MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Saturday he will sign a contract extension in the near future with the club he has guided to back-to-back Champions League titles.
“I’m happy because it’s a sign of confidence, that we have done good work,” Zidane told a pre-match press conference ahead of Real’s Spanish Super Cup showdown with Barcelona when quizzed on reports over his future.
Madrid sports daily AS reported the Frenchman will be rewarded with a three-year deal for his feats in not only delivering two Champions Leagues in just 20 months in charge, but also Real’s first La Liga title for five years.
“I enjoy every day here,” added Zidane, who also ended his illustrious playing career at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“I’m lucky enough to have this extraordinary squad and I am very happy with it.”
Zidane added a sixth trophy to his burgeoning collection as a coach when Madrid saw off Manchester United 2-1 to retain the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.
However, he acknowledged that even his future will depend on maintaining his winning streak given the high demands placed on coaches at Madrid.
“You could sign a contract for 10 or 20 years, but I know where I am and what I have to do,” he continued.
“Within a year you could be gone.”
Zidane also warned the European champions against a Barcelona backlash at the Camp Nou on Sunday.
Barca are still reeling from the loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record €222 million ($262 million) with their attempts to land a replacement in Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele of Borussia Dortmund so far falling short.
Zidane admitted “there aren’t many players” with Neymar’s individual qualities, but claimed his absence would not give Madrid the upper hand over two El Clasico clashes in four days with the second leg of the Super cup to come at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
“They have had changes but Barcelona are Barcelona. We know how they play and their idea of how to play isn’t going to change,” said Zidane.
“Neymar isn’t replaceable but there will be others that will do very well. If we think it is going to be easier tomorrow we will be mistaken.”
Zidane vows to extend Real Madrid contract
Zidane vows to extend Real Madrid contract
Nuggets beat Magic 113-100 as Jokic records triple-double
- The Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night
ORLANDO, Florida: Nikola Jokic had 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks without playing the fourth quarter and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
Christian Braun added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won their six straight road game. Jamal Murray scored 19 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and six rebounds.
Wendell Carter Jr. led Orlando with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Black came off the bench with 14 points and five assists.
HEAT 128, SPURS 107
MIAMI: Rookie Kel’el Ware scored 25 points to match his season high, Duncan Robinson added 21 on 5-of-7 3-shooting and Miami beat San Antonio.
Jimmy Butler had eight points and seven assists in his second game since returning from a seven-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Terry Rozier had 20 points, Tyler Herro scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and Nikol Jovic added 14 to help the Heat snap a three-game losing streak.
Miami closed the first half with an 11-0 run to take a five-point lead at 46-41, then opened the second with a 25-8 run. Jovic’s 3-pointer with 5:45 remaining in the third period ended the spurt and put the Heat ahead 71-52.
Devin Vassell scored 23 points and Victor Wembanyama added 21 for the Spurs. They have lost three straight.
THUNDER 127, NETS 101
OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points and 10 assists in three quarters, and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer, sat out Friday’s loss at Dallas with a sprained right wrist. He looked fine against the Nets — he made 8 of 14 field goals and all 10 of his free throw attempts. He also had four steals.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and made eight 3-pointers for the Thunder.
The Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference, and the victory clinched Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault’s spot as an All-Star head coach. He will coach one of the four All-Star teams and an assistant coach from his staff will be the head coach for another team.
Cam Johnson and Tyrese Johnson each scored 15 points for the Nets, who have lost eight of nine.
BUCKS 123, 76ERS 109
MILWAUKEE: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 15 rebounds to help Milwaukee beat short-handed Philadelphia.
Damian Lillard added 25 points for Milwaukee, which completed a 4-0 homestand. Khris Middleton had 13 points and eight assists in 25 minutes off the bench. Brook Lopez added 12 points, and Taurean Prince had 11.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with with 37 points and seven assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points, Ricky Council IV had 13 and Eric Gordon 10. Playing for the second consecutive night, Philadelphia has lost six straightand nine of 11.
The 76ers (15-26) were once again missing several key players — Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele among them — due to injuries, but hung with the Bucks until fading late. Milwaukee moved to a season-high seven games above .500 at 24-17.
CLIPPERS 116, LAKERS 102
INGLEWOOD, California: Norman Powell scored 22 points, James Harden added 21 points and 12 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Lakers’ first visit to the new Intuit Dome.
Kawhi Leonard had 19 points and Ivica Zubac had 21 points and 19 rebounds for the Clippers in the first meeting of the season between the former hallway rivals at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
James had 25 points and 11 assists and Rui Hachimura added 19 points. Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return after missing a game with plantar fasciitis. The Lakers two-game winning streak ended.
Leonard tied his season high playing 24 minutes but none in the fourth as he continued under a minutes restriction in his fifth game of the season. He scored eight in a row to surpass 14,000 career points in the third, when the Clippers built their biggest lead of 26 points.
TRAIL BLAZERS 113, BULLS 102
PORTLAND, Oregon: Scoot Henderson had 25 points and Portland snapped five-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago.
Zach LaVine had 27 points for the Bulls. They have lost five straight.
Portland stretched its lead to 97-82 on Shaedon Sharpe’s 3-pointer with 7:36 left. Patrick Williams’ dunk got the Bulls within single digits at 110-102 with 1:26 left. Deni Avdija answered with a layup for Portland to end the threat.
Sharpe came off the bench for the Blazers after coach Chauncey Billups told him his defense needed to improve to return to a starting role. Sharpe finished with 23 points.
The Bulls led by as 15 points in the first half. Henderson made back-to-back 3-pointers that got the Blazers to 43-42.
Portland tied it at 45 on Jerami Grant’s 3 and it was even at 53 going into the break.
KINGS 123, WIZARDS 100
SACRAMENTO, California: Domantas Sabonis had 29 points and 18 rebounds, and Sacramento beat Washington.
DeMar DeRozan added 24 points, Malik Monk had 23 and Keon Ellis scored 18 on 6-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers. De’Aaron Fox had 12 points and a season-high 13 assists to help Sacramento win for the ninth time in 10 games.
Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who have lost 10 straight.
After allowing Washington to score the first six points, Sacramento never trailed again and built a double-digit lead in the second quarter. The Kings were up by 24 points in the second half.
Sacramento went up by 14 at halftime. Sabonis had 18 points and 11 rebounds at the break, including a stretch of eight straight points on back-to-back 3s and a steal that led to a dunk, helping the Kings take a lead after the game was tied 15-15 in the first quarter.
Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time
- The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time
MELBOURNE: Elina Svitolina was 4-1 down before she went on a roll and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time. It’s her first time back in the quarterfinals in Australia since 2019.
“Feels like a lifetime ago,” Svitolina said. Since her last run this far at Melbourne Park, she married French player Gael Monfils in 2021 and the pair had a daughter, Skai, in 2022. “Many things happened and I’m really pleased with the performance throughout the tournament. Really enjoying this win today.”
After dropping two early service games, Svitolina said she her only goal “was just trying to fight.”
“It’s the only thing I can do when things are not going your way, put your head down and get back to work,” she said. “Really happy I could come (back) into the match and then win in straight sets.”
Svitolina, the No. 28 seed, wore a red dress, red shoes and a red cap for the match. People in the crowd waved the yellow and blue Ukraine flag.
Kudermetova took a medical timeout for on-court treatment on her abdomen after falling behind 5-4 the first set.
She left the court for treatment after losing the first set in 50 minutes. Svitolina held to open the second set and then had a breakpoint but Kudermetova saved and held for 1-1, following up a forehand winner down the line with a loud roar.
That was the end of her celebrating.
It wasn’t just power and pace from Svitolina that was the difference between the pair. After bringing Kudermetova to the net with a drop shot and then lobbing over her to start the next game, Svitolina punched the air.
There was no handshake at the net with Kudermeotva, a 27-year-old from Russia, but no animosity, either.
Svitolina will be playing in the quarterfinals against either 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or No. 19 Madison Keys.
Svitolina’s husband, Monfils, was playing later Monday against No. 21 seed Ben Shelton on Margaret Court Arena. The 38-year-old Frenchman reached the fourth round with an upset over fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz, the US Open runner-up last year.
Svitolina, who beat fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini in the third round, said she hoped to be courtside for Monfils’ match.
“Playing the way that he plays right now, it’s special,” she said.
Other quarterfinalists will be decided when defending champion Jannik Sinner and No. 13 seed Holger Rune meet in an afternoon match and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek takes on Eva Lys, the lucky loser from qualifying, in a night match.
Inter beat Empoli to keep pressure on Serie A leaders Napoli
MILAN: Inter Milan kept in touch with Napoli after seeing off struggling Empoli 3-1 on Sunday and going three points behind the Serie A leaders.
Goals in the second half from Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and Marcus Thuram ensured a hard-fought win for champions Inter at the San Siro without their suspended coach Simone Inzaghi.
Napoli have become the team to beat thanks to their thrilling 3-2 win at Atalanta, who are seven points off the pace in third, on Saturday but Inter also have a game in hand.
However, Inter have a packed schedule due to their Champions League commitments while Napoli have no European football after their disastrous title defense last season.
As well as their final two league phase fixtures in the Champions League — against Sparta Prague and Monaco in consecutive weeks — Simone Inzaghi’s team have the Milan derby and trips to Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta between now and mid-March.
“We barely have time to think because we’re always playing,” said Inzaghi’s assistant Massimiliano Farris to DAZN.
“We’ve won 12 times and drawn three in our last 15 league matches and we’re in with a great chance of getting to the last 16 of the Champions League without having to go through the play-offs.”
Captain Martinez’s distance effort in the 55th minute took his league total to eight goals from 18 appearances, some way off the 24 he racked up on the way to guiding Inter to their 20th league title last term.
The Argentina striker hadn’t scored at home since early November before Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Bologna but his goal against Empoli was his second in as many matches at the San Siro.
Dumfries’ thumping header, from Kristjan Asllani’s 79th-minute corner, was key as Inter were far from their best and once Inter loanee Sebastiano Esposito halved the deficit for 14th-placed Empoli in the 83rd minute a wave of worry swept the stadium.
Fans breathed a collective sign of relief six minutes later when Thuram swept in his 13th league goal of the campaign to seal the points and keep Inter’s title defense rolling on.
Earlier, Lazio stayed in Serie A’s Champions League places after thumping struggling Verona 3-0.
Marco Baroni’s Lazio went ahead with just a minute on the clock through Samuel Gigot, and further strikes from Boulaye Dia and captain Mattia Zaccagni put them fourth, two points above Juventus who beat AC Milan on Saturday.
Sunday’s success ended a three-match winless streak for Lazio, which included derby defeat to rivals Roma, and left Verona in the relegation zone.
Verona slumped to their 14th defeat in 21 league fixtures in front of new chairman Italo Zanzi following the club’s acquisition by American private equity firm Presidio Investors on Wednesday.
The new owners have a job on their hands at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi as Verona are deep in the fight against the drop, sitting in 18th place and separated by goal difference from Como who are just outside the bottom three and host Udinese on Monday.
Verona are in the drop zone due to Cagliari’s 4-1 thumping of fellow strugglers Lecce which moved the Sardinian outfit up to 13th.
Just two points separate Cagliari and Verona, with Lecce, Parma — who drew 1-1 with second-from-bottom Venezia — and Empoli all on 20 points.
Verona, who finished the match with 10 men following Ondrej Duda’s late sending-off, make the short trip to regional rivals Venezia next week.
Hatton holds nerve to clinch Dubai title from Hillier
- English star makes a 7-footer to secure his eighth European tour title
DUBAI: Tyrrell Hatton held his nerve to clinch the Dubai Desert Classic on the final hole from Daniel Hillier on Sunday.
The pair walked up to the 18th tee with Hatton leading by two shots, but the pressure was on when New Zealander Hillier sunk a birdie putt.
Hatton was up to the challenge, making a 7-footer to secure his eighth European tour title by two shots and lift him top of the Race to Dubai rankings.
“A dream come true,” smiled Hatton who equalled Jon Rahm’s record of five Rolex Series wins. He had started the day one behind Hillier.
Outgoing champion Rory McIlroy went down fighting with a final-round surge, the Northern Irishman signing for a six-under to finish fourth, one shot adrift of third-placed Laurie Canter.
Elsewhere, Ernie Els won the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship for his seventh PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 6-under 66 to beat Bernard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alex Cejka by two strokes.
The 67-year-old Langer missed a chance to win for the 19th straight season on the 50-and-over tour. The German star won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship last year for his record-extending 47th senior title.
Els finished at 18-under 198 at Hualalai Golf Course. Playing alongside Els and Cejka in the final group, Langer parred the final four holes in a 66. Jimenez closed with a 64, and Cejka shot 68. Langer and Jimenez have each won the event three times.
“I’ve been trying to get my hands on that trophy for five years now,” Els said. “Came close my very first time and finally got it through the line. But what a battle it was. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to play golf and have basically a week’s holiday with a golf tournament. Wonderful week.”
Els and Langer broke out of a six-way tie for the lead with matching birdies on the par-5 14th, and Els moved ahead of Langer with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th.
Els saved par on par-4 16th with a 10-footer, then left a 25-foot birdie try an inch short on the par-3 17th. On the par-4 18th, after Langer’s long birdie try slid past, Els holed a 10-footer for the two-shot margin.
Els won three times last season. The 55-year-old South African is a four-time major champion, winning the US Open and British Open twice each.
“Getting it done under the gun, very tight race all day, all week really,” Els said. “I had to make some clutch putts. Even if you don’t believe in yourself as much, days like this when you make those putts like you used to, it gives you hope again.”
Defending champion Steven Alker and Jerry Kelly each shot 65 to tie for fifth at 15 under.
Steve Stricker tied for 19th at 10 under after a 69 in his first official PGA Tour Champions event since September.
Djokovic sets up Alcaraz clash, Sabalenka surges into quarters
- Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic surged into an Australian Open quarterfinal clash against Carlos Alcaraz with a dominant straight-sets victory on Sunday while women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was a ruthless winner.
Double defending champion Sabalenka is on a collision course with in-form world No. 3 Coco Gauff in the semifinals in Melbourne if both win in the last eight.
On the hottest day of the tournament so far with temperatures hitting 34 degrees Celsius, Alcaraz went through when Britain’s Jack Draper retired injured.
The 37-year-old Djokovic then kept up his end of the bargain with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Czech 24th seed Jiri Lehecka in the prime-time match on Rod Laver Arena.
Djokovic appears to be growing into the tournament in an ominous sign for his rivals, as he pursues a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and historic 25th Grand Slam title.
He dropped a set in each of his opening two matches but has won the previous two in straight sets.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final.
But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success.
“When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again ... it’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape,” said Alcaraz, who has vowed to get a kangaroo tattoo if he wins the Australian Open for the first time.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, who has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in Melbourne, was leading 7-5, 6-1 when Draper pulled the plug.
Draper had come through all three of his previous matches in five sets, and all from 2-1 down, and it appeared to have taken its toll.
“It’s not the way I wanted to win, but obviously I’m happy to play another quarterfinal here in Australia,” said Alcaraz.
The 23-year-old Draper, whose rise has been held back by issues with his body, said his hip injury had been a “ticking time bomb” and he had “multiple areas really in pain.”
American 12th seed Tommy Paul destroyed Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the loss of just three games as he bids to match or better his semifinal appearance from 2023.
Paul will meet German second seed Alexander Zverev, who survived a mid-match wobble to oust France’s Ugo Humbert.
Zverev, who is zeroing in on a maiden Grand Slam title, won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a chilling warning to sweep into the quarterfinals.
The Belarusian was out on a roasting center court for only 62 minutes before registering an 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park.
“I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets,” said Sabalenka, who faces Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next.
Sabalenka struggled with her serve in colder conditions during the first week, but was untouchable as the mercury soared.
“The ball was flying like a rocket,” said Sabalenka.
A dangerous Gauff faces Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa after the American fought back to beat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Gauff dropped a set for the first time in 2025 but extended her unbeaten streak to 13 matches going back to last year’s WTA Tour Finals.
“Two out of three sets at this stage of my career is not that physically hard for me,” said the 20-year-old Gauff, who is chasing a first Melbourne title.
“The off-season I just put in so much work physically so I’m not worried at all about recovering emotionally or mentally.”
Badosa declared she “loves” Gauff — but said that will not prevent her looking for “revenge.”
The pair have a 3-3 head-to-head record but Gauff won both their meetings in 2024, with each going to three sets.
The last time was in the semifinals of the WTA China Open in Beijing, where Gauff won 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on her way to lifting the title.
