Coco Gauff’s support team accused of ‘mind games’ by Belinda Bencic
Coco Gauff’s team were accused of mind games in a testy exchange between the defending champion and opponent Belinda Bencic at the China Open.
Belinda Bencic Sport News
Bencic leads Switzerland past Belgium into United Cup final
(Corrects by removing erroneous reference to Sunday's final being moved forward in paragraph 6)
Gauff leads US past Greece into United Cup semis, Swiss edge Argentina
Jan 7 : The U.S. reached the semi-finals of the United Cup mixed team tournament after beating Greece 2-1 in Perth on Wednesday, as Coco Gauff defeated Maria Sakkari before returning to clinch victory for the defending champions in the doubles.
Wawrinka uncertain about Australian Open wildcard in final year
Jan 4 : Former Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka is unsure whether he will receive a wildcard for what would be his final appearance at Melbourne Park before retiring at the end of 2026.
Sabalenka named WTA Player of the Year for second straight season
Dec 15 : World number one Aryna Sabalenka has been named WTA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after spending the entire year at the top of the rankings, the governing body of women's tennis announced on Monday.
Marcos Leonardo strike sees Al-Hilal edge Al-Shabab in SPL
RIYADH: Marcos Leonardo’s first-half goal secured a narrow 1-0 win for Al-Hilal over Al-Shabab, lifting them to second in the Saudi Pro League table.
Premier League confirms only one Boxing Day game amid scheduling issues
MANCHESTER: The Premier League has announced that this season will feature just one match on Boxing Day, breaking from the tradition of a full slate of festive fixtures that fans have long enjoyed. Manchester United host Newcastle United in the lone game, for the fewest top-flight fixtures in 43 years on Boxing Day, which falls on a Friday this year. In a statement, the League cited mounting scheduling pressures linked to the expansion of European club competitions as the key reason for the change. “There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” the League said. The adjustments have left the Premier League operating as a 33-weekend competition, which is fewer than in previous years, despite maintaining its 380-match format since 1995. The League broadcasting deals mean matches must be scheduled on those weekends each season. With only five rounds of midweek games included, matches must be played on December 27-28. “With fewer weekends available, fixture planning has become increasingly constrained,” the League said.
Turkish football suspends 149 referees accused of betting
ISTANBUL: The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Friday suspended 149 referees accused of betting on matches. The TFF said in a statement that its disciplinary committee had handed out suspensions ranging from eight to 12 months, adding that investigations are continuing into three other referees. An investigation by the federation into 571 referees in the Turkish professional leagues revealed on Monday that 371 of them had sports betting accounts and 152 were actively betting. “Refereeing is a profession of honor,” said TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu on Thursday.” “Anyone who tarnishes that honor...will never again be involved in Turkish football,“ The TFF said on Monday that 22 of the officials (seven match referees and 15 assistants) work in the top league. Ten of the referees listed by the TFF placed more than 10,000 bets, with one of them alone placing 18,227 bets.
New Juve manager Spalletti eyes Scudetto
“Of course, I hope this team can still get involved in the title race,” he said“Only nine matches have been played; there are still 29 left to play. That’s a lot of matches”ROME: New Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti said on Friday that his seventh-placed team are capable of challenging for the Sere A title.“Of course, I hope this team can still get involved in the title race,” he said Friday, on the eve of Juve’s game at Cremonese.Spalletti, who succeeds the sacked Igor Tudor, added: “As we discussed with the players on Thursday, we must aim for the highest.“And the highest is the Scudetto.“Only nine matches have been played; there are still 29 left to play.