Tennis

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.

Naomi Osaka wasn't lying when she said she would be back for the 2024 Australian Open ... 'cause the tennis superstar looks like she's preppin' for it already -- during her pregnancy!!

The 4-time Grand Slam singles champ shared three Instagram videos of her workout on Monday, a month after she revealed to the world that she was pregnant.

You can see Osaka hasn't lost a step as the 25-year-old shows her powerful backhand on the tennis court. She also had a sweat sesh on the beach -- all while carrying a baby in her belly!!!

"Outside but barely," Osaka said in the caption.

Osaka's fans loved what they were seeing ... and applauded her for keeping up with her routine during pregnancy.

One of the comments said "Huge props!! Being active while pregnant is THE MOST exhausting. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼" ... while another fan said, "look at you gooo 🔥🔥 they aren’t ready for 2024 Naomi."

Remember, Osaka said she would not be competing this year since she's expecting her first child with Cordae ... but plans to return for the 2024 Australian Open.

"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future," Osaka said when she broke the news.

Tennis star Alexander Bublik absolutely lost his mind during a match this week -- destroying THREE of his rackets in a wild outburst that was all captured on video.

The epic temper tantrum went down in the third set of Bublik's Open Sud de France match in Montpellier against Grégoire Barrère ... when he blew a gasket over the way he was playing.

The 25-year-old -- a heavy favorite in the match -- slammed his racket to the court's surface over and over and over again after a losing a point ... leaving it in pieces.

Clearly unfulfilled by that, Bublik went to his bench and destroyed another one. Seconds later, he grabbed one more and, you guessed it, beat the hell out of that one too.

The crowd cheered loudly as Bublik went off -- and even one of the match's announcers was over it by the third racket smash, saying, "Well, this is getting out of hand now."

Bublik, the No. 50-ranked player in the world, eventually stopped the tirade -- and went on to lose the match, 6-4, 6-7 (12), 7-6 (3).

Serena Williams is slamming the door on a potential return to tennis ... saying there's no chance she's going to un-retire to continue her career -- at least, for now.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner -- who last played in September 2022 -- discussed her future plans in an interview with Gayle King for "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... when she was asked if there was any hope for a comeback.

"It's hard to say," the 41-year-old replied to King. "I would say no. For now, no."

Williams explained, "I've literally given my whole life to tennis, and it's time for me to give my life to something else."

Fans aren't the only ones hoping to see her back on the tennis court ... Serena says her father, Richard Williams, has been trying to convince her to compete again as well -- but his attempts have been unsuccessful.

"He's like, 'Serena you should play two more Grand Slams,'" Williams said. "I'm like, 'Dad, stop.'"

Williams says her main focus now is spending time with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and their daughter, Olympia, who wants to be a big sister.

"Now, she prays for a sibling," Williams laughed. "I'm working on it."

Ohanian, who also participated in the interview, says everything is great with their marriage ... saying, "I knew I had met someone that I was never going to outgrow."

"She's a ride or die! 1,000%"

She's also investing her time into Serena Ventures, an equity firm she launched in 2014 that helps fund founders with diverse backgrounds, and her South Florida farm ... where she and Ohanian grow fruits, vegetables and raise animals.

Tennis star Alexander Zverev will not face any disciplinary action after an investigation found there was "insufficient evidence" to substantiate domestic abuse claims made against him, the Association of Tennis Professionals announced Tuesday.

"Based on a lack of reliable evidence and eyewitness reports," the ATP said in a statement released on Tuesday, "in addition to conflicting statements by Sharypova, Zverev, and other interviewees, the investigation was unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, or determine that violations of ATP’s On-Site Offenses or Player Major Offenses rules took place."

The ATP continued ... "As a result, no disciplinary action against Zverev will be taken by ATP. This determination may however be reevaluated should new evidence come to light, or should any legal proceedings reveal violations of ATP rules."

In 2021, the ATP launched an investigation against Zverev, 25, after his ex-girlfriend, Olga Sharypova, accused him of emotionally and physically abusing her while they were in a romantic relationship.

Zverev released a statement Tuesday on the ATP's ruling ... saying, "From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence and denied the baseless allegations made against me. I welcomed and fully cooperated with the ATP’s investigation and am grateful for the organization’s time and attention in this matter."

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka had a night out with her mom in the Big Apple on Monday ... hitting up a Japanese restaurant three weeks after announcing she's preggo with her first child.

The 25-year-old and Tamaki Osaka arrived at Nippon in Midtown for dinner ... one of the few times the mother-to-be has been spotted out in public since her big reveal.

No baby bump in sight, though -- Osaka rocked a baggy brown and green outfit for the occasion.

As we previously reported, Osaka told her fans about the major life update on Jan. 11 ... and TMZ Sports confirmed rapper Cordae is the father.

"I realize that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure," Osaka said in her announcement. "I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mom,' haha."

Basketball's King apparently has the Midas Touch when it comes to pickleball too ... 'cause Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn tells TMZ Sports LeBron James' recent investment in the league brought BILLIONS of eyeballs to the sport!!!

LBJ -- alongside Kevin Love and Draymond Green -- bought a team in the MLP back in Sept. 2022 ... and Kuhn tells us immediately afterward, interest in the org. absolutely exploded.

"This year, stories about Major League Pickleball hit 11 billion eyeballs," Kuhn said, "and the LeBron announcement alone was four billion."

Of course, the sport had been on the rise even before LeBron got involved ... the unique, tennis-like game is widely considered the fastest-growing activity in America.

And, while LeBron's inclusion in the action was huge for the league ... he's hardly the only sports superstar to jump into the mix. Everyone from Tom Brady to Drew Brees to Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Kevin Durant have bought into the MLP as well.

Even LeBron's best buddy, Rich Paul, is an investor -- and he told us earlier this month he could see it all eventually becoming a huge deal in the U.S.

As for if the NBA and NFL players would ever get ON the pickleball court ... Kuhn -- like the rest of us -- is hoping that happens soon.