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Five things to look out for at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

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Updated 03 February 2025
Reem Abulleil
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Five things to look out for at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

Updated 03 February 2025
Reem Abulleil

ABU DHABI: The Women’s Tennis Association’s Middle East swing kicks off its three-week stint in the Gulf on Monday with the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

Defending champion and top seed Elena Rybakina headlines a stellar field at Zayed Sports City that also includes Tunisian fan favorite Ons Jabeur, recent Australian Open semi-finalist Paula Badosa, last year’s Abu Dhabi finalist Daria Kasatkina, and British wildcard Emma Raducanu.

Here are the main talking points surrounding the action in the UAE capital this week:

Rybakina debuts new coaching partnership

After parting ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic post-Australian Open, World No.5 Rybakina has a new figure in her corner in Abu Dhabi in the form of ex-Association of Tennis Professionals player Davide Sanguinetti.

Stefano Vukov is still part of Team Rybakina but is currently provisionally suspended pending an investigation for an alleged breach of the WTA Code of Conduct. This means he cannot be credentialed at any sanctioned tournament.

Rybakina lost to eventual champion Madison Keys in the Australian Open fourth round last month and says she suffered a back problem during her time in Melbourne.

The Kazakhstani big hitter went straight to Dubai after the opening Grand Slam of the season and underwent treatment for her back before a week’s training with Sanguinetti and Vukov.

“It's really nice to be back,” she told Arab News in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. “I feel like it’s really like a second home for me, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, it’s really nice. I always spend my preparation here and I spend a lot of time here. I’m just really happy to be back and I’m looking forward to start(ing) here.”

Rybakina has a bye in the first round and awaits one of two qualifiers — Sonay Kartal or Katie Volynets.

 

 

Blockbuster openers

The draw revealed several juicy opening matchups with three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur taking on former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, seeded No.7 in Abu Dhabi.

In a clash between two Grand Slam winners, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu will square off with 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, who have both accepted wildcards into the tournament.

Other exciting first rounds include a meeting between recent Australian Open quarterfinalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who made her way through qualifying to claim a place in the main draw.

Jabeur took four months off at the end of 2024 to recover from a shoulder injury and returned to action in Australia in January. She made the quarterfinals in Brisbane and the third round in Melbourne and is pleased with her competitive level this early in her comeback.

“It was nice to have a long break. I think mentally and physically it helped me a lot to be back to normal, to have the motivation back, the pleasure of playing tennis back. I feel like, surprisingly, the level was good. I’m not very good at taking long breaks and come back stronger. So it was nice to see that the level is back,” said the 30-year-old.

 

 

Badosa out to build on strong start

Spanish No.2 seed Badosa reached a maiden Grand Slam semifinal in Melbourne last month and is hoping to keep up the momentum that has propelled her back into the top 10 for the first time since October 2022.

After almost retiring last year due to a stress fracture in her back, the 27-year-old has made a remarkable recovery and has won 30 of her last 39 matches on tour.

Speaking of her biggest takeaways from Australia, Badosa said: “I think emotionally how I handled everything, how I managed the pressure, the expectations also, because I think I was coming from a very good preseason, a very good end of the season, so you always have big expectations, I had big expectations of myself. So dealing with all that. I think also the level I gave there, I’m really happy with it and hopefully I can continue that momentum.”

Badosa has a bye in the opening round and will commence her Abu Dhabi journey against Magdalena Frech or Linda Noskova.

 

 

Former champ back from maternity leave

Swiss Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic lifted the Abu Dhabi trophy two years ago then walked away from the tour seven months later when she became pregnant.

She gave birth to daughter Bella in April 2024 and returned to competitive tennis last October, playing some lower-level tournaments.

Bencic competed in her first WTA-level event post-maternity leave at the United Cup last month and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open shortly after.

Still climbing back up the rankings, Bencic is currently 157th in the world. She will hope to capitalize on her fond memories in Abu Dhabi from two years ago when she faces Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia in her first round on Tuesday.

Japanese teen set for tour-level debut

Barely 10 days ago, 17-year-old Wakana Sonobe became the first Japanese player to win the Australian Open girls’ singles title and just the second to win a Grand Slam junior singles crown.

This past weekend, she accepted a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi and posted two impressive victories over Hailey Baptiste and Cristina Bucsa to claim a spot in the main draw.

The talented lefty will now make her WTA main draw debut when she takes on China’s Yuan Yue in the opening round on Monday.

 

Topics: tennis Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open

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Celtics’ Jayson Tatum progressing well, but won’t return until ‘fully ready’

Updated 5 sec ago
AP
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Celtics’ Jayson Tatum progressing well, but won’t return until ‘fully ready’

  • Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month
Updated 5 sec ago
AP
When Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the Celtics’ conference semifinals loss the the New York Knicks, everything about Boston’s immediate future changed.
But what won’t change is the Celtics’ front office’s prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s rehabilitation.
“We don’t and we won’t,” Stevens said Wednesday night following the first round of the NBA draft. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. ... It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him ... and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”
Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of next season. It has already had implications for next season, with the team opting to trade Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday – both key contributors from the 2024 title team – in an effort to get the team’s salary under the luxury tax second penalty apron.
But Stevens said All-Star Jaylen Brown has already been back to the Celtics’ training facility since he had minimally invasive surgery to clean up his right knee. Brown is doing some light ball handling and work around the rim, Stevens said.
“We said be ready for training camp and I think he’ll probably be going full well ahead of that,” Stevens said.
While Stevens said league rules wouldn’t allow him to address the pending trades of Porzingis or Holiday, he said anything they do this offseason is with an eye toward regaining flexibility after multiple seasons with a high payroll.
“As far as whatever moves that those are a apart of, they’re all separate and hard and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions,” Stevens said. “We knew this was coming. This isn’t a huge surprise. ... The biggest thing for us is making sure that we balance that, maximizing what we can with regard to what we bring back so we can continue to build and grow.”

Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe first picks of 2025 NBA Draft

Updated 26 June 2025
Reuters
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Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe first picks of 2025 NBA Draft

  • The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick
  • The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper
Updated 26 June 2025
Reuters

Cooper Flagg anticipated the moment for many months.

Still, when Flagg heard his name called No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the NBA Draft, he felt a flurry of emotions.

“I’m feeling amazing,” Flagg said as he stood with his family. “It’s a dream come true, to be honest. I wouldn’t want to share it with anybody else.”

The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick. The only question was which team would get the chance to select him, and Dallas earned that opportunity when it won the NBA Draft lottery last month, despite having just 1.8 percent odds of moving into the top spot.

Flagg figures to quickly provide a new face of the franchise for the Mavericks, who drew ire from their fan base for trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg helped guide Duke to an NCAA Final Four appearance while averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. He won the Wooden Award as the nation’s best player while taking home ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team honors.

The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper. The son of longtime NBA player Ron Harper will join a talented roster that includes prized big man Victor Wembanyama.

Harper said he could not wait to get to San Antonio to prepare for the season.

“I’m feeling everything — all the emotions mixed in one bucket,” Harper said. “I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it brings the best out of you. They’ve got a great young core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.”

At No. 3, the Philadelphia 76ers selected guard VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. He was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Bears.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Duke guard Kon Knueppel next, which gave the Blue Devils two freshmen in the top four picks. Now, Knueppel will stay in North Carolina to play in the NBA.

“It was a big spotlight at Duke,” he said. “(We) freshmen didn’t shy away from that, and it prepared us for the next level. Hopefully, that will carry over.”

The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey out of Rutgers to round out the top five picks. Harper and Bailey marked the highest draft picks in Rutgers annals.

The next three selections featured three more freshman guards: Texas’ Tre Johnson to the Washington Wizards at No. 6, Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 and BYU’s Egor Demin to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8.

The Mavericks had the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history. When they owned the top selection in 1981, they drafted DePaul’s Mark Aguirre over Indiana’s Isiah Thomas. 

Topics: NBA draft NBA

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Pacquiao ‘hungry’ for comeback after four-year layoff

Updated 26 June 2025
AFP
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Pacquiao ‘hungry’ for comeback after four-year layoff

  • The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat
  • Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning
Updated 26 June 2025
AFP

LOS ANGELES: Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday that his lengthy layoff from boxing has reignited his passion for the sport as he prepares for next month’s world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.

The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat.

Pacquiao has reunited with long-time veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month’s title tilt, and spoke to journalists on Wednesday as he worked out at the Hall of Famer’s Wild Card gym in Hollywood.

“Four years rest has been good for me,” Pacquiao said after showing off some impressive hand speed in an open pads session.

“I’ve been in boxing for so many decades, so it’s good for my body to rest for four years.

“Now I’m back, I’m hungry to fight again. I’m hungry to fight in a big fight like this. To work hard, have discipline, everything like that.”

“I’ve missed boxing. I feel like the passion, the fire in my eyes, working hard — it’s still there.”

Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning.

“I’m fast, I can move like I did before. I can run in the mountains with the young boxers, so I’m happy,” he said.

“I’m enjoying this training camp. There’s a couple of adjustments for bodily recovery. We have to control the body, give my body time to rest and recover.”

Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, refused to be drawn on whether his comeback next month would be “one and done” or just the first step of a full-fledged return to the sport.

“It’s hard to say,” he said when asked about future bouts. “Now I’m back so one at a time, after this fight we can plan whatever we want.”

For some in boxing, however, Pacquiao’s return to the ring represents an unnecessary risk.

British promoter Eddie Hearn was the latest to cast doubt on the wisdom of the Filipino’s comeback earlier this month, predicting that the 30-year-old Barrios will be “too young and too strong” for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao smiled on Wednesday when asked for his response to Hearn’s remarks.

“Just watch on July 19th,” he said. “It will be a good fight.”

Topics: boxing Manny Pacquiao

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Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F

Updated 26 June 2025
Reuters
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Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F

  • With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta
Updated 26 June 2025
Reuters

A 36th-minute goal from Daniel Svensson was all Borussia Dortmund needed to put away winless Ulsan HD in a 1-0 Group F win in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta with an opponent that has yet to be determined. Fluminsense, which could have won the group with a victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, also moves on to the knockouts as the group’s No. 2 seed.
While the score indicates a close match, Dortmund dominated the pitch, putting 11 shots on goal among their 28 overall attempts. Compare that with Ulsan’s three shot attempts, all on goal and all occurring within a 16-minute period in the second half.
Dortmund put the pressure on early and often to open the match, ripping off 20 shots — eight on goal — in the first half. While Ulsan didn’t even get a shot off during the first 45 minutes plus stoppage time, goalkeeper Jo Hyeon- woo continued to deny Dortmund with seven saves.
That included a seven-minute stretch midway through the first half during which BVB put four shots on goal, only for Hyeon-woo to turn away each attempt.
Dortmund did not relent, however, and it paid off in the 36th minute as Svensson collected a touch pass from Jobe Bellingham in the box and put a left-footed shot past the keeper to put BVB in front 1-0.
Both Serhou Guirassy and Bellingham had prime chances to add to that advantage in the closing minutes of the half. Again, though, Hyeon-woo stood his ground to keep Dortmund from extending its lead.
Ulsan strung together their first strong chances at goal early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Kang Sang-Woo’s attempt from the right side of the box was saved by BVB’s Gregor Kobel. The goalkeeper was tested again in the 60th and 64th minutes as Kobel saved left-footed blasts by Lee Jin-Hyun and Ko Seung-Beom, respectively, to maintain the one-goal edge.
That was all that Ulsan (0-3-0, 0 points) could muster, however, as the South Korean side wrapped up Club World Cup play last in Group F. Hyeon-woo finished the day with 10 saves.

Topics: FIFA Club World Cup 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Borussia Dortmund Ulsan HD

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Mbappe returns to Real Madrid training at Club World Cup

Updated 25 June 2025
AFP
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Mbappe returns to Real Madrid training at Club World Cup

  • The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday
  • Alonso said: “He is doing better, he is recovering“
Updated 25 June 2025
AFP

PHILADELPHIA: Kylian Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday after missing Real Madrid’s first two matches at the Club World Cup in the United States due to illness, the Spanish giants confirmed to AFP.

The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday for tests and treatment after suffering gastroenteritis, before later being released.

He played no part in Real’s opening game at the tournament, a 1-1 draw with Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami, or the 3-1 defeat of Mexico’s Pachuca at the weekend.

Coach Xabi Alonso did indicate after the latter game that Mbappe was on the mend, saying: “He is doing better, he is recovering.”

Real posted images of Mbappe in training on Wednesday on their website, as the squad worked out at their Florida base before traveling north in the afternoon to Philadelphia.

That is where Madrid will take on Red Bull Salzburg of Austria on Thursday in their last Group H match and will be looking for a victory which will confirm their progress to the last 16 in first place in the section.

A draw can also take them through to the next round, with Manchester City and Juventus the possible opponents in the last 16.

Mbappe has scored 43 goals in 56 appearances since joining Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain
last year.

His last game was for France in a 2-0 win away to Germany in the UEFA Nations League on June 8.

Topics: FIFA Club World Cup real madrid Kylian Mbappe

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