Wimbledon and the US Open make news for decidedly different reasons
- BBC selects interesting Wimbledon commentators
- US Open Ticketmaster ticket presale is off to a bad start
Despite the fact that the French Open is barely underway, the final two Grand Slams of the tennis year are making headlines. Wimbledon and the US Open occuring this summer and fall in England and New York respectively are in the news for different but interesting reasons.
The BBC is the European network for Wimbledon coverage. Each year, there is speculation about who the BBC will recruit to assist with its television coverage. In 2024, the network has chosen two players, Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios to play a role in their hours of Wimbledon coverage.
Barty, the former World No. 1 is happily retired with a child; however, tennis fans have seen her around the game. She and her son watched some of her home slam the Australian Open earlier this year. Barty will provide a unique insight into the WTA players, having faced many of them over her career. Kyrgios has used his lengthy injury timeout from playing to be involved in tennis media. He is hosting a video podcast series launched in January 2024 entitled Good Trouble. Kyrgios sits down with the most interesting people associated with the game for a no-holes-barred conversation. Previous guests included Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka. The Aussie duo will join Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, Pat Cash, and Billie Jean King on the BBC Wimbledon team.
While the BBC is finalizing its Wimbledon coverage, US Open ticketing troubles are already happening, thanks to Ticketmaster.
The US Open's American Express ticket presale event began on May 28, and disgruntled fans are already sharing their experiences on social media.
I have never seen a more broken website than Ticketmaster during the US Open AmEx presale 🙃🙃🙃
— Alex Konrad (@alexrkonrad) May 28, 2024
Did anyone get through Amex presale for the US Open? Confirming availability/pinwheel of death for nearly an hour. Ticketmaster is and remains the absolute worst.
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzNYC) May 28, 2024
Hey @AskAmex tried to get @usopen presale tickets for Amex cardholders, only to be told that I need a code, but Amex didn't send me a code so I was shut out. What gives? Also, @USTA @Ticketmaster tickets on pre-sale are actually resale tickets. What's a fan supposed to do? pic.twitter.com/HJvXifpTkv
— Madhulika Sikka (@madhulikasikka) May 28, 2024
Ticketmaster is the source of many complaints because fans were not able to select and purchase seats, and the majority of tickets sold out to resellers in record time.
Next. Everything about the French Open. Everything you need to know about the 2024 French Open. dark
While this issue will not rise to the level or demand of Ticketmaster's troubles with selling Taylor Swift's Eras Tour tickets over the past two years, it indicates that the ticket broker may nlot have learned its lessons from the Swiftie fans' complaints.
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