The 2022 US Open which is the final grand slam of the year is set to take place from 29 August to 11 September in Flushing, New York. With COVID-19 under control, players can expect smooth experience at the U.S Open this year.
There’s a lot at stake at the US Open as a total of $60 million will be awarded to the players. The winner of the singles’ division will take home $2.6 million and the runner-up $1.3 million.
Novak Djokovic Favorite In Men’s Division
The men’s division will be highly competitive as all of the top players with the exception of Roger Federer are taking part. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are once again favorites to win but with Nadal’s on-going injury concerns, Djokovic is definitely the favorite to win.
Iga Swiatek Favorite To Win In The Women’s Division
Iga Swiatek is the number one ranked female player in the world and has a great chance to win her 3rd grand slam at the US Open. Her biggest threats come via Naomi Osaka and the young and impressive Cori Gauff.
Serena Williams will be the fan favorite as Serena has announced that she will walk away from professional tennis after the US Open.
Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant filed a lawsuit along with co-plaintiff Christopher Chester against the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments.
The lawsuit was filed claiming that personnel from Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments took graphic pictures of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, the wife and daughter of Christopher Chester and another 5 people.
$75 Million Lawsuit – $31 Million Awarded
The lawsuit alleged that pictures were taken of the helicopter wreckage and also of the bodies and then shared with the public causing grief and emotional distress to the families. The lawsuit claimed $75 million in compensation and claimed that the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments did not have procedures in place to prevent their personnel from sharing photos of the crash nor proper sensitivity training to prevent them from sharing pictures and causing emotional distress.
The Federal Jury heard testimony for over 10 days and listened to personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Departments confirm that they did share graphic images. As a result, the Federal Jury awarded $16 million to Vanessa Bryant and $15 million to Christopher Chester.
UK gambling giant Entain, which operates a number of popular brands including Ladbrokes and Coral has agreed to pay a record fine of £17 million after the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) found that the company had committed “completely unacceptable” failures in its anti-money laundering and safer gambling obligations.
Entain Breached AML, Safer Gambling Rules
The regulator said Entain did not do enough to protect at-risk customers and allowed players to gamble massive sums without carrying out the necessary affordability and money laundering checks.
One player was allowed to gamble for extended periods, spending £230,000 over 18 months. The operator only reached out to the player once, breaching its customer interaction duties.
In another instance, Entain allowed a customer living in social housing to deposit £186,000 in just six months without adequate checks. There were also instances where players who had been blocked from a site operated by Entain were allowed to create accounts with other sites owned by the company. Some online customers were also able to deposit huge amounts with the operator failing to conduct suitable checks on the source of the funds.
Entain Could Lose Licence
The £17 million fine is the biggest penalty handed down to a UK gambling operator. It was also the second time that Entain has been fined for breaking the rules. UKGC Chief Executive Andrew Rhodes warned that further serious violations could result in the revocation of Entain’s licence.
LA Lakers fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the team just announced that they have signed their star player LeBron James for another two seasons. James who has won 4 NBA Championships asked for a contract extension and was granted one by the Lakers.
James Gets Paid $97.1 Million For Two Years
NBA franchises generally tend to roll out 4 year contracts to star players as it works out well for both parties. However, James could only be given a two year contract as he will turn 38 when his current contract with the Lakers expires. As per the collective bargaining agreement in the NBA, players over 38 can only be given a 2 year contract.
The Lakers are paying out $97.1 million to retain James for the next season and will hope that the NBA All Star will be able to lead them to another championship victory. James had a poor season last year as he was injured for most of it and played only 56 games. James has now become the highest paid player in the NBA surpassing Kevin Durant and accumulating $532 million in careering winnings.
The PGA was unhappy when a number of players decided to head over and play the LIV golf event which was sponsored by the wealthy Saudi Golf League. The PGA warned its members that if they head over and play in the Saudi Golf League, they will get suspended and face potential life bans.
The LIV golf event has promised big payouts and a number of top names have defied the PGA order and have faced the consequences. Some of the players that went over include six time PGA champ Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau who was the 2020 US Open Champion and Ian Poulter who is a veteran Ryder Cup player.
LIV Players File Lawsuit Against PGA
A lawsuit has now been filed against the PGA by 11 golfers who took part in LIV. Mickelson and DeChambeau are two of the players who are taking legal action against the PGA claiming that the PGA has tried to punish them as it wanted to stomp out the competition. The lawsuit is asking the courts to lift the ban imposed on the PGA since it is illegal and also award them damages and pay all legal fees.