Tennis

John McEnroe will have some extra competition when he gets behind the mic at The All England Club to call Wimbledon ... the tennis tourney announced they're using artificial intelligence to cover this year's event!

But, deep breath ... the AI will primarily be used for online highlight videos.

The All England Club partnered with IBM, and will use their Watsonx AI platform to "produce tennis commentary" for all highlight packages online. IBM says the technology has been trained extensively on the "unique language of tennis."

"I see AI as very much complementing the human element, rather than replacing," IBM exec Kevin Farrar said.

"You can't replace John McEnroe doing commentary. That human element always needs to be there. It's very much supplementing and complementing."

As for how good the AI will be, it's been designed "with varied sentence structure and vocabulary to make the clips informative and engaging," according to IBM.

Wimbledon also says they'll use the Watsonx technology to provide advanced analytics, including a player's chances of advancing to the finals, given their draw.

Other top sports organizations across the world have used similar technology in similar ways, including The Masters, who also used AI for select commentary.

Travis Scott's "Utopia" album recently founds its way into the mix of his new Nike campaign, revamping the Nike Mac Attack kicks worn by John McEnroe during his fiery heyday.

The two longtime Nike ambassadors appeared in a new TV spot Monday to preview the Mac Attacks in their OG colorways of Light Smoke Grey/Black-White. In the accompanying photo shoot, the patented briefcase containing the master copy of "Utopia" can also be spotted.

John's been down with Nike before Travis was actually born ... but Travis has loads of Cactus Jack merch collabs underneath the Swoosh umbrella, so their ties with the brand are both deep-rooted at this point.

Naomi Osaka and Cordae just revealed ... they're having a GIRL!!!

The "Gifted" rapper and the tennis superstar announced the major news on Friday ... sharing a pic of Cordae kissing Naomi's baby bump at their pink-themed baby shower.

The couple had an awesome celebration with their friends and family ... with Osaka and her growing belly standing in front of pink flowers, balloons, and a sign that read, "A little princess is on the way."

Osaka's fans were incredibly happy for the new parents ... flooding the comments with well wishes.

"Congratulations!" one user said. "Can’t wait for your matching tennis outfits."

Cordae, 25, was super excited ... channeling his inner Kobe Bryant by posting the hashtag "#GirlDad."

The 4-time Grand Slam champ and Cordae announced they were expecting their first child by posting a sonogram of the baby back in January.

Of course, this upcoming blessing has Osaka sidelined from tennis for a bit ... but she's previously vowed to be back for the 2024 Australia Open.

She's serious about her comeback, too ... and shared videos of her training on the court and beach while pregnant earlier this year.

Safe to say Serena Williams' 5-year-old daughter is a big fan of "The Little Mermaid" ... Olympia LOST IT after she got a Halle Bailey "Ariel" doll, and the entire adorable reaction was captured on video!

The video, which was shared on Olympia's Instagram, shows dad Alexis Ohanian handing his daughter a package from Amazon.

"Momma and poppa wanted to get this for you," Ohanian said.

When Olympia realized it was Bailey as Ariel, she (literally) jumped for joy ... and started screaming hysterically.

"Yay! 'Little Mermaid!'" Olympia yelled. "Thank you!"

Olympia explained it was her first LM doll ... and even broke down how she was going to play with Ariel for Mom and Dad.

The 2023 live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" has been a hit at the box office ... with Bailey recently celebrating the movie being number one in the world.

The movie reportedly grossed over $164 million globally over Memorial Day weekend, according to Deadline.

Of course, Olympia also made news a few days ago, losing it when Serena told her she was going to be a big sister!

The 23-time Grand Slam champ said Olympia had wanted a baby brother/sister ... and she's finally getting her wish.

Swedish tennis player Mikael Ymer temporarily lost his mind during a tournament Wednesday -- breaking both his racket AND an umpire's chair in a wild temper tantrum ... and the outburst was so bad, he was ultimately disqualified over it.

The crazy scene all went down during Ymer's during his round of 16 match at the Lyon Open in France ... when he thought his opponent, Arthur Fils, hit a ball out of bounds.

Ymer swore up and down the ball did not catch the line ... but the umpire disagreed.

For several moments, Ymer argued with the official ... imploring the man to come down from his chair to check the mark, but the umpire wouldn't -- insisting it was in-bounds.

A few minutes later, after the quarreling had stopped, Ymer lost the game to Fils -- and then Ymer went ballistic.

Video from the court shows the 24-year-old hit his racket not once, but twice, against the umpire's chair ... severely damaging both in the process.

Ymer calmed down and walked to his bench ... but soon after, he was DQ'ed, giving Fils the automatic win.

Nick Kyrgios' Tesla was stolen in Australia after an assailant pulled a gun on his mom, demanding the keys, according to police ... but thanks to the tennis star's quick thinking, cops got his car back and arrested the alleged thief, who's now behind bars.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the incident went down around 8:30 AM on Monday when a 32-year-old man from the Canberra area pointed a "long-barrelled gun" at Nick's mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, and demanded the keys to Nick's bright green Tesla.

The man asked Nick's mom how to drive the Tesla while still pointing the gun at her, according to officials. Norlaila was able to flee and run for help.

Thankfully, Nick -- the 26th-ranked tennis player in the world -- was nearby and had the sense of mind to use an app to track the vehicle's location. Police located the Tesla, and began approaching with guns drawn, but the guy fled, and the pursuit was on!

The chase, which wasn't terribly fast (around 55 mph) was eventually stopped when the cars entered a school zone. But, Nick's app was able to track the car, and even limit the top speed to 50 mph.

Cops eventually caught up with the Tesla, and the alleged thief, in a nearby suburb. As police tried to arrest the man, they say he resisted, and a taser was deployed.

The guy is now facing five charges including aggravated armed robbery and failure to stop for police.

It's been over 2 months since the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, but Patrick Mahomes is still livin' it up, hitting the 2023 Met Gala with his wife Brittany, and they looked fabulous!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his wife walked the red carpet at the world's most famous fashion event in Manhattan on Monday for the "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" themed night.

Mahomes opted for a classic look, smooth black tuxedo made by Hugo Boss, along with loafers and a pair of dark shades.

Brittany wore an elegant off-the-shoulder gown with silver sequins and a thigh-high slit. As for her hair ... Artistry by LB gave her a natural look, placing her hair in a sleek bun.

Brittany -- who married Mahomes last March -- considered it the perfect "date night".

Fans, friends, and family loved the get up ... including Patrick's brother, Jackson, who said on Instagram, "BEST PHOTO EVER. SO GLAD YOU GUYS WENT!!"

Serena Williams just dropped a bombshell at the Met Gala, but it's got nothing to do with tennis or fashion ... she's got another baby on the way!

The retired tennis superstar revealed her pregnancy as she and husband Alexis Ohanian arrived at the gala -- and just to make sure everyone got it, he put his hand on her baby bump.

Guess they didn't want folks guessing about what they were seeing ... a la Rihanna during her Super Bowl Halftime surprise announcement.

Serena also made it official on social media, posting a bunch of pics with the caption, "Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala."

This will be the second baby for Serena and Alexis -- their first, daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born in September 2017.

Serena's wearing a mostly black Gucci dress ... slimming, but you can still make out the bun in the oven in several photos snapped during her arrival.

The Women's Tennis Association is returning to China ... ending a one-and-a-half-year boycott imposed after tennis star Peng Shuai accused a high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault.

Now, the WTA says after talking to their players and the tournament representatives, they'll return to China later this year ... but they're standing by their decision to stay away at the time.

“The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And, we stand by that. But, 16 months into this, we’re convinced that our requests will not be met. And, to continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense,” WTA Chairman Steve Simon told the AP from Florida.

The unfulfilled requests were for a full and transparent investigation into Peng's accusations ... something that never happened. Simon says despite not getting what they wanted, the WTA hopes they can effect positive change from inside the country.

“Our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time making sure that Peng is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made.”

The decision is sure to ruffle some feathers ... but the WTA says the "great majority" of their athletes support the choice to go back.

In 2021, Shuai -- formerly the #1 ranked doubles player and Wimbledon winner -- claimed a Chinese politician sexually assaulted her several years prior. She later backtracked, saying she never accused Gaoli of sexual assault.

After revealing the alleged behavior, Peng seemingly disappeared ... and fans and colleagues across the world, including tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic, expressed concern for her.

Tons of celebrities made sure they were in attendance for the Lakers' play-in game Tuesday night ... and they no doubt were glad they came -- 'cause L.A. won in an instant classic!!

Tennis legend John McEnroe had courtside seats for the playoff-clinching game with the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena -- as did Michael B. Jordan, Jimmy Iovine and Corey Gamble.

All were treated to a helluva contest ... as L.A. and Minnesota went back and forth for about three hours -- before LeBron James' squad came out on top in overtime, 108-102.

It took a herculean effort from the Lakers superstar to get his team the victory -- the 38-year-old led all scorers with 30 points ... and was a huge reason L.A. came back from down 15 to secure its spot in the playoffs.

The win was massive for Bron's team ... if they had lost -- they would have had to play the winner of Wednesday's Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans matchup in what would have been a do-or-die game for the last spot in the playoffs.

Now, however, they're safely in ... and will play a series against the Memphis Grizzlies to try to continue their advance in the postseason.

Other celebs in attendance for the big L.A. win included Al Michaels -- who looked super chipper outside the arena before the game began.

Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, singer Rosalia and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco were all there as well.

Tennis officials dropped the ball when they failed to ban Russian players after Putin's military invaded Ukraine last year, so says the world's number 1 ranked player, Iga Swiatek.

"I heard that after World War II, German players were not allowed as well as Japanese and Italian, and I feel like this kind of thing would show the Russian government that maybe it's not worth it," 21-year-old Swiatek told the BBC.

Iga believes WTA and ATP officials displayed a "lack of leadership," turning the tour into a "chaotic place."

"I feel like tennis, from the beginning, could do a bit better in showing everybody that tennis players are against the war."

Now, Swiatek feels it's too late to impose a ban, saying ... "now it would be pretty unfair for Russian and Belarusian players to do that because this decision was supposed to be made a year ago."

FYI, in 2022, Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from playing in the world's top tennis tourney. However, the All England Club lifted the ban ahead of the 2023 tournament, clearing the way for players like Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina to compete.

Swiatek, a 3x majors winner, says she's not necessarily angry at the Russian tour players, and even has a lot of respect for some of them.

"I did shake hands, for example, with Daria Kasatkina. She openly said that she's against the war at the beginning and it would be her dream for the war to finish."

Iga continued ... "I really respect that because I feel it's brave for Russian athletes to say that because their situation is pretty complicated and sometimes it's hard for them to speak out loud about it."

Behind this cleft chin cutout is an Internet personality who enjoys handing out Lamborghinis and stacks of cash. As a guy who's always on the go, it's a good thing he's got his childhood bestie -- and now president of his brand -- Natalie Mariduena to help run the show!

From his OG days on Vine to his lucrative days on YouTube, this pizza lover has definitely made a pretty penny off his content creations, leveraging his earnings into various business ventures like a phone app and a restaurant.

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka showed off a new fashion accessory while hanging around her home country of Japan this week ... posting a few pics of her growing baby bump!!

25-year-old Osaka -- who announced back in January she was expecting her first child -- was smiling from ear-to-ear in her Instagram post on Tuesday ... which is a rare public appearance for the athlete as she prepares for the baby.

In fact, Osaka recently poked fun at herself for being an introvert throughout the pregnancy ... saying, "Only Rihanna would get me to come out the house," after attending the Super Bowl in Arizona last month.

Naturally, Osaka's new post is getting a ton of positive feedback ... with followers praising the mom-to-be.

As we previously reported, Osaka and Cordae are expecting their first child together ... although it appears the talented M.C. is electing to keep this part of his life off social media so far.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova says her recent battle with cancer has paused her plans for adoption with her wife ... even though she revealed she's now, thankfully, free of the disease.

Navratilova recently sat down with Piers Morgan to talk about everything she's been through since she was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer earlier this year ... and she admitted that despite beating it all -- it sadly led to her putting an indefinite pause on ideas of adoption with Julia Lemigova.

The 66-year-old, who also previously beat breast cancer in 2010, explained in the interview for Morgan's Talk TV show, "We were thinking about adopting but that's definitely put on hold, and I don't think it's going to happen."

She added, according to the Daily Mail, "I think it's just too complicated and the energy, I only have so much right now."

Navratilova then told Piers, "I'm not really the youngest anymore and I don't want to be the grandmother on the playground."

Lemigova, a 'Real Housewives Of Miami' star, said during a reunion show for the Bravo TV hit earlier this year that the couple had, at one point, actually been very close to adopting ... before Navratilova's battle took precedence.

At times during her interview with Morgan, Navratilova got emotional over everything ... wiping away tears.

She did, though, ultimately deliver some great news regarding her health ... saying doctors recently told her, "as far as they know I'm cancer-free."

The Women's Tennis Association has secured the proverbial bag in a big way ... locking down a $150 million investment from the private equity firm that co-owns LaLiga, and the goal is to blow up the sport and increase player pay!

"Obviously, the ambition is to materially grow women's professional tennis. Grow our profile, its value, the prize money," WTA Chairman Steve Simon said, adding, "This arrangement is certainly going to provide for us to create more investment opportunity to our players and our tournaments."

The WTA and CVC Capital Partners formed WTA Ventures LLC. The new subsidiary will oversee all sponsorship, broadcast rights, gaming, and more.

The WTA was founded by Billie Jean King in 1973. The tour has more than 50 events yearly across the world. Unfortunately, outside of the four Grand Slams (U.S. Open, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open), prize money is significantly lower in the women's game. Hence the partnership.

The new deal has players hopeful that with an influx of cash and CVC's connections, the game will grow, and the money will follow.

“This is exactly what women’s tennis needs and I’m excited for what’s to come. For so long, we’ve been championing the sport for women across the world and it’s great to have the investment and belief in the players and WTA product,” number 3 ranked player Jessica Pegula said.

The daughter of the Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula isn't the only player pumped about the future prospects of the WTA.

Number 1 ranked player Iga Swiatek also believes the new deal could be a game changer.

“I am proud to be a part of the WTA, as they are committed to innovating the sport, investing in the players, and promoting us all over the world. I’m inspired to be a part of the evolution of women’s tennis and building out the next 50 years of the WTA.”

It's a familiar deal for Luxembourg-based CVC. A few years back, CVC struck a $2+ billion deal with LaLiga, the top soccer league in Spain. Like with the WTA, the partnership put the company in charge of sponsorship and broadcasting.

Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio are urging President Joe Biden to pull the plug on the vaccine mandate for international travelers ... hoping it'll pave the way for Novak Djokovic to play in the big Miami Open tennis tournament later this month.

The politicians spelled out their wishes in a letter -- which they sent to the commander in chief on Friday -- saying they want #46 to make the change so The Joker can be ready to smash balls at the tourney in Miami Gardens, FL on March 19.

In their letter, they argued that removing the restriction and allowing Djokovic to play could provide a huge economic boost for their local economies.

They also called the current U.S. policy "outdated and worthy of rescission," considering Biden declared on "60 Minutes" back in Sept. 2022 that the "pandemic is over."

The lawmakers, both Republicans, added that they believe since Djokovic is a world-class athlete in world-class shape, he is "not at high-risk of severe complications from COVID-19."

Of course, under the current rule, Djokovic -- who is unvaccinated -- is not allowed to travel to the United States ... precluding the Serbian tennis superstar from playing in the Miami Open and several other upcoming high-profile tournaments.

Miami Open officials have reportedly filed a petition to get him a waiver from the rule -- and Scott and Rubio made it clear, they're in favor of it being granted.