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    Game, set, world-class match-ups

    World's top women tennis players start final showdown of 2022 in North Texas

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Nov 1, 2022 | 6:00 am
    WTA finals players

    The top 8 singles players posed with the trophy at Fort Worth's Hotel Drover.

    Photo courtesy of WTA

    While all eyes in Houston are on the Astros as they take on the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the World Series, tennis fans also have an eye on North Texas.

    Though not as famous as Wimbledon or the US Open, the WTA Finals will crown a new queen of the women's pro tennis tour in North Texas this week — and all are invited to court.

    For the first time, Fort Worth hosts the prestigious year-end finale for the WTA, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the world. Singles players vying for title, and their rankings, are:

    No. 1 Iga Swiatek (Poland)
    No. 2 Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
    No 3 Jessica Pegula (United States)
    No. 4 Coco Gauff (United States)
    No. 5 Maria Sakkari (Greece)
    No. 6 Caroline Garcia (France)
    No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka*
    No. 8 Daria Kasatkina*

    U.S. superstars Gauff and Pegula are also competing in doubles.

    The "round robin"-style competition will take place October 31-November 7 at Dickies Arena, and tickets start at $20.

    The prestigious year-end finale has been moved to Fort Worth from Shenzhen, China, for one year only, WTA officials say. It's the first time the contest has been staged in North Texas, and the first time it's in the United States in 17 years. The total prize money pool is $5 million.

    Players assembled at Fort Worth's Hotel Drover for a celebration and "draw party" on Friday, October 28. (More on the groupings, draws, and prize money each player picks up throughout each round here.)

    Each day in the first rounds, play starts at 3 pm, and both singles and doubles matches will be played. Friday through Sunday, play begins at 1:30 pm. The finals in both doubles and singles will take place at 5:30 pm and 8 pm respectively, Monday, November 7.

    The initial order of play, on October 31 and November 1 is:

    Monday, October 31
    3 pm:
    (1) Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) & Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) vs (8) Desirae Krawczyk (USA) & Demi Schuurs (Netherlands)
    Not before 5 pm:
    (3) Jessica Pegula (USA) vs (5) Maria Sakkari (Greece)
    Not before 7 pm:
    (2) Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) vs (7) Aryna Sabalenka
    Followed by:
    (3) Coco Gauff (USA) & Jessica Pegula (USA) vs (6) Yifan Xu (China) & Zhaoxuan Yang (China)

    Tuesday, November 1
    3 pm:
    (4) Veronika Kudermetova & Elise Mertens (Belgium) vs (5) Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukraine) & Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia)
    Not Before 5 pm:
    (1) Iga Swiatek (Poland) vs (8) Daria Kasatkina
    Not before 7 pm:
    (4) Coco Gauff (USA) vs (6) Caroline Garcia (France)
    Followed by:
    (2) Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) & Giuliana Olmos (Mexico) vs (7) Anna Danilina (Kazakhstan) & Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)

    "I’m super excited to be in the finals," says top-ranked Swiatek. "I feel like it’s a celebration of what we’ve done in the past year. I’m just proud to be here."

    The eyes of the tennis world will be on DFW, too. According to NBC5, the matches will be broadcast in 160 countries to a projected viewing audience of 900 million people. Find coverage at tennischannel.com.

    To keep up with the tournament, follow WTA on Facebook or visit the website.

    (*Per WTA style, players native to Russia do not have their country listed.)

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    J.J. in a blazer

    Rice kick offs Houston World Cup hosting with J.J. Watt podcast recording

    Eric Sandler
    Jan 30, 2026 | 12:02 pm
    Houston, 5th annual JJ Watt Charity Classic, May 2017, J.J. Watt in baseball uniform
    Courtesy photo
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    Houston’s Rice University will host a special event to celebrate 99 days until the World Cup kicks off. Men in Blazers, one of the most popular soccer podcasts in the world, will record an episode at the school with special guest J.J. Watt.

    The recording is the first endeavor in Rice’s role as an Official Houston World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, the only higher education in Houston to earn the designation. The campus will host a number of events both before and during the tournament to showcase Houston to a worldwide audience. Plans call for watch parties at Tudor Fieldhouse and the Ion, hosting soccer clinics and community, and creating volunteer and experiential learning opportunities for students.

    “The FIFA World Cup represents the very best of global sport, and Rice Athletics is thrilled to help welcome the world to Houston,” said Tommy McClelland, vice president and director of athletics. “We are excited to welcome soccer fans to Tudor Fieldhouse and the Ion District to celebrate the ‘beautiful game’ at its highest level. These events allow us to showcase our campus and students while elevating interest in the sport of soccer across Houston and bringing our community together around an unforgettable global moment.”

    Turning to the Men in Blazers podcast, it will be recorded on Wednesday, March 4. Founder Roger Bennett will be joined by a number of guests, including Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt, who, when he’s not serving as an NFL analyst on CBS, is also a minority owner of two soccer franchises, Burnley F.C and RCD Espanyol de Barcelona. Tickets, $25, are available on the Men in Blazers website.

    “Houston is a city that understands global culture, community and the unifying power of soccer,” said Bennett said in a statement. “As we celebrate 99 Days Out from this massive event, we’re thrilled to celebrate this moment with the fans of Houston and have them join us along this beautiful journey of discussing the world’s game in a unique way that taps into what makes Houston such a compelling city for the tournament.”

    The World Cup will come to Houston from June 14 - July 4 with seven matches, including five in the group stage and one each in the round of 32 and the round of 16. Find more details about the tournament and local celebrations at the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee website.

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