Gracie Gold’s evolving friendship with Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, Gracie Gold
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The friendship between Gracie Gold and Taylor Swift was sparked with this tweet:

Gold, who had just won Olympic bronze in the Sochi team event, reacted on Twitter with what almost any teenager would say. “Is this real life?!!”

Gold, now 19, said she noticed a couple of days after Swift’s original tweet that the singer followed her on Twitter.

“I was, of course, already following her,” Gold said of Swift on Tuesday.

Gold sent a direct message to Swift, thanking her for the tweet and the follow.

“You’re essentially my hero and music idol,” Gold says now.

One DM led to another, and Swift sent Gold her phone number. They began texting. Both Californians, they went out to dinner. They baked cookies at Swift’s home in New York. Swift visited Gold and other Olympic skaters at the Stars on Ice tour.

“It’s kind of surreal, because it’s Taylor Swift, like the No. 1 female of 2014 with ‘1989,’” Gold said, referencing Swift’s latest chart-topping album.

Last Thursday, Swift texted Gold, inviting her on a group day trip to Santa Catalina Island, just off the California coast.

“I said, duh, of course I’d love to,” said Gold, who was free after a morning skating session in preparation for the U.S. Championships next week.

They yachted, ate lunch and had ice cream cones. Then they went back to Los Angeles to hang out.

“It was just one of those whimsical things,” Gold said. “Just a casual text from Taylor Swift, no biggie.”

Ashley Wagner, unshaken by 2014, out to reclaim U.S. title

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

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At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

Main draw play began Sunday, live on Peacock.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her most recent match with a right thigh injury last week and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

French Open Men's Draw
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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

Main draw play began Sunday, live on Peacock.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, who lost in the French Open first round in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, is improved on clay. He won the Italian Open, the last top-level clay event before the French Open, and is the No. 2 seed ahead of Djokovic.

No. 9 Taylor Fritz, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 16 Tommy Paul are the highest-seeded Americans, all looking to become the first U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003. Since then, five different American men combined to make the fourth round on eight occasions.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw French Open Men's Singles Draw