Steffi Graf shares Pickleball Slam 2 preparation challenges, Aryna Sabalenka

22-time Major champion Steffi Graf has spilled the beans on how she’s gearing up for the upcoming Pickleball Slam 2. Reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has pulled out of the season’s first WTA 1000 event, the Qatar Open.

Nick Kyrgios’ girlfriend Costeen Hatzi gave fans a peek into one of their recent date nights, in which the two took pottery lessons together. The official ATP account on Instagram took part in an ongoing trend, which features photos of people when they were 21 years old.

Carlos Alcaraz, who’s still 20 years old, was naturally amiss from ATP’s selection of players for it. The Spaniard was quick to joke about it and asked them for a redo after his birthday in May.

Here’s a quick recap of the day’s headlines:

Steffi Graf opens up about the challenges she faced while gearing up for the Pickleball Slam 2

The Pickleball Slam 2 will be held on February 4, 2024, and will pit Graf and her husband, Andre Agassi, against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. The German spoke up about the difficulties she faced ahead of the highly anticipated showdown.

Graf explained that she’s still trying to adapt to the sport and it’s difficult for her to give up her tennis mindset.

“Goodness, I’m still trying to unlearn [tennis]. I have not had an easy time. I want to move around. I want to hit the ball. I don’t want to slow down and be patient, waiting for the right moment to attack,” Graf told Sports Illustrated.

“I tend to want to keep my feet moving. That’s what I learned in tennis. My mind knows what I should be doing, but my body is not quite ready to let that tennis mind go,” she added.

Graf also stated that while she wants to enjoy the feeling of competitiveness, she doesn’t want to go overboard with it.

“I have a bit of a hard time getting back into that [competitive] mode. I want to enjoy it. I love the challenge of it. I do like the competition, but I also don’t want to get too competitive,” she said.

World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka to skip the Qatar Open

Sabalenka was scheduled to compete in the Qatar Open. However, she has now withdrawn from the tournament. This marks the second year in a row that she won’t be making the trip to the country.

Sabalenka had a shot at taking over the World No. 1 ranking if she played there. Provided if Iga Swiatek loses early at the Qatar Open, she’ll still have a chance at ascending to the top spot with a good run at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

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Nick Kyrgios’ girlfriend Costeen Hatzi offers a glimpse into their date night

Kyrgios is still on an injury hiatus, but he’s making the most of his downtime. He worked as a commentator during the recently concluded Australian Open. With his new gig all wrapped up, he was seen spending some quality time with his partner.

Costeen Hatzi, his girlfriend, shared some pictures of the two bonding over a date night while…