Tennis Today: Andy Murray gives his mom a ‘final warning’, Roger Federer closing in on billionaire status

Shahida Jacobs
January 15, 2020

In Tennis Today, Andy Murray has given his mother a “final warning” after her latest social media blunder while Roger Federer is set to hit the $1,000,000,000 mark in terms of earnings.

What’s on the site
The 2020 Australian Open is just days away and we give you the lowdown on the important things, including TV channels, prize money, etc.

We did get a request to include air quality levels, but we will leave that to the experts.

Staying with the smoke Down Under, Australian Open organisers have reassured players over smoke fears, saying “we won’t risk your health”.

It’s not good news for men’s doubles world No 1 and reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion Robert Farah as well as world No 78 Nicolas Jarry as both have tested positive for banned substances.

To actual on-court action and Ashleigh Barty is finally up and running in 2020 after the world No 1 won her first match of the year.

What’s in the news
The smog started to take its toll at tennis events in Australian on Tuesday and Mike Davison, a Sports Medicine Specialist at the Isokinetic Medical Group, explains in The Telegraph why “medical side-effects of smog-like conditions are multiple – whether exercising or not, they should be avoided”.

“On the most basic level, physical exercise in those conditions put athletes more at risk and impacts their physical and mental capacity to play,” he writes.

In the Daily Mail, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr. Brett Sutton says officials need to come up with a plan to protect players.

“Tennis Australia needs to work up an air quality policy,” he said. “I can’t make a call on what individual thresholds might be, it really does depend on what it might mean to enclose a space and what filtration systems they might have as alternatives.”

Maria Sharapova “ran into” her ex Grigor Dimitrov at the Kooyong Classic and had a funny exchange with Yahoo! Sports Australia with the full story.

We are a bit slow with this, but Roger Federer is set to become the first billionaire tennis player as his earnings are expected to hit the $1,000,000,000 mark this year.

Tennis.com, citing Forbes figures over the years, reports Federer earned $93.4 million in 2019 to take his on-and-off-court career earnings close to $900 million.

And with “more than $200 million more committed by sponsors” he is rapidly closing in on that $1 billion figure.

What’s on social media
Judy Murray posted the following on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

How to say HELLO in mandarin

A post shared by Judy Murray (@judymurray_) on Jan 13, 2020 at 9:08pm PST

Then son Andy Murray chimed in and gave her a “final warning”.
Andy Murray Instagram reply

Serena Williams preparing for the Australian Open.

💪 + 😀… Serena Williams is ready for #AO2020 @serenawilliams | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/OPVG3TS11x

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2020

Oof, Nicolas Mahut with some smog protection.

View this post on Instagram

Ready for my 1st round @australianopen #letsplay

A post shared by Nicolas Mahut (@nicomahut) on Jan 14, 2020 at 6:24pm PST