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Jannik Sinner
Tennis

“He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case

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“He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case The world no.1 has been on the end of countless criticism for a few months now, in regards to him testing positive on certain doping tests. While Jannik Sinner eliminated the noises around him and won the US Open, his second Grand Slam title, he is not out of the woods yet as many renowned tennis players past and present, have reflected their take on this matter. Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov, Simona Halep amongst other have criticised the decision made by ITIA, as they believe the Italian was given ‘special treatment’ due to his rank and stature as he is one of the frontrunners for leading the next generation of tennis, and that more serious measures should have been taken. “Ridiculous—whether it was accidental or planned, you get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah, nice,” Kyrgios recently stated. Meanwhile, world no.9 Casper Ruud has a completely different opinion than the Australian tennis star, and gave Sinner the benefit of doubt. The Norwegian did feel initially that there could have been some bias due to the Italian’s rank, but after getting caught on the rules and protocols he came to a different conclusion. He also felt not all athletes could have come up with an explanation in a span of just two weeks. “If you have read the documents and understand the process in this type of case, then you understand that there is no discrimination here. What Sinner has done well, to defend himself, is that he managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive. He understood quite quickly where it came from,” said the 25-year-old. What do the ‘Big 3’ think about this peculiar case surrounding Jannik Sinner? As far as tennis news is concerned, nothing makes headlines faster than when the ‘Big 3’ are involved. While Rafael Nadal believed in Jannik Sinner and had no doubt in his intentions, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic raised a few questions on the inconsistency of these protocols which lead to players getting frustrated. “I have an advantage or a flaw, which is to believe in the good faith of people. I know Sinner and I don’t think he wanted to do drugs,” The Spaniard trusts the verdict of the judge in this case and believes that if Sinner was indeed guilty, he would already have been facing the consequences (via El Horminguero). “I understand the frustration of, ‘Has he been treated the same as others?’ And I think this is where it comes down to. I think we all trust pretty much that Jannik didn’t do anything, but the inconsistency potentially that he didn’t have to sit out while they weren’t 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered,” Roger Federer did not blame the Italian at fault, and instead questioned the whole system. “We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols…It is very difficult to speak about it. He tested positive but there have been some reasons that we don’t know that allowed him to play.” the 37-year-old was also confused about the unclear protocols which led Jannik Sinner to not receive any penalty. While the Italian’s US Open victory has certainly helped this matter to go under the radar, there will always be a sort of ‘sour taste’ involved whenever he thinks about this time in the future, due to his reputation being harmed in the process as well. Also Read : “To be able to do it against the greatest of all time is unbelievable” : Alexei Popyrin expresses his shock over victory against Novak Djokovic

Featured

“It’s not easy to do better each time” : Armand Duplantis reflects on his inability to break the world record at the 2024 Diamond League Finals

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“It’s not easy to do better each time” : Armand Duplantis reflects on his inability to break the world record at the 2024 Diamond League Finals Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis has broken the world record in pole vaulting three times this year, first time setting the record at 6.24 metres in China, the second time winning the gold at the Paris Olympics, while setting the record at 6.25 metres. Then finally breaking it yet again a few weeks later in a league meet in Poland, the record which now stands at 6.26 metres. Already considered the greatest pole vaulter of all time at the age of 24, the US born Swede had fans thinking that the world record is about to be broken once again by him in the 2024 Diamond League finals, which he unfortunately failed to do so. But to nobody’s surprise, Mondo Duplantis won the event comfortably, as he was the only athlete who leaped over the 6-metre mark, finally concluding at 6.11 metres. While this was 0.01 metre better than his previous outing here, the Swedish was not satisfied with the performance personally as he was unable to break or even match the world record he set a few weeks prior.  “The world record wasn’t meant to be tonight” : Mondo Duplantis The pole vaulter went the whole 2024 season undefeated, as no competitor of his was even close to catching up with him. The 24-year-old basically spent the whole season trying to break his own personal best, which makes it historic in its own way. With the Diamond League done and dusted, this marks one of the greatest track and field seasons ever by an athlete.  After his victory in Brussels, Duplantis reflected on his season and also revealed his legs did not feel good, but with this year’s track and field season almost at its end, he is looking forward to a well-deserved rest and enjoyment. “My legs felt terrible tonight and I’m just really tired. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks: the race against Karsten and then I had to jump the day after. That took a lot more from my body than I expected. With 6m11 I got a good result, but the world record wasn’t meant to be tonight. It’s not easy to do better each time,” said the pole vaulter (via Wanda Diamond League). “Now it’s time to celebrate my beautiful season: I will drink some good Belgian beers tonight for sure,” the world record holder added. Mondo Duplantis achieved some important accolades as well whilst breaking world records, winning the Indoor World Championship for the second time in his career, winning the Diamond League, and also the coveted Olympic gold medal for the second time in a row. While the Swedish could not break his world record in Brussels, it remains only a matter of time when he will go past 6.26 metres, or even more than that.  Also Read: “He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him” : Lakers legend criticizes Luka Doncic as a potential replacement for LeBron James

Formula 1

“Same Saturday as always”: Lewis Hamilton frustrated after poor qualifying session in Baku

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“Same Saturday as always”: Lewis Hamilton frustrated after poor qualifying session in Baku Lewis Hamilton’s biggest rival this season is not Max Verstappen or George Russell, it is his own failures in qualifying sessions ahead of big races. It was a familiar sight once again as the Briton struggled to make ends meet due to tyre temperature in qualifying. At the Baku City Circuit, he was able to come only seventh on the grid, and this has been a recurring theme in the season at this point.  Hamilton yet again was unable to get ahead of teammate George Russell, who finished at fifth himself. After 2014, this is now just the second time in his F1 career that the 39-year-old has lost to a teammate head-to-head in qualifying. “Honestly, I think it could have been at least second row today” : Lewis Hamilton was disappointed yet again After a tough session for the Silver Arrows duo due to their continuing struggle with tyre temperature and traffic, they will now start the race on Sunday from the third and fourth rows. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc will be starting at pole position and surprisingly, Max Verstappen will not be far from Hamilton, as he finished at sixth. Lewis Hamilton after yet another disappointing qualifying session seemed in no mood for interviews, as he admitted that the team was looking to start at least at the second row. The Briton had a brief analysis on what happened on the circuit. “Same Saturday as always. Same thing that happens every Saturday. Yesterday the car was amazing, felt great. Honestly, I think it could have been at least second row today. Came today, the tyres didn’t work all day,” said the 39-year-old in an interview with Sky Sports. Although the chances of getting pole position on Sunday’s race have been hindered yet again for the Briton, he tried to remain optimistic and believes that the team has a different strategy for tyres than others, which may help him to have a better day. “Qualifying was disappointing as we had a good day yesterday and I thought we could be in the fight for the front two rows. Unfortunately, I was struggling to get the tyres working and that is what it is all about. We will analyse why that was as a team and hopefully make improvements moving forward.” said the Briton (via mercedesamgf1.com) “The aim is to move forward tomorrow, and I am staying positive that we can do so. It is not always easy to progress here, but we have a slightly different tyre strategy to others which may help us. We will also have to look after the tyres as it is easy to suffer with the rears. If we can do so, then hopefully we can have a better day than we had today,” the seven-time world champion added. It would almost be a miracle for Hamilton and co. to pull off pole positions on Sunday and they have just the overnight to prepare on their tactics. But the German team will soon have to figure out their core problems as the season is about to reach its business end. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

Football

“This year Declan has to change that” : Yaya Toure provides key difference between Rodri and Declan Rice

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“This year Declan has to change that” : Yaya Toure provides key difference between Rodri and Declan Rice Over the past few seasons, the debate around the best defensive midfielder has sparked up a lot more than it used to. Defensive midfielders or pivots have been sighted as the key difference makers for a team to succeed in the overall season. In the Premier League; Amadou Onana, Casemiro, Thomas Partey, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are some of the heavyweights in this category, with Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester City’s Rodri seen as the frontrunners. Declan Rice has been outed as one of the best signings the Gunners have made since a long time, as the Englishman has performed consistently well and has helped the team both offensively and defensively. But the North London club were still unsuccessful in achieving their goal of winning the league title even with the services of the Englishman, due to the dominance that has been portrayed by Pep Guardiola in the recent years. On the other hand, Manchester City’s defensive midfielder Rodri, is currently far and away the best player in the league and possibly even the world. The Spainard is one of the favorites to win this year’s Ballon d’or, and a podium finish is all but guaranteed. Due to this, the Gunners and Mikel Arteta have been facing criticism where fans are wanting the same output from Rice as the Euros MVP has been providing City since the past three seasons. Recently, one of the greatest defensive midfielders and former City player Yaya Toure spoke his mind about this topic. Yaya Toure compares Rice to himself and explains why Rodri has an edge over the Englishman To be fair to Declan Rice, the Spanish midfielder currently has an edge over all players at the moment. The 28-year-old has been performing at a level previously seen only from the great Sergio Busquets, who is widely regarded as the greatest ever in this position. But still, the Manchester City legend gave the Englishman the benefit of the doubt while addressing his situation and what changes need to be made. “Declan Rice reminds me of myself because I think he has the capacity, the ability, the physical ability as well. To do it week in week out is difficult and very demanding but he can do it. He needs to be in a winning team because the team that wins the league has the best players,” said Toure (via Futbin.com). “He’s competing with Rodri. You can’t underestimate Rodri for what he’s done and what he’s achieved with Man City and now with Spain. He’s a good player. He’s a competitor. Those two are there but Rodri has been winning more trophies than Declan. This year Declan has to change that. Winning trophies makes the difference,” the former Barcelona midfielder added. The former Ivory Coast midfielder has a point, as the amount of trophies won by the Spaniard with club and country cannot be fathomed by Declan Rice at the moment. Yaya Toure also explained the difference between the Spanish and English internationals, and says Rice is doing what he himself used to do, while Rodri focuses more on passing, stopping counter attacks and slowing down the game. “When you look at the details of Declan’s game in terms of winning the ball, running with the ball, going forward and dribbling, even assists. Declan is looking like what I was doing before. Trying to assist and dribble. Rodri is more build-up, reading the game very well, stopping counter attacks, passing. That’s the difference between them,” the 41-year-old explained. Although lately, the Spanish midfielder has also contributed in many key goal contributions which has led to important trophies with Manchester City. Rodri also bested the whole of England’s midfield, including Rice, in the first half of the final of this year’s Euros.  It is quite clear that Declan Rice is currently not at the level of the Spaniard. But by making a few changes and being deployed in a different manner, and we could very well see the best of the 25-year-old under Mikel Arteta’s side this season. Also Read: “Imagine what the output of Saka is going to be if he gets a rest here and there” : Rio Ferdinand urges Mikel Arteta to make effective use of Raheem Sterling

Football

“We’ve got the players to not only be competitive, but to win a major trophy” : Lee Carsley sets sight for a permanent role as England head coach

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“We’ve got the players to not only be competitive, but to win a major trophy” : Lee Carsley sets sight for a permanent role as England head coach England’s only major trophy came in 58 years ago, winning the 1966 World Cup. Since then, the national team has played in only two finals, in the Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate, amidst making many deep runs in tournaments. But things are once again seeming to be looking up for the Three Lions, as Gareth Southgate’s successor has arrived with 2-0 wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the UEFA Nations League games. Lee Carsley is currently only an interim manager being promoted after good performances with England’s U-21 team, but these victories will certainly boost up his chances of getting the permanent role. Lee Carsley was recently asked on how he feels getting the ‘Impossible Job’, the reference being the 1994 documentary of Graham Taylor’s time as the England coach. Although, his role may well be an impossible one as it is one of the most difficult jobs for any coach, due to the criticism and scrutiny given to them by media and fans. “I think it’s a really good job, it’s a job where, when you look at different opportunities, the first thing you think is: ‘Can you win? Can you be in a position where you can win?’ This job definitely ticks that box. We’ve got the players to not only be competitive, but to win a major trophy,” said the interim manager. “We’re trying to make the most of it” : John Stones on working with Lee Carsley Gareth Southgate used to receive a lot of criticism for his playstyle, with media and fans complaining about the lack of fluidity and the quality of attack in the final third. This was a fair piece of criticism, as England failed to manage to threaten the penalty box and were one of the worst attacking sides in the Euros, even after having players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham at their disposal. Lee Carsley has brought out a change in the attacking style, which was showcased in the two concluded Nations League games, with players moving forward more freely than before. Manchester City defender John Stones also felt the same way, when he was asked about the changes made by Carsley. “Building up from the back, trying to get the lads to show their qualities on the ball and have that patience and belief that they show at their clubs and bring it all together as a collective. Everyone has seen a familiar face [Carsley] when we’re at St George’s Park,” said Stones. “We’ve always been crossing paths and getting to work with him, for me personally and the lads feel the same, we’re trying to make the most of it. Lee and his staff have as well, and we’ve got two great results out of it,” the 30-year-old added. While the interim manager has started off well, the Three Lions’ main quest will always be acquiring major trophies. The FA are still on the hunt for getting the services of a star manager, but if Carsley can provide similar performances against bigger teams by the end of his tenure, the permanent role may well be his. The Three Lions will be playing four more Nations League matches in October and November, making it the perfect opportunity for Lee Carsley to showcase his abilities as a manager. Also Read: “There was a change of project last year” : PSG sporting director reveals the reason of selling Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United

Tennis

“If you look at Roger, Rafa, and Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match?” : Patrick Mouratoglou reveals the worrying problems of Carlos Alcaraz’s busy schedule

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“If you look at Roger, Rafa, and Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match?” : Patrick Mouratoglou reveals the worrying problems of Carlos Alcaraz’s busy schedule In the past two decades, the ‘Big 3’ of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, have won over 150 titles combined. Their longevity, work ethic and determination are widely talked about, but people often miss out on one of the most important aspects which made them compete at the top for so long – their fitness. Carlos Alcaraz is firmly on the line of becoming the next great in tennis, but he has recently been hit back by a rather dreadful thought. The Spainard has had one of his best years, winning the Wimbledon and French Open. But after losing the Olympic gold medal to Novak Djokovic, the 21-year-old has been on a dry spell with early eliminations in tournaments. Although, nobody really knew before the actual reason of Carlos Alcaraz’s poor performances late in the year, some fans on social media believed the Spainard lost his confidence after a close defeat to the Serbian in the Olympics final. This belief was solidified after hearing his words after his surprise second round exit in the Flushing Meadows. “Right now, I feel like I’ve taken steps backwards mentally and I don’t understand why. I’ve had a spectacular summer at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. I left those tournaments saying that I’d taken a step forward mentally. I’d realised that to win big things, to win Grand Slam titles, you have to be mentally strong,” said the 21-year-old. “Now I’ve reached this swing and I’ve taken steps backwards, like I’m not doing well mentally, I’m not strong. I don’t know how to control myself when faced with problems and I don’t know how to handle it.” Alcaraz added. After hearing the Spainard’s comments, it is obvious that he is feeling mentally drained out. Recently, French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou took to social media and explained exactly why this is happening to the 21-year-old. “That is exactly the consequence of someone who is emotionally drained” : Patrick Mouratoglou on Carlos Alcaraz’s recent struggles Patrick Mouratoglou believes the Spainard’s busy schedule with little to no rest has taken an effect on him, hindering his performances. The Frenchman also said that he was ‘not surprised’ to see this outcome, knowing fully well the toll the body takes after playing high-pressure tournaments constantly. “I wouldn’t think he would lose in three sets like this but for me, it’s half a surprise. Two Grand Slams in a row, now he can rest. No. The Olympic Games now. Plus, all the other tournaments. He was exhausted, mentally exhausted. I am not surprised that he is saying that he had so many thoughts and so many emotions that he couldn’t deal with. That is exactly the consequence of someone who is emotionally drained,” said Mouratoglou (via social media). “If you are not fresh here [in the mind], it is more and more difficult to do it.” the 54-year-old added. The Frenchman also compared Carlos Alcaraz to the ‘Big 3’, suggesting that the Spainard does not have the emotional maturity of their level yet, and that he and his team need to take things slowly and let him recover, especially mentally. “He’s very, very emotional. We’ve seen him cramp many times already. If you look at Roger, Rafa, and Novak, have you seen them cramp once in a match? All their careers? He cramped many times already, only at 20. He’s an emotional player. So, I think that knowing that, in the future, they will have to think of a calendar where he has enough rest – mental rest, not physical rest. Mental rest. I think it is very important for his future,” the Frenchman suggested. Luckily, Carlos Alcaraz is only 21 and has a long way ahead in his career. But in order for no major issues in the long term, the Spainard needs to operate carefully – both physically and mentally. Also Read : “To be able to do it against the greatest of all time is unbelievable” : Alexei Popyrin expresses his shock over victory against Novak Djokovic

Football

“There was a change of project last year” : PSG sporting director reveals the reason of selling Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United

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“There was a change of project last year” : PSG sporting director reveals the reason of selling Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United After just a single season with the French giants, Manuel Ugarte is on his way to start his new life with the Red Devils in the Premier League. But many are wondering why PSG let go of the talented midfielder after just one season. Before his departure from Paris, Luis Enrique dropped the Uruguayan from first-team training and squad lineups. He later mentioned PSG were intending to sell him as they plan to let go of players they no longer ‘count on’. Luis Enrique is currently the PSG head coach, but his roots will never change. Formerly the manager of Spain and FC Barcelona, the Spainard likes his players to keep the ball with them as long as possible, trying to play in-behind the defence and let the wingers do their duty. Manuel Ugarte might not be the best suit for Enrique’s possession-based system, and they already possess the likes of Vitinha and youngster Waren Zaire-Emery. PSG sporting director confirms real reason of Manuel Ugarte’s sale amongst other departures Recently, PSG’s sporting director also confirmed this in an interview with Sport Italia, saying the Spanish manager’s needs and wants play an important role in influencing the club’s sporting decisions. “You have to understand the context for (selling) Skriniar, as for Ugarte, there was a change of project last year. A new way of playing.” said Campos. Selling a player termed as unwanted makes sense for both parties, as Ugarte agreed personal terms with Manchester United weeks before the two clubs reached an agreement for him for a total package of 60 million euros, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano. The Uruguayan was also one of the players who got little to no playing time in the French club’s Champions League campaign last season. But things might be different in his stint with Manchester United, as Erik ten Hag usually likes transitional play, effective use of counter-attacking and pressing ruthlessly up the opponent’s side of the pitch, and the ability of the Uruguayan eating up ground in the midfield while providing quality on the ball may be his key to become a regular in the starting eleven. As for Manchester United themselves, they got their target signing in midfield after beating competition like Chelsea, although, they had to pay a bit more than what most would usually prefer. The 24-year-old returned to the Red Devils’ training after the international break as confirmed by the Dutch manager, and will be looking for his Premier League debut against Southampton this Saturday. Also Read: “Imagine what the output of Saka is going to be if he gets a rest here and there” : Rio Ferdinand urges Mikel Arteta to make effective use of Raheem Sterling

Featured

“I don’t know how you can put Jordan ahead of him” : Terrence Ross puts LeBron James ahead of Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate

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“I don’t know how you can put Jordan ahead of him” : Terrence Ross puts LeBron James ahead of Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate In the past few years, the ‘GOAT’ debate in the NBA has come down to just two players – Michael Jordan and LeBron James. While the Chicago Bulls icon was unanimously the greatest basketball player of all time, the arrival of LeBron James in the Cavaliers slowly but surely made people switch their minds. After James’s historic Olympics performance at the age of 39, which earned him the title of FIBA Olympics MVP as well, the debate has never been hotter than it is right now. Fans, analysts, and even celebrities have gotten in to share their opinion on who they think is better, but so far there is no solid proof. We cannot just look at the stats, number of rings and MVP titles to determine who the better player is. There are far more intricacies involved which makes the ‘GOAT’ debate a complex topic to discuss. Most recently, Terrence Ross, who believes that LeBron James is the greatest, added an interesting take which works in favor of the NBA all-time top scorer. “LeBron is literally, for me now, the GOAT” : Terrence Ross Terrence Ross hailed the 39-year-old, in his opinion, as the greatest of all time. The recently retired NBA star put forth the argument that Michael Jordan was not the same player he was before he took a break from the sport. He also mentioned that Jordan’s two years in the Wizards should hold more weight than it does in the debate, as it shows the unmatchable consistency and longevity LeBron James has provided us with. “LeBron is literally, for me now, the GOAT. I don’t know how you can put Jordan ahead of him. If Jordan had been doing what he was doing for 20 years, I’m like, ‘yeah’. LeBron has a long way to go. The truth is he played basketball twice, came back twice. He got a three-peat on his first return, and the second time he came back he wasn’t the same player. LeBron has literally been at a peak throughout his career, he’s getting older, but he’s still as effective as ever,” said the 33-year-old. The former Phoenix Suns player is not the only one to put forth this point out, as fans who are against Michael Jordan in the debate have also put up the argument that he would not have achieved even half of his accolades if not with the help the Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson. We can say that the ‘GOAT’ debate will never truly be over, even when the ‘King’ eventually retires. The fact that it has gone on for so long is because the gap between the two icons is basically non-existent. In a world where the NBA got to see the likes of Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry amongst other legends, the fact that one can say Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the two greatest players of all time is enough proof of their legendary status. Also Read: “He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him” : Lakers legend criticizes Luka Doncic as a potential replacement for LeBron James

Formula 1

“Max was probably a bit out of order in Brazil in truth” : Adrian Newey believes Max Verstappen was lucky to avoid penalty during Lewis Hamilton battle in 2021

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“Max was probably a bit out of order in Brazil in truth” : Adrian Newey believes Max Verstappen was lucky to avoid penalty during Lewis Hamilton battle in 2021 In one of the most memorable encounters in the past decade of F1, it was down to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to claim the crown of world champion in 2021. Controversies aside, this matchup was historic for many ways, as it began the dominance of the Dutchman and RBR. The Dutchman convincingly began his reign of terror in 2022, and is now a three-time world champion, with signs of clinching his fourth straight championship looking very likely. Although, recently it has been come to knowledge by Red Bull’s CTO, that Verstappen’s first championship could have been a hit or miss, as the 26-year-old showed signs of breaking down that year, much more than he did in his future seasons, courtesy of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. “Mercedes managed to find quite a lot more pace out of their car towards the end of the season” : Adrian Newey Adrian Newey is a highly influential figure in the world of F1 who is renowned for his aerodynamic efficiency, and has worked with several top teams like McLaren, Williams and currently Red Bull Racing; while he will be switching to Aston Martin next season. The Briton has worked very closely with the Dutchman for the past few seasons, and was asked on the ‘High Performance Podcast’ about whether or not Verstappen was ever unable to hold up his nerves during the races. “I think a little bit perhaps in his championship win in ’21. Where the intensity, particularly after Silverstone, on track, between Lewis and Max became so intense, I think Max had very strong feelings on that Silverstone accident,” said Newey. “And of course, he’d been clear championship leader going into Silverstone, then him out of the race, and then more or less out of the race in Hungary, when he got hit by Valtteri [Bottas], not intentional at all, but still got hit and pretty much hardly scored any points, so gone from easy championship leaders to now feeling a bit more pressure. And Mercedes managed to find quite a lot more pace out of their car towards the end of the season,” the 65-year-old added. The Briton also admitted how Max Verstappen was feeling to get threatened and pressurized by the Silver Arrows’ resurgence late in the season, which led him to make some mistakes, although, was lucky not to receive any major penalties, especially in Brazil where Lewis Hamilton overtook him to win the race. “So, it’s always easier for the hunter than the hunted. And Max was starting, I think, to just feel a little bit of pressure from the hunted. And hence that, he was, in reality, probably lucky not to get a penalty for his driving in Brazil. Saudi, where they had a bit of a dingdong, that was a little bit more… I think that was not clear, but Max was probably a bit out of order in Brazil in truth, so I think he was feeling it a bit,” explained Red Bull’s CTO. While the gap has certainly thinned down a bit in the current F1 season with teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes catching up to Red Bull Racing quicker than before, there seems to be no doubt that Verstappen and RBR will not be giving up their throne that easily. The Dutchman currently holds a 62-point lead over McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Drivers’ standings, and is on his way to claim title no.4 soon. Also Read: “It’s going to be one hell of a second half of the season” : Lewis Hamilton has high hopes for the remainder of the year

Tennis

“Now we’re like friends” : Nick Kyrgios reflects on his unexpected change in his relationship with Novak Djokovic

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“Now we’re like friends” : Nick Kyrgios reflects on his unexpected change in his relationship with Novak Djokovic Over the years, Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic have had a complex relationship, containing mixed feelings of respect and admiration but also more than a few moments when their rivalry got seriously intense, which caused friction in their relationship. Many examples come to mind, but the most prominent one would probably be their public spats during the time of lockdown, which attracted a lot of media attention as well. In 2020, Djokovic was partially responsible for several fans and players testing positive for the then ongoing COVID-19, due to an event he organized, which led the 29-year-old speak some harsh words about the Serbian. Tensions between the duo came at an all-time high when the 24-time Grand Slam champion wanted to ease out the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions ahead of the 2021 Australian Open, and sent a written letter to tournament director Craig Tiley, but the Australian was fully against this idea and reacted in a highly unpleasant matter. But recently, the Australian admitted that him and the Serbian are now much closer than before, and that the things which happened in the past is water under the bridge. “We text each other, we send ridiculous memes and all this stuff on Instagram” : Nick Kyrgios The duo’s relationship turned over a new leaf in 2022, when Djokovic unfortunately got deported during the Australian Open vaccination event, and the 29-year-old came in full support for the Serbian. It has been smooth sailing from then on for the two, and the Australian recently addressed this on a recent episode on the ‘Tennis Insider Club’ podcast. “The fact that I played a Slam final with Novak at Wimbledon is crazy, because we’re so different that now we’re like friends and it’s amazing and I get to hit with him and help him, it’s pretty cool.” said Kyrgios. “Yeah, it’s crazy. I never thought that I’d be really good friends with Novak Djokovic at all, and it’s not just on the courts. It’s like, we text each other, we send ridiculous memes and all this stuff on Instagram.” the Australian added. The duo also shared a feel-good moment in the recently concluded 2024 US Open, which showcased how far their relationship has come about. After his win over the retired Laslo Djere, the 37-year-old had a light-hearted interview on-court with Kyrgios, where he mocked the high standards of the Australian, amongst other jokes.  Also Read : “To be able to do it against the greatest of all time is unbelievable” : Alexei Popyrin expresses his shock over victory against Novak Djokovic

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