Simon Briggs
@simonbriggs.bsky.social
Tennis correspondent and senior feature writer at Telegraph Media Group. Keen on crosswords, salsa dancing and shonky piano-playing
Bit of an off-beat one today. I'm telling the story of Jack Broughton, the man who came up with the first code of rules for bareknuckle boxing, and a big figure in the history of British sport www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2025/...
Step aside WG Grace, here is the real father of British sport
Bare-knuckle boxer Jack Broughton was the first man to create a set of agreed rules for his sport, beating cricket and golf to the punch
telegraph.co.uk
Memories of Boris Becker's 1985 Wimbledon sensation, from voices led by AELTC member Graeme Le Saux www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
‘It was more rock concert than tennis match’: When Boris Becker shook Wimbledon to its core
Forty years ago, an unknown 17-year-old took SW19 by storm. Four people who witnessed the impossible recall the generation-defining triumph
telegraph.co.uk
This piece with Pam Shriver about her turbulent marriage to George Lazenby was one of the most uplifting stories I have worked on www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
I divorced James Bond actor George Lazenby – now I care for him
Tennis great Pam Shriver writes about her renewed love for ex-husband, who has dementia, after a turbulent 25-year relationship
telegraph.co.uk
Highly recommend the new Roger Taylor autobiography - out next week - after reading it and interviewing the man himself for this piece www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
‘Wimbledon is like a cult’ says tennis great who nearly became James Bond
Roger Taylor may have been a 1970s tennis star with Hollywood looks, but a player strike in 1973 almost tore his world apart
telegraph.co.uk
Don't expect to see a Murray-Raducanu coaching deal any time soon. Petchey will be available full-time through the grass-court summer www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
Emma Raducanu lands Wimbledon coaching boost to end Andy Murray ‘dream team’ hopes
Exclusive: Former British No 1 Mark Petchey will be working alongside 2021 US Open champion for entire grass-court season
telegraph.co.uk
New data shows that padel participation figures have more than tripled in a year. Feels like 2024 was a tipping point www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/0...
Revealed: Remarkable numbers that show the padel boom is unlike anything else
Participation is rocketing to extraordinary levels thanks to accessibility and increasing visibility provided by celebrities
telegraph.co.uk
Tomorrow's VE Day anniversary prompted a wander down some historical byways. A piece on how Germany might be in the Six Nations, but for the war www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/...
Germany could be in Six Nations if it was not for Second World War
Victories against France and Italy almost paved way for place in European game’s top competition... but then global conflict intervened
telegraph.co.uk
A backgrounder on the Eubank family ahead of tomorrow night's clash between Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2025/...
Why Chris Eubank has turned his back on his son
Tragedies in 1991 and 2021 changed Eubank Snr and have influenced his fierce opposition to his son’s mega-fight with Conor Benn
telegraph.co.uk
A second lawsuit to shake up the tennis locker-room: the PTPA now claiming that the ATP are "coercing" players to sign documents "disavowing" Tuesday's class action www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
Novak Djokovic’s union accuses ATP of ‘coercion’ as legal battle heats up
Fresh lawsuit accuses senior officials of demanding players come out against original motion
telegraph.co.uk
BREAKING: the player union launched by Djokovic has brought a global lawsuit against the tennis tours. And how the influence of Donald Trump hangs in the background of the case www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
Djokovic-formed players union launches global revolt against ‘corrupt, illegal and abusive’ tours
Former Wimbledon doubles champion Vasek Pospisil one of five players to bring lawsuit, which is backed by PTPA
telegraph.co.uk
Sketching in some background around Jack Draper's Indian Wells explosion www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
The ‘all in’ moments that transformed Jack Draper into Britain’s biggest superstar since Andy Murray
British No 1 has worked on all facets of his game and Indian Wells victory is latest milestone in journey to the top
telegraph.co.uk
The conversation around Jack Draper is moving on from "Can he make the top ten?" - which is only one win away - to "Can he win a slam?" www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
Jack Draper can make the big three the big four
British No 1 is being tipped to break into top echelon featuring Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alzaraz, whom he faces on Saturday
telegraph.co.uk
Enjoyed writing about Agatha Christie and her tennis murder-mystery, Towards Zero. www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
The Wimbledon finalist who was convicted of grisly murder and inspired Agatha Christie
Towards Zero, newly dramatised by the BBC, has parallels with a tennis champion’s embroilment in the notorious Monte Carlo Trunk Murder
telegraph.co.uk
Interview with Aimee Gibson, who recently became the first Briton to earn a top-100 ranking in the equally fast-rising sport of padel www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/...
While Raducanu and Draper crumbled in Melbourne, GB padel had a day to remember
Aimee Gibson and Catherine Rose are two British padel players very much on the up as their tournament victory in Australia illustrates
telegraph.co.uk
Will 2025 be the year when padel breaks out of its giant perspex box and joins the mainstream (in Britain, anyway)? Report on the plans of financier/entrepreneur Jonathan Rowland and the players he has recruited to his team www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2025/0...
Padel’s bid to go mainstream – with David Beckham and Lando Norris eyed as team owners
Burgeoning sport has dozens of celebrity enthusiasts and now a finance mogul is looking to recruit them for a franchise league
telegraph.co.uk
Interesting chat with Jack Draper about everything from his work with alzheimerssoc.bsky.social to the real reason why he couldn't stop puking during his US Open semi-final www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/...
Alzheimer's Society (@alzheimerssoc.bsky.social)
We want a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. That’s why we give help to everyone living with dementia today, and hope for the future. Find us at https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
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Interview with Simona Halep, who provides the background to her recent angry Instagram post, and speaks about her fears and aspirations for the coming season www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2024/...
Simona Halep: It is very painful to be treated differently to Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner
Former world No 1, who served a nine-month ban, speaks out about the injustice she feels she faced compared with her fellow major champions
telegraph.co.uk
I spent the morning at the gym with David "Bumble" Lloyd and his bodybuilding son Ben. Happily, they didn't ask me to lift anything www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2024...
My day at the gym with Bumble and his bodybuilder son
Mutual affection between pair is charming to watch as Ben, who bears a close resemblance to his father, puts him through his paces
telegraph.co.uk
A first Bluesky post from me, and it's an interview with the former Question of Sport team as they prepare for an 11-date theatre tour in March www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11...
‘The BBC wanted a younger audience for A Question of Sport. We didn’t want to go’
Sue Barker, Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson speak about their feelings on being dropped from the long-running show, as they reunite for a tour
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