SPORTS - Page 17

Coco Gauff is determined not to be labeled as a ‘one-slam wonder’ and aims to capitalize on her success at the US Open. The American teenager, following her triumph over Belarus’ second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the Flushing Meadows final on Saturday, expressed a newfound sense of perspective. Gauff had garnered high expectations after her remarkable performance in last year’s home Slam, and now she is focused on building a sustained and successful career in tennis. But those outsized expectations

Jelena Ostapenko, the former world number five, is steadily gaining momentum in preparation for the Australian Open. On Thursday, she secured a spot in the Adelaide International semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Marta Kostyuk. The 12th-ranked Latvian, known for her Grand Slam victory at the 2017 French Open, is showing signs of returning to her peak performance as she gears up for the Australian Open scheduled from January 14 to 28. Ostapenko is set to kick off her

Novak Djokovic is set to commence his pursuit of an unprecedented 11th Australian Open title and his 25th Grand Slam victory against a qualifier. Meanwhile, top-ranked Iga Swiatek will encounter a challenging match against 2020 champion Sofia Kenin. Despite facing a wrist issue during his recent United Cup defeat by Alex de Minaur, Djokovic, who experienced his first loss in Australia in six years, is determined to leave that setback behind and make a strong start at the major where

Thierry Henry, the former French national team and Arsenal striker, has candidly discussed his struggles with mental health, acknowledging that he believes he may have experienced depression throughout his career. In a career that was defined by its balletic grace and fearsome pace, Henry scored 228 goals for the Gunners over two spells in London and won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups. He also enjoyed success in Europe with Monaco, Juventus and Barcelona and claimed 51 international

Rafael Nadal’s comeback from a long injury layoff continued Thursday as the Spanish star cruised into the Brisbane International quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-2 win against home favorite Jason Kubler of Australia. Nadal, 37, saved all four break points and finished with 20 winners and only eight unforced errors in the 83-minute victory over the 63rd-ranked local player. In his first tournament in nearly 12 months, the two-time Grand Slam champion showed plenty left to offer at the hard-court ATP

Liverpool have confirmed that midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai will miss Sunday’s FA Cup clash against Arsenal and the first leg of their League Cup semi-final against Fulham after the Hungary international suffered a hamstring injury. Szoboszlai, who has made 26 appearances for the Reds since his summer move from RB Leipzig, was substituted after 64 minutes in their 4-2 Premier League win over Newcastle United on Monday night, with the Reds moving three points clear at the top of the table

The buildup to the India vs South Africa second Test in Cape Town was about the capitulation of the visitors in the first Test. After a loss by an innings and 32 runs in Centurion, the odds were stacked against the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team. But it did not take long for the Men in Blue to dish out a cold revenge – only 107 overs, to be precise. India won the match by seven wickets in less than

The football world is waiting with bated breath for Paris Saint Germain forward Kylian Mbappe to decide where to play next season as his contract enters its final six months. The France captain is one of the most sought-after players in the game and has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, who will be allowed to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with the star from January 1. Mbappe said last year he would not renew his contract at

Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek led Poland to a 2-0 victory over China on Wednesday to reach the semifinals of the United Cup mixed team tournament. Poland, which lost to the United States in last year’s final four, had an advantage at the start of their quarterfinal tie in Perth as Hurkacz and Swiatek both won their singles matches in straight sets. The top-seeded nation among the 18 that entered the $10 million event got off to a blazing start

Novak Djokovic received treatment for a wrist issue during his United Cup match against Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday. Still, the world number one battled to a 6-1 6-7(3) 6-1 win that put Serbia on track to pip the Czech Republic 2-1 and make the quarter-finals. The 36-year-old Djokovic had a medical timeout after losing the second set tiebreaker but returned to play the third, taking a double break in the first game to move to 5-3 and never looking back.