Rafael Nadal's Australian Open defence ends in the second round
Rafael Nadal's defence of his Australian Open title ended in injury and defeat by American Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
France Sport News
Ailing Nadal bows out of Australian Open, rain causes havoc
MELBOURNE : Rafa Nadal's Australian Open title defence lay in ruins on Wednesday after an injury-plagued defeat that shook up the men's draw, even as rain wreaked further scheduling havoc at Melbourne Park on day three.
Ailing defending champion Rafael Nadal bows out of Australian Open
Nadal's elimination shakes up the men's draw and puts a twist in the Grand Slam titles race, with nine-times champion Novak Djokovic able to draw level with the Spaniard's 22 major championships should he take a 10th crown at Melbourne Park.Nadal appeared to suffer a strain in his left hip area while running for a backhand deep in the second set at Rod Laver Arena and after receiving attention from a trainer he took an off-court medical time-out when trailing 6-4, 5-3.
Saudi businessman wins Ronaldo-Messi ticket with $2.6m bid
Riyadh: A Saudi real estate mogul won a ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off in a friendly after bidding $2.6 million at auction, an official said Tuesday. The match on Thursday in Riyadh is set to pit Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain against a select side made up of players from Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal. It will mark the first time Ronaldo has played any football in the kingdom since signing a contract with Al Nassr that runs until 2025 and is worth more than 200 million euros ($214 million), according to sources close to the club. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is scheduled to make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr on Sunday. To promote Thursday’s friendly, Turki Al-Sheikh, an adviser at the Royal Court and head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced a charity auction for a special ticket that would come with perks like photo opportunities with players and access to the locker rooms. Bidding started at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000) and the auction closed at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Stormers defence needs to be on point against Clermont, says midfield linchpin Nel
Following his return from injury, Ruhan Nel has excelled for the Stormers at outside centre in their recent United Rugby Championship (URC) and Champions Cup clashes.
Gunnarsdottir wins FIFA claim against Lyon on pregnancy pay
French club Lyon were ordered by FIFA to compensate former player Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir for an effective pay cut during her pregnancy. The 32-year-old on Tuesday hailed the ruling as a guarantee of financial security for all female players, in an open letter published in The Players' Tribune. Global players' union FIFPro also hailed what they called "a landmark ruling", a decision passed down by the FIFA football tribunal in May 2022. Lyon, record eight-time Women's Champions League winners, put Gunnarsdottir on maternity leave in 2021. FIFA said clubs must pay pregnant players their full salary and ruled against Lyon. Gunnarsdottir joined from Wolfsburg in 2020. She helped Lyon win the French title and also scored in their Champions League final win over Wolfsburg.
Injured Woki omitted from France Six Nations squad as Cros, Willemse return
PARIS: France forward Cameron Woki, who fractured his hand last weekend, was left out of the country's Six Nations squad as head coach Fabien Galthie named his 42 players on Tuesday.