<keyword id="57201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="table-tennis" source="Orion">Table tennis</keyword> is enjoyed by kids and adults alike, and if you are beginning to play the game or play it for fun, you can start with basic racquets to play the game. These racquets should allow you to control the ball speed, and offer some spin to help you practice and learn the game. To help you buy a table tennis racquet for beginners, here are the best options available on Amazon. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="87992306" title="Best dumbbells to build muscles at home" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><bulletContentEmbed name="B00IM8FWP0" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00IM8FWP0_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb><div type="image" title="Editor’s Choice" msid="87992608" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00IM8FWP0</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00IM8FWP0_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00IM8FWP0_4115174629982868"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Stag 1 Star Table Tennis Playset</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Stag table tennis playset comes with two racquets and three TT balls. It is suitable for recreational purposes and can be used by beginners to learn the skills of the game. It claims to offer good control over the ball and average amount of spin and speed.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00IM8FWP0_6211008703265426"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Stag table tennis playset is an affordable set and a suitable choice for kids.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><bulletContentEmbed name="B00I7QXSEE" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00I7QXSEE_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb> <div type="image" title="Recommended" msid="87992618" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00I7QXSEE</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00I7QXSEE_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00I7QXSEE_3771501743068814"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">GKI Wood Kung Fu DX Table Tennis Racquet</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The GKI tennis racquet has an oval blade printed with the scene of table tennis sport. It is suitable for beginners and those looking to master the skills of the game. It should offer a comfortable grip for better control. The racquets also offer a decent amount of speed and spin that can give you an edge over your opponent in <keyword id="6374108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="games" source="Orion">games</keyword>.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00I7QXSEE_6489555401681778"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The GKI tennis racquet is sturdily built for recreational usage and should offer you durability.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed><bulletContentEmbed name="B00I7QXFTC" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00I7QXFTC_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb> <div type="image" title="Value for money" msid="87992628" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00I7QXFTC</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00I7QXFTC_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00I7QXFTC_5299235713868577"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">GKI Offensive Table Tennis Racquet</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The GKI table tennis racquet is said to be ideal for players looking to learn power shots. You should be able to deliver controlled shots with ease with this racquet. It claims to offer control and accuracy while playing. The ergonomic grip provides comfort and control while you play.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00I7QXFTC_1855656562899633"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The GKI table tennis racquet is made of good quality material that makes it long lasting.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B00QAOD41M" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B00QAOD41M_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb> <div type="image" title="Decent Choice" msid="87992645" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B00QAOD41M</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B00QAOD41M_body"><bulletContentRow name="B00QAOD41M_0054635449076865"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Stag Table Tennis Racquet</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Stag table tennis racquet is made of rubber which is approved from International Table Tennis Federation. While it does offer plenty of control while playing, the speed and spin are also decent with this racquet. It is suitable for beginners and players looking to learn defensive play in table tennis.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B00QAOD41M_9012000010244995"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Stag table tennis racquet should offer a comfortable firm grip.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed> <bulletContentEmbed name="B08DD3S7JJ" columns="1"><bulletContentHeading name="B08DD3S7JJ_head"><columnHead col="1"><columnHeadThumb> <div type="image" title="Alternative One" msid="87992646" hostid="261"></div></columnHeadThumb><columnHeadTitle>B08DD3S7JJ</columnHeadTitle></columnHead></bulletContentHeading><bulleteContentBody name="B08DD3S7JJ_body"><bulletContentRow name="B08DD3S7JJ_3010912752472696"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1">Sportneer table tennis set</bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Sportneer table tennis set is a suitable option for beginners and children as it comes with two racquets and four TT balls. It also has a bag for the set that should allow you to carry it on your travels. It has an ergonomic grip that should offer you good control while playing.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow><bulletContentRow name="B08DD3S7JJ_8486772800439231"><bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowHead col="1"></bulletContentRowHead></bulletContentRowHeading><bulletContentRowBody><bulletContentRowCell col="1">The Sportneer table tennis set claims to offer a good amount of spin and speed as well.</bulletContentRowCell></bulletContentRowBody></bulletContentRow></bulleteContentBody></bulletContentEmbed>

Best table tennis racquets for recreation in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Welcome back! The summer slowdown is ending, but don't let the ramp-up in work scare you. Work psychologists offered tips <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-work-life-balance-work-psychologists-2024-8">to improve your work/life balance</a>.In today's big story, a racquet sport that starts with "P" is gaining steam, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/padel-vs-pickleball-the-future-of-racket-sports-in-america-2024-8">but it's not the one you're thinking of</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: Some baby boomers say relying on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-savings-social-security-baby-boomers-without-savings-401k-poverty-2024-8">Social Security in retirement isn't enough</a>.</li><li>Tech: Silicon Valley is over the drama the presidential election <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-a-distraction-silicon-valley-wants-to-be-over-2024-8">is causing their industry</a>.</li><li>Tech: Silicon Valley is over the drama the presidential election <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-a-distraction-silicon-valley-wants-to-be-over-2024-8">is causing their industry</a>.</li></ul>But first, it's your serve.<hr />If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><hr /><h3 id="6bcf363e-bf84-4ecd-9575-694213758660">The big story</h3><h2 id="f4aea53a-331d-4ae1-9484-d2ab9fa5cd3e">You say pickleball; I say padel</h2><div type="image" title="padel" height="999" width="1500" msid="112812339" hostid="261" sizebytes="202656"></div>There's a new racquet sport on the block making noise, except this one's sound isn't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pickleball-court-noise-driving-us-all-crazy-scientists-trying-solution-2023-11">driving people crazy</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/padel-vs-pickleball-the-future-of-racket-sports-in-america-2024-8">Padel has gained steam this year</a> as a more active alternative to the widely popular pickleball, writes Business Insider's Kathleen Elkins, who's already been won over.Often described as a mix between tennis and squash, padel is played on a court smaller than tennis but bigger than pickleball. It's also surrounded by four glass walls with two openings, allowing players to chase shots outside the enclosure.The larger court and the ability to play balls off or outside the four walls mean the game requires a higher level of athleticism than the more stationary pickleball. (Settle down, pickleballers. Your game requires quicker reflexes.)While you might have heard of padel, there's a good chance you've never seen a court in person. The sport has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/padel-isnt-just-rich-people-pickleball-heres-the-difference-2024-5">dominated by the ultrawealthy</a>. Some elite have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/padel-courts-miami-new-york-luxury-real-estate-development-amenity-2023-12">built courts in their backyards</a> after catching the padel bug.There's even a debate over the <a target="_blank" href="https://thepadelstate.com/how-to-pronounce-padel-in-u-s/">correct pronunciation of padel</a>. While some opt for "paddle," others pronounce it "Pa-DEL," because the rich love nothing more than adding a bit of flair to what they are doing.<div type="image" title="Paddleball and Pickleball" height="1000" width="2000" msid="112812334" hostid="261" sizebytes="163142"></div>Padel has aspirations of growing beyond the 1% in the US and taking on pickleball.The sport is already incredibly popular in Spain and Argentina. And padel's quick learning curve has some believing it has the potential to get big in the US. (The one exception in the US is Miami, where it has already taken off.)But access to courts is arguably padel's biggest hurdle. Pickleball courts can really be set up anywhere, with four courts fitting inside one tennis court. Padel courts' size and walls don't offer the same luxury.The scarcity of courts makes padel cost prohibitive. One spot near Kathleen's apartment runs about $38 per person for a 90-minute session.But padel's exclusivity could be both its biggest limitation and greatest asset. After all, a status symbol doesn't remain one if everyone has it.Sports can be restrictive. Paying for a country club is just as much about getting in as it is about keeping others out. Take golf, long a darling of the wealthy. The pandemic led to a surge in the sport, taking away some of its exclusive shine (and crowding courses).It's not a zero-sum game. High-end padel courts could remain while more affordable options become available. But watching how the elite's interest in the sport evolves with mass adoption will be interesting.<hr /><h3 id="d2d5d122-8b50-4364-bd02-628ca3ea096e">News brief</h3><h2 id="ae0e22da-b15d-4327-aa2c-be97a35575de">Top headlines</h2><ul><li>Israel and Hezbollah exchange strikes as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hezbollah-exchange-fire-major-regional-escalation-2024-8">fears of an all-out war build</a>.</li><li>Harris is having a moment <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-momentum-trump-presidential-election-standing-2024-8">but Trump isn't out of the race yet</a>.</li><li>Telegram CEO Pavel Durov <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-french-airport-2024-8">arrested at French airport</a>.</li><li>An unprecedented legal move could let Trump <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-presidential-immunity-could-delay-hush-money-sentencing-legal-experts-2024-8">delay his hush-money sentencing</a> until after Election Day.</li><li>Why Black men's employment progress <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-men-employment-progress-hurt-incarceration-discrimination-work-experience-2024-8">is worse than it looks</a>.</li><li>SpaceX is launching 4 people on a risky mission to fly through radiation belts and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch-risky-polaris-dawn-mission-first-commercial-spacewalk-radiation-2024-8">do the first commercial spacewalk</a>.</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="a3af7e08-66a7-43bb-a848-426e253d9267">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Jerome Powell in a hard hat in front of. houses." height="600" width="1200" msid="112812333" hostid="261" sizebytes="60052"></div><ol><li>Don't get your hopes up about the housing market. Economists expect an interest-rate cut in September, which has big implications for housing. Although lower rates would likely boost construction, they could also boost demand — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buying-home-not-easier-interest-rate-cuts-prices-rent-crisis-2024-8">sending home prices soaring</a>.</li><li> Social Security isn't providing much security. More than 40 baby boomers spoke to BI about their financial struggles with retirement. Social Security, meanwhile, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-savings-social-security-baby-boomers-without-savings-401k-poverty-2024-8">isn't helping them stay out of poverty in their post-work years</a>.</li><li>Wall Street's bears haven't given up. From cracks in the job market to the Sahm Rule flashing, some strategists believe a recession is looming that could tank the market. Three experts share their bearish takes <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-crash-predictions-recession-warning-bears-roundup-jobs-decline-2024-8">on where they see things headed</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="c93a70d4-7f21-4ff6-8e90-f1a09fbcf494">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="A composite photo of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump" height="1080" width="1440" msid="112812336" hostid="261" sizebytes="91288"></div><ol><li>Politics-talk makes Silicon Valley a hot mess. Political advocacy used to be taboo in tech, but this year, VCs are getting vocal and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-a-distraction-silicon-valley-wants-to-be-over-2024-8">taking sides on the presidential election</a>. That's caused fighting between firms, annoyed partners, and a dealmaking slowdown.</li><li>Amazon uses this sales pitch to steal customers from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-aws-sales-guidelines-spread-doubt-about-openai-ai-capabilities-2024-8">Internal Amazon sales guidelines</a>, viewed by BI, instruct AWS salespeople to question OpenAI's security and customer support in pitches. They also takes digs at Microsoft and Google, telling salespeople to "cut through the hype" surrounding Microsoft's AI.</li><li>For promising young VCs, the path to partner is riddled with obstacles. Amid a funding slowdown for startups, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-investors-face-tougher-path-to-promotion-partner-2024-8">it's getting harder for junior VCs to level up</a>. Fewer deals mean they have fewer chances to prove themselves, and for some firms, the money to promote simply isn't there.</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="487ad29c-39be-4565-9039-d5a5e4da3429">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="Photo collage of a tissue box, thermometer, and pills." height="1500" width="2000" msid="112812337" hostid="261" sizebytes="89838"></div><ol><li> Generation Call-In-Sick. Americans are taking more sick days than they used to and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-sick-leave-pto-mental-health-work-from-home-2024-8">Gen Z is at the helm of the shift</a>. Despite just starting their careers, some are even taking sabbaticals. The trend highlights the work boundaries young workers are trying to establish early on.</li><li>RIP accountants. Fewer people than ever before are becoming accountants and it's putting the profession on the brink of extinction. The lack of accountants endangers the entire financial ecosystem — but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/accountant-shortage-sexy-taxes-business-school-pwc-kpmg-2024-8">rebranding America's most boring profession</a> is no easy feat.</li><li>A bleak outlook for "silver squatters." Gen X may be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirement-savings-crisis-gen-x-boomers-social-security-401k-pensions-2024-8">even less prepared for retirement</a> than boomers, wealth advisors say. A large cohort of adults in their mid-50s have less than $50,000 in retirement savings; many expect to work part-time or rely on family help after retiring.</li></ol><hr /><h2 id="c146218f-c309-47b9-9fd9-f3dafbaa69df">In other news</h2><ul><li>The return of the slur: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/return-of-slurs-in-left-liberal-language-2024-8">Canceled words are making a comeback on the left</a>.</li><li>It's a good time to get a deal on an EV <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ev-pile-up-dealer-lots-deals-discounts-leasing-2024-8">as they sit around on dealer lots</a>.</li><li>Tesla's AI supercomputer has a Silicon Valley town <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ai-data-center-electricity-demand-palo-alto-substation-2024-8">rushing to meet surging electricity demand</a>.</li><li>A necessary step or government overreach? <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-economic-plan-price-controls-gouging-food-inflation-election-2024-8">Economists are divided Kamala Harris' plan to clamp down on food inflation</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lucy-guo-left-scale-ai-itch-build-startup-passes-2024-8">Lucy Guo's second act</a>: After the 29-year-old left Scale AI, she has the 'itch to build' something new.</li><li>Your landlord might be using an algorithm to raise rent. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-ban-landlords-raising-rent-algorithms-realpage-2024-8">If Kamala Harris has her way, that could be banned</a>.</li><li>I'm quitting my job at a big tech company to travel. Hustle culture is overrated — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-job-travel-after-stress-burnout-at-big-tech-company-2024-8">I'm taking a year off</a>.</li><li>One of SpaceX's biggest rivals on competing with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-rival-rocket-lab-competing-elon-musk-no-interest-mars-2024-8">Elon Musk and the new space race</a>.</li><li>A product manager who switched from Snap to Meta walks through her interview practice, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-meta-product-manager-prepares-big-tech-interview-questions-manager-2024-8">including her favorite question to ask the hiring manager</a>.</li></ul><hr /><h2 id="0de6750e-3fbb-4e0b-b7af-3d558ad0e423">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>The US Open begins in New York.</li><li>Federal court hearing in the FTC's attempt to block Kroger's acquisition of Albertsons.</li></ul><hr />The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

The wealthy's new favorite sport is coming for pickleball's crown

It's Monday, reader. I want more time outside playing pickleball and California Dreamin' (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6acks-wQ1w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it's an Asian song btw. iykyk</a>). I miss my <a href="http://www.leifericsonpickleballclub.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Brooklyn pickleball community</a>, but hope to find a consistent place to play in San Diego.Maybe that officially makes me a woman in tech, because right now, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pickleball-popular-vcs-founders-investors-venture-2023-1">it's the hottest club in the industry.</a>I used to play tennis competitively, but I have so much more fun with pickleball. It's more social with its emphasis on doubles. The intense, short games make great stress relief. And it feels approachable with a drop-in play style. These factors also build the perfect conditions for chill tech networking.So if you work in tech, let's stop meeting over coffee and chat while <a href="https://pickleballkitchen.com/dinking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dinking</a> instead. But before we hit the courts, let's dive into today's tech.<hr />If this was forwarded to you, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-in-tech">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app <a href="https://link.insider.com/click/27645591.160803/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5zaWRlci5jb20vYXBwP25yX2VtYWlsX3JlZmVyZXI9MSZ1dG1fc291cmNlPVNhaWx0aHJ1JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9T3BlbmluZ19iZWxs/62667762063d6b9bef0cffb3Bf9c9aa56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a><hr /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pickleball-popular-vcs-founders-investors-venture-2023-1"></a>1. VCs are dropping their golf clubs and tennis racquets for pickleball paddles. Of course I understand why. But let's hear it from VCs directly:<ul><li>Rather than hosting a networking event at a bar or restaurant, a venture capital firm tried holding a pickleball tournament instead. To their surprise, it caught the interest of other VCs, founders, executives, and a trove of techies.</li><li>Venture capital has long been associated with "high-brow" sports like tennis and golf. But pickleball's accessibility — in terms of both cost and athletic ability — means a wider array of people are able to play it.</li><li>These low barriers of entry, plus its social nature, make pickleball perfect for networking. With four players on a <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/badminton-court-size-dimension-measurement-length-width-net-height-service-line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">badminton-sized court</a>, it's the perfect setting to develop more personal relationships within professional communities.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pickleball-popular-vcs-founders-investors-venture-2023-1">Read more about why pickleball is so popular within tech.</a><hr />In other news:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twitter-tesla-wall-street-distraction-2023-1"></a><div type="image" title="An image of new Twitter owner Elon Musk is seen surrounded by Twitter logos in this photo illustration." height="3850" width="5134" msid="97446736" hostid="261" sizebytes="273648"></div>2. Elon Musk says Twitter drama has only helped Tesla. But Wall Street isn't so sure. No matter what Musk says, the numbers show a different story, my teammate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/asia-martin">Asia Martin</a> reports. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-twitter-tesla-wall-street-distraction-2023-1">This is the reality of Musk's split Twitter-Tesla world.</a>3. Leaked Shopify memos show its major leadership shakeup continues. On the tail of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-lays-off-engineering-vps-amid-meetings-slack-changes-2023-1">two VPs suddenly being laid off</a>, the CTO is also headed out — and he won't be replaced. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-ceo-tobi-lutke-leaked-memo-announces-cto-departure-2023-1">Read the leaked announcement in full here.</a> Bonus: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-cto-writes-memo-explaining-departure-offering-advice-2023-1">Check out the departing CTO's leaked farewell message here.</a>4. Here's how to survive in-person work (AKA your guide to time theft). 30-minute ping pong sessions. 15-minute snack breaks. 30-minute bathroom trips. (They forgot my favorite — taking social laps around the newsroom). <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktokers-explain-how-to-waste-time-at-office-jobs-2023-1">This is how to make it to 5 p.m.</a>5. Bed Bath &amp; Beyond "missed the boat" for the internet. The retailer's founders told WSJ that they "missed the boat on the internet." Other companies adopted in-store pick up and delivery options, but Bed Bath &amp; Beyond was much slower to do so. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bed-bath-and-beyond-founders-we-missed-the-boat-internet-2023-1">Sail away with the company here.</a>6. Amazon is going to start charging Prime members for grocery delivery. The e-commerce giant announced plans to start charging as much as $10 for all grocery deliveries under $150. It claims the new fee is designed to help keep other prices low. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fresh-charging-delivery-fees-grocery-orders-under-150-dollars-2023-1">More on the changes here.</a>7. Automakers are ready to hire laid off tech workers. Car companies are keen for tech talent. And now is the perfect time to swoop them up after the troves of layoffs. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-layoffs-workers-jobs-careers-hiring-auto-industry-2023-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grab the front wheel of this hiring trend here.</a>8. We asked ChatGPT to write a Buzzfeed-style listicle. The CEO announced that it would outsource listicle writing to generative AI. So we asked ChatGPT to make a list of "10 things that are better in other countries compared to the US." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chatgpt-listicle-buzzfeed-stylel-ai-openai-meta-deal-2023-1">Check out its pretty nuanced list here.</a><hr />Odds and ends:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cheapest-electric-cars-affordable-toyota-chevy-hyundai-kia-nissan-tesla-2023-1"></a><div type="image" title="The 2023 Kia Niro EV." height="1666" width="2222" msid="97446737" hostid="261" sizebytes="392756"></div>9. These are the most affordable electric cars you can buy this year. Going electric can get pricey. But with more EVs available now than ever, more lower priced options like the Chevrolet Bolt are also on the market. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cheapest-electric-cars-affordable-toyota-chevy-hyundai-kia-nissan-tesla-2023-1">Check them out here.</a>10. The double life of an FBI spy hunter. Charles McGonigal was charged with money laundering, taking money from Russians, and other offenses. Insider got an exclusive look at his cash-fueled double life. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/charles-mcgonigal-fbi-indictment-allison-guerriero-russia-deripaska-spies-nypd-giuliani-2023-1">Go behind-the-scenes here.</a><hr />What we're watching today:<ul><li>It's <a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/3ohs4eHmpcWrs51RzG/giphy.gif" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bubble wrap appreciation</a> (or irritation) day.</li><li>Happy birthday, Kid Cudi. Hope your <a href="https://genius.com/Kid-cudi-pursuit-of-happiness-steve-aoki-remix-lyrics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pursuit of Happiness</a> is a success!</li><li><a href="http://english.sse.com.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese stock exchange reopens</a> after pausing for the Lunar New Year.</li></ul><hr />Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email <a href="mailto:dsiu@insider.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dsiu@insider.com</a> or tweet <a href="http://www.twitter.com/diamondnagasiu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@diamondnagasiu</a>) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/gamoid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@gamoid</a>) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/hallam_bullock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@hallam_bullock</a>) in London.

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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Serena Williams announced she'll be retiring after this year's US Open.</li><li>The legendary athlete has cemented her name as one of the most successful tennis players of all time.</li></ul>Legendary tennis star Serena Williams has announced she is exiting the court. She leaves behind a legacy that will be felt by women and Black athletes for generations to come.On Tuesday, August 9, Willams <a href="https://www.insider.com/serena-williams-retirement-from-tennis-US-Open-2022-8">announced that she'll be retiring</a> after this year's US Open, which is taking place later this month. In <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words">a column for Vogue</a>, the legendary tennis star said she made the decision to focus on her family life and work on her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures."I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me," Williams said.Williams has cemented her name as one of the most successful tennis players, and one of the most successful professional athletes, of all time. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has been the face of tennis since winning her first US Open in 1999.On top of her historic wins, Williams has been a powerful advocate for increasing racial and gender representation both on and off the courts."I don't particularly like to think about my legacy. I get asked about it a lot, and I never know exactly what to say," Williams said in her Vogue column. "But I'd like to think that thanks to opportunities afforded to me, women athletes feel that they can be themselves on the court. They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can be strong yet beautiful. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all."<h2>Changing the face of tennis and women's sports</h2>Alongside her sister Venus, Williams has been widely credited with fostering diversity in tennis and women's sports.The tipping point for women's professional tennis didn't come until 1970, when women tennis players banded together to <a href="https://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2020-03-08/hot_shots_tennis_stars_commemorate_international_womens_day.html">protest the stark disparity</a> in championship prizes for men and women.Even then, tennis was a mostly-white sport in the 1980s and 90s due to barriers like dress codes and high club fees. <div type="image" title="Tennis playing sisters Serena and Venus Williams are ready for action on first day of the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens." height="1327" width="1770" msid="93483440" hostid="261"></div>When Williams won the 1999 US Open championship, she became the first Black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a Grand Slam singles title. She's since gathered a dazzling array of wins, and holds the most combined major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles among all active players."We changed it from being two great Black champions to being the best ever, period. And that's what we did. We took out color and we became the best," Williams <a href="https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1499823108840214534?lang=en">told</a> CNN's Christiane Amanpour.<h2>Battling racist attacks</h2>As one of the leading Black athletes in tennis, Williams has faced a slew of racist incidents and remarks throughout her career.In the beginning of Williams' professional career, commentators like John McEnroe and Mary Carillo frequently discussed the hair beads she and her sister wore on court, describing them as "noisy and disruptive." Some scholars have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723504264411">said</a> the commentary served to "other" the sisters in a white-dominated sport.During the Indian Wells tournament final in California in 2001, the crowd <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32655164/serena-williams-haunted-booing-jeers-indian-wells-tennis-tournament-2001">booed</a> Williams, Venus, and their father Richard, yelling racial slurs and accusing Williams of "match-fixing."In 2018, Australian newspaper the Herald Sun <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/serena-williams-cartoon-angry-baby-us-open-herald-sun-2018-9">published a cartoon</a> of Williams that many decried as racist. And a Romanian TV-show host said in 2019 that Williams <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/serena-williams-called-monkey-by-romanian-tv-show-host-2019-9">looked like</a> "one of those monkeys at the zoo with the red asses."Others have also condemned <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090709162516/http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/story/9757816/Serena-could-be-the-best-ever,-but-">commentary</a> and <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2246293/Serena-Williams-dismisses-claims-fellow-tennis-player-Caroline-Wozniacki-did-racist-impression-says-mock-way-again.html">mockery</a> of Williams' physique as racist.<h2>Fierce advocate for equality</h2>In the face of the discrimination she's faced throughout her career, Williams has been a fierce advocate for gender and racial equality in sports.Williams has pushed for equal pay, <a href="https://www.si.com/tennis/2017/07/31/serena-williams-how-black-women-can-close-pay-gap">pointing out</a> that "Black women earn 17% less than their white female counterparts and that Black women are paid 63% of the dollars men are paid."When Williams won Wimbledon in 2007, she <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/venus-williams-mother-tennis-pay-equality-1235256520/">became</a> the first woman to be paid equally to her male counterpart, Roger Federer.The Williams sisters have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/venus-serena-williams-cut-ribbon-on-18m-renovations-at-southeast-tennis-center/2014/11/07/7f90e1cc-66e0-11e4-ab86-46000e1d0035_story.html">championed</a> the $18 million renovations of a tennis center in a low-income neighborhood in DC.Many young Black athletes have followed the paths paved by the Williams sisters. Tennis players like <a href="https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Serena_Williams/103388/naomi-osaka-i-started-playing-because-of-serena-williams-she-has-built-champions/">Naomi Osaka</a>, Grand Slam champion <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/09/sloane-stephens-venus-williams-us-open">Sloane Stephens</a>, and teen up-and-comer <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/29739813/teen-comer-robin-montgomery-make-most-us-open-wild-card">Robin Montgomery</a> have all cited Williams as their inspiration.According to an analysis by <a href="https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/recent-surge-in-tennis-participation-outpacing-all-other-racquet.html">Sports Marketing Surveys</a>, participation among Black tennis players increased by 44% between 2019 and 2021, from 1.6 million to 2.3 million."Countless individuals picked up a racquet because they saw what she did on the court and wanted to be like Serena," Marisa Grimes, chief diversity &amp; inclusion officer at the United States Tennis Association, told Insider over email.<div type="image" title="Naomi Osaka of Japan shakes hands with Serena Williams of the United States in their Women’s Singles Semifinals match during day 11 of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 18, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia." height="3200" width="4266" msid="93483444" hostid="261"></div>This growth is <a href="https://andscape.com/features/where-are-the-black-men-in-tennis/">more evident</a> in women's tennis than in men's. According to Martin Blackman, general manager of player development at USTA, about 15% of Black girls and just 5 to 7% of Black boys participated at USTA tennis camps, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/sports/tennis/us-open-black-players-serena-venus-williams.html">reported</a> in 2020.A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/record-number-black-women-playing-us-open-2020-9">record number of Black women</a> represented America in the 2020 US Open's single draw.Grimes said the spike in Black female tennis players can be attributed to Williams."She undeniably revolutionized women's tennis, and gave so many women and girls, especially those within the Black community, a powerful representation of what it looks like to rise above adversity, fight for what you believe, and be a champion," Grimes said.

Serena Williams is retiring. Her legendary career will have changed tennis forever, from increasing Black representation on the courts to equal pay.

<ul><li>Snapdeal added 6 million new buyers on its platform during the pandemic.</li><li>Its recent 5-day sale kicked-off on October 16 and ended on October 20. </li><li>Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal tells us some of the trends the platform saw during its pre-Diwali sale, its plan to go deeper into Bharat and USPs that helped it stand out in the clutter of online sales. </li></ul>Indian consumers have always been value-conscious, who take pride in their haggling skills and with the pandemic, buyers are expecting greater value for their spends. Therefore, e-commerce player Snapdeal’s sale, which took place between October 16 to 20, focused on offering ‘Kum Mein Dum Diwali,’ i.e., value deals for lesser money. According to Snapdeal, less than 5% percent of retail is online and during this on-going <keyword id="36208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season">festive season</keyword>, the platform’s aim is to bring more users online and give them strong reasons to switch. Snapdeal observed that consumers weren’t willing to buy premium brands this year and wanted to access the online platforms in their regional language. So, as other e-commerce platforms offered premium brands at a discounted price, Snapdeal wanted to make online shopping more inclusive for buyers across India. It focused more on non-metro cities, which is a market with potential 400 million users and shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal among many others. Ahead of the sale, Snapdeal added 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into Bharat, areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders. It also updated its user interface by adding eight languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi. As a result, 70% of its orders were received by sellers located beyond the top 5 metropolitan areas of the country and 90% of its orders were placed from non-metro cities. We caught up with Rajnish Wahi, Senior Vice President, Snapdeal to further understand some of trends that the platform saw during its sale. Excerpts: Q. The role of engagement and communication has never been more important, especially in today’s digital-first world. How are you making sure your communication during this year's sale is relevant to consumers? Snapdeal is sharply focused on catering to the value-conscious consumers, who see e-commerce as the connecting link between their aspirations, access and affordability. Our theme for this year’s festive sale - “Kum Mein Dum Diwali '' clearly communicates our core message - your shopping rupee has more value this year. As part of our sale preparations, we had conducted a survey of nearly 1.25 Lakh users and one of the key insights was user unwillingness to pay for brand premiums this year and instead focus on the functional value of their purchases. Based on these inputs, the festive assortment was expanded in a focused manner by on-boarding additional sellers for popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc. Shaping our sale offers around the clearly-stated expectations of our customers and conveying the same unambiguously through our festive promotions and digital marketing is the sum and substance of our festive communication. Q. This year is different. People have been observed to be judicious in spending. How has the consumer sentiment improved? While 2020 has been a volatile year, we see that there are many tailwinds that are propelling our business. The pandemic has resulted in redistribution of demand between offline and online channels, with online gaining share due to its inherent advantages of reach, convenience, large assortment and safety of buying from home. It has also accelerated the familiarity and acceptance of e-commerce amongst new buyers. With the pandemic, consumers have become more price conscious and are likely to opt for lesser-priced products, while not compromising on their quality expectations. Given all of this, we have seen two sets of buyers come on Snapdeal - one which is trading up to a better assortment and one that is trading down and opting for better functional value instead of big brands. In fact, we have added 6 million new buyers on our platform in the pandemic. We are witnessing the return of enthusiasm for festivities and it is also apparent that online channels will be a preferred medium for a larger number of buyers this year. But it will also be different this year, as more people will be price conscious and will look to spend on quality products that suit their price sensibilities. In a way, Snapdeal’s “Kum Me Dum” focus is about “offering more choices at price points better than last year”, especially for popular categories like home &amp; fashion, which has been made possible by year-long focus on expanding our value selection. Q. With the on-going festive season, many other platforms will have their Sales days too. How do you then cut the clutter and make sure you win consumers? How will you be different from the other players in the segment? Snapdeal is synonymous with value e-commerce. While others in the industry are now starting to build a value segment, we at Snapdeal have been focused on “only value” for the last three years. While other platforms are making efforts to sell branded items at discounted prices, these are still not affordable for a majority of the buyers in the country. On the other hand, we are focussed on bringing the depth and diversity of India's bazaars &amp; markets to the doorsteps of our users. On Snapdeal, buyers find endless varieties of regional and local brands that not only serve their needs, but also offer immense value at affordable prices. The result of our “Kum Mein Dum” Diwali sale bears testimony to this - more than 80% of Snapdeal’s Diwali shoppers chose to buy regional &amp; local brands on Snapdeal. The strong growth of lesser-known brands relative to national/international brands has been because of two key reasons: increased choice and a substantial price difference. Our value-focused positioning runs consistently through our selection and communication and is one the reasons why 90% of our orders flow from non-metros cities and towns across the country. Q. What are some of the other trends you are expecting to see this festive? Our first sales results are out and are reflective of how close the lives of users revolve around their homes. The sale in the home products category has grown by 30% over last year and has become the largest category on Snapdeal this year, overtaking the fashion category, which has traditionally been the top-performer at Snapdeal. The growth in the home category is propelled by popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed &amp; bath,decor,cleaning equipment, lighting and comforters &amp; blankets etc. This growth in the fitness category reflects the extra time that people have on their hands and also underscores heightened awareness about personal health &amp; fitness. This category has grown by 45% over last year led by gym essentials like tummy trimmers, push-up bars, wrist supports, fitness gloves, hand grip strengtheners etc. Users buying sports equipment like badminton racquets &amp; cricket sets and weighing machines are also strong consumer trends. While the fashion category has also grown from previous years in terms of shipped units, the growth is less than other higher-performing categories. In the fashion category, there is an increased spending on kidswear in the festive season. . Among popular picks in Snapdeal’s Diwali sale are men’s &amp; women’s grooming products, nutritional supplements, religious items (prayer books, temples accessories etc). With the deterioration of air quality in North India, the sale of N95 masks, air-purifier filters, anti-pollution skincare items, skin moisturisers, lip balms has also increased. Snapdeal also witnessed an increase in gifting via e-commerce early in this festive season. The range of festivals starting with Karva Chauth and followed by Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj and Chhath Puja have become important gifting occasions for users in various parts of the country. While in the previous years, shoppers used e-commerce channels to buy and ship to families &amp; friends in other cities, this year many shoppers in metro cities are also sending gifts to people living in the same cities. This year gift cards have also been hugely popular among people to send to their friends and family, with a 3X surge in orders as compared to the festive sale last year. These included gift cards of travel, entertainment, food and retail brands which were upto 30% off. Q. How are you working towards improving the overall consumer experience? E-Commerce in India has grown beyond the first 100 Mn largely urban, English-speaking users. A market of potentially 400 Mn users is now emerging across India’s smaller non-metro cities. This is a very diverse cohort in terms of languages spoken, literacy levels, frequency of online purchases and familiarity with technology. A large part of Snapdeal’s existing user base and new users come from this cohort and all our focus and efforts are on building the right experience that our users want. That means we work tirelessly to give them a wide array of products to choose from, and at just the right prices they are looking to spend. We also make it easy in many other ways for users to buy on Snapdeal. This includes providing interfaces on our app &amp; m-site in eight Indian languages, so that they can browse through products &amp; transact in a language of their choice. We also enable conversation with our customer service agents in multiple Indian languages. Transaction and promotional messages all are available in many Indian languages. Some other ways, in which we support our users to buy is by helping them make well-informed choices through short 10-second product videos which are far more captivating and help buyers to make decisions faster than static pictures of the products concerned, easy 7-days return, no questions asked refunds policy. We are the only platform that provides uninterrupted access to cash-on-delivery option even during the turbulent early days of pandemic lockdowns. Q. Which are your strongest markets currently? How are you planning to strengthen your presence in other markets? We have a strong pan India presence. During the current sale and consistent with Snapdeal’s positioning, more than 90% of Snapdeal’s orders were placed from non-metro cities. Populous cities like Nagpur, Vijayawada, Surat, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Patna, Guwahati and others continued to drive orders on Snapdeal, but smaller cities like Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Raniganj &amp; Durgapur (West Bengal), Patiala &amp; Gurdaspur (Punjab), Anand, Bharuch, Una, (Gujarat), Miryalaguda (Andhra Pradesh) and Bhimavaram (Telangana) also clock impressive order volumes. With our recent network expansion, Snapdeal has also shipped orders to rural places like Palasner in Maharashtra, Abdasa in Gujarat, Kalsi in Uttarakhand, Chitkul in Himachal amidst many others. Q. What are your current MAUs? More than 70 million users visit Snapdeal every month to browse and buy from our vast catalogue of 220 million plus listings. Q. What kind of target have you set for this year's sale? Do you anticipate people to buy more, considering a lot of people might have pushed buying things for the festive season? What kind of numbers do you aim to reach this year? Less than five percent of retail is online, which is an incredibly small penetration number. In our view, Diwali or not, our job to bring more buying options for our users doesn’t change. Diwali does serve as a milestone to accelerate some of our related initiatives or build virtual infrastructure to connect the dots between demand and supply in our country. This year, ahead of the festive season, we on-boarded additional sellers of popular products like kitchen appliances, kitchenware, bed linen, apparel, footwear and fashion accessories like watches, wallets, etc., as indicated by our users in a survey. In the run-up to Diwali, Snapdeal also on-boarded 5000 manufacturer-sellers who sell products like water purifiers, choppers &amp; blenders, steel &amp; copper utensils, crockery items, bedsheets, quilts, geysers, etc directly from their manufacturing units. This year, we knew more and more people would be buying online and ahead of the sale, and expanded our network to add 1300 new pin codes to go deeper into areas which were previously unserviceable or where users were compelled to travel to nearby towns to collect their orders, reaching out to 50 million additional users. Today, we are India's leading value-focused marketplace with more than 500,000 registered sellers and we cover 27000 + pin code areas across the length and breadth of the country.

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