Saudi star Yara Alhogbani dreams of thriving tennis community in Kingdom

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Updated 04 February 2024
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Saudi star Yara Alhogbani dreams of thriving tennis community in Kingdom

  • 19-year-old spoke to Arab News about her career, game’s development in Saudi Arabia, rubbing shoulders with idol Ons Jabeur

ABU DHABI: The last couple of months have admittedly been “surreal” for Saudi tennis player Yara Alhogbani.

The 19-year-old got to witness live tennis matches between Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka, and Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, at home in Riyadh, for the very first time. She interacted with the stars and was given the opportunity to hit and talk with them.

She also met Rafael Nadal, who was announced as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation and has committed to helping the Kingdom develop young talent in the sport and is planning on opening an academy in Saudi.

The Next Gen ATP Finals were held in Jeddah in December, marking the first time a sanctioned tennis tournament had been staged in Saudi Arabia, and it is believed the WTA Finals – the prestigious season finale of the women’s tour – will find a new home in Riyadh, with an official announcement expected soon.

Alhogbani told Arab News: “That would definitely change lives. There are people that have dreamed of that for a long time. I think maybe 200,000 people were in the queue online to get tickets to even see an exhibition, so imagine the WTA Finals.

“Especially for females, not only in tennis but I think in sports in general, that would definitely change lives and open a lot of people’s eyes and encourage more sport and a healthy lifestyle.”

Alhogbani noted that recent developments in tennis in Saudi Arabia were already having a major impact on children in the Kingdom and she was thrilled to see how engaged the top stars were when they took part in clinics and shared their knowledge.

She said: “I think having Ons, a big idol of mine, I’m sure to all of us in the Middle East, being there against Sabalenka, that was something I never imagined could happen a while back.

“And seeing that there were a lot of people there, it was sold out; and I didn’t expect that. So, having more of these kinds of matches, tournaments, it’s going to help grow the sport and it would really be nice to have a lot of those WTA tournaments there. They have no idea what kind of impact they can make on us.

“I got to speak with Ons, she’s so kind-hearted, so down-to-earth, such a great role model that we have.

“And then obviously Novak Djokovic. Before, I was a little intimidated by him, and then I met him, and he was just so awesome. And he cared so much, which is also what made me love him even more, he cared so much about and was so curious about tennis in Saudi.

“He was asking so many questions, and I just felt super noticed and appreciated, which felt nice, especially by him. I’m sure a lot more kids signed up for tennis after that,” she added.

Alhogbani will be having another pinch-me-moment this weekend in Abu Dhabi, where she has been awarded a wildcard to contest the qualifying rounds of a WTA 500 tournament. It will be the teenager’s first experience at this level, and she is hoping to make the most of it.

“This is definitely a dream come true. I think on the way back yesterday from practice, I was on the shuttle bus, and I was sort of crying from happiness.

“So yeah, it feels surreal, almost, I wouldn’t say a dream, it’s like a fever dream, because you don’t really dream about your actual dreams.

“I’m super happy to have the opportunity to represent my country, females from my country, especially in tennis. I’ve dreamed of this for such a long time. And this is also something that I’ve been striving to be. So, having this opportunity is a big deal for me,” she said.

In her junior career, Alhogbani won one singles title and two in doubles before ageing out and transitioning to the professional tour. She is still finding her footing at the senior level and has yet to devise a concrete plan for the rest of the season.

 

 

In Abu Dhabi, she is accompanied by her brother Ammar, who has served as her coach on the trips they have taken together to tournaments.

They made history as Saudi Arabia’s first ever mixed doubles team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last fall.

“I don’t really have a set coach. I’m usually just traveling with my brother. We’re doing it together.

“We travel for some futures, and we ask the tournament director if we cannot play at the same time. And he’ll (Ammar) sit and wait with me for my match and when my match is done, he’ll go warm up for his and then I’ll go and support him.

“It’s nice to have my brother because I can yell at him, he can yell at me and it’s fine. And it’s just definitely emotional support. I have six brothers and Ammar is the closest to me. We have a good connection, and we help each other a lot on the court,” she added.

Alhogbani’s Asian Games did not go as planned, as she lost easily in the opening round of the singles. But she is hoping to do better in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, where she takes on world No. 55 Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain.

“Last time, I was at the Asian Games. I had a bit of a, I wouldn’t say, I don’t know how to describe it. I wouldn’t say a mental breakdown, but I think the pressure got to me. It was the first time in history that we had a Saudi female tennis player playing there and I just felt the pressure.

“So, I didn’t have a good match there, I didn’t have a good run and I felt super defeated. And I promised myself after that match that next time I have the opportunity like that to represent, I would give it my all and feel like I have nothing to lose. Because, honestly, I really don’t,” Alhogbani said.

Irrespective of the result, she is soaking up every moment of her time in the UAE capital, where she gets to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the women’s game. Besides her admiration for Tunisian player Jabeur, Alhogbani pointed out that she was also a huge fan of four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, of Japan.

“I think I saw her this morning at breakfast, and I was just like, ‘oh my God,’ like I couldn’t even finish my breakfast. I literally love her so much,” she added.

Alhogbani admitted that the difference in level between the pros and juniors was “shocking” to her, but she was hoping to gain match confidence as she contested more events on a consistent basis.

She has several goals but perhaps her biggest dream was to make a real positive impact on the tennis community in Saudi Arabia.

She said: “Aside from my own personal goals of wanting to, you know I think everyone says, I want to be world No. 1, and obviously that was a dream of mine as a little kid. But I think just truly what I want now is to be an established player on the tour. That’s my goal.

“But off the court, I want to have more of a tennis community all over Saudi, not just where people have to travel from different cities to come to maybe the capital to get that.

“You know, Rafa (Nadal) is having an academy. It’d be nice if we had academies all throughout Saudi, had a tennis community.

“And it’s different to have an academy and to have a community. In a tennis community you push each other, you help each other, you learn a lot.

“Especially from my own experience, I’m in Saudi and I’m playing and I’m practicing with great coaches and my brother and it’s great, but it’s just like, you really need that community, and it really helps you.

“So, I want to see more tennis going on, and a lot of tennis communities throughout Saudi. And then just have that accessible to everyone and not be super exclusive. With this, I’m sure we’ll have players on the tour soon if we have access to these things,” Alhogbani added.

Decoder

Who is Yara Alhogbani?

Yara Alhogbani is a promising Saudi tennis player who competed in last year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Although she lost easily in the opening round of the singles, she is hoping to do better in the 9-day Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, which opened Feb. 3. She will take on world No. 55 Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain. In an interview with Arab News, she said she has several goals but her biggest dream is to make a real positive impact on the tennis community in Saudi Arabia.


Buoyant Inter gunning for leaders Napoli and Serie A summit

Updated 14 sec ago
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Buoyant Inter gunning for leaders Napoli and Serie A summit

Wednesday’s win came despite Inzaghi dropping five first-choice players with Napoli
The defense of the Serie A title his clear priority in the early months of the season

MILAN: Inter Milan have top spot in Serie A in their sights as they host league leaders Napoli this weekend boosted by a gritty win over Arsenal in the Champions League.
Reigning champions Inter are a point behind Napoli and in buoyant mood ahead of Sunday’s clash at the San Siro after showing huge spirit to beat Arsenal 1-0 and continue their unbeaten start in Europe.
Simone Inzaghi’s team are yet to concede a goal in the Champions League and after four matches are two points behind leaders Liverpool in the new single league phase.
Wednesday’s win came despite Inzaghi dropping five first-choice players with Napoli and the defense of the Serie A title his clear priority in the early months of the season.
And Inter had to hold off wave after wave of Arsenal attacks in the second half after Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty in stoppage time of the opening period, claiming the win with the sort dogged defending which has been lacking in Serie A where they have conceded 13 times in 11 matches.
“It was a win earned through sacrifice, the only thing that mattered tonight was the result. I needed minutes, now I’m ready for Napoli,” said Calhanoglu who was excellent in his first start since recovering from a thigh injury and will guide Inter’s midfield on Sunday.
Inter will be at full strength after Nicolo Barella, Federico Dimarco, Marcus Thuram, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Francesco Acerbi all started the Arsenal win on the bench.
That is a daunting prospect for Napoli who have however had a week to prepare for Sunday’s clash and won at the San Siro against AC Milan as recently as last week.
Napoli have impressed by leading the league following last season’s disastrous defense of their first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona.
But Napoli were thumped 3-0 at home by dark horses Atalanta last weekend and questions remain over whether Antonio Conte’s side are ready to reclaim the title.
Conte, a practicing Catholic, said ahead of his team’s humbling at the hands of third-placed Atalanta that “football miracles can happen but only one person can make them happen.”
“All we can do is work hard and try to create something beautiful which in football terms translates into more points,” said Conte.
Mario Balotelli is set for more minutes with his new club Genoa who face Como at the unusual time of Thursday night, a rearrangement forced by an important rally race being held in the port city over the weekend.
Former Italy striker Balotelli made his Genoa debut off the bench late in last weekend’s 1-0 win at Parma which lifted Alberto Gilardino’s team out of the relegation zone, but his only contribution was getting booked.
In-form Fiorentina and Lazio, who are level on 22 points with Atalanta, face Verona and Monza respectively and have a chance to move level with Napoli before Sunday’s big match at the San Siro.
Juventus, who sit a point behind that trio in sixth, host local rivals Torino after drawing 1-1 at Lille on Tuesday.

Fresh from another stellar performance in Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Stuttgart, Lookman is in the form of his life as Atalanta host Udinese in Sunday’s lunchtime fixture with talk of a title challenge looking increasingly realistic.
Nigeria forward Lookman, the hat-trick hero of last season’s Europa League triumph, has scored eight goals and set up five more in 12 appearances this term.
His stunning performances, which have helped push Atalanta to within three points of Napoli, come after being dropped at the start of the season after pushing for a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
But the way he and attack partners Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere have been playing suggests that Lookman could just as likely scale new heights staying exactly where he is.

Thursday
Genoa v Como (1945)
Friday
Lecce v Empoli (1945)
Saturday
Venezia v Parma (1400), Cagliari v AC Milan (1700), Juventus v Torino (1945)
Sunday
Atalanta v Udinese (1130), Roma v Bologna, Fiorentina v Verona (1400), Monza v Lazio (1700), Inter Milan v Napoli (1945)

Mbappe left out of France squad for November internationals

Updated 30 min 39 sec ago
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Mbappe left out of France squad for November internationals

  • It is the second successive France squad from which the national team captain has been absent
  • Mbappe was absent for France’s 4-1 win over Israel in Budapest and a 2-1 win in Belgium

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has been left out of the France squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Italy after coach Didier Deschamps omitted the Real Madrid superstar from his list of players named on Thursday.
It is the second successive France squad from which the national team captain has been absent after he also missed the October double-header against Israel and Belgium.
The 25-year-old was rested for last month’s matches in order to help him recover from a minor thigh injury suffered playing for Real.
However, that quickly became a source of controversy when he returned to action for Real days later, before France had even played.
Mbappe was absent for France’s 4-1 win over Israel in Budapest and a 2-1 win in Belgium, and instead traveled to Stockholm for a short break with members of his entourage.
It was following that trip that Swedish media reported he was being investigated for an alleged rape. Mbappe himself said those reports were “fake news” while his lawyer said the player would take action for libel.
A Swedish prosecutor confirmed that an investigation had been opened, without naming Mbappe.
Since then, the ex-Paris Saint-Germain forward has made four appearances for his club, scoring one goal. However, he remains short of his explosive best form.


Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen struggling to maintain heights of last season

Updated 40 min 12 sec ago
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Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen struggling to maintain heights of last season

  • The aura of invincibility that Alonso built around the team have evaporated. But it’s not for want of trying
  • “To win against top, top teams, you need to go through tough moments and suffer. We need to learn from this,” Alonso said after the loss in Liverpool

BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen are struggling to reach the high standards they set for themselves last season.
Xabi Alonso’s team have already dropped points in five of their nine Bundesliga games, while Tuesday’s 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the Champions League was already their second defeat of the season.
The late goals that characterized last season’s remarkable Bundesliga and German Cup campaigns — Leverkusen won both without losing a game — seem to have dried up.
Leverkusen have already conceded 15 goals in the Bundesliga. That’s only nine goals fewer than they conceded in the league over the whole of last season.
Though Leverkusen drew with Bayern Munich 1-1 away, they also failed to beat relegation candidates Holstein Kiel and Werder Bremen.
The aura of invincibility that Alonso built around the team have evaporated. But it’s not for want of trying. Before the Liverpool game, Leverkusen had 19 shots at goal in a scoreless draw against Stuttgart, which were second in the Bundesliga last season.
Missed chances have replaced late goals as the recurring issue, while defense is also a concern.
Granit Xhaka was scathing in his criticism of the last three goals his team conceded against Liverpool, suggesting the side’s intensity dropped after conceding the first, though the Swiss midfielder remained confident the team can recover.
“If we keep doing our thing, we’ll start winning games again,” Xhaka said.
Alonso, likewise, does not seem too worried by his team’s results.
“To win against top, top teams, you need to go through tough moments and suffer. We need to learn from this,” Alonso said after the loss in Liverpool.
Alonso opted to stay at Leverkusen despite a host of suitors reportedly keen on acquiring his services in the summer – including former clubs Bayern and Liverpool – and the Spanish coach hasn’t tinkered with or changed his title-winning approach.
The squad from last season remained largely intact over the summer. Central defender Odilon Kossounou left for Atalanta, with Leverkusen bringing Nordi Mukiele from Paris Saint-Germain as his replacement. Mukiele hasn’t played much so far.
It had looked like defensive chief Jonathan Tah was going to join Bayern, but the clubs failed to agree a transfer fee for a player whose Leverkusen contract is up at the end of this season. Tah has played every minute for the team so far.
Leverkusen are already seven points behind unbeaten Bayern in the Bundesliga. They next face a short trip to Bochum on Saturday, when new Bochum coach Dieter Hecking will hope to coax some improvement from a team that have lost eight of their nine games. Bochum have a point after a draw with Kiel in September.


Algeria denounces ‘baseless’ medical report targeting Olympic champion Imane Khelif

Updated 07 November 2024
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Algeria denounces ‘baseless’ medical report targeting Olympic champion Imane Khelif

  • Algerian Olympic Committee decries attacks on Imane Khelif since Paris Olympics 2024 boxing event

RIYADH: The Algerian Olympic Committee has condemned as “baseless” a medical report targeting gold medalist Imane Khelif, which claims she has male chromosomes and no uterus.

The unverified report, widely shared on social media, has sparked fresh controversy. This is the latest round of accusations that the Algerian athlete has had to face since the Olympic Games in Paris earlier this year.

In a statement carried by the German media group DW, the Algerian Olympic Committee rejected the claims as “baseless attacks.”

It said the accusations were aimed at tarnishing the image of Khelif, who was “an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage.”

The document in question, allegedly written by French endocrinologist Jacques Young, suggested Khelif has a condition known as Difference of Sexual Development.

However, Young has denied any involvement, accusing others of using his name to promote an anti-transgender agenda.

The hospital where Young works refused to confirm the document’s authenticity, citing patient confidentiality.

The International Olympic Committee has distanced itself from the document, labelling it “unverified” and confirmed that Khelif is considering legal action in response to the claims.

This is not the first time Khelif has faced controversy.

After her gold medal win in the women’s 66 kg boxing event at the Olympics, she was falsely accused of failing gender verification tests run by the International Boxing Association.

The IBA’s claim that she had male chromosomes was dismissed by the IOC as “illegitimate.”

The latest round of attacks resurfaced in late October, fueled by online platforms, including Reduxx, a magazine known for its “pro-woman” stance.

The report suggested Khelif underwent genetic testing that supposedly revealed a Difference of Sexual Development condition. However, a screenshot from the report clarified that Khelif was still deemed female by the doctors involved.

Khelif, who has always identified as a woman, has not publicly commented, but her management team confirmed she is pursuing legal action.

The Algerian Olympic Committee reiterated its full support for Khelif and called for an end to harmful gender-based attacks in sports.


Saudi jiu-jitsu team win 10 medals at World Championship in Greece

Updated 07 November 2024
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Saudi jiu-jitsu team win 10 medals at World Championship in Greece

  • Kingdom’s jiu-jitsu team scoop 3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze at event held from Oct. 23 to Nov. 4

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s jiu-jitsu team won 10 medals — three gold, three silver and four bronze — at the World Championship in Crete, Greece, which was held from Oct. 23 to Nov. 4, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The gold medalists are Mohammed Al-Mukhlis in the under-69 kg category (Masters Division), Omar Nada in the under-94 kg category (Senior Team Division), and Abdullah Nada in the under-85 kg category (Youth Division).

Silver medals were won by Abdulmalik Al-Murdi in the under-62 kg category (Senior Team Division), Elias Banjar in the under-62 kg category (Youth Division), and Waleed Al-Haidari in the under-56 kg category (Youth Division).

Bronze went to Osamah Al-Marwia in the No Gi category, Khaled Habab, who earned two medals in the under-52 kg and No Gi - 52 kg categories (Youth Division), and Hadeel Qadha in the under-57 kg category (Junior Division).

Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation CEO Rakan Al-Fehaid thanked the government for supporting the athletes and helping them to achieve success.

The team had played a “significant role in elevating the Kingdom’s name on the global stage,” the report added.