James Gray
Sports news correspondent, The i Paper
Posting about tennis, rugby, football and Olympics (winter and summer)
- Reposted by James GrayThe Olympics faces an 'existential threat' in Trump and Putin's new world order This week's IOC presidential election takes place under a geopolitical storm cloud, with Russia plotting to start a rival event to the pinnacle of world sport inews.co.uk/sport/olympi... @jamesgraysmith.bsky.social
- The World Men's World Curling Championship gets underway this week in Canada. In a city called Moose Jaw. I would love that to be my address.
- You've probably forgotten all about the Club World Cup - but it's happening, for a month this summer, and both Chelsea and Manchester City will compete in the 32-team tournament. There is currently no UK TV deal - but I'm told both ITV and Channel 5 are actively bidding inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- Emma Raducanu is due to make her "comeback" (she only had a week off) after the awful stalking incident in Dubai. Spoke to my colleagues out in Indian Wells compellingly and openly about what she went through last month - and what has changed in her life. 👇👇👇 inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- After a week where Emma Raducanu's security was compromised in Dubai, I took a deep dive into the world of close personal protection. Experts explain how celebrities and athletes deal with the threats of being a high-profile individual. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Meet Lina Nielsen, a Team GB runner who refused treatment for her MS for 10 years because she was worried what it would do to her career. Now she's finally become an Olympian, she's getting treatment - but has hopes of running even faster. inews.co.uk/sport/olympi...
- Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov has been banned for a year by the WTA. As per Matt Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare, they found his relationship with Rybakina to be "toxic" and that he subjected her to "mental abuse", pushing her beyond her limits and making her ill.
- One second this Chinese AI was giving me a detailed answer about Peng Shuai, then five seconds later, it censored itself and deleted it. I asked large language model DeepSeek about Peng Shuai - and it did not surprise but did shock me with its answers. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Emma Raducanu is on the lookout for a new coach - but maybe needs to think about more than just one appointment. Djokovic, Sinner, Alcaraz... they all employ two coaches. Maybe it's time to copy them? 👇👇👇 inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Novak Djokovic currently warming up on Rod Laver for his clash with Carlos Alcaraz. His chosen practice partner? British No 3 Jacob Fearnley, who will shortly head to Japan for the Davis Cup. #AusOpen
- Goran Ivanisevic confirms that his trial period coaching Elena Rybakina is over after the Australian Open. Ivanisevic had said before the tournament that he was "here, for now" with Stefano Vukov, Rybakina's preferred coach, currently banned by the WTA. #AusOpen
- Incoming, the anticipated match of the tournament. I've broken it down to three key areas. Due on court around 9.30am UK time. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- A statement from Tennis Australia on behalf of Novak Djokovic, regarding his boycott of the Channel 9 interviews on Sunday. "Novak acknowledges the apology has been given in public as requested, and is now moving on and focusing on his next match." #AusOpen
- Great when you do a piece and it changes your perception of things. Working with Jeff Sackmann of Tennis Abstract on this did exactly that. What is Emma Raducanu's real world ranking? Jeff's Elo rankings have her at No 13. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- WHAT A WIN! Jack Draper wins the longest match of his career, beating Thanasi Kokkinakis and 10,000 Aussies over five sets and more than 4.5 hours. Incredibly gutsy in very challenging conditions, two days after the previous longest match of his career. #AusOpen
- I try to be impartial almost universally when at tennis tournaments - but you can't help but enjoy it when Naomi Osaka wins. Infectious enthusiasm. #AusOpen
- There was a period in the 2010s when Andy Murray seemed to be forever in the fourth set of a thriller at around 5.30pm. He has retired and been replaced by Katie Boulter in the third set at around 10.30pm. Plus ca change. #AusOpen
- If you're just waking up, Emma Raducanu is through to the second round of the Australian Open. It was straight sets - but she also served 15 double-faults because her serve "had a mind of its own", in her words. 👇Analysis and reaction from Melbourne👇 inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Edinburgh's Jacob Fearnley currently giving out a high-profile tennis lesson to Nick Kyrgios. There are 10,000 Aussies in the John Cain Arena and Fearnley's 7-6, 3-0 lead has silenced just about every one of them. #AusOpen
- Ahead of the Australian Open and his off-court debut with Novak Djokovic, here is a long read on Andy Murray the coach. With input from his own coaches, rivals, former team-mates and more. #AusOpen inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Emma Raducanu and Jodie Burrage hitting on a perfect day in Melbourne. #AusOpen
- Tim Henman talks about how being a professional tennis player is like being CEO of your own business - but you have to do it at 19 or 20. Emma Raducanu, he says, is still adjusting. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Order of play for Day 1 of the #AusOpen (UK times, on Saturday night/Sunday morning) RLA 12.30am - Todoni vs Zheng, Ruud vs Munar 8am - Sabalenka vs Stephens, Pouille vs Zverev MCA 12.30am - Virtanen vs Fils, Vekic vs Parry 8am - Lehecka vs Tu, Blinkova vs Saville
- An interesting interview with Novak Djokovic in GQ, particularly talking about his rivals. - "Both of [Federer and Nadal] maybe liked that in the early days" - "Maybe it’s a little bit early for Alcaraz to think about history" Worth a read. www.gq.com/story/novak-...
- I’ve arrived (unrested) in Melbourne for the Australian Open. I’ve grown a moustache to try and fit in. Mullet pending. If you want daily updates from the Australian Open, on everything from drinks prices to doping, sign up for the Inside Tennis newsletter, linked below.
- To sign up for daily grand slam updates, click the link below, scroll down and sign up for Inside Tennis. And let me know if you like it, or if you don't, why! inews.co.uk/my-account/n...
- I have an occasional Substack called Not Just Tennis. Today, it's very much not tennis. It's a brief ode to radio, which is one of my New Year's resolutions. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgra...
- Not a great start to the 2025 season for Emma Raducanu. She is out of her opening tournament in Auckland with a back problem, just hours before her opening match. Will now head to Melbourne and hope to recover in time for the Australian Open.
- 1-0 to the Ars-en-al might be efficient but it hardly passes for festive entertainment. Ipswich offered almost nothing at all. Painful stuff for a late kick-off in a freezing Friday.
- I had the pleasure of spending an hour chatting with Clive Tyldesley this week. He is one of the great voices on football, the soundtrack to so many amazing moments (Barcelona 99, Istanbul 05 et al). But it is a voice that, in all likelihood, is leaving the airwaves. inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- NEW Not a great start to the year for Jack Draper, who has announced he will miss the United Cup because of a hip problem ahead of the Australian Open. Draper has also pulled out of the Davis Cup team, after the Aus Open, to avoid extra strain.
- The top three "tennis coaching" books in Amazon right now. Is the modern-day equivalent of an agent going round and putting all their client's books in front of others in other sections?
- Football's data revolution has turned scouting upside down - here's how 📖 'Old-school' scouts face retraining or redundancy ⚽️ The days of going to watch a player 10 or 20 times are gone 🙈 Clubs are signing players they have never met 👇A deep dive👇 inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- How Chelsea turned a routine win over travel-sick Brentford into hard yards and a suspension for one of their best players. Enzo Maresca says they are "not ready" for a title challenge, and he is probably right. #CFC inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- Love Liam Delap. Such a throwback striker. Long legs, uncompromising running style, and of course a decent finisher. Must be a nightmare to mark. It’s hard to remember a Premier League striker like him in the last 10(?) years. #ITFC #PremierLeague
- Reposted by James GrayBONUS EPISODE Want some more? Have some more. This time, James meets Holger Rune, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ugo Humbert in east London - and chats with George about the format of UTS Grand Final. Does it have anything to offer the main tour? plinkhq.com/i/1466656632
- Emma Raducanu has hired Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka's former fitness trainer and will head to Australia nearly a month before the Australian Open to give her the best chance of success. Christmas away from home - this time in Auckland - is becoming part of life. inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
- Some Emma Raducanu updates 🏋️ She has hired fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura (ex-Sharapova and Osaka) ✈️ Will head out to Australia on Thursday next week 🔥 Training camp in the heat of Brisbane, then to Auckland for first tournament 🎾 May play Adelaide too, depending on progress in NZ
- I've created a list of tennis journos and #content accounts that are on Bluesky. Anyone I am missing? (No self-noms.) bsky.app/profile/jame...
- Reposted by James GrayNEW POD ALERT 👮 Iga Swiatek's ban 🤪Nick Kyrgios's reaction 👨🏫Novak Djokovic on asking Andy Murray to coach him 😱 Hubert Hurkacz hires "the odd couple" podfollow.com/1466656632
- Another brutal post-Australian Open draw for Great Britain's Davis Cup team from a travel perspective. This time, they will fly from Melbourne to... Japan. Not quite as gruelling as Colombia (fewer time zones) but still not ideal!
- The Score is a Premier League, one-stop shop on a Monday morning, with verdicts on every single club. This week, I contributed the Chelsea and Aston Villa segments after watching title-contending Blues win 3-0 on Sunday. inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- Wrote this some time ago but Kingstonian's plight goes back years and therefore bears reading. Should be noted that they are now groundsharing at Raynes Park Vale which is (to quote one supporter) "100 times better - but does not solve the substantive problem".
- An important article by @jamesgraysmith.bsky.social in the i Newspaper “Kingstonian: The homeless club on the brink after Chelsea bought their stadium” inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
- Huge news from the tennis world that Iga Swiatek has been given a ban after testing positive for TMZ. Full details on the case below inews.co.uk/sport/tennis...
