TURIN, Italy: Carlos Alcaraz will spend a nervous week watching the ATP Finals as Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas bid to usurp the Spanish teenager as year-end men’s world number one.
The top-ranked Alcaraz is powerless to stop his rivals because he is out with an abdomen injury he suffered at the Paris Masters over a week ago.
Nadal will hope he has shaken off the rustiness he displayed in Paris when he lost in his first singles match in two months after spending time at home in Mallorca with his wife and newborn son. The 36-year-old fell to American journeyman Tommy Paul.
The surest way for Nadal, who won the Australian and French Open titles in 2022 and is ranked second, to finish year-end number one for a sixth time is by winning the title in Turin.
Yet he is seemingly unconcerned about joining Pete Sampras in second on the all-time list of year end number ones.
“Like I’ve often said, it’s not a priority for me anymore, because you need a consistency of results that is really only possible for the younger players,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“And to be honest I don’t like talking about what could happen in the future.”
Nadal could also top the rankings if he wins all three of his Green Group games and reaches the final while Tsiptsipas stumbles.
The third-ranked Greek, who is in the Red Group, needs to win all his matches on his way to the title.
Nadal would topple US Open champion Alcaraz if the two Spaniards finish level on points. Nadal has a better overall record in the Grand Slams and Masters tournaments
Nadal opens his campaign on Sunday against big-serving American Taylor Fritz. His other two group rivals are Norwegian Casper Ruud and in-form Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Tsitsipas, who has never been higher than third, has a very different attitude to Nadal.
“The rankings are there for a reason. They signify something important,” he said in August when he regained third spot.
“I think that the very next step would be the No. 1 spot, which I hope I can get to one day.”
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a successful year with two titles and five other finals, though a Grand Slam title still eludes him.
Were he to succeed in finishing number one he would emulate Chilean Marcelo Rios in 1998 as the only players without a Grand Slam crown to top the rankings.
Tsitsipas’s task appears harder than Nadal’s as his group contains two former world number ones in Serbian Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
Another Russian the exciting mop-haired Andrey Rublev — a quarter-finalist at both the French and US Open this year — makes up that quartet.
Djokovic is hoping his rollercoaster of a year — starting with his expulsion from Australia because he was not vaccinated against Covid to the high of another Wimbledon crown — ends happily.
The 35-year-old Serb is targeting equalling the retired Roger Federer’s record of six ATP Finals titles.
It would be “a perfect ending,” Djokovic told ATP Media on Friday.
“The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it’s a long way. It’s a long week.”
“It’s the last week of the year on the Tour, it’s kind of a last sprint, if you will, for all of us.
“From the very first match you are going to have extra high intensity.”
For Ruud the finals present a chance to capture a significant title after losing both the French and US Open finals. He faces added pressure as his two grandmothers will be in Turin to watch him.
“They don’t come to too much,” Ruud told the ATP website.
“Sometimes they are a little bit frustrated with me that I don’t invite them too often.
“They are great, but as all grandmothers, they can maybe be a bit too much at times,” he added smiling.
Alcaraz powerless as Nadal and Tsitsipas eye number one spot
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Alcaraz powerless as Nadal and Tsitsipas eye number one spot
- Nadal will hope he has shaken off the rustiness he displayed in Paris when he lost in his first singles match in two months
- The third-ranked Greek, who is in the Red Group, needs to win all his matches on his way to the title
Spain’s Alcaraz crowned king of Queen’s for second time
- World No. 2 has now collected 5 trophies this year; Spanish star warms up for Wimbledon
LONDON: Carlos Alcaraz clinched his second Queen’s Club title as the world No. 2 warmed up for Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 win against Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s final.
Alcaraz blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world No. 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.
Having won titles on clay at the French Open, Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as the hard courts of Rotterdam, Alcaraz has now collected five trophies in 2025.
The 22-year-old has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career with 18 successive victories.
Top seeded Alcaraz is just the second Spanish man to win Queen’s twice after Feliciano Lopez, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and 2019.
For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has developed into a formidable force on grass.
The former world No. 1 signaled his emergence on the surface by winning Queen’s in 2023.
He clinched the Wimbledon title for the first time just weeks later and defended his All England Club crown last year.
Alcaraz, who has an 11-1 career record at Queen’s, will start his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title on June 30.
After his semifinal win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his “grass-court mode” had been activated.
And on the evidence of his relentless display against the obdurate Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown.
Playing his first tournament since his epic French Open victory against Jannik Sinner two weeks ago, Alcaraz’s march to the Queen’s showpiece made it five consecutive finals for the Spaniard.
In contrast, Lehecka was playing in his first grass-court final after a shock win against British star Jack Draper in the last four.
The 23-year-old was the first Czech in the Queen’s final since Ivan Lendl in 1990.
Lehecka had come from a set down to stun Alcaraz in the Qatar Open quarterfinals in February.
But there would be no repeat of that upset on the lawns of Barons Court.
In his second Queen’s final, Alcaraz had an early chance to break in the fifth game of the first set.
Lehecka thundered down an ace to get out of trouble of that occasion.
But the five-time Grand Slam champion matched Lehecka’s serve blow for blow, dropping just one point in his first four service games.
Alcaraz’s piercing ground-strokes increased the pressure and Lehecka finally cracked in the 11th game when a badly timed double-fault gifted the first break to the Spaniard.
Alcaraz served out the set in typically ruthless fashion, but Lehecka refused to surrender without a fight.
A tight second set stayed on serve all the way through to the tie-break and, for once, Alcaraz stumbled with a key double-fault, allowing Lehecka to level the match.
Alcaraz was unfazed, breaking for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set when Lehecka netted an off-balance forehand.
Alcaraz had the finish line in sight and he wrapped up his latest title triumph with a flurry of searing winners.
Fluminense top Ulsan in Club World Cup clash
- Freytes’ winner came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands
NEW JERSEY: Juan Freytes put Fluminense in front in the 83rd minute and Keno’s second half stoppage time header sealed a 4-2 victory over UIsan HD in an engrossing Group F contest in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday evening.
Freytes’ winner — his first goal for the Brazilian club — came 17 minutes after teammate Nonato leveled during a contest where the lead twice changed hands.
John Arias also scored from an early free kick as Fluminense (1-0-1, 4 points) moved even on points and goal difference with Dortmund (1-0-1, 4 points) at the FIFA Club World Cup, ahead of their group finale against Malmelodi Sundowns (1-1-0, 3 points) on Wednesday.
Jinhyun Lee and Um Won-Sang scored for Ulsan (0-2-0, 0 points), which was eliminated with the result.
Freytes put Fluminense in front for good after the South Koreans failed to clear a corner, dispatching a composed finish inside the right post after receiving German Cano’s tidy pass.
Nine minutes later, Keno’s header of Arias’ cross against a clearly fatigued Ulsan defense sealed the victory.
Ulsan struck twice inside the final 10 minutes of the first half to turn an early deficit into a halftime lead before Fluminense leveled at 2-all through Nonato in the 66th minute.
After a flowing move from the Brazilians, Keno’s cross from the left was only partially cleared, and Nonato delivered a composed finish inside the right post from about 15 yards out.
Late in the first half, Lee leveled for Ulsan in the 37th minute on an exceptional counter attack. Darijan Bojanic’s initial pass from just beyond his own box sprung Won-Sang down the right. Won Sang’s low cross rolled all the way across the box and beyond goalkeeper Fabio’s dive before Lee met it on the opposite flank. From a tight angle, Lee delivered an excellent first-touch finish into an open goal.
Meanwhile, River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo was confident he could still field a team capable of defeating Inter Milan in his side’s final Group E game despite losing several players due to suspension.
Gallardo saw Kevin Castano sent off in the latter stages of the 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl with Monterrey, while yellow cards for Enzo Perez and Giuliano Galoppo mean the pair will also miss the meeting with the Italians on Wednesday in Seattle.
River Plate are one of South America’s most successful clubs, winning the Copa Libertadores on four occasions as well as the Intercontinental Cup in 1986.
Their draw with Monterrey means the Argentinians are level on four points with Inter Milan in Group E. The two teams are due to face off in their final group game on Wednesday.
Monterrey are third in the standings, two points behind Inter and River Plate, and a win over already-eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan could see the Mexican side climb into the qualification berths for the knockout rounds.
River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo said: “We have some players that we’re going to be missing. We, of course, had some yellow cards and there are several players who won’t be able to play in the next game, so we will have to see how we organize that.
“But I see the glass as half full because, if you look at the scores, every club, every team has had its problems. It was hard for Inter to win, it was hard for Monterrey too, so for our third game we’re going to go with the best we have and we’re going to be optimistic.
Yildiz stars as Juventus beat Wydad at Club World Cup
- Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals
PHILADELPHIA: Kenan Yildiz scored two goals and had a hand in another as Juventus beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1 at the Club World Cup on Sunday to close in on a place in the last 16.
The Turkish international forward was unlucky not to be credited with Juve’s early opener which went down as an own goal by Abdelmounaim Boutouil.
However, there was no doubt that Yildiz was the scorer of the second with a tremendous strike from outside the box.
Thembinkosi Lorch pulled one back for Wydad before the break, but Yildiz got his second of the afternoon on 69 minutes before a late Dusan Vlahovic penalty sealed the victory for the Italian side.
Having already defeated Emirati side Al Ain 5-0 in their opening match, Juve have scored nine goals and have the maximum six points after two outings in Group G.
Their qualification for the knockout phase will be assured if group rivals Manchester City avoid defeat against Al Ain later.
That puts Igor Tudor’s Juve in an excellent position with a final group game to come on Thursday against City in Orlando.
Moroccan giants Wydad, meanwhile, are eliminated with this defeat following a 2-0 loss at the hands of City in their first outing.
Yildiz, the 20-year-old German-born winger, was among the scorers against Al Ain and he was the star of the show here in front of 31,975 fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
Juve, who finished fourth in Serie A in the campaign just finished, went with an unchanged starting line-up meaning the likes of Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli began the game on the bench.
Prolific against Al Ain, they wasted no time in putting the team that finished third in the Moroccan league to the sword.
The opening goal came on six minutes as Khephren Thuram teed up Yildiz and his shot beat goalkeeper El Mehdi Benabid with the aid of a slight deflection off Boutouil.
It was 2-0 on 16 minutes via a superb effort, as Andrea Cambiaso went on a piercing run in from the left before laying the ball off for Yildiz to smash in a shot on the half-volley into the top corner.
Wydad quickly pulled one back as veteran Nordin Amrabat’s fine pass in behind the defense released South African winger Lorch to control and clip a shot past the goalkeeper.
Yet Juventus were well on top and Cambiaso hit the post just prior to the hour mark before Randal Kolo Muani somehow failed to turn in Lloyd Kelly’s ball across the face of goal.
Their third goal did arrive just after the midway point in the second half when France forward Kolo Muani collected possession on the left and then slipped in Yildiz who finished into the corner.
It was his third goal at the tournament so far, and his 12th in all competitions since the season began.
Yildiz had been withdrawn before the fourth goal arrived in stoppage time, substitute Vlahovic stroking in a spot-kick awarded after he had been hauled down by Guilherme Ferreira.
EuroLeague welcomes Dubai Basketball for 2025-26 season
- Team set to join 1 of world’s most prestigious leagues on 5-year contract starting in September
- UAE-based team to compete in 2 European leagues next season — ABA League, EuroLeague
DUBAI: EuroLeague announced its expansion from 18 to 20 teams in late May, and Dubai Basketball have now been confirmed as one of the two new teams to secure a coveted spot for the 2025-26 season.
Dubai Basketball enjoyed a historic debut season in the ABA League, reaching the playoff semifinals before being halted by European powerhouse Partizan. Although their campaign ended short of the final, finishing in third overall, the season laid a strong foundation for what promises to be a defining second season for the club.
Abdulla Saeed Juma Al-Naboodah, chairman and founder of Dubai Basketball, said: “I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the leadership of Dubai and the Dubai Sports Council for their unwavering support. Their vision and commitment have been instrumental in making the success of Dubai Basketball possible.”
And, coached by Jurica Golemac, Dubai Basketball are now set to make their EuroLeague debut in 2025-26, going head-to-head with some of the most celebrated basketball teams in what is widely recognized as one of the toughest leagues in the world.
Facing the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and reigning champions Fenerbahce, Dubai Basketball will bring top-tier European basketball to the Coca-Cola Arena from September to June.
Dejan Kamenjasevic, the co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Dubai Basketball, said: “Dubai Basketball is not an instant project; it has taken us years to reach the point we are at today. But it brings me great pride to say that this team is an instant success.
“Credit goes to our coaches, players and all Dubai Basketball employees, who worked hard to convert this dream to a reality. Now, with EuroLeague ahead, we have even more to show.
“We’re building something this city has never seen before, and we’re excited to make history while growing the Dubai Basketball family.”
Dubai Basketball attracted nearly 80,000 fans to the Coca-Cola Arena in their first season, paving the way for a new era for the sport in the region.
As the only Middle Eastern team represented in the ABA League last season, Dubai had something to prove from day one. Backed by a passionate and growing fan base, the club continue to be fueled by the belief and support of the community.
The side have firmly established themselves as top contenders in European basketball. With a seasoned coach who brings both professional playing experience and leadership at the highest levels of European basketball, and a talented roster including players fresh from the NBA and the EuroLeague, the team’s story is just beginning.
All home games will continue to be held at the Coca-Cola Arena, which boasts a capacity of 15,000 in its basketball format.
As the club enter the longest season in EuroLeague history, they will welcome Europe’s strongest teams to the heart of the city — marking a major milestone for basketball in the UAE and the entire region.
Saudi Arabia conclude preparations ahead of decisive Gold Cup clash with Trinidad and Tobago
- A win against the Caribbean side would guarantee the Green Falcons a place in the knockout stage
LAS VEGAS: Saudi Arabia’s national football team have completed final preparations ahead of their crucial CONCACAF Gold Cup clash with Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.
The Green Falcons trained at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the match — which kicks off in the early hours of the morning in Saudi Arabia — will be played.
The training session was led by head coach Herve Renard, while midfielder Muhannad Al-Saad continued his rehabilitation program under the supervision of the team’s medical staff.
Saudi Arabia sit second in Group D, having lost narrowly to the US and beaten Haiti in their previous matches.
A win against Trinidad and Tobago would guarantee the Green Falcons a place in the knockout stage.
A draw could still be enough to progress, but only if Haiti fail to upset group leaders US in the other final-round fixture.
