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‘The Dink’ Review: Pickleball Takes on Tennis in a Mild Underdog Sports Comedy
Variety film critic Guy Lodge reviews “The Dink,” a new Apple TV original sports comedy directed by Josh Greenbaum that pits pickleball against tennis. The film follows a disgraced former tennis prodigy who is humbled by a group of enthusiastic amateur pickleball players, aiming for the good-natured, non-confrontational tone associated with the fast-growing sport, but…
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Pickleball comedy sees Jake Johnson’s ex-tennis star chase a comeback
Apple TV’s new sports comedy “The Dink” follows Jake Johnson as Dustin Boyd, a failed tennis prodigy who rebuilds his self-esteem by taking up pickleball, in a film critic David Rooney calls watchable but formulaic. Produced by and co-starring Ben Stiller, the film seems to aim for the same comic niche that “Dodgeball” carved out…
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WTA adopts SRY gene testing to protect fair competition in women’s professional tennis
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has introduced SRY gene testing as part of its eligibility rules for women’s professional tennis, a move aimed at ensuring competitors in the women’s tour are biologically female. The change reflects a wider push across sport to safeguard fair competition amid ongoing debate over transgender and intersex participation in female…
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Players will need sex test to play on WTA Tour
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will require all players to undergo genetic sex testing to compete on the WTA Tour, under an updated women’s eligibility policy taking effect from Tuesday. The change makes tennis the latest sport, following World Athletics and World Boxing, to introduce mandatory genetic screening for the women’s category, reflecting broader shifts…
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Muchova to miss Canadian Open after ‘small surgery’
Wimbledon finalist Karolina Muchova will miss the Canadian Open after undergoing what she described as “small surgery”, ruling her out of her planned debut in Toronto. The 29-year-old Czech, who has previously struggled with wrist injuries, did not specify the nature of the procedure or give a precise return date, saying only that it would…
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Under threat from the rise of padel: Tennis club with nearly 200 members fights for survival as it faces being replaced by padel courts in row over rent
A tennis club with almost 200 members is fighting for its survival after facing the prospect of being replaced by padel courts amid a dispute over rent. The case highlights growing tensions across Britain as padel’s rapid rise in popularity puts pressure on traditional tennis facilities, with some landlords and club owners looking to convert…
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Former French tennis player’s plan to appeal a match-fixing suspension backfires on him
Samuel Bensoussan's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport backfired after the ITIA pushed for a harsher penalty tied to a 375-match fixing ring.
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“It was this far from his tennis shoe!” Jason Newsted says that a Metallica fan once threw darts at the band during a show
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has recounted an incident from a late-1980s Canadian arena show in which a fan threw darts at the band during their performance, one of which narrowly missed frontman James Hetfield. The anecdote highlights the sometimes chaotic touring conditions the band faced early in its career, when shows in smaller markets…
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Female tennis players faced 12,000 abusive posts in 2025
Female tennis players received more than 12,000 abusive social media posts and messages in 2025, according to a new report from the Signify Group, whose AI-led threat matrix service monitors platforms including X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. The figure is broadly unchanged from 2024, but the report noted progress in tackling the problem, with…
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Three years added to French player’s match-fixing ban
French tennis player Samuel Bensoussan’s match-fixing ban has been extended from one year and eleven months to three years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed his appeal. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed the increase, which comes after an independent hearing officer had found the 34-year-old guilty of fixing four matches…