Britain's Kyle Edmund announces retirement from tennis
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Qatar Tribune
35 minutes ago
- Qatar Tribune
All four, once more? Sinner and Alcaraz target another sweep of the majors
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are leading a new era of Grand Slam supremacy, having combined to win the past seven major titles — a streak that already ranks among the longest in the Open Era. Their run, which began at the 2024 Australian Open, now sits fourth on the all-time list for consecutive majors shared by two players. Victory for either at the upcoming US Open would not only extend that streak, but also secure a second consecutive calendar-year Grand Slam shutout, ensuring that, for the second year running, no other player has lifted a major trophy. Consistency across all stages has been the hallmark of Sinner and Alcaraz's rise, with both men contesting major finals on each of the three surfaces. Sinner has captured the past three hard-court majors, while Alcaraz saved three championship points against the Italian in a five-set epic to successfully defend his Roland Garros title earlier this year. A month later, Sinner snapped a five-match tour-level losing streak against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final to earn his first major title on a natural surface. 'I'm just really happy to be building such a great rivalry against Jannik,' Alcaraz said earlier this month. 'Jannik and I, I think we've done great things in tennis already in such a short period. I just let the people talk about our rivalry or the things that we have done for the tennis history books.' From 2005 to 2007, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal won 11 consecutive majors between them before Novak Djokovic broke through at the 2008 Australian Open. That victory marked the beginning of an era where the 'Big Three' shared many of the sport's longest streaks, including two nine-major runs by Nadal and Djokovic together between 2010-2012 and from 2018-2020. Earlier runs in history have also left their mark. Between the 2015 Australian Open and 2016 Roland Garros, Djokovic shared six majors with Stan Wawrinka, winning five of them himself. In the 1990s, Sergi Bruguera and Pete Sampras held a six-major streak between them. Many of these streaks have been defined by contrasting playing styles: Federer and Nadal's battles became classics for their blend of speed, precision, and endurance, while other pairings brought diverse approaches to succeed across multiple surfaces and continents. Now, Sinner and Alcaraz, the top two players in the PIF ATP Rankings, are carving their own place in this lineage — not just through the numbers, but through the completeness of their games and their ability to adapt to every surface. Their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, which Alcaraz leads 9-5, has been defined by tight contests, momentum swings, and shared moments of brilliance. Their five-hour, 29-minute final at Roland Garros was the longest in the tournament's history and the second-longest final at any major, and it went down as an instant classic. If one of them can lift the trophy in New York, it would underline just how airtight their grip on majors has become, adding another chapter to a run that is already redefining the balance of power in men's tennis. Sinner saw his Cincinnati title defence come to an end in the final when he was forced to retire against Alcaraz after just 23 minutes, but he arrives at the US Open with a 31-4 tour-level record in 2025, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. The reigning ATP Finals champion, Sinner trails Alcaraz 1,890 points in the ATP Live Race To Turin, and their thrilling battle for Year-End No. 1 is testament to the dominance both are establishing at the top of the game. (ATP)
Qatar Tribune
36 minutes ago
- Qatar Tribune
Boxing body to introduce gender tests ahead of world championships
World Boxing has announced mandatory gender tests for men and women wishing to compete in their events. The confirmation by the new governing body comes some two weeks before its inaugural championships in Liverpool September 4-14. The new policy came into effect on Wednesday. 'The policy is designed to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,' World Boxing said. All athletes wishing to participate in a World Boxing competition will need to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of functional medical equivalent genetic screening test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete. Last month, World Athletics also introduced a sex test for athletes wishing to compete in the female category. The gender eligibility debate gained a lot of attention at last summer's Olympic Games in Paris where Algeria's Imane Khelif and Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting won gold medals after being allowed to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, a year before, they were disqualified from the world championships of the International Boxing Federation (IBA) after allegedly failing gender tests. The IOC, which has run the last two Olympic boxing tournaments because it has suspended IBA for various reasons, has said Khelif and Lin could compete because they were born and identify as women. World Boxing was recognized as a partner by the IOC executive board in February and is set to take over the organization of the boxing competitions at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. (DPA)
Qatar Tribune
a day ago
- Qatar Tribune
Farke hails Nmecha's ‘ice-cold finish' in Leeds' 1-0 win over Everton
PA Media/dpa London Daniel Farke revealed he almost took the ball off Lukas Nmecha before the substitute's late penalty secured Leeds a winning return to the Premier League against Everton. Summer signing Nmecha, a free transfer from Wolfsburg, held his nerve to bury his 84th-minute spot kick - just six minutes after stepping off the bench to replace Joel Piroe - to clinch Leeds a deserved 1-0 victory at Elland Road. Farke said: 'I was a bit worried. He's on the sheet for taking penalties, but as a substitute, he needed more touches and I was thinking of stepping in there and taking the ball off him. 'Thank God I calmed myself down and he prove me right with an ice-cold finish. He deserves today to be in the spotlight after not the easiest of periods in these last few years.' Nmecha struggled with injuries in his last two seasons in the Bundesliga and has gone under the radar since becoming the first of Leeds' eight summer signings so far. 'He's been excellent,' Farke said. 'He's won caps for Germany, but his last couple of seasons were pretty much interrupted with injury. 'It's always a bit risky to bring such a player in, but this was the reason he was a free transfer, more or less a bargain. 'Just with this important goal, that is worth three points, he's paid everything back - but we didn't pay for him! 'He's a great guy, a hard worker, pretty physical attributes for the Premier League.' Leeds dominated for long periods against Everton and Farke added: 'Overall, in a tight game, a hard-fought win, but also a well-deserved win. 'I think for a newly promoted side, it was an outstanding performance. 'We were very dominant in the first half. Nearly 70 per cent possession, 12 shots, I think 21 in total.' Everton boss David Moyes admitted his side's display did not warrant a point, but did not believe Leeds should have been awarded a penalty. Toffees skipper James Trakowski appeared to lean into Leeds debutant Anton Stach's deflected shot and although his arms were by his side, the ball struck his upper arm and referee Chris Kavanagh's decision was upheld by VAR. Moyes said: 'I'm obviously going to say it's not a penalty and I believe it's not a penalty. 'I've been to see the referee. The referee sort of (had) nothing to do with it, he thought it was to do with VAR, the decision they've made.' Moyes added: 'I actually think the referees have had a poor weekend in the opening weekend. 'I think there have been a lot of (poor) decisions and tonight's is another one.' When asked about his side's display, Moyes added: 'We improved a bit in the second half, but I wasn't impressed by how we played at all. 'I've got to give great credit to Leeds. I thought they were incredibly intense, certainly for the first 30 minutes.'
