Frenchman Monfils to retire after 2026 season
Former world number six Gael Monfils will retire at the end of next season, the Frenchman said on Wednesday.
Tennis Sport News
Jannik Sinner thrashes Learner Tien to win China Open for 21st title
BEIJING: Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open final on Wednesday. The Italian world number two lifted the trophy for the second time on Beijing’s hard courts, where he beat Daniil Medvedev in the final on his tournament debut in 2023. The 24-year-old is the third man to win multiple China Open titles after Novak Djokovic with six and Rafael Nadal with two. His only loss on Beijing’s center Diamond Court has been to great rival Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s championship match in three gripping sets. Alcaraz was not defending his title in the Chinese capital and on Tuesday won the Japan Open in Tokyo. Sinner broke immediately in the first set on the way to outclassing the 19-year-old Tien, who was in his first ATP final. The world no.
Saliba signs new long-term deal at Arsenal
LONDON: William Saliba has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.The France defender has reportedly put pen to paper on a five-year deal, which will keep him at the club until 2030. His previous contract had been due to run until 2027.Saliba, 24, had been expected to extend his stay at the Emirates despite earlier reported interest from Real Madrid.The center-back joined the Gunners in 2019 but had a number of loan spells before establishing himself as a regular in Mikel Arteta’s team during the 2022/23 season.Since then Saliba has been at the heart of an Arsenal side that has finished second in each of the past three seasons in the Premier League.“I feel at home.
Saudi jockey club launches scholarship program
RIYADH: A special program enabling employees of Asian Racing Federation member nations to attend the Asian Racing Conference in February has been launched by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.
Wayne Rooney has ‘no faith’ that Ruben Amorim can revive Manchester United
Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney says the club has lost its soul and has voiced concerns about manager Ruben Amorim’s ability to turn things around after a woeful start to the season. Amorim, who has overseen nine wins, 17 defeats and seven draws in his 33 league games in charge, has faced mounting pressure with United 14th in the Premier League with seven points from six matches. Speaking on his “The Wayne Rooney Show” podcast, on Monday, Rooney said: “I have tried my hand in management and it didn’t work out too well, I get it. “Amorim is my age, he is still a young manager and I’m sure he still has a massive future, but what’s going on at Man United, this is not Man United. “I honestly hope he can turn it round and he does. But if you’re saying to me, ‘do you believe he will?’, then, after everything I’ve seen, honestly, I’ve got no faith in it.” Minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, who holds roughly 29 percent of United and oversees football operations, has rolled out cost-saving measures including staff reductions, higher ticket prices and the scrapping of free lunches at staff canteens. And Rooney, who won five league titles during his time at United between 2004-2017, said there was more than just the performances on the pitch to be concerned about. “It’s everything about the club that needs fixing ...
Baseball United chief Kash Shaikh ‘proud’ as standouts join Arabia Wolves roster
DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, signed on Tuesday two familiar faces from Dubai to the Arabia Wolves roster for its inaugural season.
French Open to stick with line judges for 2026 edition
The French Open will continue to use line judges for the 2026 edition despite the other three Grand Slams having already switched to an Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system, the French Tennis Federation said. The ELC system was first deployed as an experiment at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan in 2017 before being more widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ATP Tour has implemented the system at all of its events from this season, and while the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon now rely on the technology Roland Garros is opting to retain the human element for at least another year. The French federation (FFT) said its officials had delivered a high standard of refereeing at the tournament. “For the next Roland Garros, the FFT will continue to highlight the excellence of French refereeing, recognized throughout the world, and which brings complete satisfaction to the organization of the tournament,” it said on Monday. In the 2025 edition of the major, 404 referees were present with 284 from France alone. At Roland Garros, officials can inspect traces left by the ball on the red dust to help them make decisions, though there remains room for human error. ELC, which has been developed to account for the differences in grass, hardcourt and claycourt surfaces, is now also available across a wider range of tournaments below the Grand Slams and elite tours. While it is mostly popular, the system received mixed reviews at Wimbledon this year due to malfunctions, while some players were left baffled by ELC calls during claycourt events in Madrid and Stuttgart.
Iga Swiatek may skip mandatory tennis events due to packed schedule
World number two Iga Swiatek said the tennis season is too long and too intense and the smart option for her would be to cut back on her schedule for the sake of her health, even if that means skipping mandatory tournaments. The men’s and women’s circuits have faced criticism due to their 11-month seasons, and both the tours have come under fresh scrutiny during the “Asian swing” with five matches at the China Open unable to be completed on Monday due to injuries. Camila Osorio retired after she dropped the first set to Swiatek, while Lois Boisson, Zheng Qinwen, Lorenzo Musetti and Jakub Mensik were unable to complete their matches in Beijing. “I think people are more fatigued,” six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek told reporters. “Unfortunately, the Asian Swing is the hardest part because you feel like the season is going to finish soon, but you still need to push. “I don’t know yet how my career is going to look like in a couple years. Maybe I will have to choose some tournaments and skip them, even though they are mandatory.