Tennis stars from across the globe have had a busy day, making headlines for their life on and off the court. Coco Gauff recently showed her support for basketball star Napheesa Collier as she criticized the WNBA, while Venus Williams and Serena Williams recounted their experience with gun violence during their childhood in Compton.
Elsewhere, World No.61 Terence Atmane revealed the reason behind his mid-game withdrawal from the Shanghai Masters, Grigor Dimitrov and his girlfriend Eiza Gonzalez showcased their love for each other, and Iga Swiatek unveiled the harsh reality of abusive messages and harassment after her shock loss at the China Open.
With that, let’s dive into the biggest headlines of the day in the tennis world.
#1. Coco Gauff extends her support to WNBA star Napheesa Collier
On Tuesday, September 30, basketball star Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier sent shockwaves through the sporting world as she lashed out against the WNBA leadership, labelling them the ‘worst’ in the world while expressing her concern for the future of the sport.
In light of these, Coco Gauff expressed her support for her fellow American, saying during a press conference at the China Open,
“I know that they’ve been doing a lot behind the scenes, the WNBA girls, specifically her. I met her or saw her at Unrivaled. I didn’t talk to her anything about that. I know they both have been working behind the scenes. I know a lot of the players in the league have found some real issues with it. I think for me it was a pretty brave statement. I think really why she did that is because she wasn’t being heard behind the scenes. Unfortunately sometimes people don’t like bad look on them. Sometimes you have to make that move.”
For her part, Gauff is currently in action in Beijing, where she will be taking on compatriot Amanda Anisimova in the semifinals on Saturday.
#2. Venus Williams and Serena Williams reveal what it was like to grow up in Compton amidst gun violence
Venus Williams and Serena Williams are the two biggest women’s singles stars the world of tennis has ever seen. The sisters recently launched their own podcast, where they recount stories from their childhood. During the latest episode of their ‘Stockton Street Podcast’ the duo discussed the gun violence they witnessed while growing up in Compton. Venus Williams recalled one particularly scary incident, saying,
“At one point, during this practice, we’re practicing and I’ll never forget, a guy gets out of his sun roof and just starts shooting. And we hit the ground, and I think dad didn’t have the courage to tell us not to tell mom because he wanted us to always tell the truth. So of course, as soon as we got back to the house, we’re like, ‘Mom! Mom! There was a whole shootout at the court!’”
The elder Williams went on to add that their mother stopped them from practicing in Compton Park for a long time after this incident.
#3. Terence Atmane reveals shocking heat conditions at Shanghai Masters that led to his mid-game retirement
Terence Atmane was recently in action at the Shanghai Masters. The rising star looked in good shape but was forced to retire midway through his opening round encounter against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, with the score tied at 4-4. After the match, Atmane took to social media to explain the reason behind his withdrawal, writing,
“Today, after the first point of the match both of my hands were shaking. After the second game and a comfortable 2/0 lead I immediately felt my entire body shaking and I was suffocating after every point. Which leads me to a point where I basically couldn’t breathe and my head started to hurt pretty badly. I felt like no matter what I was doing I just couldn’t breath.”
He went on to explain that he couldn’t even communicate with his physio and that he felt completely ‘panicked’. The Frenchman further added that he would now be taking some time off before returning to action for the season’s last few tournaments.
#4. Grigor Dimitrov’s girlfriend Eiza Gonzalez gushes over Bulgarian after Milan Fashion Week outing
Grigor Dimitrov and his girlfriend Eiza Gonzalez recently attended the Prada SS26 show at the Milan Fashion Week. The couple dressed in sleek looks for the occasion and Dimitrov later gave fans a glimpse of their outing on social media. Sharing photos from the show, he wrote,
“Fashion. Chic. And my love!”
Responding to this, Eiza Gonzalez declared her love for the Bulgarian tennis star in the comments section, writing,
“Te amo.”
#. Iga Swiatek highlights reality of abusive messages and harassment after shock loss
Iga Swiatek was recently in action at the 2025 China Open. While the Pole was a strong favorite to lift the trophy, she was unexpectedly ousted in her round of 16 match by American Emma Navarro.
After the loss, the six-time Grand Slam champion took to social media to share a screenshot of the abusive messages she had received and wrote,
“Nowadays, this is a sad part of our reality in sports. Bots, betting, but also ‘fans.’ It is worth considering, especially since World Mental Health Day is just a few days away.”
Overall, Swiatek has led a strong 2025 season. The 24-year-old’s year saw her lift the Wimbledon trophy, while making semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and French Open.
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Edited by Urvi Mehra
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