Tennis

Genie Bouchard met her biggest fan on Wednesday ... and if you had any doubts about that, check out the massive Genie Bouchard tattoo on the dude's forearm!!

The tennis superstar came face-to-face with a man named Michael in Switzerland recently ... and he showed off his permanent tribute to his favorite athlete.

"This is insane," Genie says. "How did I get to a point to deserve such a dedicated fan that they would get a tattoo of me on their body?"

"If you told 8-year-old me playing my first tournament that I would one day affect someone so much that they would permanently alter their body in my honour... I would not have believed it."

The fan explains that Genie is his biggest inspiration to get out of bed and grind it out everyday ... so he decided to give her a spot on his body!!

"Hearing this makes my heart the happiest it could ever be. Part of me also thinks you’re completely psycho Michael"

"I hope you don’t regret this! And now, you are forced to be a fan for life lmao," Bouchard joked.

Jeff Bezos and girlfriend Lauren Sanchez were among a throng of celebs to watch the men's finals Sunday at Wimbledon.

It's the second time we've seen them together since the ink on his divorce docs dried.  

They weren't the only famous ones to witness Roger Federer take on Novak Djokovic. Kate Middleton, Prince William, Pippa Middleton, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Middleton, Sir Cliff Richard, Stanley Tucci, Tom Hiddleston, Kendall Jenner, Fai Khadra, Vera Wang, and Woody Harrelson were also glued to their seats.

Federer will attempt to win his ninth Wimbledon title, and Djokovic could become a five-time champ in SW19.

BTW ... this is Kate's 3rd visit to Wimbledon this month. She's obviously a fan.

Serena Williams fell short at Wimbledon Saturday ... losing in straight sets.

Serena was looking for her 24th career Grand Slam win, and her 8th Wimbledon victory, but it was not to be. Romanian Simona Halep beat her handily ... 6-2 and 6-2.

This is Serena's 3rd Grand Slam loss in a row. What stings even more ... had she won she would have tied Margaret Court's all-time record which was set back in 1968.

As for Simona ... she's on a roll. She won the French Open last year. 

Meghan Markle has no time for commoners snapping pics of her at Wimbledon -- her security demanded people to turn their lenses away while she watched Serena Williams.   

British media consultant and former BBC reporter Sally Jones tell TMZ ... she was sitting in the members box, taking pics of Serena Williams when one of Meghan's bodyguards came up and said, "Would you not take photographs of the Duchess? She's here in a private capacity." 

Shocked at the request, Jones says she told the security guard she had no intention of photographing Meghan ... and wasn't even aware she was there before that moment. She says she was simply trying to take a shot of Serena. Jones tells us, she didn't take a single pic of Meghan, before or after she was approached by security.

Jones says it's apparent to her some people at the palace suffer from a feeling of "entitlement." She says the whole thing was ridiculous.

BTW, Jones wasn't the only one shooed away. Several other spectators with phones out were told to beat it. Although, it's certainly worth noting ... her security seemed fine with fans taking photos when Megan was signing an autograph for a little boy. Guess a photo op's still a photo op.  

Bizarre situation involving Serena Williams -- who damaged a Wimbledon tennis court during a pre-tourney practice session ... and now she's been ordered to cough up $10,000 in fines. 

Unclear exactly what Serena did to warrant the fine -- though some reports say she used her racket to inflict the damage during a Sunday workout. 

The All England Club -- the organization which hosts Wimbledon -- has meted out a $10,000 fine for Serena which is chump change for her considering she's already made $367,000 for making the quarterfinals. 

So far, Serena hasn't commented on the fine ... but she's never been shy to speak her mind if she feels she's been wronged. 

She's set to play Alison Riske on Tuesday -- and there's no doubt she'll be asked about the incident by the media either before or after the match.  

Common can't say enough about tennis phenom Coco Gauff, who he says is inspiring the world.

We got Common at Studio Be Gallery in New Orleans Friday and he went on and on about the 15-year-old, who just advanced to the 4th round at Wimbledon after beating Polona Hercog.

Common says he's blown away by Coco's passion and determination ... adding she's become an inspiration for young people.

It's pretty touching ... he says Coco looked to her heroes -- Venus and Serena -- and is now on the road to achieving their greatness.

Big weekend for tennis superstar Caroline Wozniacki ... who tied the knot with ex-NBA star David Lee in Italy -- in front of a TON of huge athletes ... including Serena Williams.

It all went down Saturday at the fancy Castiglion del Bosco Hotel in Tuscany -- the same place where Justin Verlander wifed up Kate Upton in 2017.

Caroline -- the #14 ranked singles player in the world -- wore a custom Oscar De La Renta wedding gown and custom Jimmy Choo heels. Her father walked her down the aisle.

The guest list for the Wozniacki/Lee bash was pretty amazing -- Serena was a bridesmaid and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, was there.

Other huge stars in attendance included NBA stars like Pau Gasol and Harrison Barnes, ex-NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer and tennis stars Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwańska and Urszula Radwańska.

The party looked pretty incredible ... with dancing, photo booths and fireworks.

The couple met around 3-and-a-half years ago -- after Caroline's breakup with golf superstar Rory McIlroy. Lee proposed about 2 years later ... with an 8.88 carat diamond ring because 8 is Caro's "lucky number."

From #1 to not even listed ... Floyd Mayweather is NOT one of Forbes' highest-paid athletes of 2019 ... after taking the top honors one year ago.

The business magazine released its list of the richest ballers of the year ... and surprisingly, the boxing superstar nicknamed "Money" ain't on it.

The top 3 spots belong to footballers Lionel Messi ($127 million), Cristiano Ronaldo ($109 million), and Neymar ($105 million) ... and Canelo Alvarez ($94 million) and Roger Federer ($93.4 million) round out the top 5.

Look, this ain't a shot at Floyd -- considering he made more than double what Messi made this year in 2018 (he raked in $285 million thanks to the Conor McGregor fight) ...but it's interesting to see him fall out of the top 100 altogether.

Other notable athletes in the top 10 include Russell Wilson ($89.5 million), Aaron Rodgers ($89.3 million) and LeBron James ($89 million).

McGregor made the list at #21 with $47 million earned (last year he was #4 with $99 million).

As for cash made straight off endorsements, King James ain't at the top -- it's Federer, with $86 million made off the tennis court.

Game recognize game ... which might be why Lindsey Vonn says Serena Williams bumping another player from a French Open interview podium is just the way it goes when you're the queen.

The G.O.A.T. of women's downhill skiing was leaving Craig's Friday night in WeHo when we asked if the women's tennis G.O.A.T. deserves the flak she got at the Open this week. If you missed it, Dominic Thiem was forced to move to a different post-match interview room, because Serena was in a hurry to do interviews and leave after Sofia Kenin upset her. Thiem was pissed.

But, Lindsey summed it up in 3 words ... "She's the queen."

We're pretty sure Dominic wouldn't see it that way ... he was pretty ticked after getting bumped.

Full disclosure: Lindsey and Serena are pals. LV was actually at the Open cheering on Serena at one of her earlier matches.

Genie Bouchard is now serving ... some INCREDIBLE angles on the beach, with the perfect mix of sporty and sexy.

The Canadian tennis star was down in Miami this weekend, where she was getting her boogie board on with a male companion in tow. She was wearing a two-piece red and yellow wetsuit for the ride, showing off her great figure in the process.

As if that itself wasn't hot enough, Genie went on to do a training sesh right there in the sand too ... using resistance bands to crouch, lunge and bend every which way.

Reports say Genie's been considering taking a break from tennis to recover from recent injuries. If her being on the mend continues to look like this ... we're all for it.

Call him Sir Andy Murray now ... 'cause the tennis superstar was at Buckingham Palace on Thursday -- receiving his knighthood from Prince Charles himself!!

The 32-year-old actually learned he'd be receiving the honor back in 2016 ... but he held off on having the ceremony until this week because of his tennis schedule.

What exactly does knighthood entail for Murray? Nothin' crazy ... the award is just a way for the Royal Fam to recognize the 3-time Grand Slam champion's achievements on and off the court.

It's kind of like when Donald Trump gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods.

But, Murray was still stoked about the honor afterward, saying, "I'm very proud to receive it. It's a nice day to spend with my family."

It's also a good moment for Murray given what he's been through this past year. Remember, he underwent hip surgery just a few months ago to try to save his tennis career.

Murray seems to be recovering well, but unclear if he'll be ready for Wimbledon this summer.

Before he was Captain Robert Sullivan, he was crushin' kids on the tennis court ... and actor Boris Kodjoe tells TMZ Sports he was so good, he could've been one of the best players in the world!!!

We spoke with the "Station 19" actor at LAX about his love for the sport ... and asked him straight-up if he had what it takes to make a career out of it if he wanted to.

As it turns out ... Kodjoe is a freakin' beast ... and says he was ranked in the top 10 at the junior level, went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University in the '90s on tennis scholarship for 4 years.

Ex-pro tennis player Justin Gimelstob has filed court docs to get a restraining order against the man he beat up back in October ... claiming the man is hellbent on revenge.

Gimelstob was involved in a physical altercation with Randall Kaplan in Brentwood, CA on Halloween 2018. Kaplan claimed he suffered injuries from the incident. Gimelstob claimed Kaplan instigated the fight.

Gimselstob ultimately pled no contest to felony battery -- which the judge later reduced to a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 3 years probation and 60 days of community service.

Now, 42-year-old Gimselstob wants a restraining order issued against Kaplan claiming he's convinced Kaplan is "willing to go to great lengths -- both physical and non-physical -- to hurt him."

In his petition for the order, Gimelstob also claims his attorney, Shawn Holley, was contacted by someone in Kaplan's "inner-circle" who said Kaplan is obsessed with Gimelstob and is "seeking to destroy him."

Gimelstob also wants the order extended to include his 5-year-old son.

Gimelstob's attorney Suann MacIsaac tells TMZ Sports, "Justin Gimelstob pled no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge to accept responsibility for his role in the events on Haloween and to move on with his professional life and focus on his family."

"Today, he filed a civil restraining order against Mr. Kaplan -- who has been obsessed with Mr. Gimelstob for years and provoked the events of Halloween evening to carry out his repeated threats to destroy Mr. Gimelstob. Justin simply wants Mr. Kaplan to stay away from him and his family so he can move on."

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for May.

Naomi Osaka is VERY close to being off the market ... 'cause the #1-ranked women's tennis player in the world is getting REAL close with rapper YBN Cordae!!!

In fact, Cordae made a recent cameo on Naomi's IG -- leading many to think the appearance was their public coming out party.

But, sources close to the two tell TMZ Sports ... while they're spending a lot of time together lately -- and they like each other -- they're not "officially" an item. At least, not yet.

As one source put it, "Just give it a week."

21-year-old Osaka has been a BEAST on the pro tennis circuit -- famously beating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open back in 2018. She was also just named in Time's 100 most influential people.

21-year-old Cordae is a fast-rising star in the rap game -- he's backed by Dr. Dre and recently hung out with Diddy. He's the real deal.

Cordae is part of the YBN collective -- one of the hottest young groups in music. He is also expected to be named to XXL's Freshman list in 2019.

Just this week, Osaka posted a video with Cordae -- and captioned it, "Can’t take this guy anywhereeeee lol"

The scumbag who stabbed 2-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova during a 2016 home invasion robbery has been sentenced to serve 8 years in a Czech Republic prison, officials say.

Kvitova was slashed badly during the Dec. 2016 incident at her C.R. apartment -- suffering major damage to her left hand while trying to fend off her attacker.

While bleeding all over her apartment, Kvitova offered the attacker 10,000 Czech crown (roughly $440) ... which he took and left.

The suspect was eventually identified as Radim Zondra -- and he was captured in May 2018. The trial took place in February and Kvitova personally testified against him.

As for her injuries, Kvitova underwent surgery to repair damage to the tendons in her left hand and 2 nerves. All five of her fingers on her left hand were also injured in the attack.

What was even worse for Kvitova -- she's known for having a powerful left hand ... so the attack could have derailed her career.

The good news ... 29-year-old Kvitova returned to tennis less than 5 months after the attack and has already climbed her way back to the #2-ranked women's tennis player in the world. Amazing.

As for the criminal, in addition to prison -- he was also ordered to pay back the $440 he stole.

Kvitova has been dominating this year -- she reached the final at the Australian Open and is currently competing in the Miami Open.

12:16 PM PT -- Osaka has lawyered up with attorney to the stars Alex Spiro and he's attacking Jean's claim as straight-up "absurd."

"While it comes as no surprise that Naomi's meteoric rise as an international icon and inspiration would lead to some false claim, this silly 'contract' that Naomi never saw or signed -- which purports to give away part of herself at the age of 14 -- is particularly absurd," Spiro says.

"This case has no merit and we will move past it.”

The tennis coach who began working with Naomi Osaka back when she was 13 claims her father signed a contract promising him 20% of her career earnings ... and now he's coming to collect.

The man behind the lawsuit is Christophe Jean -- who says Naomi's father, Leonard Francois, hired him to work with Naomi and his other daughter, Mari, back in 2011.

Jean says Francois couldn't pay his rates at the time, so they struck a deal in which Jean agreed to accept 20% of Naomi and Mari's tennis prize money and endorsement deals forever.

That's not a typo ... Jean says he has a copy of the contract where Francois agrees that the term of the deal is "indefinite." It's included in Jean's suit, filed in state court in Florida.

Of course, Naomi -- now 21 years old -- has blossomed into a tennis superstar, currently ranked #1 in the world ... and famously beat Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open.

According to the official WTA website, she's made more than $10.8 MILLION during her career -- and that's not including endorsement money.

So, Jean wants his cut -- at least $2 million -- which is why he's suing Naomi, Mari and Leonard.

The other possible issue ... can a parent promise a cut of a minor child's future adult earnings? And, can a judge enforce such a contract?

It's not exactly cut and dry. We're looking into it.