Zeng Jian leads host country’s challenge at 2026 Singapore Smash
By Lee Seng Foo4 months ago
(World Table Tennis)
Zeng Jian is among four Singaporean table tennis players set to compete at the 2026 Singapore Smash.
Taking place at the Resorts World Sentosa from February 19 to March 1, the tournament is the first WTT Grand Smash event of the season and carries a total prize purse of USD 1.55 million.
Many of the world’s top players are slated to take part, such as defending singles champions Lin Shidong and Sun Yingsha as well as 2026 WTT Champions Doha winners Lin Yun-ju and Zhu Yuling.
Other big names on the entry list include world number one Wang Chuqin and WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025 champions Tomokazu Harimoto, Wang Manyu and the mixed doubles pairing of Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin.
Zeng, ranked 37th in the world, is joined in the women’s singles by compatriot Ser Lin Qian, who begins her campaign in the qualifying rounds.
With Wimbledon 2026 set to begin later this month, attention is once again turning to the world's oldest tennis tournament.
First held in 1877, Wimbledon remains one of the most prestigious events in sport and is known for traditions such as its grass courts, all-white dress code and royal patronage. Yet beyond the trophies and famous champions lies a collection of records, milestones and historical moments that have shaped the tournament over nearly 150 years.
Here are 10 lesser-known facts from Wimbledon history ahead of this year's Championships, which will be broadcast live on SPOTV NOW.
The first-round match that changed tennis forever
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut produced the longest match in professional tennis history during the first round of Wimbledon in 2010. Played across three days, the contest lasted 11 hours and five minutes before Isner eventually prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6(7)-7, 7-6(3), 70-68. The deciding set alone lasted more than eight hours.
The match became one of the defining moments in modern tennis and played a significant role in the eventual introduction of final-set tiebreak rules across the Grand Slams.
Wimbledon's first final-set tiebreak in 2019
After introducing a final-set tiebreak at 12-12 in 2019, Wimbledon did not have to wait long for the new rule to be used. The first singles match to require the tiebreak was the men's final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Djokovic saved two championship points before winning 7–6(5), 1–6, 7–6(4), 4–6, 13–12(3) in four hours and 57 minutes. The contest remains the longest Wimbledon singles final on record.
Won more points but lost the final
The 2019 men's singles final also produced an unusual statistical anomaly. Although Djokovic won, Federer actually won more points across the match, finishing with 218 points compared to the Serbian’s 204. It remains one of the rare occasions in a Grand Slam final where the runner-up finished with more total points than the champion.
Only two women won Wimbledon in both the Amateur and Open eras
The Open Era began in 1968 when professional players were allowed to compete alongside amateurs at Grand Slam tournaments. Only Billie Jean King and Margaret Court managed to win Wimbledon singles titles both before and after the transition, placing them in a unique category in the tournament's history.
Britain's wait for a women's singles champion stretches nearly half a century
Virginia Wade remains the last British woman to win the Wimbledon singles title. She defeated Betty Stöve in the 1977 final during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee year, with the monarch watching from Centre Court. Nearly five decades later, no British woman has repeated the achievement despite several deep runs from home players.
The wild card who won the whole thing
Goran Ivanišević arrived at Wimbledon in 2001 ranked No. 125 in the world and entered the tournament via a wild card. The Croatian, who had previously lost three Wimbledon finals, defeated Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, Tim Henman and Patrick Rafter en route to his sole Grand Slam title. He remains the only wild-card player to win a Wimbledon singles championship.
Only two men won Wimbledon without dropping a set in the Open Era
While several women's singles players have won Wimbledon without dropping a set, it has only happened twice in men's singles during the Open Era. Only Björn Borg (1976) and Roger Federer (2017) have completed their title runs with a perfect set record.
132 years without a roof
For most of Wimbledon's history, play remained entirely dependent on the weather. Famous matches including Ivanišević's 2001 title triumph and the classic 2008 Federer-Nadal final were disrupted by rain delays. A retractable roof was finally installed above Centre Court in 2009, allowing play to continue regardless of conditions and reducing the risk of lengthy weather-related interruptions.
When Wimbledon was cancelled
Wimbledon has only been interrupted during three periods in its history: World War I (1915-1918), World War II (1940-1945) and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The most recent cancellation marked the first interruption to the tournament in 75 years.
Double-bagel finals in both Amateur and Open eras
A 6-0, 6-0 scoreline in a singles final is extremely uncommon, even more so in a Grand Slam. It has happened only three times in major history, and Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam to have produced double-bagel champions in both the Amateur and Open eras. The All England Club first witnessed the feat in 1911 when Dorothea Lambert Chambers defeated Dora Boothby, before Iga Świątek repeated it 114 years later with her victory over Amanda Anisimova.
MotoGP confirmed on Wednesday that MotorLand Aragon would remain on the calendar in 2027 before transitioning into a reserve circuit from 2028 onwards.
The announcement provided further clarity on the Aragon Grand Prix’s long-term future, with the Spanish venue becoming the latest circuit with a contract expiring in 2026 to resolve its status.
Earlier this year, the Australian Grand Prix secured its future through a move from Phillip Island to the Adelaide Street Circuit under a six-year agreement beginning in 2027.
Meanwhile, the futures of several established venues beyond the 2026 season remain unresolved, namely Silverstone, Sepang, Mugello, Portimao and Balaton Park.
Silverstone is home to the British Grand Prix and has hosted the event since 2010 following MotoGP's departure from Donington Park, while Sepang has staged every Malaysian Grand Prix since the circuit opened in 1999.
Mugello has hosted the Italian Grand Prix continuously since 1994 and remains one of the championship's most iconic venues, while Portimao’s Portuguese Grand Prix has been a regular fixture since returning during the COVID-19-affected 2020 season.
Lastly, there is uncertainty surrounding the Hungarian Grand Prix, which returned to MotoGP in 2025, but Spanish publication El Periodico reported that the Balaton Park Circuit could lose its place on next season's calendar.
Further announcements regarding the futures of these circuits are expected in the coming months.
Danial Frost will be part of a historic edition of the Road to Le Mans this week after organisers expanded the event into a three-hour endurance race for the first time.
The Michelin Le Mans Cup's showcase event traditionally featured two 55-minute sprint races as part of the build-up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but will instead be contested as a single three-hour race in 2026.
The Singaporean will share the No. 85 Duqueine D09 with French-Japanese driver Enzo Peugeot for R-ace GP at the event, which will be broadcast live on SPOTV NOW on June 12.
Frost and Peugeot arrive at the Circuit de la Sarthe in strong form after opening the season with victory in Barcelona and a runner-up finish at Paul Ricard to lead the LMP3 Drivers' Championship.
A strong result should further boost the duo's title hopes and extend their advantage over 23Events Racing's Giovanni Maschio and Colin Queen.
Roger Federer will return to the Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 25 as part of a special exhibition event during the 2026 US Open.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion will be joined by fellow tennis icons Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe, marking his first appearance at the tournament since 2019.
The Swiss great enjoyed some of the most memorable moments of his career in New York, including a run of five consecutive US Open titles between 2004 and 2008, a feat that remains unmatched in the Open Era.
"The US Open has always been one of the most special tournaments for me," Federer said.
"So many unforgettable moments of my career happened in New York, and Arthur Ashe Stadium is a place that means a great deal to me.
"I've missed being part of that atmosphere and feeling the incredible energy that the fans bring every year.
“To return to Arthur Ashe and share the evening with Andy, Andre and John makes it even more meaningful. I’m looking forward to celebrating those memories, seeing the fans again, and enjoying a very special night together.”
The 2026 US Open, live on SPOTV NOW, will take place from August 23 to September 13.
