The grass-court tournament starts on July 1
Osaka — a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player — and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season
WIMBLEDON, England: Former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu have all been awarded wild cards for Wimbledon.
The grass-court tournament starts on July 1.
Osaka — a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player — and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season.
Currently ranked 113th, Osaka was the only player to take a set from top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the French Open and followed that up with a quarterfinal spot last week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a warm-up event for Wimbledon.
Former US Open champion Raducanu made her breakthrough at Wimbledon by advancing to the fourth round in 2021. She will be playing there for the first time in two years after undergoing wrist and ankle surgery in 2023.
Kerber won the 2018 Wimbledon title and was runner-up at the All England Club in 2016. She is also a former top-ranked player.
Wozniacki returned from maternity leave last August. She’s never got past the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she will be playing for the first time since 2019.
British players Francesca Jones, Heather Watson and Yuriko Miyazaki were also included in the initial list of invitations. One main draw wild card remains to be allocated. Seven British players have been invited to play in the men’s draw, including last year’s junior champion Henry Searle.
Grand Slam champions Osaka, Raducanu, Wozniacki and Kerber receive wild cards for Wimbledon
Grand Slam champions Osaka, Raducanu, Wozniacki and Kerber receive wild cards for Wimbledon
Missing Wimbledon would not have been ‘correct’, says Djokovic
“I do have something that is described as a feeling of not missing out at a Grand Slam while I can still play and while I’m still active and at this level“
LONDON: Novak Djokovic said Saturday it would not have been “correct” to miss Wimbledon despite having undergone knee surgery just over three weeks ago.
The 37-year-old Serb, who is looking to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and become the oldest champion of the modern era, said he was driven by his “incredible desire to play and compete.”
Djokovic needed surgery to repair the damaged meniscus in his right knee after being injured at the French Open earlier this month.
He was forced to withdraw before his quarter-final and hasn’t played since.
“I do have something that is described as a feeling of not missing out at a Grand Slam while I can still play and while I’m still active and at this level,” said Djokovic.
“I wouldn’t call it a fear of missing out. I would just say it’s this incredible desire to play, just to compete.
“Particularly because it is Wimbledon, the tournament that always has been a dream tournament for me when I was a kid. Just the thought of me missing Wimbledon was just not correct. I didn’t want to deal with that.”
Djokovic arrives in London without a title to his name this season.
He has seen 22-year-old Jannik Sinner take his Australian Open crown as well as his world number one ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz, who deposed him as Wimbledon champion 12 months ago, succeeded him as French Open champion earlier this month.
“I’m confident about the health of my knee and just general physical state is really good,” said the Serb who is chasing a 25th Grand Slam title.
“I haven’t had any setback. If I had one setback, I would be then questioning whether I should be here or not. But I haven’t had a single one. Why not give it a shot?“
Alcaraz has been impressed by what he’s seen of Djokovic just 24 days after going under the knife.
The Spaniard on Saturday described Djokovic as “superhuman.”
But the Serb said he was inspired by Taylor Fritz, the American player who was back on court 21 days after requiring similar knee surgery in 2021.
Fritz suffered his injury at the French Open and needed a wheelchair to help him off court.
After surgery, he returned at Wimbledon and made the third round.
“I think Taylor Fritz is a superhuman,” insisted Djokovic.
“His situation really gave me optimism that I can make it, too.
“Three weeks is just making the cut, so to say. It’s not ideal maybe in the eyes of the doctors and specialists that would normally tell you it’s normally between three and six weeks.
“But it’s also individual. It’s very subjective. Everyone has a different response to the recovery.”
Egypt’s leading female tennis player Mayar Sherif in confident mood ahead of Wimbledon opener
- One-time world No. 31 faces first-round clash with Hungarian qualifier Dalma Galfi
- Sherif looks to inspire next generation of Arab tennis players
LONDON: Egyptian tennis player Mayar Sherif, who last year reached a career-high No. 31 in the world, is gearing up for her second appearance at Wimbledon next week and looking to improve on her first round exit last year.
Egypt’s top-ranked female player will get her championship up and running in the first round against Hungarian qualifier Dalma Galfi.
After a shaky start to the year, Sherif spoke to Arab News about her upturn in form going into the grass-court grand slam event, confidence-boosting wins, and being an Arab female sporting role model.
Q. How did you manage to improve your form in 2024 after a challenging start to the year?
A. The year started off tough due to an injury I sustained early on, which took a mental toll. Even after two months recovery, regaining my strength and capabilities was taking some time. However, I used this challenge as a positive experience where I focused on securing one win at the Madrid Open to help boost my confidence and get myself back into match rhythm. Not only did this win happen once, but twice, which I am incredibly proud of.
Q. How did it feel to reach your career-high ranking of No. 31 last year, and what are your targets for returning to or surpassing that ranking?
Reaching a career-high ranking of No. 31 in the world was a proud milestone for me. My coaches and I focused on consistent progress and hard training, which led to significant improvements in my game. This year, we aim to achieve more and rank higher. My team has been incredibly supportive, pushing me beyond my limits, and working tirelessly to help me become a better player.
Q. What does it mean to you to be Egypt’s most successful tennis player ever?
Being recognized as Egypt’s most successful tennis player ever carries a great responsibility. I see myself as a role model for younger players, and I’ve always believed that my career is just the beginning. My goal is to inspire more tennis players from Egypt and other African countries to break into the world’s top 100 tennis players.
Q. How do you feel about inspiring a generation of Arab tennis players, both female and male, alongside Ons Jabeur?
I feel honored to inspire the next generation of Arab tennis players. However, inspiration is limitless, and I want to be able to inspire all kinds of athletes, especially those who do not have proper access to sport. Which is why, I’m also proud to support adidas’ efforts to encourage young athletes to pursue their goals in sports and overcome pressure. In addition, being a positive role model motivates me to continuously improve my game. It’s rewarding to see younger athletes look up to us, and I’m committed to showing them what’s possible through dedication.
Imperious Max Verstappen takes pole for Austrian Grand Prix
- The series leader and three-time world champion clocked a best lap in 1 minute 4.314 seconds
SPIELBERG, Austria: Max Verstappen continued his imperious form in Red Bull’s homeland on Saturday when, after winning the sprint race, he claimed a convincing pole position for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
The series leader and three-time world champion clocked a best lap in 1 minute 4.314 seconds to outpace nearest rival Lando Norris of McLaren by 0.404sec for his fourth Austrian pole at the Red Bull Ring.
It also ended a run of three races where he was beaten in qualifying in Monaco, Canada and Spain and brought him his 40th career pole position.
“That went really well,” said Verstappen.
“We tried to adjust things a bit after this morning and it went well. It was warmer than yesterday and a bit tricky but the car felt good and I could attack the corners much more. It felt on point and really good out there.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been on pole and we have worked hard to be more competitive.’
Norris said: “I think that was the best we could do today and Max was in a league of his own — but I am happy and I’ll take that.”
George Russell took third for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
Piastri’s best flying lap was deleted for exceeding track limits in the closing minutes when he briefly went third.
Sergio Perez was eighth in the second Red Bull, continuing his struggles, ahead of Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon of Alpine.
Verstappen led the way out of the pit lane for the opening of Q1 with the Styrian Alps simmering in the heat with a track temperature of 47 degrees and the air at 32.
The conditions, however, did nothing to quell the enthusiasm of the Dutch champion’s ‘orange army’, massed in the grandstands.
With everyone on softs, Verstappen set the pace in 1min 6.054sec on his first lap — he took pole in 1min 04.686sec last year — before the Ferraris and McLarens made their opening forays, Leclerc emerging as the early pace-setter in 1min 05.901sec.
Mercedes left their first runs until later, but Russell temporarily took over top spot with Hamilton slotted in seventh.
Verstappen and Sainz both responded as the times tumbled. Only half a second separated the top nine drivers as Hamilton dropped to 16th and needed a new set of softs to avoid an early exit.
As he survived, Alex Albon of Williams, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Logan Sargeant of Williams and Zhou Guanyu in the second Sauber were eliminated.
The Q2 session began with Leclerc posting a best time to go top with a lead of just 0.050sec ahead of Ocon only for Verstappen, in imperious mood, sweeping to the top in 1min 04.577sec.
He took a fresh set of softs for a final run in 1min 04.469sec, half a second clear of the pack led by Sainz, Russell and Hamilton with two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin among those to drop out.
Norris and then Hulkenberg took command in Q3 before Verstappen flexed his muscles, clocking 1min 04.314sec to consolidate his position and take pole.
Zverev says ‘most open Wimbledon in 20 years’
- The world number four has never got past the last 16 at the All England Club
- “I think this is the most open Wimbledon Championship that we maybe had in 20 years in terms of favorites, in terms of potential winners,” said Zverev
LONDON: Alexander Zverev placed himself among the serious contenders for the Wimbledon title on Saturday, insisting that this year’s showpiece “is the most open in 20 years.”
The world number four has never got past the last 16 at the All England Club.
However, with Roger Federer retired, Rafael Nadal resting and both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray carrying injuries, the 27-year-old predicts a power vacuum in south-west London.
“I think this is the most open Wimbledon Championship that we maybe had in 20 years in terms of favorites, in terms of potential winners,” said Zverev.
“I think there’s multiple guys who have a very decent chance of going deep and very decent chance of winning the tournament.
“I don’t think it has been like that for maybe 20 years since before Roger started playing, right? After Roger came Rafa, Novak, Andy. I really feel it’s different this year.”
Since Lleyton Hewitt claimed the 2002 Wimbledon title, the tournament was dominated by Federer (eight titles), Djokovic (seven), Nadal (two) and Murray (two).
Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Djokovic in the 2023 championship match finally broke the ‘Big Four’ stranglehold.
Djokovic and Murray are 37 and both arrive at the tournament fresh from bouts of surgery — Djokovic on his right knee while Murray needed an operation to remove a cyst on his back.
“It’s the first time I really feel like I’m here to be a competitor, to maybe win the title,” said Zverev.
“I didn’t feel like that previous years when I came here. I didn’t feel like I was capable. I didn’t believe I was capable.”
Zverev has suffered two heart-breaking defeats in Grand Slam finals.
At the 2020 US Open, he surrendered a two sets lead against Dominic Thiem while at this year’s French Open, he slipped to a five-set loss to Alcaraz from two sets to one up.
His two fourth round losses at Wimbledon were also five-setters against Milos Raonic in 2017 and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2023.
“This is a tournament where maybe I need a bit more luck and maybe a few things to go my way, a few things to happen,” he added.
“More than maybe at other Grand Slams. If those things all come into place, if all those things maybe go my way for once, do I believe I can win? Then yes, I can.”
Once his Wimbledon campaign is over, Zverev will return to Roland Garros in Paris to defend his Olympic title.
“The Olympics is probably the most difficult trophy to win in tennis for us because we have that tournament once every four years,” said Zverev.
“If you’re not performing during that week, you have to wait another four years. Where at Grand Slams or other events, we have multiple per year.”
’We have already won the Euros’, says Georgia coach Sagnol
COLOGNE: Georgia coach Willy Sagnol insisted the rank outsiders would go into Sunday’s Euro 2024 clash with Spain in relaxed mood having already far exceeded expectations by making it to the last 16.
“We will go into this game with a lot of confidence because we have absolutely nothing to lose. For me we have already won the European Championship and I am just excited to be on the pitch,” Sagnol told reporters in Cologne, where Sunday’s game will be played.
Georgia are appearing at a major tournament for the first time and made it to the knockout phase with a remarkable 2-0 win over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in their last group match on Wednesday.
That followed a 3-1 loss to Turkiye and a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic and allowed them to progress from Group F as one of the best third-placed finishers.
However, all the evidence suggests their run will come to an end against a Spain side who have been the most impressive team so far at the tournament, winning all three group games without letting in a goal.
Georgia have played Spain four times since Frenchman Sagnol was appointed coach in early 2021, and have lost all four meetings.
They went down twice in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, and then lost twice more in qualifying for this competition.
That included a chastening 7-1 reverse at home in Tbilisi last September.
“It was a difficult moment for us but sometimes to get further in life you need moments like that, where it is very difficult, where you are not good, where you think you have done everything bad,” Sagnol reflected.
“Without difficulties you can’t have great achievements. It was part of our journey.
“If we are here today I am sure this 7-1 taught us a lot of things and we learnt a lot of things from it.”
The 47-year-old former France international added: “Spain are clearly the best team in the competition up until now so that is why it is going to be a tough match.
“We played four times against them, we lost four times, but now it is a different competition, a different atmosphere, a different environment, so many things can happen.”
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