Tennis star Dominic Thiem won his first-ever Grand Slam title on Sunday, after a thrilling five-set victory over Alexander Zverev that capped off a 2020 U.S. Open tournament like no other.
"It feels great," Thiem told Cheddar from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. "What happened last night was a match that had everything [including] huge, huge drama at the end. I think it was a super great finals."
After losing the first two sets to 23-year-old German phenom Zverev, Thiem battled back to win the next two sets and, ultimately, close out the fifth set in a tiebreaker.
Adjusting to playing in a pandemic, Thiem admitted that taking the court without fans in the stands was a "little bit sad."
"Fans just give amazing energy to us," he continued. "It's one of the nicest things an athlete can experience…to enjoy an atmosphere of 23,000 people in this nice Arthur Ashe Stadium, but it is what it is."
This victory is the first Grand Slam title won by any men's player that isn't named Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic since 2016, ending a dominant streak of 13 straight tournaments.
While Federer and Nadal chose to skip the tournament over coronavirus concerns, Djokovic was ejected from the U.S. Open when he inadvertently struck a lineswoman after hitting a ball in frustration towards the fence. He later profusely apologized for the incident.
"I think it's very good for men's tennis if there are fresh faces in the winning list of majors," Thiem said. "Younger players like us, I think we really have the potential to continue the story of what Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic started."
As for the celebration, the 27-year-old Austrian says he plans to fly back to Vienna to have a "big party" with family and friends, before looking ahead to the French Open set to begin on September 21.
"The French Open is one of my favorite tournaments," Thiem said, knowing the big three will be there to greet him. "Already now, I'm super pumped to play there."
James Comey's new book "A Higher Loyalty" officially hits stores on Tuesday, but juicy details are already leaking out. The former FBI Director likens President Trump to a mob boss in the book. Trump criticized Comey on Twitter on Friday, calling him an "untruthful slime ball." Comey will do an interview this Sunday ahead of the book's release.
President Trump issued an executive order late Thursday night calling for a review of the U.S. Postal Service. The president wants a task force to look into the financial troubles facing the USPS. In recent weeks, Trump has criticized Amazon for contributing to the USPS's financial downfall. Even though Trump didn't specifically mention Amazon in the executive order, it's implied that he wants the task force to look into his claims against the tech giant.
And Cheddar CEO Jon Steinberg sits down with two-time NBA all-star Baron Davis to chat about his life as a tech investor. He's the founder of Sports and Lifestyle in Culture, or SLIC, a company that features and promotes original content from athletes.
The 17-year-old Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast tells Cheddar she worries about limiting herself. The athlete is launching a new clothing line with JCPenney for tweens and teens and a children's book inspired by her Olympic journey.
Approximately 5 million people buy fake tickets every year from unofficial sources. Ticketmaster and the NFL want to combat that problem with a new digital ecosystem, says Greg Economou, Head of Sports for Ticketmaster North America.
The golfer defied all expectations to win his first major championship at the Masters in Augusta, Ga., over the weekend. "It was a dream come true," Reed told Cheddar Monday.
President Trump is stoking fears of a trade war with China yet again. On Thursday evening, Trump threatened more tariffs on China worth $100 billion dollars, on top of the tariffs Trump is already planning. China immediately fired back, saying the country will continue to meet Trump's tariff threats with counter-actions.
President Trump also made news when he finally broke his silence on the Stormy Daniels controversy. When asked by reporters if he knew about the payment by his lawyer to Daniels, Trump quickly said, "no." Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels' lawyer, said Trump denying knowledge of the payment is "a gift from the heavens."
Executives and fighters from the UFC were at the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell on Friday in celebration of the organization's 25th anniversary. Amanda Nunes, a UFC fighter, and Lawrence Epstein, the COO of the UFC, join us to weigh in on the milestone and preview the UFC 223 taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn this weekend. Epstein also commented on the arrest of UFC star Conor McGregor, saying McGregor's actions don't represent UFC's values.
Lawrence Epstein, COO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, says McGregor's actions are "not representative of who we are" and that there's the potential he's kicked out of the organization. The UFC lightweight fighter was arrested Thursday for stirring up a brawl in New York and attacking a bus of other UFC fighters, leaving two of them injured.
After years of turmoil, Tiger Woods is teeing up as a favorite to win the golf championship this weekend. It could be one of the greatest athletic comebacks in sporting history, says Charles Curtis, Writer at For The Win.
Paul Kermizian, the co-founder of the popular arcade bar, used to collect vintage games as a hobby. By combining that passion with his love of craft beer, he created a multi-location business.
Paul Kermizian, co-founder of the popular Barcade, says vintage games are like a "work of art." The arcade/bar combines 80s games, like Street Fighter and Pacman, with craft beer.
