Tennis

Never thought we'd say this, but pickleball might be the hottest sport right now ... because Tom Brady just joined superstars like LeBron James and Drew Brees in becoming a professional team owner!!

Major League Pickleball announced the 7-time Super Bowl champion's newest business venture on Wednesday ... saying TB12 and ex-tennis star Kim Clijsters are buying a 2023 expansion team alongside Knighthead Capital.

As it turns out, pickleball teams are a hot commodity right now ... with names like Bron, Brees, Kevin Love, Draymond Green and Gary Vee getting in on the action recently.

MLP Founder Steve Kuhn spoke about the new owners ... saying, "Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters, and Knighthead Capital Management are champions in their fields and will now be champions for Major League Pickleball."

The sport has been growing rapidly recently ... with a mission to have 40 million players by 2030.

The team Brady and Clijsters are joining will consist of 50% female ownership, the league says.

Uhhhhhhh ... that's not a cat toy!!

Serena Williams' adorable 5-year-old daughter occupied herself by playing with a cat toy -- also referred to as a tampon -- in a TikTok video posted by the newly retired tennis legend.

The clip shows Olympia unwrapping a tampon and pushing it out of the applicator in the bathroom.

Williams asked Olympia what she was playing with ... and she responded, "It's a cat toy for Karma."

Serena was clearly amused, at first -- holding back laughter and making faces at the camera -- that is until Olympia continued to unwrap more "toys."

Side note: a box of tampons ain't cheap.

"Okay, no," Williams said, "Let’s not play with too many of those" ... but Olympia vowed to open only one more.

The 41-year-old thought the whole thing was dope, though -- captioning the video ... "Who am I to steal her joy, it’s a Cat Toy! 🗣Don’t @ me #OlympiasWorld."

Her fans thought it was hysterical, as well ... with one person commenting, "😂😂 At least it’s a cat toy. My son used them on a school project as clouds 😂😂😂."

Another fan gave Olympia an "A for creativity" ... while someone else said, "you bout to have to go to the store!" to restock on tampons.

In a country where people routinely feel hatred for those with whom they disagree politically, it's nice to see some people can still agree to disagree, and still be friends.

Cindy Crawford, a registered Democrat, and Rande Gerber, a registered Independent, broke bread with Kid Rock, a Trump Republican Thursday night in Santa Monica.

The trio hit up Giorgio Baldi and even drove there together. We're told they've been friends for years.

And there's more ... we're told they went inside and tennis legend John McEnroe, who is Democrat-friendly, joined them for dinner.

As you know, Cindy and Rande are best buds with George and Amal Clooney, both die-hard Dems, so they clearly don't pick their friends or jettison them based on politics.

We saw this recently, where Democrat Tom Hanks sat down for lunch with Republican Tim Allen.

Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Luka Doncic ditched basketballs for rackets this weekend -- hitting tennis courts in Dallas for charity -- and it turns out the trio of hoopers have no issues whatsoever channelin' their inner-Serena Williams!!

The Dallas Mavericks icons -- plus Ben Stiller and a whole host of other celebs and athletes -- all competed in the fifth-annual Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic on Sunday ... and they looked GOOD.

The NBA ballers partnered up with some of the biggest names in tennis for the tournament, including Andy Roddick and Mark Knowles ... and they went at it at the SMU Tennis Complex for hours.

The guys showed off some serious athleticism, hitting big-time shots -- all while joking around with each other.

In fact, at one point, Stiller hilariously dissed Nowitzki with a fake handshake after a match!

Nash, though, ended up getting the last laugh on everyone ... the Brooklyn Nets head coach came out on top of the tourney after he and his partner, Spencer Papa, defeated British tennis star Luke Bambridge and his partner, Leo Antonio.

It all looked like a great time ... but the best part? The proceeds from the tourney are going to Nowitzki's foundation -- which focuses on children's wellbeing, health and education.

A man invaded the Laver Cup in London on Friday and set his arm on fire right next to the net -- just hours before Roger Federer will play his last-ever competitive tennis match on the court.

The wild scene just went down minutes ago during a match at O2 Arena -- when a guy wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt stormed the court with a lighter in his hand.

Video shot by witnesses in the stands shows the man sat down, made a fire -- and then let the flames crawl up onto his arm.

Security raced in to smother the blaze -- before they carried the guy off the court. No word if the man was seriously injured.

It's unclear what message the guy was attempting to send with the protest -- though his shirt did read, "End UK Private Jets."

Despite the scene, Federer's final match is still scheduled to go on later Friday -- when he's expected to team up with Rafael Nadal in a doubles event for the final match of his historic career.

Serena and Venus Williams' childhood home in Florida -- where the tennis greats lived as teenagers with father Richard Williams -- is set to hit the auction block this month after 5 years of fighting in court ... and will now go to the highest bidder.

The 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home in Palm Beach Gardens -- estimated to be worth around $1.42 million -- is scheduled to be auctioned off in late September ... after Richard's 43-year-old ex, Lakeisha, failed to keep up with the payments.

The home, which was built in the 1980s, has fallen into disrepair over the years.

According to the notice of sale, the house will go to "the highest and best bidder for cash.”

Venus and Serena moved to the house as teenagers after Richard purchased the property, which features two tennis courts on its 10+ acre lot. It's pretty cool ... it's the court where "King Richard" trained his daughters.

Of course, the girls went on to become two of the greatest tennis players -- and athletes, period -- that the world has ever seen.

Their story was told in the hit movie, "King Richard," where Will Smith portrayed Richard Williams.

Serena, after a run at the U.S. Open earlier this month, retired from tennis after winning 23 majors.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep will look a little different the next time she takes the tennis court ... she just revealed she got a nose job -- for both "functional" and "aesthetic" purposes.

The 30-year-old said in a social media post Thursday she'd been having difficulty breathing for years, but noticed it was worse after her loss to Daria Snigur in last month's U.S. Open.

She also noted she "did not like [my] nose at all" -- so, she decided to solve both problems at once with surgery this week.

"I could never do it earlier because I never found the necessary three months for recovery, because tennis was always the first priority in my life," Halep said.

"I felt it's the right time to do it and also to do something for myself as a person," she added.

Halep, who was ranked #1 in the world twice between 2017 and 2019, said there's currently no timetable for a return to the court ... though she did say she's sure the procedure will keep her out until at least 2023.

Tennis is losing another legend ... Roger Federer just announced he's calling it a career -- just days after Serena Williams officially hung up her racket.

The 41-year-old -- considered by many to be the greatest men's player ever -- revealed on his social media on Thursday morning that next week's Laver Cup event will be the final tournament of his legendary career.

"As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries," Federer said.

"I've worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body's capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career."

Federer said he still will play tennis -- "but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour."

"This is a bittersweet decision," he continued in his announcement, "because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible."

Federer first turned pro in 1998 -- and quickly found success, winning his first Grand Slam singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2003. He went on to win 19 more major titles in his career -- while piling up over 100 ATP singles titles as well.

In his goodbye note to the sport, he thanked his wife, Mirka, his coaches, his fans and more for all of the support over the last two-plus decades of dominance.

Serena Williams' tennis career might not be over just yet ... she's now saying there's at least some chance she unretires -- just like Tom Brady!

"I mean, you never know," Williams said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "I've just been saying that I think Tom Brady started a really cool trend. You know?"

Serena was laughing when she made the comment -- but there appeared to be at least a grain of seriousness in her tone while she was discussing her future with the show's hosts.

"And the way he did it," she continued on with the Brady bit. "A few weeks, you know? So ..."

Of course, Serena called it a career just two weeks ago -- when she retired following a solid run at the U.S. Open.

She seemed at the time to be at peace with hanging up the racket -- but on Wednesday, she sure sounded like there might be some more tennis itches that need to be scratched going forward.

"I do know that I love the sport so much," Williams said. "I love the game. I love everything about it. It's just been such a light in my life that I definitely want to keep some sort, something involved in there."

Williams, though, didn't specify if that meant actually returning to play -- or being involved in the game in some other way.

"I feel like tennis has given me so much, and I feel like there's no way I don't want to be involved in tennis somehow in the future," Williams said. "I don't know what that involvement is yet."

Aaron Rodgers is livid Novak Djokovic was not allowed to compete in the U.S. Open tournament ... highlighting the absurdity of some of the COVID-19 regulations that simply make no sense.

Rodgers sat down with Bill Maher for an episode of his 'Club Random' podcast ... where the two had a candid conversation about Djokovic being kept out of the high-profile tourney for remaining unvaccinated.

"The best f***ing player on the men's side can't play," Rodgers said of Djokovic. "One of the most fit guys in the f***ing world whose had covid at least once, if not twice, can't f***ing come to New York?"

Rodgers then brought up Kyrie Irving's long, drawn-out saga with the Nets ... which saw the star point guard miss a bevy of games during the season over his refusal to get vaccinated.

"Kyrie Irving attended a basketball game courtside but couldn't play for his team."

"How is that f***ing possible?" Rodgers asked. "He attended a basketball game and got to watch it in the stands but couldn't play f***ing play on his team because he wasn't vaxxed."

"Make it make sense. Make it sense. You can't," Aaron continued.

Rodgers and Maher accused the Nets, who told Irving he could play in road games but not home games, then said he couldn't play for the team at all ... of changing their tune once the team started struggling.

AR and BM were dumbfounded that Bradley Beal, who is unvaccinated like Irving, was allowed to play in games at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden, despite the NYC mandate.

There was a ton of action on the court at the U.S. Open men's final on Sunday ... but there was even more in the stands, 'cause Kendall Jenner couldn't keep her hands -- or lips -- off her NBA star boyfriend, Devin Booker!!

The couple has been inseparable recently -- they hit up the NBA 2K23 launch party in Los Angeles on Thursday, before jetting off to New York City for the weekend.

Jenner and Booker hit up a bunch of New York Fashion Week events throughout the weekend ... sitting front row in multiple flashy outfits.

Amid all the fashion week fun, KJ and DB showed up in Flushing Meadows as Carlos Alcaraz took on Casper Ruud ... and throughout the match, you can see they were passionately into each other.

At one point, the two even lean in for a kiss ... and Kendall caresses her man's chin.

But, they weren't just focused on themselves -- Kendall was spotted yelling in support as the match unfolded.

Nick Kyrgios lost his U.S. Open match Tuesday night -- and then he lost his mind ... smashing two of his rackets on the court in an epic meltdown at the famous tennis tournament.

Kyrgios battled against Karen Khachanov for nearly four hours with a spot in the tourney's semifinals on the line -- but things started to go awry for the Australian in the fifth set.

Khachanov began taking over, and Kyrgios got frustrated by it -- at one point appearing to yell loudly at people in the stands.

Then, after Khachanov sealed the victory 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, Kyrgios exploded.

Video shot by spectators in the stands shows he hurled not one but two of his rackets onto the court -- blowing them to smithereens.

Afterward, a downtrodden Kyrgios said he was heartbroken over the L.

"I feel like s***," he said. "I feel like I've let so many people down. I just, I don't know."

"It's just devastating," he added. "Like, it's heartbreaking."

Kyrgios has become infamous for his meltdowns on the court -- in fact, he was just sued by a fan after he screamed about her during the middle of a Wimbledon match in July.

Serena Williams -- the greatest woman to ever step foot on a tennis court -- has played the last match of her career ... after losing in the third round of the U.S. Open.

Friday's matchup was an epic thriller ... with her opponent, Ajla Tomljanović, taking the first set, 7-5, but Serena bouncing back in the second with a 7-6 (7-4) comeback.

Unfortunately for Williams, the magic ended there -- she fell 6-1 to Tomljanović in the third.

Serena was emotional in her final post-match interview ... tearing up as she thanked her parents for their leadership so early in her career.

Williams says she wouldn't be Serena "if there weren't Venus" ... giving a special tribute to her sister

The GOAT also thanked her fans ... saying, "It's been a fun ride. It's been the most incredible ride and journey I've ever been on in my life." Serena seemingly kept the door open on a return to the court ... saying it's possible she could compete again.

It was a monumental run for the 23 Grand Slam winner -- with celebs like Tiger Woods, Russell Wilson and Ciara, Spike Lee, Zendaya, Mike Tyson and more showing up for support.

Williams finishes her career with seven Australian Open victories and seven Wimbledon titles.

Serena also won the U.S. Open tourney six times ... and the French Open three times.

Williams has been the #1 ranked women's player for a large part of her career.

Williams is one of the the most influential tennis player to ever live ... and it was evident in the praise she received throughout her last dance.

Serena Williams can absolutely close out her career in fairytale fashion -- so says ex-tennis star Tommy Haas, who tells TMZ Sports he believes she's no longer the underdog in the U.S. Open.

Williams -- considered the greatest women's tennis player of all time -- is calling it a career at the conclusion of this month's major tournament in New York ... and most didn't give her much of a chance to go out with a win.

But, after she beat No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday night, Haas told us at LAX on Thursday he now thinks Serena could possibly be the favorite to earn the trophy.

"She's looking very good," the one-time No. 2-ranked men's tennis player in the world said. "I think now it's a matter of if she's feeling good physically. I mean, obviously, she's feeling great mentally."

"It's going to be tough to beat her."

Haas also spoke with us about the court advantage the 40-year-old has received -- everyone from Tiger Woods to Bill Clinton to Zendaya has showed up to cheer her on -- and he noted it's all going to be tough for her opponents to overcome.

"Just being on court, seeing how the crowd is loving it, pushing her, motivating her," Haas said, "Anything's possible in those moments."

Dionne Warwick's got no hard feelings towards the broadcaster that was accused of mistaking her for Gladys Knight on live TV ... callin' it an honest mistake!!!

Dionne tells TMZ ... she doesn't think Chanda Rubin, who caught some serious flack for the flub, would've intentionally mixed the two up.

The singer's buying the broadcaster's explanation for what went down, too.

In case you missed it, Dionne was front and center on TV during the U.S. Open, but was instead referred to by Chanda and Mary Carillo as Gladys -- obviously, the Internet had a field day.

Chanda took to Twitter to put out the flames -- saying she saw Gladys while looking at the court and announced the celeb, instead of looking at her monitor that showed Dionne ... and the singer finds that to be a reasonable excuse for the mix-up.

Of course, not everyone's sticking to Chanda's story ... with many thinking the time between Dionne popping up on screen and Gladys getting name-dropped is telling.

While Serena Williams continued to shock the world with her incredible play at the U.S. Open, TV announcers showed celebs who came out to support the G.O.A.T., including Dionne Warwick -- the only problem -- broadcasters mistook her for Gladys Knight.

And, it was just as cringe as it sounds.

Mary Carillo and Chanda Rubin were behind the mic for ESPN ... when during the third game of the first set, two women appeared on screen between points.

Chanda: Got some more stars ...
Mary: Gladys Knight ...
Chanda: Gladys Knight ...
Mary: Hello!

The problem ... it wasn't Knight, but 5-time Grammy Award winner and fellow legend, Dionne Warwick. In fairness, Gladys was in the building, too.

Shortly after the match, Chanda went to social media to explain what happened during the flub.

"Too bad I was initially looking at the court (where Auntie Gladys was in the stands) and not our program monitor that showed Ms. Dionne... mistake was immediately corrected.🤦🏽‍♀️," the former player-turned-broadcaster clarified.

It wasn't the first time a star has been mistaken for another celeb during this year's U.S. Open. During Serena's first-round match, a short video posted online went viral after the poster confused actress and advocate Laverne Cox for Beyonce.

On Wednesday, there were a ton of other stars in the building, too ... including Tiger Woods, Gigi & Bella Hadid, Spike Lee, Anna Wintour, Seal, La La Anthony and many more.

They were all in the building to watch Serena ... who after winning on Monday, went on to defeat #2 seed Anett Kontaveit. Williams now advances to the third round, where she'll face Ajla Tomljanović.

As for the flub, neither Dionne nor Gladys have addressed it.