Indeed, happy Halloween for everyone who celebrates it!
Definitely more cute than scary was this WTA video from a couple of years back, especially when compared to these horrifying posts by the Fed Billie Jean Cup's social media team:
Celebrating #Halloween with Simona Hellep, Scarena Williams and Cryptina Mladenovic! Who are your favourite scary tennis players?
Um… okay? The title sounds like a terrible James Bond sequel but if the folks at RG wanna roll with it, that’s cool. It’s just one of the eye-catching headlines I’ve seen recently…
When it comes to international journalism, the occasional translation error always keeps things spicy (and violent):
This year really felt different, unsurprisingly. The memo must have said “BYO booze, energy and motivation because you’re not gonna get it from here!”
You know you’re at notorious RG when you have to play in the rain:
“What’s this in the air? Oh yeah, my swagger”
I don’t know what I’m more worried about; the fact that Azarenka lost to the world no. 181 or her odd behaviour:
"Bonjour, everybody!"
...
My COVID mind's on overdrive
“She cray!”
I should be concerned. After all, RG’s infection control didn’t look too hot, at least on the first day. A player or two left a towel in the on-court baskets. The grubs!
I wasn’t sure if I was watching tennis or was at Ringwood Station given that the ballkids were dressed like eshays. For this reason and others:
Anett Kontaveit must have woken up after she got dressed, with her bra on top:
Kiki looked like a tradie:
#dutchorange
Others were more conservative (but still shady):
“Ima go and rob a bank now”
Ash Barty wasn’t here to defend her title but she clearly had her priorities in order:
Can someone please explain the weird-ass sound installation/noir/arthouse stuff going on at the change of ends? It sounds like horror movie stock-footage followed by an orgasm.
Just in: I’ve come to understand that it's the Perrier advertisement. That makes it okay, then?!
At least you can never call Roland-Garros tacky. Well, I guess the racquet grips are…
Mise en scène aside, I did actually watch some tennis!
Iga! No, I’m not talking about the Aussie supermarkets. Truth be told, I didn’t expect you to win from the start, but stranger things have happened this year. From one heavy music fan to another, rock on!
Oh my gosh darnnit, despite the challenges this year, the US Open happened. Get out your best American accents!
What a strange time in general, let alone for tennis. It’s a “sneeze and you’ll miss it” year given that this is only the second slam to have commenced so far, and it is indeed sneezin’ season. If there were one visual to sum up myself anticipating what 2020 will serve at us next, it’d be this:
"I mean, Karolina doesn't serve that well, does she?!"
Jo also echoed my sentiments and body language:
My mouth dropped when I further researched its location:
Bloody Rona!
As much as the organisers tried, the atmosphere went off like a deflated balloon given that there was no crowd. It was on par with the UTR Pro Tennis torment tournament, which is not a compliment. If someone farted inside the near-empty, reverberated cauldron that was Arthur Ashe Stadium (who says they didn’t?) it would have been incredibly awkward. The were so many plane flyovers that I thought the court audio was accidentally replaced by the foley track for Top Gun. I guess that even in the most alien of circumstances, New York will never stop being New York. Hopefully the USA stops being the USA so that no one gets shot.
“Don’t shoot pls”
I’m not sure whose idea it was for the ball-kids and lines-people to wear grey polos. The New York humidity aka sweat certainly left its mark, as seen below. More fashion risks needed to be taken by the players’s sponsors. A lack of variety had me seeing double:
“Nice outfit.” “You too.”
There were still some taken by the usual suspects:
Cherries or coronavirus cells in Serena’s hair - take your pick!
and more...
Growing Up Gotti - Tennis mum edition
These are great, but everyone, we have a winner…
“Phwoar, I want that hat!”
Everything is perfect. The bucket hat + the colours + the photo taking + the word "lit" + the thousand yard stare = Trippin' Balls in vivid colour.
The lack of linespeople on the outside courts changed the challenge gesture to mean only one thing:
“I don’t like that shot. Just sayin'."
I just noticed the nice brickwork. From this to its plumbing namesake, Flushing Meadows is tradie heaven!
Less comforting optics were provided by Bermuda Tourism:
“The conspiracies attract a lot of tourists - and that’s just counting those who make it here!”
Here are some more:
As there wasn’t much spectacle aside from these and Novak’s gaffe, the sewers of social media delivered as always:
#askingthehardquestions
Another day, another round of incendiary Camilla Giorgi comments:
Even the officials were throwing shade, with this on the day of Novak’s disqualification:
As well as unintentionally showcasing the scourge of trolls: (Shout out to Nick and Ally from The Warm-Up, though!)
Savage!
In other news, I noticed that some players are doppelgängers of other famous people.
Caroline Garcia reminds me of the Wiggles with these moves. Or, Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame. Cool!
Sofia Kenin looks like Miley Cyrus.
Yulia Putinseva reminds me Villanelle from Killing Eve. Similar attitude.
Kim Clijsters looks like … no, I won’t.
I don’t care what anybody and their two bobs have to say - Kim can still hit like a MF and will only get fitter while back on tour.
You know who else can hit like a MF? The super slick Jen Brady! She must have gotten some new fans!
“Ladiies, one at a time, please!”
I hope Allie’s serves lived up to her name. It didn't look like it, though:
Allie’s surname sure has some Kiick to it…
Naomi! With your speedy power and social awareness combined, I can say in every sense that you won the day!
