Nick Kyrgios: Player union’s legal action against tennis tours a special moment
Nick Kyrgios described the Professional Tennis Players Association’s legal action against the sport’s governing bodies as a “special moment”.
ATP Sport News
Defending champion Sabalenka into second round of US Open, Raducanu notches first win since 2021 triumph
NEW YORK: Defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka was given an early test before she moved into the second round while Emma Raducanu won her first match at the Grand Slam since her 2021 triumph as the tournament began a day earlier than usual on Sunday. Under the new extended 15-day format, first-round singles action will be contested from Sunday to Tuesday, rather than two days as in previous years, spreading out the star attractions and allowing access for another 70,000-odd spectators. Sabalenka was among the marquee names on the opening day’s schedule and the Belarusian fed off the vocal Arthur Ashe crowd to overcome determined Swiss Rebeka Masarova 7-5 6-1 and move into the next round. “When I won that first set and you cheered for me, I got goosebumps,” said Sabalenka, who will take on Russia’s Polina Kudermetova in the second round on Wednesday. “Your support means a lot to me, thank you for coming. It was an amazing atmosphere.” Novak Djokovic, the record 24-times Grand Slam singles champion, headlines the evening schedule on the main showcourt against American Learner Tien and he will be followed by 2024 finalist Jessica Pegula, who plays Egypt’s Mayar Sherif. Italian Jasmine Paolini kicks off the later program on Louis Armstrong Stadium against Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava, followed by the 2021 champion and 13th seed Daniil Medvedev, who faces France’s Benjamin Bonzi.
‘Over the moon’: Filipino Eala bags historic first at US Open
NEW YORK: Alexandra Eala produced a jaw-dropping late comeback to carve out a piece of tennis history at the US Open on Sunday, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match with a first round upset of Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson. The 20-year-old from Quezon City recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set to score a thrilling 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) triumph. “I’m super over the moon with what I was able to do today, especially coming back in the third,” Eala said. “It’s a very special win for me.” Eala’s breakthrough comes at the end of a season where she had already served notice of her talent. She took down Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former world number one Iga Swiatek during a giant-killing run to the semifinals of the Miami Open in March. But Sunday’s triumph on the Grandstand court at Flushing Meadows catapulted the youngster — who won the US Open girls title in 2022 — into the history books. “I’m so blessed to be the first to do this,” Eala said. “I take so much pride in representing my country. It makes what I do bigger than myself, and it adds meaning to what I do.” Eala collapsed to the court after her victory, later revealing that past experiences had helped her dig deep to clinch the tiebreak.
Al-Ahli claim Saudi Super Cup after Ronaldo hits historic century for Al-Nassr
LONDON: Asian Champions Al-Ahli claimed the Saudi Super Cup with a penalty shootout win over Al-Nassr in Hong Kong on Saturday after Cristiano Ronaldo made history by scoring his 100th goal for the Riyadh club.
Esports World Cup Foundation announces new Nations Cup tournament
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation today announced the Esports Nations Cup, a landmark tournament where the best esports players in the world will compete not only for professional glory with their clubs, but also for the honor of representing their countries.
Manchester City troubles reappear as solid Spurs go top after 2-0 win
MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s troubles from last season were exposed once more in a humbling 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday that raised questions over their quest to regain the Premier League title.
Leveling Up: Day One Wrap-Up of the New Global Sport Conference 2025
RIYADH: Riyadh didn’t just host a conference this weekend — it made history. Day One of the New Global Sport Conference 2025 (NGSC) transformed the Four Seasons Hotel into a global hub for the future of gaming, esports, and sports. More than 1,500 leaders, innovators, and creators from around the world came together to discuss one question: What comes next for the world of play?
Rain delays play havoc with Monterrey Open schedule
Heavy rain brought a stop-start evening session to a premature end at the Monterrey Open on Friday, with Russian second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova’s semifinal against Czech Marie Bouzkova being moved to Saturday. The match was tied at two games apiece in the first set when rains disrupted play, with the delay lasting several hours before the contest was rescheduled. The semifinal will begin at 11:30 am (1830 GMT) on Saturday, with the final to be played later in the evening. The delay is far from ideal for Alexandrova and Bouzkova, who are both scheduled to compete in the first round of the US Open, which begins on Sunday. The winner of the semifinal clash between the two will face Diana Shnaider in the final, after the Russian third seed claimed a 6-3 7-6(8) win over Alycia Parks of the United States. After coasting through the first set, Shnaider was put under some pressure early in the second and was forced to save two break points before going on to edge a tight tiebreaker and reach her first final of the year. World number 12 Shnaider is unbeaten in her last four finals on the WTA Tour, claiming titles in Hong Kong, Budapest, Bad Homburg and Hua Hin last year.
ATP, PIF launch upgrade to Tennis IQ platform
NEW YORK/RIYADH/LONDON: The ATP and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on Friday launched an updated technology platform designed to give players unprecedented access to performance data and analytics.