Tennis

Slovenian tennis pro Dalila Jakupovic was forced to quit her qualifying match at the Australian Open on Tuesday ... after she coughed and collapsed to the court due to the air quality.

Of course, the air in Melbourne is currently considered "the worst in the world" as smoke from the wildfires has taken over the area.

Despite the chief health officer saying the air was very poor or hazardous, the qualifying round of the tournament kicked off on Tuesday ... and several players have complained about the conditions already.

Jakupovic was in the middle of the second set of her match against Stefanie Vogele when she started coughing uncontrollably and went to her knees.

“I was really scared that I would collapse," the 28-year-old said ... adding that it was unfair for players to have to play in the current conditions.

"I never had breathing problems. I actually like heat," Jakupovic added. "I just couldn't breathe anymore and I just fell on the floor."

Other tennis pros needed assistance during their matches ... including Genie Bouchard and Bernard Tomic.

15-year-old rising tennis star Coco Gauff might have to put her dad in a time-out -- he accidentally cursed while coaching her during a match ... and she called him out for it!!

The whole interaction was thankfully caught on camera because Coco and her dad/coach were mic'd up for her ASB Classic match in New Zealand ... and in between sets, he gave her a pep talk.

Her dad, Corey, is heard giving out compliments left and right ... but got a bit carried away when he said, "There's one thing you did the last 3 games, you ain't give up no free points on no damn serve. That serve is weak."

That's when Coco chastised pops for using a bad word while mic'd ... saying, "You can't curse."

Dad's reaction is priceless ... at first he can't believe he cussed on a hot mic, but then directly apologized into the microphone for the slip-up.

But then Corey, still in disbelief, asks Coco again if he really cussed ... and she tells him he did, in fact, say "the d word."

"Oh, well that don't even count," Dad responded.

Coco wasn't havin' it, though ... saying, "in some places, it does!!"

Dad apologized once again ... and Gauff went on to lose the match to Laura Siegemund.

It's time to start rooting for Nick Kyrgios ... because the Australian tennis star has pledged to donate $200 for every ACE he lands to help wildfire relief efforts in his home country.

"I’m kicking off the support for those affected by the fires," the 24-year-old announced ... "I’ll be donating $200 per ace that I hit across all the events I play this summer."

It's a big deal considering Kyrgios smashed 597 aces in 2019 ... so if he matches that total, we're talking around $120k.

At least 17 people (8 in the past week) have been killed in the Australia fires -- which have been burning since October -- with at least 17 more people missing.

More than 1,000 homes and buildings have been destroyed so far and officials are concerned things could get even WORSE in the coming days.

Several Aussie tennis stars have already been inspired by Nick's gesture -- and are following suit with ace-based donations.

Alex de Minaur said, "I like this I will go $250 per ace, just because I don’t think I’ll be hitting as many aces as you mate."

Here's Serena Williams getting boxing lessons from one of the fiercest fighters of all time ... and Mike Tyson's showing another champ how to throw a serious haymaker!!!

Check out this video of Iron Mike working with the tennis star in Florida ... coaching her through some punching combinations and then holding the heavy bag as Serena absolutely unloads.

Sounds like Mike is impressed with Serena's punching prowess ... Tyson says she "has some serious power." Talk about a ringing endorsement!!!

Here's tennis star Juan Martin del Potro showing us how he's recovering from that pesky knee injury ... a Miami beach romp with his model girlfriend!

Feelin' better already?!

Juan -- the former #3 ranked player in the world -- fractured his kneecap earlier this year after slipping on grass during a tourney and had to undergo surgery to repair it.

He's hoping for a big-time comeback when he's all healed up -- but in the meantime, the 31-year-old Argentinian stud is relaxing in Miami with actress/model Sofia Jujuy Jimenez.

They reportedly started dating earlier this year -- and it seems to be going REALLY well ... at least judging by the PDA in the pics!

From what we can tell on her IG page, Sofia is a pretty good model ... meaning, she looks damn incredible in a bikini.

That's a wrap for Caroline Wozniacki ... almost!

The 29-year-old tennis star says she's officially retiring from the sport -- right after the Australian Open in January -- to focus on other aspects of her life, including growing her family.

"I've played professionally since I was 15 years old," Wozniacki says.

"I've always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it's time to be done. In recent months, I've realized that there is a lot more in life that I'd like to accomplish off the court."

Caroline says getting married to NBA star David Lee "was one of those goals" -- along with "starting a family with him while continuing to travel the world."

She also wants to focus energy on raising awareness for rheumatoid arthritis -- a condition she suffers from.

"So with that, today I am announcing that I will be retiring from professional tennis after the Australian Open in January," Wozniacki says.

"This has nothing to do with my health and this isn't a goodbye, I look forward to sharing my exciting journey ahead with all of you."

As far as her tennis accomplishments, Caroline was pretty damn good.

"With 30 WTA singles titles, a world #1 ranking for 71 weeks, a WTA Finals victory, 3 Olympics, including carrying the flag for my native Denmark, and winning the 2018 Australian Open Grand slam championship, I've accomplished everything I could on the court."

Not bad, right?

Wozniacki and her hubby recently took classes at Harvard Business School as part of a program that helps athletes build a second career outside of sports ... so post-tennis life has been on her brain for a while.

Congrats!

Roger Federer knows he ain't gonna be the best forever ... and he's revealing to TMZ Sports his biggest threats to the throne -- and one of the guys just helped Fed break a huge record!!

We spoke with the 38-year-old superstar out in NYC and asked straight-up which young guns are giving him the biggest headaches ... and Federer name-drops 2 dudes he's got in the rearview -- 22-year-old German Alexander Zverev and 21-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece!!

Of course, Federer and #7 Zverev just broke a major attendance record when more than 42,000 people showed up to watch their exhibition in Mexico City over the weekend.

Federer beat Zverev in the exhibition, but Tsitsipas got the best of Fed in the ATP World Tour earlier this month ... before going on to win the whole thing.

"There's a few guys right now. They're gonna make life difficult for us next year," Federer tells us.

The newest Laker Girl is ... GRONK?!

Yep, the (ex?) NFL superstar hit the court at Staples Center on Tuesday night to join the Laker Girls with Venus Williams and James Corden ... and it was ... something!!!

There were high kicks, hip thrusts and some booty poppin' ... and LA's home crowd LOVED IT!!!

If we had to guess, seems the routine was all for a bit for Corden's "The Late Late Show" ... because why the hell else would this happen?

One person who was (sorta) impressed? Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend Camille Kostek, who used to cheerlead for the Patriots.

"Still deciding if I’m a proud girlfriend over this," Camille said. "Nevertheless .... this is an EPIC #NeverNotDancing moment I am proud to witness by Mr James and Robert James I LOVE YOU BOTH"

The wild show capped off an eventful day for Gronk ... 'cause just hours before he broke it down at Staples Center, he announced he was staying retired this season and opting to party instead.

As for how the Lakers fared with the 6'6", 265-pound beast rootin' them on ... they kicked ass, beating Oklahoma City, 112-107.

Justin Bieber caught a tennis match across the pond this weekend ... is what you might think at first glance with this photo. Turns out, it's another young famous guy with JB vibes.

David Beckham's second-oldest son, 17-year-old Romeo Beckham, was out Sunday in London watching pro tennis players Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas face off in the Nitto ATP Finals tournament ... where they were actually playing in the final round.

Romeo had a great view sitting next to a beautiful blonde, and interestingly enough ... he was proudly rocking some Drew gear -- which is Bieber's popular unisex clothing brand.

What's wild is that Romeo is a dead ringer for the Biebs, especially with that beanie on. As we've seen, Justin has rocked a similar style himself -- they could be twins, frankly.

Meanwhile, Justin was very much in L.A. this weekend ... enjoying himself a lazy Sunday with his two Savannah cats, his dog and a whole lot of Drew gear around the house. On Sunday, he kept plugging his line ... and even got around to plugging Kylie Jenner too.

Rafael Nadal DESTROYED a reporter who asked the tennis star if his recent marriage caused him to play like trash Monday ... telling the journalist his question was straight-up "bulls**t."

Nadal married his childhood sweetheart, Xisca Perello, in Spain last month ... and in his first big competition at the ATP World Tour Finals since the nuptials, he got wrecked by Alexander Zverev in straight sets, 6-2 6-4.

So, a reporter asked him afterward if perhaps the reason for his poor play was because of his recent wedding vows ... and that's when Nadal started to tee off.

"Honestly, are you asking me this?" Nadal said. "Is [this] a serious question or it's a joke? Is it serious?"

The reporter pushed forward ... but Nadal kept the clap-backs coming.

"I'm surprised," Nadal said. "It's a big surprise for me you ask me this after I have been with the same girl for 15 years and having a very stable and normal life."

"It doesn't matter if you put a ring on your finger or not. In my personal way, I am a very normal guy."

Finally, Nadal ended the uncomfortable exchange by saying, "Okay. We move to Spanish because that's bulls**t. Thank you very much."

For as awkward as the encounter was ... Nadal kept his cool for the most part -- which is good news for the guy, considering he's got to play another match on Wednesday.

There was definitely no love in this tennis match ... as 2 female pros got in an intense shove-off after the final point on Thursday ... and it was all over an aggressive handshake!!!

The match was between Canadian player Katherine Sebov (white shorts) and American Alycia Parks (pink shorts) in the round of 16 of the ITF W60 tournament in Las Vegas.

Sebov won the match in straight sets, but things got physical after Parks claims Sebov squeezed her hand too hard at the net following the match ... and made it clear she didn't like it one bit.

Parks -- who was already heated and had thrown her racket after the final point -- went after Sebov following the shake and that's when all hell broke loose ... with the 2 players shoving each other!!!

The line judge had to interfere ... and Parks' dad jumped a fence (hilarious BTW) to get on the court to help break it up.

Things finally cooled down ... and Parks addressed it with reporters after the match, saying, "She squeezed my hand very hard."

Another pro, Sachia Vickery, also backed Parks' claim, saying, "I was there she def squeezed her hand at the net. I hope they don’t try to spin this."

"The ref clearly says he saw it . Won’t be shocked if nothing is done about it tho"

Turns out, being a pro tennis player helps keep Caroline Wozniacki in INSANE shape!!!

Check out the 29-year-old showing off her shredded bod while rocking a bikini on an L.A. rooftop this week.

Wozniacki has been super busy this year -- when the former #1 ranked player in the world isn't playing tennis, she's been taking classes at Harvard Business School as part of a program that helps athletes build a second career outside of sports.

Caroline is enrolled in the course with her husband, ex-NBA star David Lee, figure skater Ashley Wagner, Knicks guard Reggie Bullock and more.

There are rumblings Wozniacki -- who had a rough 2019 season -- could retire soon, partly due to her battle with rheumatoid arthritis. But, her brother, Patrick, recently announced she will be playing in at least 2 major tournaments in 2020.

"Right now, in January, she plans to compete at a WTA tournament in Auckland and then the Australian Open," Patrick told TV2 in Denmark.

"So she'll play in 2020, and that's always nice. But I don't know what else is on the program."

Remember when Serena Williams absolutely obliterated her racket at a Wimbledon match in 2005??

That piece of history is now up for grabs, 'cause the destroyed racket has hit the auction block ... and the starting bid is $8,000!!!

According to Nate D Sanders Auctions, Serena signed and gifted the busted racket to a fan after losing the first set of her first-round match against longtime friend Angela Haynes.

In true badass fashion, Williams came back and won the match ... after she replaced her busted racket, of course. She went on to place 3rd in the tourney. Her sister, Venus Williams, went on to win Wimbledon that year!

Don't feel too bad for Serena, she's won the tourney 7 TIMES in her storied career -- and racked up more Grand Slam titles than any other woman in tennis history. So yeah, she eventually got over the smashed racket incident.

Bidding on the item kicks off on Thursday with an $8,000 starting bid -- but since people are CRAZY for Serena memorabilia, this thing could skyrocket in price real quick.

Good luck rich people!!!

Behold ... Serena Williams' butt in all its glory!!

Just a few weeks after taking an L in the grand slam final at the U.S. Open, Serena is chillaxing on a beach somewhere ... arms up, cakes out. It's good stuff.

Serena is 37-years-old and continuing to impress in all facets of her life. She's still a beast on the court. Killing it in business. And, her body ... good god.

Despite all the great things, there are still a bunch of racist jerks looking to cause drama in Serena's life, including some moronic Romanian TV host who crawled out of the gutter to describe Williams as a "monkey" during a recent broadcast.

The actual quotes 49-year-old Radu Bancui uttered on TV are so offensive and disgusting, we're not going to publish them here ... but it's been reported he's been fined by the body that oversees content on Romanian television.

Quite frankly, the fine isn't big enough.

Seems Williams has to deal with this kind of crap all the time from various racist idiots all over the world -- including in her home country.

Both Serena and Venus have talked openly about being called the N-word at the 2001 BNP Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells, California.

But, today, Serena's tuning it all out and basking in her success ... and we couldn't be happier about it.

Colin Kaepernick got a W on Sunday -- and he's got the Emmy to prove it!!

The Nike "Dream Crazy" commercial featuring the NFL quarterback had been nominated for a 2019 Creative Arts Emmy for Best Commercial ... facing stiff competition from ads for Netflix and Apple.

But, Colin's spot emerged victorious ... and we're told Colin and The Swoosh are PUMPED. Our sources tell us Kap is especially proud because he was involved in the creative process.

As we previously reported,  the ad was produced by the Wieden+Kennedy agency -- a Portland-based company located near Nike's headquarters. They famously produced the Terry Crews Old Spice commercials and Bud Lite's "Dilly Dilly."

The spot dropped back in September and featured Kap telling inspirational messages about overcoming the odds ... while using other huge athletes to make his point.

"Don't picture yourself wearing [Odell Beckham's] jersey. Picture OBJ wearing yours," Kap said.

He also referenced Shaquem Griffin, LeBron James and Serena Williams ...

"And, if you’re a girl from Compton, don’t just become a tennis player. Become the greatest athlete ever. Yeah, that’s more like it."

Nike caught some flack for the ad because people took issue with Colin's line, "Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything."

Critics felt Colin didn't really "sacrifice everything" since he still has millions in the bank -- while military members who died in action really did sacrifice everything fighting for the country.

Genie Bouchard might've left the U.S. Open in defeat -- but she's definitely winning back home at the beach with none other than Hannah Davis' hunky big brother.

The Canadian tennis star -- who got knocked out of the U.S. Open in the first round a couple weeks ago -- was seen cuddling up with Connor Davis Jr. Sunday in Miami. He's directly related to the model who's now married to Derek Jeter. Worlds are colliding!!!

Not only did Genie and Conn get close on shore, but they were also pretty affectionate as they made their way into the water ... not before showing their hot bods though, of course.

Seems like Conn's a good match for Genie, who's in professional athlete shape. He definitely held his own here on the beach ... dude's pretty ripped as far as we can tell.

Once they were in the ocean, Conn and Genie didn't hide the fact that they're together -- Genie was wrapped around him in at least a couple different positions that can really only scream one thing ... we're dating.