. He’s the fourth player to reach this mythical number, after Connors, Lendl, and Federer. In the US, a great confusion followed the election: because of the mail-in ballots, it was impossible to say who had been elected. But one thing is for certain: with 60 000 votes for him, the candidate Kanye West will not be moving into the White House. At least not for now. 

 

Thursday, November 5th

After having knocked out Tsitsipas the previous days, Ugo Humbert defeated Marin Cilic and qualified for his first ever quarter-final in a Masters 1000. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US elections are yet to unveil their winner. But in neighboring Canada, the young Félix Auger-Aliassime announced that he was putting an end to his collaboration with his coach Guillaume Marx. In women’s tennis, it’s already the end of the season, and time for a well-needed rest for Karolina Pliskova, as well as for Petra Kvitova. 

 

Friday, November 6th

Still with holidays, Belinda Bencic is having a great time in the Maldives, and is making us slightly jealous… Benoit Paire is also on a roll in this end of the season, as he unveiled facial tattoos, which we hope - mainly for him - are removable! 24 hours after Auger-Aliassime, it was time for David Goffin to announce that he was parting ways with his coach Thomas Johansson. It’s over for Ugo Humbert in Bercy, as he was defeated by Milos Raonic… Not present at the Paris Masters, Dominic Thiem gave an interview to L’Equipe Magazine, where he questioned himself about his carbon footprint, stating that tennis has a lot of work to do to become more eco-friendly…

 

Saturday, November 7th

Some great tennis news on this Saturday. Roger Federer is back in training, racquet in hand! Nick Kyrgios, on his side, revealed that he had been through depressive episodes. « I don’t think people understand how lonely tennis can be, » he stated. It was also a very lonely moment for Donald Trump’s campaign team, as they mistook the Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia with a garden center bearing the same name, for the most surreal press conference of the year. 

 

Sunday, November 9th

And in the end, Daniil Medvedev wins. It had been a while - more than a year, as his last title was won in Shanghai in October 2019 - but the Russian has now lifted a new trophy: in Paris, he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. The day before, the German had knocked out the number 1 seed, Rafael Nadal. The other sporting event of the day is the start of the Vendée Globe, the mythical solo non-stop round the world yacht race. The skippers have departed for a few long weeks at large. When they’ll get back on solid ground, it’ll already be 2021 (phew!) and the new tennis season will have started. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek is recharging her batteries in the middle of the nature!