Fourhand: Djokovic belly dances, Sharapova in magazine contest

Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova each have respective magazine-cover duties, and some observers wonder whether transgender icon Renee Richards, who played on the ATP World Tour before she joined the WTA, is advising Bruce Jenner, said to be transitioning to a female identity. That and more in our latest Fourhand:

HIPS DON'T LIE  Djokovic belly-danced this past week at a players' party ahead of the Dubai Duty Free Championships:

There's certainly precedent for the No. 1's rump-shaking, who did the same two years ago in Dubai—also in a white button-up and blue pants.

TAKE TWO  Djokovic appears in *Wall Street Journal Magazine* as its Men's Style issue's cover model. That's coupled with a great profile piece by Tom Perrotta. Too bad the "style" part of the deal doesn't amount to more than a few shots of the Djoker clad in Uniqlo in conventional athlete poses.

COVER GIRL  Not to be outdone, Sharapova's mug appears in the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) readers' choice contest in the "Entertainment and Celebrity" category, that for her 2014 cover for The Edit publication. As of press time, she's in third place behind Miley Cyrus (*W* magazine) and Kim Kardashian (that notorious *Paper* cover).

ICYMI  In case you missed that fittingly odd match point that Fabio Fognini won over Rafael Nadal in their Rio Open semifinal bout last week, which Fognini took by a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 count. (Suffice it to say, the WTA doesn't have a patent on "bipolar" score lines.)

BONUS Transgender WTA pioneer, Renee Richards, is now 80—and she's weighing in on decorated Olympian and reality-TV star Bruce Jenner's reported transition to living as a woman. "I wish Jenner well," Richards says of the 65-year-old Jenner. "I predict that in her new persona, she will do just fine."

Got a tip or a point to make? Hit me on Twitter at @jonscott9.