Paradorn Srichaphan's wife on the Amazing Race Asia 3

The Amazing Race Asia is coming back for the third season!

I'm not so into this franchise reality show simply because it's filled with 'beautiful' contestants who are usually models, celebrities and gwai lous (caucasians).

One of the contestant in the new season, scheduled to be on TV this September, is a familiar face. She's Natalie Glebova, former Miss Universe in 2005 and also Thailand’s highest ranking (and once world #9) tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan.

Natalie & Pailin team on TARA 3

Paradorn and Natalie, the husband and wife team

Naturally, Paradorn was her first choice for a teammate. "But during the application period, he was busy with his tennis training as he's hoping to go back on tour next year," she explained.

As Natalie was gagged by the show's confidentiality clauses, she said Paradorn discovered her participation only two weeks ago, when it was officially announced.

So how did she keep it from her hubby?

"I travel a lot, hosting and presenting TV shows. It's been like this ever since we started dating, so he thought I was just going for work again."

"He was shocked when he found out (I was on the show). We had a good laugh about it."

She gushed that married life is 'really good' and Paradorn is a 'great husband who cares for her'.

The couple are planning to start a a family soon.

Awww... isn't that sweet?

(Via asiaonenews, The Amazing Race Asia AXN, t-pagent.com)

Rafael Nadal new look put on hold

When I posted Rafael Nadal's new Nike gear in fans Facebook group, everyone seems aren't ready for his that preppy look.

Hours before his first U.S. Open match against Bjorn Phau, Nadal decided that his game was more important than his wardrobe, telling his advisers and corporate sponsor Nike Inc. that he wasn't ready for an image makeover after all.

Cheers for the fans!!!!!

"Frankly, Nadal is on a roll," said Kilee Hughes, a spokesman for Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike, which designs Mr. Nadal's clothes. "We listen to the voice of the athlete."

And you listen to the fans too!

Nike had unveiled Mr. Nadal's new look after months of careful planning that began with a trip by Nike's design team to the star's home in Majorca, Spain.

The new lightweight shirt supposed to ensure that it wouldn't hinder Nadal's performance, and it created shorts designed to "move with him -- from baseline to net -- without chafing or bunching up."

But perhaps no one is more resistant to change than an athlete on a winning streak.

However, Nadal is still committed to switching to the new gear, perhaps at one of the smaller tournaments after the U.S. Open.

Now that he was the top player on the planet, Nadal was ready to bid farewell to the adolescent muscle T-shirts and Capri-style pants that had garnered nearly as much renown as his lightning strokes and adopt a more traditional tennis look.

"I am excited about evolving my on-court apparel with Nike to a polo and shorter-length short," Nadal said in a statement Monday afternoon.

"For the U.S. Open, however, we collectively decided I would continue wearing the apparel I've been competing in all year. It's a decision we made based on the limited time I've had to practice in the new apparel between the Olympics and the U.S. Open."

(Images via Yahoo! Sports, U. S. Open website, news via The Wall Street Journal)

US Open honours champions from the past in Opening Ceremony

The Unisphere and the grounds of the 2008 US Open.

Probably this is the grandest U.S. Open ever. This year’s Open is special as it marks the 40th Anniversary of the tournament and the first tournament of the Open Era.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ushered in this year’s tournament by addressing the crowd, “On behalf of the city of New York, welcome to the one and only US Open."

Forest Whitaker

The host of the evening's festivities was Oscar winning actor Forrest Whitaker, who spoke about the history of the tournament.

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, left, and her daughter, Camera, walk into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the facility named for her late husband, Arthur Ashe, during opening ceremonies at the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

In honor of that special moment in tennis history, Whitaker introduced a procession of 25 past champions of the tournament including Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and her daughter Camera Ashe as well as Virginia Wade, the first women’s singles US Open champion.

Former U.S. Open champions Rod Laver, left, and Virginia Wade greet each other during opening ceremonies.

The Champions entered the stadium in chronological order of when they won their titles. Rod Laver, the only man to complete a Grand Slam in the history of tennis followed Wade. Billie Jean King, the winner of the US Open in 1971, 1972 and 1974, the winner of 39 Grand Slams and revolutionary figure for women’s sports entered Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to rousing cheers from the crowd.

Chris Evert and John McEnroe were also hometown favorites as they took the stage. Martina Navratilova, the winner of 59 career slams, was present as was Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Monica Seles.

Billie Jean King

Martina Navratilova

Mats Wilander

Boris Becker

Tracy Austin

Chris Evert

Gabriela Sabatini

Ivan Lendl

John McEnroe

Champions still in the game – Lindsay Davenport, Marat Safin, Serena and Venus Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer, the only man to win four consecutive US Open titles – were all introduced to the fans at Arthur Ashe.

Marat Safin

Maria Sharapova

Lindsay Davenport

Serena Williams

Venus Williams

Roger Federer

Andy Roddick

The fans were treated to the music of Earth Wind and Fire. Just as the ceremony closed, red, white and blue fireworks erupted atop the stadium.


(Images and text via Yahoo! Sports, U.S. Open website)

The Business of Tennis: Forbes Special Report

Check out the latest special report by the guys at Forbes.com in conjunction with the U.S. Open.

One of the articles named the 10 top-paid tennis stars in the world. Roger Federer is still no.1, at least on their top earning tennis players list.

Top Paid Tennis Stars:
1. Roger Federer
2. Maria Sharapova
3. Rafael Nadal
4. Andy Roddick
5. Venus Williams
6. Serena Williams
7. Justine Henin
8. Novak Djokovic
9. Ana Ivanovic
10. James Blake

Check out other interesting articles featured in this special report:

I Was A Teenage Champion
Tracy Austin
The life of a tennis phenom is never simple.

Embrace Pressure
Michael Chang
The ability to perform under pressure separates the best tennis players from the rest.

The Rough Business Of Coaching
Brad Gilbert
It's a tough road with no safety net, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

Why Is Tennis Writing So Bad?
Bruce Schoenfeld
For a sport that attracts its share of literary luminaries, the vast majority of tennis prose is sadly insipid.

Secret Life of A Tennis Pro
Vince Spadea and Dan Markowitz
A journeyman player survives on the professional circuit.

Make Some Noise
Tom Van Riper
It's time for tennis to stop shushing the fans.

Building A Tennis Career From The Bottom Up
Jeff Pyatt
Making a career when the prize money is just enough to get by.

Economics of the US Open
Peter Hoy
Running the numbers on the nation’s biggest tennis event.

US Open By The Numbers

How To Become A Chair Umpire
Eric Arnold
Think you have what it takes to make the calls at a US Open match? It's tougher than it looks.

No More Tennis Elbow
Matt Woolsey
A new treatment could heal damaged tendons and muscles without the need for surgery.

Can Videogames Help Your Tennis Game?
Mary Jane Irwin
For beginners, yes. But don't expect to become Roger Federer.

In Pictures: Virtual Tennis Through The Ages

Map: Top Tennis Players By Country, 1978-2008
Peter Hoy
The distribution of top players has changed significantly over 30 years.

Video: Martina Navratilova
The tennis legend shares some of her top career moments.

Video: Federer vs. Nadal
Is an epic rivalry between tennis' two greatest players enough to draw U.S. viewers?

Video: Business On The Court
Pandora.com CEO ranks nationally in men's singles tennis.

Forbes Autos: Cars of Tennis Stars
Tamara Warren
Buying cool cars isn't the problem for top tennis pros, it's finding the time to drive them.

Forbes Traveler: Top Luxury Tennis Resorts
Jennifer Rosini
Hitting the courts in high style.

(Via Forbes.com)