Raducanu took a “physical and mental” break after reaching the Miami Open quarter-finals last month and the opening round in Madrid on Wednesday was her first competitive match since. It also marked a first win on the outdoor clay in almost three years. But on Friday, competing in just her 18th competitive clay-court match, the...
Carlo Ancelotti, with his future delicately poised, has spent the past months preaching balance and commitment. The expectation – unconfirmed but widespread – is that he will leave after the league campaign concludes to finalise his agreement with the Brazil national team. Until then, he has to manage the final metres of this marathon. Santiago...
Britain’s Cameron Norrie described his first-round victory at the Madrid Open as one of his favourite wins in his career after he overcame illness to defeat Martin Landaluce. Former British number one Norrie beat the 19-year-old Spaniard 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-4 to earn a first ATP main-draw victory since the start of March. Poor form...
Iga Swiatek avoided another shock defeat against Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala by fighting back to win their Madrid Open second-round match. World number two Swiatek, who was stunned by Eala in Miami last month, won 4-6 6-4 6-2 on the Spanish clay. Swiatek lost in the Stuttgart quarter-finals last week and, having received a bye...
During her Miami run, Raducanu spoke regularly about showing “resilience” to win matches and needed to demonstrate that quality again in her first clay-court match in a year. Lamens, ranked 73rd in the world, is a combative player who has improved sharply over the past year and is more than comfortable on the surface. Earlier...
Carlo Ancelotti says he welcomes the pressure that comes with managing Real Madrid and is unconcerned about speculation over his future. Ancelotti has won two La Liga titles and the Champions League twice in three seasons since re-joining the club from Everton in 2021, but this campaign has been more difficult. The Spanish giants were...
Emma Raducanu has paused the search for a new full-time coach, saying she is happy to “keep things informal” as her part-time partnership with Mark Petchey continues. Raducanu brought Petchey – a well-known figure in British tennis circles and a former coach of Andy Murray – into her coaching team on a casual basis at...
“The reality is that in this world everything is questioned,” he went on. “Questioning a club that has won almost 30 titles in the last decade seems misleading to me. “The only thing I want to do is thank all these players because I’ve had a great time so far and I want to continue...
“I don’t want to talk about speculation and rumours. [I understand] that this is happening, but what’s more important to me is what’s happening right now.” Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro said last week that Alonso was “comfortable” at the club and already planning for next season. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has also been...
The night, though, could have turned out very differently for Rice after he was adjudged to have pulled down Kylian Mbappe in the penalty area with the game goalless, earning him a booking too that would have ruled him out of the first leg of the semi-final. However, the decision was overturned by a video...
So can Arsenal beat PSG and make their second Champions League final? The Gunners have the second-best defensive record in the competition, conceding just seven goals in 12 matches, while going forward only five teams have scored more. Standing in their way though are a youthful, vibrant PSG side, who many are tipping to win...
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When the Spanish giants signed Kylian Mbappe in the summer after his contract expired at Paris St-Germain, a lot of people were wondering how this Madrid team full of superstars could be stopped. Many pundits suggested they couldn’t., external But after losing their European crown following the limp...
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta praises his sides “maturity” after beating Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu to reach the Champions League semi-finals. Read full article at source...
Bukayo Saka scores a “magnificent” goal as Arsenal beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Bernabeu to reach the Champions League semi-finals. Read full article at source...
“Mbappe: one-match suspension for a violent incident occurring during the game or as a direct consequence of a game-related incident, with additional fines in accordance with Article 52 of the Civil Code,” the Spanish Football Federation said in a statement. The one-match ban means Mbappe will miss his club’s La Liga fixture at home to...