Charles Leclerc - players.bio

Nadal to face Djokovic in French Open quarter-final, Swiatek goes against rising Chinese star

PARIS: Rafael Nadal set up a blockbuster French Open quarter-final against world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday when he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in a five-set fourth round epic. Nadal, the 13-time champion at Roland Garros and holder of a record 21 Grand Slam titles, triumphed over the Canadian 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in a match which lasted four hours and 21 minutes. It was only the third time in his 17-year, 111-match career in Paris that Nadal had been stretched to five sets. Nadal and Djokovic will meet for the 10th time at Roland Garros and 59th overall in a rivalry stretching back to 2006. “We know each other well, we have a lot of history. The only thing I can say is that I will be focussed, try my best and fight until the end,” said Nadal of renewing his rivalry with the defending champion on Tuesday. Nadal hailed Auger-Aliassime who has been working with his uncle and former coach Toni since April last year. “Felix is a great player, one of the best in the world. He’s very young with a lot of power and great mobility,” said the 35-year-old Spaniard. “He was a very tough opponent for me, he is doing a lot of things well and has improved every year.

Christian Horner shoves Sky Sports reporter into swimming pool at Monaco Grand Prix

Christian Horner shoved a Sky Sports reporter into a swimming pool as Red Bull celebrated Sergio Perez's victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Hindley becomes 1st Australian to win the Giro d’Italia

VERONA, Italy: Jai Hindley accomplished what he so narrowly missed out on two years ago by sealing overall victory in the Giro d’Italia on Sunday — becoming the first Australian rider to win Italy’s Grand Tour. Hindley finished 1 minute, 18 seconds ahead of 2019 champion Richard Carapaz following the concluding individual time trial, which finished next to Verona’s Arena, a Roman amphitheater. The victory was all the more sweet for Hindley after he entered the final stage of the 2020 Giro wearing the pink jersey only to finish runner-up to Tao Geoghegan Hart. Hindley said that second-place finish haunted him for months afterward. “I had in the back of my mind what happened in 2020 and I wasn’t going to let that happen again,” Hindley said. Carapaz finished seven seconds ahead of Hindley in the time trial but Hindley had entered the final day with an advantage of 1:25. “I was getting updates and I felt pretty good on the bike,” Hindley said.

Real Madrid fans celebrate Champions League title back home

MADRID: Real Madrid fans celebrated a Champions League title yet again, packing the streets of the Spanish capital and the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to welcome back their players and watch them lift the European trophy at home. It was also an emotional farewell to defender Marcelo, who is leaving as the club’s player with the most titles ever, with 25. There were huge cheers for the veteran Brazilian throughout the day of celebrations after Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday’s final in suburban Paris. Several thousand fans had already spent the early hours of Sunday at the club’s traditional celebration spot, the Cibeles square, after Madrid clinched a record-extending 14th European title. The fans lit flares and chanted the club’s songs and anthem throughout the night. The festivities on Sunday began in a ceremony at a cathedral, then the squad met with local authorities before parading through the city’s streets with the Champions League trophy on an open bus. They headed to the Cibeles square, where tens of thousands of fans were waiting to salute the team. Team captain Marcelo draped the statue of the goddess Cybele with a Madrid flag and scarf, then lifted the trophy again as fans cheered.