
With WTA Charities partnering with the Special Olympics, it came as no surprise that a few WTA players advocated for the importance of diversity and inclusivity in sports at events in Berlin and Orlando this week.
At the bett1 Open in Berlin on Thursday, Gabriela Dabrowski, ranked No.6 in doubles and a Champion Ambassador for Special Olympics, and Andrea Petkovic, joined Special Olympics athletes in warm-ups, drills and Unified tennis activities providing an inspirational experience helping to develop skills like discipline and teamwork.
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The bet11 Open in Berlin kicks off Monday featuring a majority of the Top 10 players as well as Dabrowski and Petkovic.
Thursday’s event highlighted the upcoming Special Olympics German National Games in Berlin on June 19 -24, 2022, where nearly 4,000 athletes will compete in 20 sports in the nation’s capital. The National Games are an important milestone in preparation for the Special Olympics World Games, the world's largest inclusive sports event, which will be hosted in Berlin in 2023.
Across the Atlantic, Madison Keys, current World No.23, stopped by the Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando where she cheered on and gave some tips to Liza Ambrosini, a Special Olympics athlete she surprised on a video call last year. Gaby Dabrowski also sent her support to athletes at the USA Games with a personal video message.
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WTA Charities and the Special Olympics have been working together since 2017 collaborating on ways to engage athletes from both organizations. In tandem with the WTA’s commitment to equality, Special Olympics uses the power of sport as a catalyst for change helping people with intellectual disabilities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, build confidence and create friendships on and off the playing field.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026 - Wtf? Why is there no reason? And what about the men's?Bel08-11-2026
- One step by another step -- WTA continues to 'lose the plot'. Too many hi-tech microphones being installed at most venues!!! Remove them (especially those along the hallways, sidewalks, and pathways throughout the venues. Not to mention (most of all) remove the mic's from the Players/Coaches Box.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Enough of her bullshit. Go marry someone.
mandoist06-11-2026 - Don't you just love this young lady!? We fans often expect athletes to be supermen and superwomen, often forgetting that they WILL GET TIRED! I love Alex's perspective. Tiredness for an athlete should never be viewed as a negative, especially if you are healthy, taking care of your body and mental health and putting in the work. What a mature perspective. Good for you, Alex!Rapunzel05-11-2026








