LONDON: Nick Kyrgios said Friday he was disappointed not to face Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, proclaiming that “everyone did want to see us go to war out there.”
The controversial Australian was handed a free pass into Sunday’s final after 22-time major winner Nadal withdrew from their semifinal with an abdominal injury.
Kyrgios, one of the sport’s most talented yet divisive characters, is in his first final at the majors at the age of 27.
Had he faced Nadal, it would have been their third clash at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios won the first in 2014 as a 144th-ranked wild card before Nadal gained revenge in a stormy clash three years ago.
“We’ve had a lot of run-ins, a lot of battles,” said Kyrgios, who has won three of their nine encounters.
“I’m sure at the end of the day everyone did want to see us go to war out there. I hope he just gets better.
“Obviously you never want to see someone like that, so important to the sport, go down with an injury like that. I’m sure I’ll play him again on a big stage.”
Earlier Friday, Kyrgios had posted a goodwill message on Instagram to Nadal.
“Different players, different personalities. @rafaelnadal I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon — till next time.”
In Sunday’s final, 40th-ranked Kyrgios will face either six-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic or British ninth seed Cameron Norrie for the title.
Kyrgios had never previously got beyond the quarter-finals of a Slam before his current visit to the All England Club.
He made the last eight on his 2014 debut and reached the quarter-finals in Australia in 2015 but since then his career has been punctuated by more downs than ups.
“I never thought I’d be here at all, to be brutally honest with you,” he said.
“But I’m just super proud and I’m just ready to go. I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what happens.”
Kyrgios admitted that the prospect of playing in his first Grand Slam final had left him anxious.
“I probably got an hour’s sleep just with everything, like the excitement. I had so much anxiety. I was already feeling so nervous, and I don’t feel nervous usually,” he said.
Kyrgios has been the headline act at this year’s Wimbledon.
His spectacular shot-making has been accompanied by $14,000 in fines, spitting in the direction of fans and a bitter bust-up with third-round opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek accused him of having an “evil side” and being a “bully.”
On Friday morning, he woke to one British newspaper headline describing his passage to the final as “Wimbledon’s worst nightmare.”
“If that’s what they want to write, I guess that’s what they want to write. I can only control what I do,” said Kyrgios.
“I’m just going to go out there and enjoy the moment. Since I was born, only eight people have ever won this title, like eight people. I’m just going to give it my best shot.”
’Everyone wanted us to go to war’: Kyrgios sorry not to face Nadal
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’Everyone wanted us to go to war’: Kyrgios sorry not to face Nadal
- The controversial Australian was handed a free pass into Sunday's final
- Had Kyrgios faced Nadal, it would have been their third clash at Wimbledon
Argentina beat Peru to close in on World Cup spot; Brazil and Uruguay draw
- Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute
- Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying
BUENOS AIRES: Lautaro Martinez’s goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over Peru on Tuesday in a South American qualifying match in Buenos Aires and left the hosts close to a spot in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Their main continental rivals Brazil drew 1-1 against Uruguay in Salvador, Brazil with two impressive goals in an otherwise lackluster match. Federico Valverde gave Uruguay the lead with a curled shot from the edge of the box, and Gerson netted his first for Brazil in similar fashion at the Arena Fonte Nova.
Argentina lead South American qualifying with 25 points from 12 matches, five points clear of their closest competitor, Uruguay. Ecuador and Colombia are next with 19 points each.
Brazil lag in fifth position with 18 points after several uninspiring performances, still hoping that striker Neymar will return from injury and fit in again. Paraguay, with 17 points, are in sixth place.
South American qualifying will give six direct berths in the next World Cup. Seventh-place Bolivia, with 13 points, are in the international playoff position. Venezuela (12), Chile (9), and Peru (7) are out of qualifying spots.
The next round of South American World Cup qualifying will be played in March.
Uninspiring Argentina
Martinez’s goal was his 32nd for the national team, which puts him level with the legendary Diego Maradona.
Until Martinez scored, Argentina’s best chance was in the 21st minute, when striker Julian Alvarez hit the Peruvian goalkeeper’s right post. Messi once again had a modest performance, as he did in his team’s 2-1 defeat at Paraguay on Thursday.
Messi crossed the ball in the penalty area in the 55th minute to give Martinez one of the few clear opportunities of the match. The striker moved his body with more grace than power to put the ball in the back of the next.
Despite the disappointing performance at home, Lionel Messi’s team will finish the year with few question marks beyond its performances in November.
“We won Copa America, we lead South American World Cup qualifying,” said goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. “We must be proud of ourselves.”
Jeers for Brazil
Brazil fans at home in Salvador jeered their team after the final whistle. In a match with few opportunities for either side, Uruguay seemed closer to winning for most of the second half.
Valverde opened the scoring in the 55th minute after Brazilian defenders failed three times to clear the ball from their penalty area. The Real Madrid midfielder hit the ball to the left corner to score. Gerson equalized in the 61st minute.
Striker Raphinha said he understood the frustration from his team’s fans, but disagreed with them.
“We played great. We did everything we could to leave here with a victory. We must have our heads high up, it will be very tough to beat us,” he said.
Also on Tuesday, Ecuador won 1-0 at Colombia with a goal by Enner Valencia in the seventh minute, in which he dribbled through three players before scoring. Ecuador lost defender Piero Hincapié to a red card in the 34th minute but held on for the win.
Bolivia and Paraguay drew 2-2 in a match between teams that could end up fighting for the seventh position in the region’s qualifying. Chile, one of the worst performing teams in the region this year, showed some fighting spirit and beat Venezuela 4-2.
'I have left a legacy': Nadal retires from tennis
- Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years
- Nadal was celebrated with a video montage on the many screens around the Martin Carpena arena in Malaga where over 10,000 fans saw his career come to a close
MALLORCA: Rafael Nadal said he has left both a sporting and personal legacy after retiring from professional tennis on Tuesday at the Davis Cup.
The 38-year-old was beaten in the opening singles rubber of the quarterfinals as Netherlands defeated Spain 2-1 to reach the final four.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, enjoyed a glittering and historic career over the past 23 years.
“I leave with the peace of mind that I have left a legacy, which I really feel is not just a sporting one but a personal one,” Nadal told fans in Malaga in a speech during a ceremony to honor his retirement.
“I understand that the love I have received, if it was just for what happened on the court, would not be the same.”
Nadal paid credit to many who have helped him along the way, including his uncle Toni Nadal, who coached him as a child and for a large part of his career.
“The titles, the numbers are there, so people probably know that, but the way that I would like to be remembered more is like a good person, from a small village in Mallorca,” continued Nadal.
“I had the luck that I had my uncle that was a tennis coach in my village when I was a very, very small kid, and a great family that supports me in every moment...
“I just want to be remembered as a good person, a kid that followed their dreams and achieved (even) more than what I had dreamed.”
Nadal was celebrated with a video montage on the many screens around the Martin Carpena arena in Malaga where over 10,000 fans saw his career come to a close.
Former rival Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and other tennis greats left messages in the video, alongside former Spanish football stars including Raul and Andres Iniesta, who retired from playing in October.
“I leave the world of professional tennis having encountered many good friends along the way,” said Nadal in his emotional speech.
The Spaniard said he hoped to be a “good ambassador” for tennis in the years to come and was not afraid to begin his retirement.
“I am calm because I have received an education to take on what is coming next,” he explained.
“I have a great family around me who help me with everything that I need every day.”
Pep Guardiola reportedly agrees to contract extension at Manchester City
- City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year
- Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City face a slew of alleged financial breaches
MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola has agreed to a contract extension to stay at Manchester City for at least another season, according to British media reports Tuesday.
The City manager, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining the club in 2016. City have won six Premier League titles in seven years and won the Champions League.
City have not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year.
Under the Catalan coach, City became the first team to win four straight English league titles. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1999.
Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City face a slew of alleged financial breaches. Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league.
City face more than 100 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English soccer.
The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September — when a closed-door hearing was scheduled — that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year.
Olympic champion Tebogo aims to inspire next generation of African athletes
- The unassuming Botswanan, 21, was one of the standout performers in Paris this year, becoming the first African to win the men’s 200m and silver in the 4x400m relay
- As a sign of his new-found status, Tebogo is one of two finalists for the men’s track athlete of the year award, along with Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen
LONDON: After upstaging powerhouses the US and Jamaica to win a rare Olympic sprint gold for Africa, Letsile Tebogo aims to unleash the “deadly” untapped potential of athletes from the continent.
The unassuming Botswanan, 21, was one of the standout performers in Paris this year, becoming the first African to win the men’s 200m and silver in the 4x400m relay.
Botswana’s first Olympic gold medalist in any sport, he ran an African 200m record of 19.46 seconds, placing him fifth on the world all-time list and beating US star Noah Lyles into third place.
It came just months after he suffered the trauma of losing his mother, Seratiwa, who died in May — he credits her as being the “powerhouse, the drive” behind his success.
As a sign of his new-found status, Tebogo is one of two finalists for the men’s track athlete of the year award, along with Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Since the end of a successful Diamond League season he has been spending his downtime farming in Botswana but in the coming weeks he will start building toward the next season.
“The Olympics have taken me to a different level,” Tebogo told AFP on a chilly autumnal morning in London. “It has opened a lot of doors for me.
“It has created more empowerment for the youth back in the country, back in the African continent, because now a lot of youth want to engage in sporting activities, not just athletics, because I’ve shown them that anything is possible.”
Tebogo is building on the legacy of Frankie Fredericks, considered the trailblazer for modern African sprinters.
But he has already gone a step further than the Namibian, who had to settle for silver medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and he hopes his success can inspire others.
“I believe there’s true potential in Africa, just that we don’t have as many resources as other countries,” he said.
“So if we have the resources, then Africa could be one of the deadliest continents.”
Tebogo wants public money to go toward training coaches, improving facilities and stadiums to encourage young athletes.
“Once you find a gem in Africa, you don’t know when you’re going to find the next gem,” he said. “Because we have the talent, but we don’t have the coaches.
“That could help us nurture that talent into something very big.”
Botswana erupted in celebration after Tebogo’s success in Paris, with then president Mokgweetsi Masisi declaring a half-day public holiday, and he was given two houses by the government.
But he does not fit the usual mold of a preening, extroverted sprint star — he is not interested in emulating Lyles’s showy entrance to the track, previously describing his US rival as “arrogant” and “loud.”
“I mean, I just let my legs do the talking because I’m a more reserved person,” said Tebogo, who was making a flying visit to London for an event with his sponsor, law firm DLA Piper Africa.
“So if he does what he does, because that’s him, we have to accept the way he is and then just move on.”
He is less than impressed with the focus of the latest episodes of the Netflix show “Sprint,” tweeting that it is an “American show,” too obsessed with US stars.
Tebogo, who announced himself on the global stage with 100m silver and 200m bronze at the 2023 world championships in Budapest, admits his new-found fame brings with it positives and negatives.
“The positive is that you get recognized everywhere you go,” he said. “Now you can open doors for yourself with your name.
“And then the negative side of being famous, I believe, is that you’re not a free human being. Everybody’s looking up to you, every step that you take, everybody’s looking if you’re stepping on the right stone, you’re not going to fall down.”
The Botswanan, a keen footballer as a youngster who decided to focus on athletics relatively late, admits he is not yet the finished article but believes things will “click” in 2025.
“We haven’t sat down with the coach and the team to discuss our plans for the 2025 season, but I believe one is going to be making Africa proud,” he said.
“That’s the first one that will never change, no matter what year, what season we get into.”
Pep Guardiola reportedly agrees to contract extension at Man City
- City has not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year
MANCHESTER, England: Pep Guardiola has agreed to a contract extension to stay at Manchester City for at least another season, according to British media reports Tuesday.
The City manager, whose contract was due to expire at the end of this season, has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining the club in 2016. City has won six Premier League titles in seven years and won the Champions League.
City has not commented on several reports that the 53-year-old Guardiola would extend his stay into a 10th season with the deal including an option for an additional year.
Under the Catalan coach, City became the first team to win four-straight English league titles. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1999.
Guardiola’s apparent decision to stay also comes as City faces a slew alleged financial breaches. Punishment could be as extreme as expulsion from the league.
City faces more than 100 charges ranging over a nine-year period when it was trying to establish itself as the biggest force in English soccer.
The club denies the charges and Guardiola had said in September — when a closed-door hearing was scheduled — that he welcomed the chance to clear the club’s name. A verdict is not expected until next year.
