In a ceremony that brought tennis’ top players to Newport’s famous grounds, Maria Sharapova and doubles greats Bob and Mike Bryan were officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday, entering tennis immortality.
With the three new members, the Hall of Fame now has 270 legends from 28 different countries. Held for the first time on the eve of the U.S. Open, the event concluded a revamped three-day festival that featured unique programming and celebrity exhibitions.
Sharapova won five major singles titles over her nearly two-decade career, making her one of only ten women to complete a career Grand Slam. The Russian star added Wimbledon (2004), the U.S. Open (2006), the Australian Open (2008), and two French Open titles (2012, 2014) to her CV, becoming the first woman from her nation to reach the top of the world rankings in 2005.
Sharapova stated in her induction address, “I gave my life to tennis, and tennis gave me a life—what a remarkable life.” I am really appreciative of it.
The five-time major champion was introduced by tennis legend Serena Williams, who fought Sharapova throughout their careers.
According to Williams, what began as a rivalry developed into a great deal of respect. Friendship is what came out of respect. Maria left a lasting legacy in addition to winning matches.
With 16 major titles and the record for the most weeks at the top of the ATP doubles rankings (438), the Bryan Brothers dominated doubles tennis for almost 20 years. The twins had the most successful doubles partnership in ATP history, winning 119 tour titles together and finishing as the year-end No. 1 duo a record 10 times.
Together with Olympic medals in Beijing (bronze, 2008) and London (gold, 2012), they won the Davis Cup in 2007 and are still the only doubles pair to complete the Double Career Grand Slam.
According to Mike Bryan, no one succeeds in this sport by themselves. Every successful player has a village, and we are really fortunate to have a remarkable one.
Bob Bryan attributed their continued success to their collaboration.
“I had the world’s top player living across the hall for the majority of my career,” he remarked. For a long period, we maintained a high standard. Although it wasn’t always simple, we had one another.
A Hall of Fame Celebrity Pro Classic, live podcast recordings with Andy Roddick and Patrick McEnroe, and exclusive interviews with Stan Smith and Gigi Fernandez were all included in the induction ceremony.
The scheduling of the ceremony, which takes place the evening before the start of the U.S. Open, is a new custom for the annual induction weekend of the Hall of Fame.
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All images courtesy of What’sUpNewp/Louis Walker III
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Highest-rated wineries in Rhode Island by visitors
There are other places in the US to have a nice glass of wine than Napa Valley. Although wine enthusiasts no longer need to travel all the way to California for a satisfying winery experience, the state is nevertheless renowned as a top destination for wineries (and is also home to the award-winning bottle of Chardonnay that took first place at the Judgment of Paris competition in 1976). Actually, if you know where to search, you can now visit notable wineries in any state…
There are 11,499 wineries in the United States as of January 2025, which is a little decrease of roughly 1.6% from the 11,691 that were reported in early 2023. The U.S. wine sector currently supports or generates 1.75 million jobs, sustains 10,761 different wine-producing enterprises, and provides about $323.6 billion to the nation’s overall economic output, according to WineAmerica’s most recent 2025 Economic Impact Study.
How can a wine enthusiast determine whether a winery is worthwhile in such a thriving sector with so many options? The first factor that influences people’s decision to visit a vineyard is its location; if the winery is tucked away next to a large field of grapes that visitors may explore, it is probably locally sourced. The experience of tasting is equally crucial. Wineries will serve a variety of their wines by the glass or even offer tastings so patrons can purchase smaller amounts of each wine. Some vineyards even provide tours of their cellars, giving visitors an inside look at how they make their wines. The atmosphere is a major attraction, of course. That winery is most likely doing something right if it’s the type of venue where visitors feel compelled to share pictures on Instagram to make their pals envious.
So, how do you choose a winery that embodies some, if not all, of the qualities that make a vineyard the finest of the best?When wine time arrives, you won’t need to travel to Napa since Stacker has prepared a list of the best wineries in Rhode Island based on TripAdvisor ratings. Tripadvisor uses a multitude of criteria, such as total rating, reviews, and page views, to rank locations. Consequently, an activity that has a total rating of five out of five may be ranked lower than one that receives a rating of four out of five.
#9. Langworthy Farm Winery
Rating: 34 reviews, 3.7 out of 5.Western Washington County is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#8. Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery
4.7 out of 28 reviewsWestern Washington County is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#7. Leyden Farm Vineyard and Winery
Rating: 42 reviews, 4.2 out of 5.West Greenwich is the city. The County of WashingtonVisit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#6. Nickle Creek Vineyard
Score: 4.6 out of 39 reviewsCity: FosterVisit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#5. Verde Vineyards
4.8 out of 27 reviewsJohnston is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#4. Diamond Hill Vineyards
4.6 out of 5 stars (29 reviews)Cumberland is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#3. Greenvale Vineyards
4.0 out of 5 stars based on 130 reviewsPortsmouth is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#2. Sakonnet Vineyard
4.3 out of 211 reviewsCity: Little ComptonVisit TripAdvisor to learn more.
#1. Newport Vineyards
4.2 out of 564 reviewsMiddletown is the city.Visit TripAdvisor to learn more.
Wade Zhou provided data reporting for this story, which is part of a series that uses data automation across 45 states.
Newport community group draws record crowd to discuss local issues
More than 45 Newport residents ranging in age from their mid-teens to mid-90s gathered Monday for a community conversation event to discuss pressing local issues.
The World Caf discussion, co-hosted by RENEWport and Emmanuel Church, drew the largest crowd yet since the series began in April. Expert facilitator Gene Thompson-Grove guided participants through discussions on topics including affordable housing, education, healthcare, and youth programs.
My first time participating in the World Cafe sponsored by RENEWport was insightful and uplifting, said attendee Bonnie Watson. We all came from different walks of life. But we shared a common concern, building community and addressing its challenges.
The event featured a strong youth presence, with participants addressing questions such as What issues or causes matter most to you right now? and What would success look like six months from now if you worked with others starting today?
Fifteen-year-old Xavier said he really enjoyed the event and appreciated meeting so many likeminded people who really care about our community.
Attendee Jaylen O Neil noted that the people in the room listened to the visions of the youth in the room.
City Manager Colin Kennedy, City Council members Ellen Pinnock and Xay Khamsyvoravong, and former City Council member Angela Lima participated in the discussions.
Issues raised during the nonpartisan dialogue included preserving the birthing center at Newport Hospital, immigration, creating safe youth gathering spaces and launching a community kindness campaign.
Sue Sipprelle, co-president of RENEWport along with Pinnock, said the pair were delighted by the response to the three World Caf s that we have held and we look forward to putting some of the ideas raised at them into action.
The next RENEWport meetings are scheduled for Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon at Emmanuel Church, 42 Dearborn St. All are welcome and parking is available.
Tennis Hall of Fame induction celebration continues with Celebrity Pro Classic
The International Tennis Hall of Fame s 2025 Induction Celebration continued Friday with the Celebrity Pro Classic, featuring Hollywood stars teaming with tennis legends on Stadium Court.
Television stars Uzo Aduba, Hanna Berner and Angela Kinsey took the court with Hall of Famers Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and James Blake, along with Class of 2025 inductees Bob and Mike Bryan. The celebrities and tennis legends were mic d up while playing multiple matches of mixed doubles.
The event also featured special guest appearances on the concert stage from Maria Sharapova, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and other tennis luminaries. The Celebrity Pro Classic was part of Friday s Fame Fest & Food Truck Festival, which ran from noon to 6 p.m. at the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
The celebration concludes Saturday with additional Fame Fest activities from noon to 8 p.m., live podcast recordings with Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters, the formal Induction Ceremony at 6 p.m. on the Horseshoe Court, and a concert by Fitz and the Tantrums at 8 p.m.
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All photos by Louis Walker III / What sUpNewp.
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