Daily News 19

Tag: U.S. Open

  • ESPN’s Chris Fowler Accused of Showing ‘Bias’ During U.S. Open

    ESPN’s Chris Fowler Accused of Showing ‘Bias’ During U.S. Open

    Tennis Fans Accuse ESPN’s Chris Fowler of Bias During Gauff vs. Jovic U.S. Open Match

    Controversy erupted on social media during Monday night’s Round of 16 match at the 2026 U.S. Open, as viewers accused ESPN lead play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler of displaying overt favoritism toward Coco Gauff during her victory over fellow American Iva Jovic.

    Fan Backlash Over Commentary Tone

    Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals with the win, continuing her pursuit of a second Grand Slam title. However, the broadcast drew sharp criticism from tennis fans who felt Fowler’s commentary crossed the line from enthusiastic support into unprofessional bias.

    One widely shared post, viewed more than 20,000 times, stated: “Chris Fowler is not only openly rooting for Coco Gauff but gets giddy when Iva Jovic makes unforced errors. Iva Jovic is an 18 year old American for crying out loud!!!!”

    Broader Criticism of ESPN’s Coverage

    The criticism extended beyond Fowler to the entire ESPN production team. Another fan wrote: “The whole ESPN broadcast is the Coco show It ís so biased Pegula the#3 ranked player in the world and who has won the most matches and is the highest ranked American hardly gets any exposure The US Open broadcast is the Coco Gauff show. It’s sickening,”

    A third viewer added: “The whole ESPN crew is insufferable. Kalinskaya plays a great passing shot and the commentary sounded like the #21 player was less skilled than her #26 ranked opponent,”

    Concerns about objectivity were summed up by a comment stating: “The announcers have lost all objectivity when covering American female tennis players,”

    Defense and Counterarguments

    Not all feedback was negative. One fan offered a sympathetic perspective: “Well, he wants her to win because we all want her to win. Cause we wanted her to move up the rankings, and we want her to be number one eventually,”

    Another viewer raised a structural concern about broadcast assignments: “All commentators glaze Coco. When Americians are playing they should not have American commentators,”

    Tournament Schedule and Broadcast Information

    The 2026 U.S. Open continues with quarterfinal matches scheduled for Tuesday, September 8 and Wednesday, September 9. All matches will air on ESPN.

    This story was originally published by The Spun on September 8, 2026, in the Sports Media section.

  • U.S. Open Opponent Goes Viral After Smashing Her Racket Following Loss

    U.S. Open Opponent Goes Viral After Smashing Her Racket Following Loss

    Emma Navarro celebrated a hard-fought U.S. Open victory on Monday after defeating Lois Boisson in a three-set first-round battle.

    While Navarro marked the win, Boisson was experiencing a very different moment just behind her.

    Source: www.tmz.com

  • Novak Djokovic Tears Up and Vomits During First-Round U.S. Open Loss

    Novak Djokovic Tears Up and Vomits During First-Round U.S. Open Loss

    Novak Djokovic suffered a surprising first-round loss at the U.S. Open on Sunday night, with the tennis legend vomiting and breaking down in tears during the match.

    Djokovic, widely considered one of the greatest tennis players in history with 24 Grand Slam…

    Source: www.tmz.com

  • Lululemon Tennis Finds Under $100 to Wear Everywhere

    Lululemon Tennis Finds Under $100 to Wear Everywhere

    The U.S. Open is reigniting our passion for tennis and inspiring us to pick up a racket and head to the nearest court.

    Source: www.eonline.com

  • Martin Damm Jr. vs. Frances Tiafoe Prediction and Odds for U.S. Open First-Round Match

    Martin Damm Jr. vs. Frances Tiafoe Prediction and Odds for U.S. Open First-Round Match

    Frances Tiafoe, the No. 11-ranked player in the 2026 U.S. Open, begins his tournament Monday night against fellow American Martin Damm Jr.

    The matchup marks the second consecutive year that Damm and Tiafoe have met at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Tiafoe won their 2025 meeting in the Round of 64.

    After reaching at least the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open in three straight years, Tiafoe was eliminated in the third round in 2025. He will look to return to his best form in 2026.

    Damm, meanwhile, is making only the fourth Grand Slam appearance of his career. He reached the second round at Wimbledon earlier this year.

    Oddsmakers have installed Tiafoe as the favorite, but his moneyline is only -382 to advance—a shorter price than some other highly ranked players. That raises the question of whether Damm has a realistic chance to pull off an upset.

    Here is a look at the betting odds, each player’s U.S. Open history and a prediction for Monday’s first-round match.

    Martin Damm Jr. vs. Frances Tiafoe Odds

    Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

    • Martin Damm Jr.: +279
    • Frances Tiafoe: -382
    • Total: 40.5 (Over -115/Under -130)

    How to Watch Martin Damm Jr. vs. Frances Tiafoe

    • Date: Monday, Aug. 31
    • Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
    • TV: ESPN2

    Head-to-Head History and U.S. Open Performance

    Damm and Tiafoe have met once before, in the 2025 U.S. Open. Tiafoe won in four sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5.

    Martin Damm Jr.

    Damm does not have an extensive U.S. Open history, but he reached the second round in his tournament debut in 2025. The 22-year-old recently advanced to the Round of 16 at the Winston-Salem Open, although he was eliminated in qualifying at the Cincinnati Masters.

    Damm took a set from Tiafoe in their first meeting, which helps explain why he is priced around +275 to win the match outright.

    Frances Tiafoe

    Tiafoe has performed better at the U.S. Open than at any other Grand Slam tournament during his career. He has reached the quarterfinals three times and the semifinals twice at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

    By comparison, he has made only two other Grand Slam quarterfinals across the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.

    Following his early exit in 2025, Tiafoe enters this year’s U.S. Open after reaching the final of the Cincinnati Masters.

    Martin Damm Jr. vs. Frances Tiafoe Prediction

    Tiafoe’s record at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is difficult to overlook.

    The 28-year-old reached at least the quarterfinals in three consecutive years and is coming off a strong performance at the Cincinnati Masters. He appears slightly undervalued against Damm, who has limited Grand Slam experience and is 9-12 across 21 matches in 2026.

    Tiafoe has not reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal in 2026, but he has advanced to at least the third round in all three major tournaments played so far this year. He should advance against Damm, although the moneyline does not offer much value.

    The set spread provides a better option, with Tiafoe priced at -175 to win 3-0 or 3-1.

    Damm could take a set from Tiafoe on Monday night, as he did at the 2025 U.S. Open. However, Tiafoe is the more experienced player and should win in three or four sets. The set spread offers additional cushion while keeping Tiafoe at a more manageable -175 price.

    Pick: Tiafoe -1.5 sets (-175 at DraftKings)

    Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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    Source: www.si.com