(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE N.Y. Yankees 9, Tampa Bay Rays 1 Detroit Tigers 8, Cleveland Guardians 2 Texas Rangers 4, Chicago White Sox 3 Oakland Athletics 4, Houston Astros 0 Los Angeles Angels 3, Seattle Mariners 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh Pirates 2, St. Louis Cardinals 1 Final N.Y. Mets 6, Miami Marlins 4 Final Cincinnati Reds 4, Atlanta Braves 1 Final Chicago Cubs 3, Milwaukee Brewers 1 San Francisco Giants 2, Los Angeles Dodgers 3
INTERLEAGUE Minnesota Twins 7, Philadelphia Phillies 2 Kansas City Royals 10, Arizona Diamondbacks 4 Boston Red Sox 8, Colorado Rockies 9
(NEW YORK) — Ahead of an exciting opening night for the 144th U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York, on Monday, the last American man to win the singles title on that court, Andy Roddick, received a special honor from the USTA Foundation for all of his work as a philanthropist and role model.
“It’s kind of humbling to get an award for philanthropy in the house of Arthur Ashe, in the tennis center of Billie Jean King,” Roddick told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Tuesday after accepting the Serving Up Dreams Award. “I have always said I don’t think tennis gets enough credit for its absolute icons — the people on [its] Mount Rushmore speaking out for social change, doing something bigger than themselves.”
Roddick founded his eponymous foundation in 2000 at just 17 years old with a mission of improving the lives of children and families, to keep kids learning so they can succeed, especially during times when statistics show they’re typically most at risk and falling behind.
“When your heroes do stuff, you fall in line, and all of a sudden you’re doing tennis clinics when you’re young just because Andre Agassi does it, and he set the precedent,” the 41-year-old Grand Slam winner said. “Out of school time matters in a huge way — summer learning loss in lower socioeconomic areas is a big, big deal. So, a parent not having to decide to leave work early to go pick up their kids for their own safety is a big, big deal.”
The Austin, Texas-based tennis stalwart added, “The award is great, I’m happy for our team, but I’m most happy for our kids.”
Tennis legend Andy Roddick shares US Open predictions
Roddick, who won the US Open in 2003, also reflected on the dynamic pool of next-generation American talent who are taking the court over the next two weeks in Flushing with big names like Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul.
“Specifically with the American men, as we currently stand, we have 25% of the Top 20 men [in the world rankings]. That’s a big deal,” he said. “Five in the Top 20 on the men’s side, five in the Top 20 on the women’s side.”
“It seems like they have kind of this healthy jealousy where they all get along, they all respect each other, they all support each other. But also, I feel there’s a little bit of FOMO if someone makes a run to the semis,” he said of the aforementioned singles stars. “I hope someone breaks out in a big way.”
Andy Roddick weighs in on Jannik Sinner doping case
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was not suspended from the US Open, despite twice testing positive for steroids, which has drummed up lots of opinions from current and former players, including Roddick.
“There’s a little known Italian player, Marco Bortolotti, who went through the exact same thing two months ago,” he began. “The most recent precedent with the similar circumstances — they found no fault, no negligence. That’s just the way it goes.”
He continued, “People are talking about it’s unfair. It would have been unfair had he gotten a different ruling than someone who was 350 in the World and 110 in the World in Doubles. I don’t think he would put everything at risk for something that didn’t benefit him. It was one billionth of a gram. He’s either the dumbest person on Earth or we should believe him on merit.”
‘Served with Andy Roddick’ takes show live on the road
Roddick also hosts the podcast “Served with Andy Roddick,” breaking down all things tennis with a fresh spin and proceeds going to the Andy Roddick Foundation.
During the US Open, the podcast, presented by Chase, is popping up at the rooftop of Pier 17 for live shows open to Sapphire Reserve members, which is slated to include tennis super fan Seal as a guest on Wednesday.
“He’s a massive, massive tennis fan, and he’s like my energy guru,” Roddick said. “Tennis is largely ignored outside of the live events, so [it’s] just a friendly place to get content on a normal Tuesday.”
For local fans who want to get in on the action, there are also opportunities to book a rooftop tennis clinic with Roddick through Chase experiences.
(NEW YORK) — An Egyptian Olympian has revealed she competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris while seven months pregnant.
Nada Hafez, competing in her third Olympics, shared the news on Instagram Monday, captioning two photos of herself competing with the words, “7 MONTHS PREGNANT OLYMPIAN!”
“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!,” Hafez wrote, later adding, “This specific Olympics was different; Three times *Olympian* but this time carrying a little Olympian one!”
Hafez reached the round of 16 by defeating American Elizabeth Tartakovsky in women’s saber Monday, before falling to Jeon Hayoung of South Korea.
Hafez shared her pregnancy news publicly following her loss, writing in her Instagram post, “My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional.”
“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it,” she continued. “I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”
Hafez also thanked her husband, whom she wed in 2023, and her family for sharing their “trust” with her.
In addition to the Paris Olympics, Hafez also competed in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Paris Olympics is perhaps the most family friendly Olympics in history thanks to a nursery that gives athlete parents a space to spend time with their children during the Games.
(LONDON) — The first thing you should know about becoming a ball boy or ball girl at Wimbledon is that the process is no joke.
In fact, the process is so rigorous and intensive that the acceptance rate of those who get through the training program to work on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon is on par with being accepted into Oxford or Cambridge University, according to the latest enrolment data from Admission Report.
By the time the tournament comes around in early July, the ball boys and ball girls (BBGs) will have been training for five months, starting in the dead of winter in January or February at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club facility in Raynes Park, just three miles south of where they hope to end up at The Championships come summer.
Prospective BBGs train once a week with each session lasting approximately two-and-a-half hours. In these sessions, anywhere from 40 to 80 prospective children will train, focusing on general fitness, movement exercises and core skills needed to become a BBG such as rolling, feeding, receiving and game knowledge.
Training is continuous with the only reprieve coming during school holidays, meaning that the candidates have to be fully dedicated to becoming a BBG at a pace that can test both their commitment and endurance.
Alma Hamoud and Rudy Price — both 15-years-old and in their first year working at the tournament as BBGs — are two of the highly skilled ones who made it through the arduous process and took a few minutes in between matches to speak to ABC News on the middle Sunday of the 2024 Championships.
“Staying focused is the hardest thing because you have to watch every ball on every point and react,” Hamoud said. “But I feel really proud to go home and my parents tell me they have seen me on the TV.”
“It is a ton of fun to be a part of such a huge and famous event,” Price echoed. “I feel a lot of pride when I am on the court.”
Both admit, however, that nerves do come into play because they don’t want to make a mistake when TV cameras are everywhere and thousands of people in the crowd can see their every move. It should be noted that they were flawless on the court in the matches watched by ABC News.
The BBGs are essentially trained to be ghosts on the court, part of the pomp and circumstance of Wimbledon but never a feature. Their job is critical — vital — to the flow and pace of any of the more than 700 tennis matches played at Wimbledon as these unsung heroes seamlessly retrieve and deliver balls to the best tennis players in the world, ensuring that they can focus entirely on their game.
“I practiced rolling a lot at home and at sports centers near my house,” Hamoud said as she discussed the training and selection process from the 31 local schools that work with Wimbledon on the BBG program. “Only 10 students make it from each school so it is very competitive.”
The training includes specific routines for scoring — such as knowing which end the balls should be at a given score — and set pieces like marching, the procedures at the start and end of matches, tie breaks, ball changes and even suspended play — every eventuality that they might encounter on the courts.
Throughout the five-month training period, candidates are constantly assessed by the instructor team and are also expected to self-evaluate their performance by identifying key areas for their own improvement.
Sarah Goldson, who oversees the selection process for Wimbledon BBGs and has directed the training since 2012, is the one to make the final selections of approximately 280 BBGs that are chosen from around 1,500 applicants each year, including 170 new recruits and 110 recall applications from those who have served in the previous two Championships.
“I just felt a sense of relief when I found out I got the job,” said Price. “We put in so many hours of training so it all feels worth it now.”
The tradition of BBGs at Wimbledon dates back approximately 100 years to the 1920s and 1930s when ball boys were provided by Shaftesbury Homes, one of the U.K.’s oldest children’s charities and has been active since 1843. But that all changed after World War II starting in 1946 when volunteers from institutions and schools began to take on the role.
The landscape would radically shift again in 1977 when ball girls were introduced to the tournament. From there, it took just three years for mixed teams of ball boys and ball girls to become standard practice in 1980.
It took a further six years for ball girls to make their debut on Centre Court, marking a significant milestone in the tournament’s history just 38 years ago and 109 years after The Championships at Wimbledon began in 1877.
Now, as of 2024, the gender ratio is maintained at approximately 50% for girls and 50% for boys and there are no specific height or weight requirements for the role, though candidates must meet several criteria, including completing the training program, being physically fit and available for training, having thorough knowledge of tennis rules and scoring and prioritizing their commitment to the tournament.
To qualify for the full training program, candidates must score sufficiently across four areas of assessment during the winter trials where the competition is incredibly fierce, the difference between success and failure to becoming a BBG coming down to a mere one or two points in many cases.
Those who get through are then rewarded with even more intense training as the Championships approach and, in May, the BBGs move to training on grass towards the end of the program, including a dedicated grass court week on the Championships courts and during the wildcard playoffs for Wimbledon.
Furthermore, just two years ago in 2022, BBGs participated in the qualifying competition for Wimbledon for the first time, covering 10 to 12 courts over four days, a practice that Wimbledon says is now permanently integrated into the BBG calendar.
This, ultimately, prepares the BBGs for what they have been waiting for — the main event at Wimbledon starting in early July.
“We start at 10 a.m. and we will stay until the last court is closed,” said Hamoud. “It’s a very long day.”
Hamoud isn’t wrong. The BBGs routine involves alternating one-hour periods on and off the court, giving them enough time to take breaks and while ensuring they remain alert and focused throughout the day.
For Hamoud and Price, who both grew up as tennis fans, being on the same courts with giants of the sport is an experience they’ll never forget and even though the demands on their time and energy can be heavy, neither of them would trade the experience for anything.
“I hope I get to see Djokovic,” Hamoud told ABC News. “I really want to see Andy Murray, he is a British legend,” echoed Price.
Both are aware that their experience can open doors to future opportunities within the sport, from playing to coaching to sports management, but whatever comes next and how they’re inspired following the 2024 Championships at Wimbledon is up to them.
After all, Hamoud and Price are getting their start exactly the same way a couple of former ball boys did who you may have heard of — seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe and 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
Said Federer in an interview upon his retirement from the game in 2022 as one of the greatest tennis players ever to have played the sport: “At heart, I am always going to be a ball boy.”