With a little help from Kei Nishikori, Moyuka Uchijima hits new heights in Madrid

Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima defeated her favorite player Ons Jabeur in the second round before claiming the first top-10 win of her career over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Sunday. (AFP file photo)
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Updated 28 April 2025
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With a little help from Kei Nishikori, Moyuka Uchijima hits new heights in Madrid

  • Ons Jabeur’s conqueror reaches maiden WTA 1000 last-16

MADRID: Moyuka Uchijima is living a dream – at least that’s how she described it. 

Over the past few days, the Japanese world No. 56 defeated her favorite player Ons Jabeur in the second round before claiming a career-first top-10 win over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula on Sunday.

This time last year, Uchijima was ranked 130 in the world, which was not high enough for her to get into the draw in Madrid. She was instead grinding it out on the lower-level ITF circuit.

Then she went on a 15-match winning streak, sweeping three consecutive titles — in Japan, Slovakia and Spain — in as many weeks.

 

That run earned her a place in the top 100 for the first time, and the 23-year-old has not looked back since, rising to a career-high 51 in the world earlier this month.

With wins over Robin Montgomery, and 2022 Madrid finalists Jabeur and Pegula, Uchijima punched her ticket to the last-16 stage at a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time.

She will take on 21-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday evening.

“I’m just really, really happy. It’s my first Masters 1000 round of 16, and I still cannot believe it, I’m in a dream kind of,” Uchijima said in an interview with Arab News and wtatennis.com.

“I know Jessica is a really, really great player, so I was just really happy to share a court with her, but to get a win is something really, really special for me.”

Uchijima entered her third round against Pegula with a 0-6 record against top-10 opposition, including a tight third-set tiebreak loss to Coco Gauff in Indian Wells last month.

She lost in similar fashion to 15th-ranked Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open early in the year.

 

 

Those two close defeats gave Uchijima the belief she was at the same level as these top players; she just needed to get over that final hump and close out victories.

She did just that against Jabeur and Montgomery, rallying back from a set down, and was clinical in her straight-sets win over Pegula.

“I just try not to think about the score, because when you think you have a chance, then you start to get nervous,” explained Uchijima.

“So this week, I’m just trying to, even first round, I was getting killed by Robin Montgomery, she is also a great player; I just try not to think during the point too much and just enjoy the moment and just try to do what I can do at that moment.”

She added: “Ons is one of my favorite players, and I’m always watching her on TV.

“And Jessica as well. Obviously, they’ve always been on top in the WTA Tour, so it’s kind of a dream that I’m playing against them and actually able to win some matches.”

Jabeur, the Tunisian former world No. 2, plays a brand of tennis that Uchijima finds particularly exciting to watch, albeit when she is not on the receiving end of it.

“It’s just she’s different,” said Uchijima.

“She plays a style that is different than a lot of players, so I hate to play against her because she uses a lot of drop shots, so I have to run more, but to watch is really, really interesting because you don’t see a lot of players like the way she plays, so it’s just really fun to watch.”

Uchijima was born in Kuala Lumpur to a Japanese father and Malaysian mother. She moved around with her family for a few years before settling in Tokyo when she was around 8 years old.

On her way to elementary school every day, she would pass a tennis court at her father Kazuto’s workplace. Uchijima did swimming and basketball at the time, but when she picked up tennis, she enjoyed it way more than the monotony of swim practice and the running drills in basketball.

She forced her sister, who did ballet and gymnastics, to join her during tennis practice and was doing it for fun until, at 13, she realized she was good at it.

Uchijima’s current training base is Guangzhou, where she gets to spend her preseason hitting with Zheng Saiai, Zhu Lin and others.

“A lot of those girls, they’ve been top 30, top 20, so they gave me a lot of tips, and they always support me from wherever,” she said.

“We are far away from each other, maybe not playing the same tournament, but if we play the same tournament, we still support each other, and yeah, of course, my coaches, they’re helping me a lot.”

This week in Madrid, Uchijima received some priceless advice from her compatriot Kei Nishikori, who she grew up watching and idolizing. The 35-year-old Nishikori is a former world No. 4 and the only man from an Asian country to reach a Grand Slam final (US Open 2014).

He contested the men’s tournament in Madrid this week, losing to Denis Shapovalov in the second round, and Uchijima cannot believe that after all these years, she gets to be at the same event as her idol.

“We went to the Olympics together last year, so I got to know him more there,” said Uchijima.

“I was watching him on TV, so it’s just crazy, you’re actually living the same life, same place.

“I don’t have a lot of experience here, playing in Madrid, where (there is) a little bit of altitude, and a little bit different conditions, and Kei played here many, many years.

“And I think he was runner-up here (in 2014), so he gave me some tips. Actually, after the first-round match, he gave me some tips, so I guess it’s working.”

Years after Li Na and Nishikori paved the way, Japan’s Naomi Osaka exploded onto the scene, winning four Grand Slams and becoming Asia’s first singles world No. 1.

More recently, China’s Zheng Qinwen reached the Australian Open final in 2024 and clinched the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Filipina teenager Alex Eala made a historic run to the semifinals in Miami last month.

Asian tennis is booming and Uchijima is keen to write her own chapter in its story.

“I think it’s a really, really great thing,” she said.

“For me, I grew up watching Kei Nishikori and Naomi, for the most part, but yeah, Alex in Miami, what she has done was really, really incredible, and of course, I got a lot of motivation from her, and also from Olympics last year, when Zheng Qinwen won the gold, first Asian to win a gold.

“So yeah, of course, I got a motivation from her that even we can do it, so I don’t know, hopefully, I can be a little part of it, and give some dreams for the younger players, not only in Japan, maybe in Asia.

“Because that’s how I look up, watching Kei and Naomi, so I can hope I can do the same for the younger generation.”

Uchijima grew up playing on hard courts and artificial grass in Japan but says she started to find her game on clay last season and realized the red dirt is probably the most suited to her playing style.

With a quarterfinal spot on the line for Uchijima on Monday, she is focusing on the task at hand and does not want to get distracted by her achievements so far at the Caja Magica.

“It gave me confidence, but there’s a lot of things still I can improve from today’s match, so just trying to improve day by day,” she said.

After competing at a lower-level tournament at a different site in Madrid 12 months ago, Uchijima’s time at the WTA 1000 in the Spanish capital this week has been a significant upgrade.

“Good food, good courts, a good facility — I’m just enjoying it and everything,” she says with a smile.


Chaabani believes debutants Berkane can win CAF Champions League

Updated 9 sec ago
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Chaabani believes debutants Berkane can win CAF Champions League

Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup
“The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” he said

JOHANNESBURG: Renaissance Berkane coach Mouin Chaabani believes the Moroccan club could go one better than CAF Champions League title-holders Pyramids and win the competition at the first attempt.

Cairo outfit Pyramids won the premier African club competition last Sunday in only their second appearance by beating South African rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate.

Berkane last month became Moroccan champions for the first time, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up FAR Rabat.

Called the Orange Boys as they are based in the citrus-growing northeast of Morocco, Renaissance will debut in the Champions League this year.

It is a milestone for a club formed in 1938 and overshadowed for decades by Casablanca giants Raja and Wydad, both three-time African champions.

Berkane finally conquered Morocco by winning 21 of 30 matches, drawing seven, losing just two, scoring 49 goals and conceding only 14 in a championship ranked the second toughest in Africa.

While Berkane are Champions League debutants, they are no strangers to Africa having
competed in the past eight editions of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, winning three
finals.

They were also runners-up twice to Egyptian opponents Zamalek, losing one title decider after a penalty shootout and another on away goals.

Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup.

“The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” the coach who won back-to-back titles in the most prized African club competition with Tunis outfit Esperance told reporters.

“Thanks to repeated appearances in the Confederation Cup, I think Berkane have acquired continental experience. We have an ambitious squad capable of competing at the highest level.

“We will approach the Champions League campaign with great respect for opponents, but also with a desire to go far. Why not aim for the title?

“Our supporters can play a key role. Their unwavering backing, at home and away, has carried us through difficult times as well as joyful moments.”

The Municipal Stadium in Berkane accommodates just 15,000 spectators, and their closeness to the pitch creates what many visiting coaches have called “an intimidating atmosphere.”

Berkane won 43 of 49 home Confederation Cup matches since debuting in 2015, drew the other six, scored 113 goals and conceded only 18.

En route to the latest Confederation Cup triumph, they excelled at home, firing five goals past
Dadje of Benin and Stellenbosch of South Africa and four past CS Constantine of Algeria in the semifinals.

The Champions League is becoming increasingly competitive and unpredictable with the success of Pyramids not foreseen when the competition kicked off last August.

The Cairo club boast a prolific scorer in Congolese Fiston Mayele, whose nine goals won him the Champions League Golden Boot.

Pyramids, fellow Egyptian challengers and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly, Sundowns and Esperance of Tunisia will hope to claim the $4 million (EUR3.5 million) first prize.

Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, who are poised to qualify, and FAR were quarter-finalists last season and capable of going further this time.

Apart from the regular campaigners, there will be newcomers like Wiliete of Angola, Colombe of Cameroon and possibly Police, who need one point from two matches to become Kenyan champions.

Originally due to kick off in August, the Champions League will be delayed as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) has been rescheduled for that month.

Casualties in stampede at India cricket celebrations: Indian media

Updated 40 min 39 sec ago
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Casualties in stampede at India cricket celebrations: Indian media

  • Broadcasters showed police carrying young children in their arms rushing away from crowds
  • India's NDTV broadcaster reported to have left at least 11 people dead

BENGALURU: A stampede broke out as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the sporting win of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, resulting in multiple deaths, local media reported on Wednesday.

AFP could not immediately confirm the death toll, which India's NDTV broadcaster reported to have left at least 11 people dead. The Times of India newspaper reported seven dead.

An AFP photographer saw an intense crush of crowds as a sea of people crammed the streets.

Broadcasters showed police carrying young children in their arms rushing away from crowds, who had seemingly fainted.

One unattended young man was sitting in an ambulance struggling to breathe.

Karnataka state's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he was not able to immediately confirm deaths.

"This is not a controllable crowd," he said, speaking to reporters. "The police were finding it very difficult."

"I apologise to the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru," he said. "We wanted to take a procession, but the crowd was very uncontrollable... the crowd was so much."

Cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League cricket final on Tuesday night.

An AFP reporter said the Bengaluru team had reached the cricket stadium in the city, where celebrations had previously been planned.


Is this the UAE’s most climate-conscious sporting event?

Updated 04 June 2025
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Is this the UAE’s most climate-conscious sporting event?

  • DP World ILT20 franchise Desert Vipers reduced carbon footprint of cricket match to a very rare low

DUBAI: The Desert Vipers have released a sustainability match report outlining the environmental impact of their headline sustainability fixture, saying it is possibly the lowest-emission professional sporting event ever held in the UAE.

Timed to mark World Environment Day, the report details how the Vipers, a founding team in the DP World International League T20, or ILT20, say they reduced the carbon footprint of a professional cricket match to just 30.86 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, translating per fan to a low 8.6 kg of CO2 equivalent, a rarity in global sport.

“While mega-events like the Paris 2024 Olympics (emitted 1.59 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent) and Euro 2024 (generated 490,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent) understandably carry large footprints due to international travel and scale, the Vipers’ match sets a benchmark in per capita emissions. At 8.6 kg CO2 equivalent per attendee, this may be among the most climate-conscious fan experiences in professional sport,” said Ben Hardy-Jones, head of sustainability and lead author of the report.

Hosted during season 3 of ILT20, the Vipers match featured: 100 percent recycled team and fan kits, made locally; hospitality menus free from red meat, with reduced dairy; biofuel-powered pitch machinery; fan travel emissions limited to under 11 percent of total footprint; water-awareness labelling in hospitality menus; a digital reach of 15.4 million and more than 265,000 engagements, amplifying the sustainability message, with virtually zero additional carbon impact.

“As one of ILT20’s founding franchises, we wanted to show how elite sport can lead on climate action without compromising experience,” said Phil Oliver, Desert Vipers CEO and recent Middle East CEO of the Year at the SPIA Awards. “This wasn’t just about lowering emissions, it was about setting a practical example others can follow.”

Though the match was a finalist at the Gulf Sustainability Awards 2024 in the “most sustainable event” category, the data and design of the match are now serving as a template for the wider sports sector, as the Vipers call on teams, leagues and venues to join them in transforming environmental standards.

“This isn’t a one-off stunt. It’s a model we’re evolving every season,” Hardy-Jones said. “Our report is open-source because we want change across the board, from stadium design to catering decisions. Sport has that power.”

With ILT20 season 4 launching on Dec. 2, the Desert Vipers say that they are planning deeper sustainability initiatives and calling on the global cricket community to help make sport a force for environmental good.


Ethara champions sports innovation and investment with landmark pitch in Abu Dhabi

Updated 04 June 2025
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Ethara champions sports innovation and investment with landmark pitch in Abu Dhabi

  • Eight founders presented startup projects to investors at an event at Yas Conference Centre

ABU DHABI: Ethara has launched its inaugural E1H Pitch, during which eight business founders presented their startup projects to investors at an event held at the Yas Conference Centre in Abu Dhabi.

The management company, which organizes some of the region’s biggest sporting events such as the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, UFC and the NBA games.

The event brought together more than 100 key stakeholders from sport, entertainment, government, and investment sectors to witness the unveiling of the regional startups hoping to secure funding for their development.

As the UAE’s first dedicated sports ecosystem and incubator, the Ethara 1TW Innovation Hub (E1H) was established to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE and the wider region by providing startups with access to expertise, commerce and capital.

The first E1H pitch was the culmination of a six-week program in which the eight early-stage ventures received strategic guidance and venture capital support to fast-track their development.

The event opened with keynote addresses from Mike Shapiro, head of ventures at City Football Group, and Mohamed Berrada, partner at Portas. Their insights into global sports investment and the future of digital fan engagement highlighted the UAE’s growing influence as a strategic base for sports tech and entertainment ventures. The session was hosted by sports broadcaster Chris McHardy.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at Ethara,” said Saif Rashid Al-Noaimi, CEO of Ethara. “That’s why we created E1H with our partners at OneToWatch. We want to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to build new ventures that add value not just to Ethara but to Abu Dhabi’s global vision for sport and entertainment.”

The eight presentations attracted immediate interest from investors and highlighted strong potential for UAE-based growth.

Jamie Cunningham, founder of OneToWatch, added: “The UAE is no longer just hosting world-class events it’s now building the companies that will power them. E1H is unlocking entrepreneurial potential and connecting it directly to capital and opportunity. We’re proud to partner with Ethara and Abu Dhabi to help shape the next generation of global sports and entertainment ventures.”

E1H Cohort 1 startups

ArabsMMA – Zahi Ephrem

A marketer and martial artist, Zahi founded ArabsMMA, the first media platform dedicated to combat sports in the Middle East.

Athlyn – Ahmed Cheikh Omar

With 15-plus years’ experience in the UAE sports and corporate sectors, Omar’s platform bridges sport and corporate engagement.

Esportian – Ivan Kerkoc

A Spanish university professor and former NCAA recruiter, Kerkoc founded Esportian to merge traditional sports and esports education.

Icosium Technologies – Billel Boudouma and Mohamed Ali

This venture blends robotics, artificial intelligence, and human experience to deliver real-world micro-automation solutions.

MyParkBuddy – Daniel Hachem

Daniel aims to revolutionize urban mobility through smart parking solutions, drawing on his engineering and entrepreneurship expertise.

Neoma – Francois Chabaudie

With a background in private equity and consulting, Chabaudie created Neoma to improve human interactions through smart environments.

The Mettleset – Dawn Barnable

A seasoned communicator and endurance athlete, Dawn founded The Mettleset to tell meaningful stories through the lens of sport.

E1H Venture Studio, Greenlight Abu Dhabi Branding (GADB) – Robert Angelieri

An event operations expert, Robert drives innovation in sustainable events through branding, logistics, and venue strategy.


Five challenges Ancelotti faces as Brazil reign kicks off

Updated 04 June 2025
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Five challenges Ancelotti faces as Brazil reign kicks off

  • The 65-year-old Italian led his first training session on Monday in Guayaquil, Ecuador, ahead of what should be his first match, if his move from Real Madrid passes scrutiny by football’s governing body FIFA
  • The top six in the 10-team group qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil are fourth, six points clear of Venezuela in seventh with four matches to go

SAO PAOLO: After a warm welcome to Brazil, Carlo Ancelotti, the Selecao’s first foreign coach in more than 50 years, is on a mission to fix a stuttering team and win back fans which starts on Thursday against Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier.

The 65-year-old Italian led his first training session on Monday in Guayaquil, Ecuador, ahead of what should be his first match, if his move from Real Madrid passes scrutiny by football’s governing body FIFA.

AFP identifies five issues Ancelotti faces:

“The only goal is to win the 2026 World Cup,” said Ancelotti when he took the job. First he has to get there.

The South American group is a two-year, 18-match marathon. Brazil’s campaign has included a first-ever home World Cup qualifying defeat, 1-0 at the Maracana to old enemy Argentina, part of a run of three straight defeats in 2023 that ended the coaching reign of Fernando Diniz.

Their last match was a 4-1 humiliation in Argentina in March that finished off former coach Dorival Junior. Yet the format is forgiving.

The top six in the 10-team group qualify directly for the World Cup. Brazil are fourth, six points clear of Venezuela in seventh with four matches to go.

Ecuador may be second in the group, but are only two points ahead of Brazil, who then host Paraguay, who are fifth.

Qualifying ends in September with a visit to last-place Chile and a home game against struggling Bolivia.

Brazil is still churning out dazzling attackers but the production line has stalled on No. 9s. In this century, Romario, Ronaldo and Adriano have all led the attack and banged in the goals.

The nearest player to a classic No. 9 in Ancelotti’s first squad is a player he coached at Everton, Richarlison, now of Tottenham.

Yet Ancelotti has won without a central striker before. His 2024 Champions League winning side was led by two Brazilians: Vinicius Jr, who is in Ancelotti’s squad, and Rodrygo, who he did not select. Ancelotti also has Raphinha of Barcelona, who was joint top scorer in this season’s Champions League.

A bigger problem might be supplying the attackers, veteran Brazilian football journalist Juca Kfouri told AFP.

With Brazil’s youth academies focusing on defensive midfielders and quick wingers rather than classic creators, the Selecao faces a shortage of ideas in midfield.

In Brazil’s last two outings Dorival Junior tried Bruno Guimaraes, Gerson, Andre and Joelinton in the role. None convinced.

At Madrid, Ancelotti “had Toni Kroos as a supply line for Vini. Brazil does not have a Toni Kroos,” said sports writer Tim Vickery on his ‘Brazilian Shirt Name’ podcast.

Ancelotti has recalled Kroos’s former Real Madrid midfield partner Casemiro, although the 33-year-old now with Manchester United is primarily a defensive player to add, the coach said, “charisma, personality and talent.”

The supply of swashbuckling fullbacks, such as Carlos Alberto, Cafu and Roberto Carlos — another hallmark of great Brazil teams — has also dried up.

Ancelotti has recalled Carlos Augusto, part of the Inter Milan team crushed in the Champions League final, and picked Flamengo duo Wesley Franca and Alex Sandro after seeing them play last week in a 1-0 victory over Venezuelan team Deportivo Tachira in the Copa Libertadores.

Ancelotti needs to rebuild the bond between the team and the public. Part of the problem is that after Brazil won five World Cups playing — mostly — the “jogo bonito” (the beautiful game), fans have little patience with mediocrity.

But many supporters have been turned off by the way the famous yellow jersey has been hijacked as a symbol by supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.

“This issue of the extreme right appropriating the jersey has distanced part of the country,” said Kfouri, adding Ancelotti called on the fans when he took the job saying, “I hope to have the support and help of the country.”