Tennis News: Coco Gauff chooses a decide in a feud plus Holger Rune's excuses

Kendrick Lamar or Drake? Which side on you on in the decade-long feud that has recently spawned a number of singles, many of which have made the Billboard 100 chart? The question was posed to WTA No. 3 Coco Gauff recently and she gave a very honest answer with a great reason for it.

First, a little background. Drake was possibly in a relationship with Serena Williams prior to Williams meeting and getting married to Alexis Ohanian. In 2022, Drake produced a single with 21 Savage called "Middle of the Ocean" which is about something I am far too lazy to look into. However, part of the track includes a diss of Williams and Ohanian, seemingly needlessly.

The lyrics, in part, read: "Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie
/He claim we don’t got a problem but
/No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi". Williams and Ohanian took offense to the song, though, with Ohanian writing on social media, "...including being the best groupie for my wife and daughter."

Coco Gauff decides between Kendrick Lamar and Drake and Holger Rune makes more excuses

The reason for mentioning the above is that the spat has affected Coco Gauff's view of Drake in a negative way. When she was asked during a post-match press conference at the Italian Open who she preferred, Lamar or Drake, Gauff said, "To be honest, yeah, I like Kendrick's songs more. Yeah, I think pretty much everybody I know is leaning towards him. I do like Drake as an artist, as well...Also Drake, like, dissed Serena so I have to go with Kendrick. Kendrick defended her. So, yeah, I have to go with him."

In other tennis news, Holger Rune is a talented young player but he has taken the opposite route Novak Djokovic would when speaking after a loss. Djokovic has always abhorred making excuses for his losses. Reporters pry, of course, and Djokovic does discuss if he is injured but has rarely ever claimed something that was happening to him was the reason he lost.

In other words, Djokovic would rather give the credit to his opponent instead of deflecting that praise. No matter how great a player is, sometimes their opponents are just better on a certain day.

Rune, though, seemingly always makes excuses for losing. This includes his recent defeat at the Italian Open at the hands of Sebastian Baez. Speaking with Ekstra Bladet after his loss, Rune said he simply did not manage his food intake and did not hydrate enough during the match.

He said, "...it is also wildly frustrating that I end up not being able to perform as well as I can, because of such a low-practical thing as insufficient intake of food and drink...And yes, I have been ill, and the focus has been on extra court hours and physical build-up, but that is no excuse. I know what to eat and drink during a match and I didn't get it done in the match."

No hint of an implication from the Dane that maybe Baez just played better for longer in his match against Rune at the Italian Open. Rune needs to learn a bit of humility. Otherwise, he will never reach the level he apparently believes he is already playing.

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