Latest news with #G.O.A.T
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘I felt like the unwanted child': Novak Djokovic says he wasn't ‘adored as much as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal' in Big 3 rivalry
'I am a man with many flaws, of course. Nevertheless, I have always tried to live with heart and good intentions and, ultimately, to be myself.' Novak Djokovic's reflection of his illustrious tennis journey as part of a famed 'Big 3' rivalry alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for a majority of his career has seen the Serb reveal the varying emotions he had to undergo over the years. Despite building his own claim to the 'G.O.A.T' debate with a record 24 Grand Slam titles ahead of Federer (20) and Nadal (22) and a positive head-to-head record, the Serbian has admitted that he was not admired as much as his two great rivals. Djokovic 'I felt like the unwanted child in the trio. I often questioned why that was the case, and it was painful,' Djokovic admitted in a Failures of Champions interview with Slaven Bilic. 'I thought changing my demeanour might win them over, but that proved ineffective too.' Djokovic said he wasn't welcomed positively for challenging the reign of Federer and Nadal in the noughties, stating that the Swiss and Spaniard appealed to the Western world. 'The two of them had already developed a rivalry before I came along because Nadal broke through a few years before me. They come from Switzerland, from Spain, so Western powers… There are these orientations and there are affiliations. 'I never achieved the same level of adoration as Federer and Nadal because, in a way, I wasn't supposed to disrupt their narrative. I was the third man who boldly declared, 'I'm going to be number one.' Not everyone welcomed that,' remarked Djokovic who recently exited the French Open with a semi-finals defeat to Jannik Sinner. Djokovic admitted that his rivalry with Federer and Nadal swayed between frosty and friendly over the years, stressing that his on-court competitiveness may not have exactly helped the camaraderie. 'Just because someone is my biggest rival doesn't mean I wish them harm, hate them, or want to do anything else on the court to defeat them. We fought for the win, and the better player won,' Djokovic remarked. He continued, 'I've always respected both Federer and Nadal; I've never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do. But I've always gotten along better with Nadal.' Djokovic hailed Federer as the most talented among the trio, while rating Nadal as his complete contrast. 'When we compare Federer, Nadal and me – Federer is the most talented, the most beautiful to watch, he spent his energy the most efficiently, he moved so slowly, so elegantly, so efficiently, while Nadal is the other contrast, the other extreme. Physicality is maximum, and I'm somewhere in between, but more towards Nadal. Each of us had some of our own characteristics and as time went on, our rivalries complemented each other and strengthened. 'We always say that through these rivalries, the three of us contributed to developing into the tennis players and people and competitors that we have become. I say without a doubt, the rivalry with those two had the most influence on my development, especially in the second part of my career,' Djokovic said.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
K.O on the country's issues and owning the ‘goat' tag
K.O. spoke to The Citizen just days before the release of his fifth studio album as a solo artist, Phara City. K.O spoke to The Citizen about his upcoming fifth studio album. Picture: mrcashtime/Instagram Compared to his contemporaries, rapper KO is a modest fella. He doesn't fully own up to the Greatest Of All Time (Goat) tag that's always bestowed on him by his fans. 'This is something that people are actually pushing me towards and actually owning up to,' the soft-spoken rapper tells The Citizen. ALSO READ: K.O finally gets his Metro FM award in his home province K.O owning the G.O.A.T tag 2025 marks K.O.'s 19th anniversary in the industry. He stared out as a member of the rap trio Teargas, which, in its own right, had an impact on the country and was part of watershed moments in South African hip hop through collaborations with other artists. He ticks the longevity box; his music has had an impact outside of the hip-hop community through songs such as Sete and Caracara, and his calibre as a rapper is of a high standard. 'If we're narrowing the conversation down to things like that, definitely, I start owning up to who I am in the space.' He says he was more concerned with making good music than comparing himself to others. 'All these things [his accolades], I was more focused on just doing great things rather than looking at the score board to say, hey, am I in the top five, where am I now?' Real name Ntokozo Mdluli, KO spoke to The Citizen just days before the release of his fifth studio album as a solo artist, Phara City. ALSO READ: REVIEW: Riky Rick's last album 'Boss Zonke Forever' epitomises his passion for young people Phara City The term 'phara' or sometimes spelt as 'para' can be defined as a homeless person who lives off their hustle on the streets. Some definitions describe a phara as a person who has a home but overcomes life's harsh environment through his hustle on the street. 'Yes, it says Phara City and some people might think I'm talking about Joburg, but I'm actually talking about the country as a whole,' shares K.O. K.O says South Africa has become an environment where a phara would only survive. 'Unfortunately, it [South Africa] has become almost like a Sodom and Gomorrah in real time because we see all kinds of things,' shares K.O. South Africa is one of the most unequal nations in the world, with a high unemployment rate and a country that fails to protect its most vulnerable. 'The country has been tarnished on the world stage, in terms of how people perceive who we are as a country, our politics. 'Even internally, as citizens, there are so many things we're critiquing- the lack of leadership, corruption, illegal immigrants,' says K.O., sharing the thought behind the album concept. The 13-track album will be released on Friday. Some of the standout songs from the project include Cross Night and No Chorus. On the latter, K.O. shows off his bravado as a rapper, basically giving the middle finger to his competitors. Through the album, K.O. says he is holding a mirror up to the country's face for reflection. However, despite his criticism, K.O. also shows the celebratory side of South Africa. 'We still celebrate, we still party, we still fall in love, we still hustle and continue with life even outside of these challenges that we are subjected to. I talk about that side of things.' ALSO READ: 'Their win is South Africa's win': Deputy Minister Peace Mabe celebrates TxC's BET award K.O's collaborative nature K.O. has something that very few artists have: a collaborative spirit. Even at the height of the AKA and Cassper Nyovest beef, K.O. still managed to work with both artists. 'I've never been one who's confrontational, I've always just stood my ground,' says K.O. He also demonstrated that he isn't an ageist, being open to working with younger artists like Blxckie and Maglera Doe Boy. This is both a business move and something natural to him. He provides an example of how brands like Adidas can collaborate with other fashion brands, such as Gucci. 'As an artist, you need to go and do things with other artists, because you get to introduce yourself to their following and vice-versa,' he says. Some of K.O.'s memorable work has been a collaborative effort. From his most recent hit Sete with Young Stunna and Blxckie to 2014's Skhanda Love with Nandi Mngoma and Caracara with Kid X. On his 2017 album SR2, he collaborated with House music producer Black Coffee on SA Rising. 'I think it's beautiful when we see people who've shaped society together because we get to send the right vibrations to the rest of the people.' ALSO READ: Amapiano vocalist Thatohatsi loses voice due to 'unexpected' illness K.O's music taste His openness to working with others also reflects his musical taste. When asked what he's been listening to recently, he mentions genres like Afrobeat and R&B. 'I have a very wide and broad sense of musical taste because you'll find me one minute listening to Afrobeat, listening to Blxckie, listening to Summer Walker, R&B and go back and pull out some stuff from yesteryears,' he says. 'I've been listening to a lot of Frank Ocean this year and obviously some of the Kendrick stuff he's done…but I like a lot of R&B, like Leon Thomas.' He says he doesn't only listen for pleasure but also for inspiration. 'On this album [Phara City] I went as far back as listening to the very first Mase album because there was a certain bag that I was trying to get into, stylistically.' The Mase album is Harlem World, released in 1997. He says he captured this '90s hip-hop and R&B fusion on Phara City through his collaboration with Blaq Diamond on the song Phara Love. NOW READ: 'I'm not gonna lie, this is rocking me': Prince Kaybee opens up about health battle
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
'Jersey Shore' cast reveals what professions they'd be in
It's a good thing they stayed on the Shore. The stars of 'Jersey Shore' would have pursued professions in healthcare, technology — and even politics had they not been discovered by MTV. Before the show debuted in 2009, Vinny Guadagnino earned a political science degree from the College of Staten Island, and had plans to go on to law school. Advertisement 'I would have been a local Staten Island councilman,' predicted Guadagnino, 37, an Emerson Hill native, during a cast sit-down with The Post on Monday. 'You would have been working at a pizzeria, Vin, who you kidding?' quipped co-star Angelina Pivarnick. 4 'Jersey Shore' premiered on MTV in 2009 and its spinoff show is entering its 8th season. AP Advertisement 'Pizzeria on the side, I'm a man of the people. That's what the councilmen do,' Guadagnino replied. Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi had one more semester left of Ulster County Community College when she joined the series. 'I would have been a vet tech, probably still living with my mom,' said Polizzi, 37, who grew up in Marlboro, NY. 'We would have all been still living with our families,' Pivarnick added. Advertisement Pivarnick, 38, a Staten Island native, worked as an EMT for the FDNY, and predicted she would have eventually become a nurse. 'I was an EMT, so I was going that route anyway. That was my next step,' she said ahead of the Season 8 premiere of 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation' on May 29. 4 Jenni 'JWoww' Farley, Angelina Pivarnick, Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, Vinny Guadagnino and Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino sat down with The Post ahead of the Season 8 premiere of 'Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.' Brian Zak/NY Post Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino was working as a stripper and drug dealer before signing onto the reality show. Advertisement 'My parents were like, 'Go and have a good time. But when you get home, you've got to get serious and get a real job,'' Sorrentino, 42, said. But he technically would never have to find another gig — as the series became a pop culture phenomenon and over 15 years later, the crew is still filming. The Staten Island native, who grew up in Manalapan, NJ, and earned his associate's degree from Brookdale Community College, believes he still would have become a household name regardless of the show. 'I just feel like the cream always rises to the top and I still would have been the G.O.A.T [Greatest of All Time],' Sorrentino said. Jenni 'JWoww' Farley attended the New York Institute of Technology, but said she had 'no idea' what profession she would have ended up pursuing. 'I went to school for animation and software design, but I am not great at it, so I probably wouldn't have succeeded,' said Farley, 40, a native of East Greenbush, NY. 4 The reality stars revealed crazy fan encounters they'd had over the years. Brian Zak/NY Post With over a decade and a half of fame also comes crazy fan stories. Advertisement 'I have fans that show up to my house because they think that they're talking to me and it's a catfish. So women have full relationships with me and they bring their children to meet me,' Guadagnino said. Sorrentino recounted a run-in with a fan at a Barnes and Noble in Holmdel, NJ, during a book signing for his memoir 'Reality Check.' 'He goes, 'Listen, the Gambino crime family has just kidnapped my family. You're going to need to call Jay-Z and the Illuminati to release them,'' he recalled. The castmates also reminisced about star-studded encounters, with A-Listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyoncé, who are fans of the show. Advertisement 'Leo had approached us at a club and … the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'GTL all day.' That was pretty surreal,' said Sorrentino of the catchphrase 'Gym, Tan, Laundry' the cast coined. 4 'That was a great time, still my favorite picture,' Farley said about bumping into Leonardo DiCaprio at a nightclub. Courtesy Jenni Farley The group met Queen Bey at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. 'And she was pregnant and she was going to announce it at that VMAs when she did the baby bump, and she got to hug us right before and we all kind of were like, 'Did you feel that?'' Farley said. Advertisement 'It felt like heaven,' Guadagnino said. 'We didn't wash our face for a while,' Polizzi added.
Fox News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Michael Jordan's longtime agent accuses LeBron James of cherry-picking teams to win championships
The NBA's greatest-player-of-all-time debate has raged on as LeBron James has continued to excel in the twilight of his NBA career. Some fans say the NBA's best-ever is Michael Jordan, the fierce competitor who won six titles in eight seasons. Other fans say it is James, a four-time champion and the league's all-time leading scorer. Jordan's longtime agent, David Falk, added fuel to the fire that is the "G.O.A.T" debate. Falk listed Jordan as his best-ever but, shockingly, did not have James as his second-best ever, and took a swipe at the current Los Angeles Lakers star. The agent said his next-best player after Jordan is either Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant. "I really like LeBron," Falk said, via Sports Business Journal. "But I think if Jordan had cherry-picked what teams he wanted to be on and two other superstars, he would've won 15 championships." Falk said James would "probably" land in his top 10 best players ever. Jordan's former agent referenced James' tenure with the Miami Heat with his "cherry-picked" comment. James, after being unable to capture a title in his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, departed in free agency for the Miami Heat. James, alongside star center Chris Bosh, signed with the Heat in free agency to join Dwayne Wade, and created the "Big 3." A lot of fans credit the Heat for being the first to create a "superteam." In his four seasons with the Heat, James won two championships. Jordan, on the other hand, stuck with the Chicago Bulls until after his second retirement, when he joined the Washington Wizards. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox Sports
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Tom Brady in Fastest Seat at Indy 500, Driven by Jimmie Johnson
INDYCAR Seven-Time Super Bowl Champion, Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Pair Up for 'G.O.A.T.' Drive Tom Brady, the winningest quarterback in NFL history with seven Super Bowl championships and the lead FOX NFL analyst, will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, live on FOX. In fitting fashion, the Fastest Seat will be driven by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2022 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Jimmie Johnson. In addition to his record seven Super Bowl championships, Brady is a five-time Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI, LV), three-time Associated Press Most Valuable Player (2007, 2010, 2017), 15-time Pro Bowler (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009-2018, 2021), two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010), Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year (2009), three-time Associated Press First-Team All-Pro Selection (2007, 2010, 2017), three-time Second-Team All-Pro (2005, 2016, 2021) and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2007). He was named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Brady was a two-time Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2005, 2021) and winner of the Bert Bell Award (2007), presented by the Maxwell Football Club to the player of the year in the NFL. Brady joins a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers as he leads the field to green in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. This high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride was taken by FOX MLB analyst and World Series champion Alex Rodriguez to open the season in St. Petersburg and has been taken by music superstars Lady Gaga, Diplo and Jon Bon Jovi, actors Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu, and more. Johnson, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, drove for Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 48 for 19 seasons of his NASCAR career. After he gives Brady the ride of a lifetime, Johnson will fly to Charlotte and make his 700th career series start in the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Johnson is the co-owner of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, which fields two entries in the NASCAR Cup Series and one part-time entry for Johnson in the No. 84. Johnson co-holds the record with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for most premier series championships and is the only driver in NASCAR history to win five consecutive titles (2006-10). For two seasons, Johnson competed in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Chip Ganassi Racing and qualified in the fourth row at the 2022 Indianapolis 500. Johnson is the only race car driver to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year (2009), an accomplishment that also ties him to Brady. 'I love the Indy 500,' Johnson said. 'There is an energy and excitement around the '500' that is unlike anything I have experienced before. Certainly, pre-race ceremonies are the ultimate racing experience that I've had outside of the car. I'm thrilled to be a part of the program and to see the stands full one more time. I'm extremely honored to come back and do it and to be able to also share this experience with another seven-time champion.' Coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge begins at 10 a.m. ET on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America's premier open-wheel racing series with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a thrilling and demanding set of ovals and road and street circuits. The full schedule is available here. recommended
