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Formula 1

“Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong, Lewis is right back on his game” : Former F1 boss predicts possible championship year for Lewis Hamilton

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“Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong, Lewis is right back on his game” : Former F1 boss predicts possible championship year for Lewis Hamilton Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is all set to replace Carlos Sainz at Scuderia Ferrari, after spending more than a decade with the Silver Arrows. The next season looks to be promising for the Italian team, and Lewis Hamilton has also regained his form back just at the right time. Former F1 boss Eddie Jordan also believes that the timing for Hamilton’s new stint in red is perfect, and that Ferrari are going to be one of the teams to look out for next year.  “Lewis, at the beginning of the year he was without any doubt pretty much focused on joining Ferrari, getting the right people, and making sure that he had Fred Vasseur on board. They will be overjoyed to see the re-emergence of Lewis because no amount of saying to Ferrari, ‘Say look what we’re doing at Mercedes, don’t worry about that, we can beat George, we can beat everyone, we’re going to be powerful,” said the Irishman. “And that Mercedes team is going to be strong going forward, but Ferrari is going to be incredibly strong. Lewis is right back on his game. And he’s now eyeing up a championship fight for next year. And who’s to say that he’s wrong?” the 76-year-old added. Lewis Hamilton is currently tied with another icon of the F1, Michael Schumacher, at seven world titles, and breaking the record in his first season at Maranello would be the ideal dream come true. Meanwhile, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff wanted Max Verstappen to replace the Briton, but with that not happening in the near future, he went with the low cost and time saving option of talented prospect Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Although, Jordan seems to be having major doubts regarding the German team’s move. “I still believe that there’s a place for Kimi, but it’s not in Mercedes” : Eddie Jordan wants Mercedes to take their time with Kimi Antonelli Pressure would be an understatement for 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli to replace the greatest F1 driver of all time, and it definitely showed when the Italian binned it inside ten minutes of his first official F1 session, that too at home. Many important individuals have claimed that Toto Wolff should have waited for at least another year to bring on the youngster into the main scene, and Jordan cited out the same opinion. “I thought the pressure of Mercedes would be too much for Kimi and his debut, and that’s the way it was; he spun out and caused a lot of damage to the car. I still believe that there’s a place for Kimi, but it’s not in Mercedes; that’s the point I’m trying to make. I don’t care how quick he is; he should be placed somewhere that will give Toto and his team the chance to learn for a year and come up that way,” explained the Irish businessman. Behind the scenes, this controversy might look different; but outside, all of this seems like one big experiment that the Mercedes CEO is hoping for to succeed. After all, time will tell whether or not the young Italian can live up to the hype. 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

“I don’t think Federer, Nadal or Djokovic ever thought they’d lose to me” : Nick Kyrgios reflects on becoming a professional tennis player

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“I don’t think Federer, Nadal or Djokovic ever thought they’d lose to me” : Nick Kyrgios reflects on becoming a professional tennis player Nick Kyrgios is often seen as one of the most talented yet puzzled professional in the world of tennis. The Australian’s tennis career is widely viewed as a ‘what could have been’ as fans believed he had the potential to be amongst the best in the world. The 29-year-old recently reflected on his past and his career, where he provided an outlook of his journey and personal life in a recent appearance on the podcast ‘Tennis Insider Club’. This podcast usually shows a different side of the players, and revolves more around revealing their true personality. The Australian’s first love was basketball, but his parents made focus more towards tennis. Kyrgios eventually became world no.1 in junior tennis and also won the 2013 boys’ Australian Open, but surprisingly confessed that he did not envision himself as a professional tennis player. His big break and then meteoric rise came at just the age of 19, where he shockingly defeated one of the ‘Big 3’ of tennis in Rafael Nadal. “I never thought I was going to become a pro. I was playing from seven and then I got to about 15 and I was, you know, going up the ranks, obviously playing a lot of junior events and then won a couple of junior doubles Grand Slams. And then I was the No. 1 junior in the world. But I never thought I would still be as good as Federer at the time. Nadal,” said Kyrgios. “And then I won a Challenger at 17, I think and then I saw the list of people that had done that and it was like Raonic, Federer, Dimitrov. I just laughed, I was like there’s no way that Nick Kyrgios is going to be at that level. And then a year later it was, I was there, it just happened straight away,” the 29-year-old added. Nick Kyrgios on being unprofessional at the start of his career To play against the ‘Big 3’ is in itself a privilege, but to be able to beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is no small feat, and only a small percentage of professional tennis players can say that. Nick Kyrgios is one of them, although he believes that none of them would have thought that they will lose to him, due to his ‘unprofessionalism’. “I don’t think Federer, Nadal or Djokovic ever thought they’d lose to me. I think they look back and they’re like, ‘How the hell did we manage to lose to him?’  I guess I think about how unprofessional I was at that time. I didn’t give my full self to the game. I wasn’t training all the time and it just happened really early in my career.” the 29-year-old said in a conversation with Naomi Osaka on the ‘Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios’ podcast. The Australian’s professional career has been tainted by acts of unprofessionalism, and controversies both on and off court. Kyrgios has been a part of major disputes with umpires, code violations, allegations of tanking matches, and also verbal spats with players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, attracting headlines in the media. Nick Kyrgios believes this unprofessionalism also did not allow him to train properly and focus fully on his game, although admits it happened very early in his career. 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

“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

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“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 LeBron James is currently about to enter in his 22nd season in the NBA, and yet, he is still not showing any signs of slowing down just yet. The 39-year-old averaged 25.7 ppg last season, and has been performing this consistently over the last two decades in the NBA. The NBA all-time scoring leader will also create a different kind of history than he usually does, when he teams up with his own son, Bronny James Jr. in the Lakers next season. But eventually, James’s time will run out and he will soon leave the court, and it is up to the LA Lakers to come up with a good solution for the long term. It is quite impossible to ‘replace’ LeBron James, but if recent rumours come up to be true, then the California-based franchise is not far off. Recently, The Ringer’s journalist Kevin O’Connor claimed that the LA Lakers have considered the option of 25-year-old Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. This may not come as a surprise, as the Slovenian has consistently been one of the best scorers in the NBA for the past few years, and considering his age, he will not be stopping anytime soon. O’Connor also put up the argument that the Lakers will have more than enough salary cap left after James decides to retire. “He’s lazy” : Michael Cooper does not hold back on Luka Doncic Not everyone was excited to hear this news, as Lakers legend Michael Cooper had some harsh words to say about the Slovenian’s game. “He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense,” said the 68-year-old (via Showtime with Coop). Cooper won five championships with the Lakers in the 12 years he was there, from 1978 to 1990, so the experienced coach’s statement may have some truth in it. Although, fans on social media did not care for the veteran’s opinion as the majority believe Luka Doncic is the right replacement for the Lakers, at least based on his current form. The 25-year-old has been averaging over 30 ppg from the past two seasons, and was also the league’s top scorer the previous season. But his consistency has been remarkably high ever since joining the league from Real Madrid, as he was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019, in addition to being in the All-NBA team and NBA All Star five times. The California franchise desperately need a new superstar in their team, and if we can look past his defensive record, the Slovenian may well be the perfect fit to replace the ‘King’. Also Read: “I know I can jump higher” : Mondo Duplantis on setting greater world records

Jurgen Klopp
Football

“It’s like a class reunion. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of” : Jurgen Klopp returns to Borussia Dortmund for a testimonial match

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“It’s like a class reunion. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of” : Jurgen Klopp returns to Borussia Dortmund for a testimonial match After almost a decade, the almost unthinkable happened at the Westfalenstadion, when none other than Jurgen Klopp returned back as a coach, but just for one match. The 57-year-old recently left his beloved Reds and the Anfield in the Premier League, and has been enjoying life after taking a break as a coach. But when you’re Jurgen Klopp, football will never be that far from you. The German icon was morally obliged to make a short return for one last time in the black and yellow colours, where he won consecutive Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, while also reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2013, where they unfortunately had to deal with a loss against their biggest rivals Bayern Munich. The 57-year-old’s time in Dortmund was special, where many football fans fell in love with his coaching ideology and playstyle. We can also say that Jurgen Klopp made players like Robert Lewandowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marco Reus, Mats Hummels what they are now. Klopp was present on Saturday for a testimonial match for two BVB legends he coached during his time, Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski. Over 81,000 fans welcomed Jurgen Klopp in an emotional return The Signal Iduna Park is usually always sold out, as BVB has one of the most passionate group of fans in Europe, but this time seemed extra special. The German coached here from 2008 to 2015 and left with many memories along the way. Over 81,000 fans were present to welcome Jurgen Klopp, who was part of ‘Team Blaszczykowski’ and coached a 5-4 victory against ‘Team Piszczek’. Apart from these legends, Mats Hummels, who left the club this summer on a free transfer to Italian side Roma, was also present along with current manager Nuri Sahin, and the likes of Dede and Roman Weidenfeller also participated in the testimonial match. Fans, players and coaching staff were all on an emotional high, due to reuniting after a very long time. Positive vibes were on full flow, as Klopp addressed how much it meant for him to be back to Dortmund. “It’s like coming home, there are so many great memories. It’s great to see you all again,” Klopp said at the Westfalenstadion. “It’s like a class reunion. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of, meeting up again, having a good time and being able to tell all the stories. A full Signal Iduna Park with great memories for all of us, but above all with the team.” said the 57-year-old. Although Jurgen Klopp is set to take a break from coaching for almost a year, the German manager has not ruled anything out beyond that. Even if we have seen the last of the icon as a manager, he could very well come back to football in some other way or form. 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

Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup?
Tennis

Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup 2024?

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Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup 2024? Novak Djokovic has completed tennis at the age of 37, after acquiring the final missing piece of the puzzle in winning the Olympic gold medal. Other than this victory for his country which will be remembered for years to come, the veteran had a disappointing year where he had to miss tournaments due to injuries. Djokovic just like last year, also came up short to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. The Serbian also surprisingly had an early exit in the Flushing Meadows, eliminated in just the third round against Alexei Popyrin after four sets. The question now arrives is that, after an injury-riddled season, will the 24-time Grand Slam winner be participating in this year’s highly anticipated Laver Cup amongst other European powerhouses? Official : Novak Djokovic will not participate in the 2024 Laver Cup Although , the Serbian has an exhibition match scheduled after the conclusion of the US Open against Grigor Dimitrov in Bulgaria, that too during the Laver Cup weekend; he will not be participating in Berlin and is not on the official lineup for Team Europe, which consists of Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and late additions Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Interestingly, current world no.1 Jannik Sinner is also not part of the squad.  The 37-year-old previously played the Laver Cup in 2018 and 2022. Despite winning the Olympic gold medal, he is not in the best form of his career for the past two years. Age is also a factor, as the Laver Cup might not be the most sought-after thing this late in the veteran’s career. Add a recent knee surgery after suffering a meniscus tear, and Novak Djokovic’s exclusion from Bjorn Borg’s six-man squad is totally justified. We may only see the veteran participate in Grand Slam tournaments from now on, as the end of a legendary career may be arriving sooner than we think. Also Read: “It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions” : Jannik Sinner reflects on him and Carlos Alcaraz sweeping this year’s Grand Slam titles

Ben Shelton Tennis
Tennis

Ben Shelton Tennis : How old is the American tennis star?

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Ben Shelton Tennis : How old is the American tennis star? American professional tennis player Ben Shelton has quickly become one of the hottest prospects and is expected to be one of the leaders in the sport in the future. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, the 21-year-old was brought up in a tennis-oriented family from the start. His father, Bryan Shelton, is a former professional tennis player who is currently a coach for the Florida Gators. Meanwhile, his mother Lisa Witsken Shelton and sister Emma are also highly ranked junior tennis players. In his childhood, Ben was not that fond of playing tennis and preferred other sports like football over it. But by the age of 12, he regularly started playing tennis courtesy of his father coaching him. In his junior career, Ben made a name for himself with a strong performance on the USTA Junior Circuit. He showcased his potential by winning several junior tournaments and climbing up the rankings. Ben did not immediately go from junior to pro, and decided to pursue college tennis at the University of Florida, where he was a part of the Florida Gators, under his own father who was the head coach. His college career allowed him to develop his game further under the guidance of experienced coaches and against strong collegiate competition. Ben Shelton Tennis : Ben Shelton’s professional career and achievements Ben Shelton turned pro in 2022, where his initial transition was highlighted by strong performances in the ATP Challenger Tour and Tour events. The youngster’s early success helped him gain valuable experience and confidence along the way. His big breakthrough came up in 2023, where he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, after beating out tough competition from the likes of J.J. Wolf, Alexei Popyrin, Nicolas Jarry, and Zhang Zhizhen. Moreover, he also reached the semi-finals of the US Open the same year, where he was defeated in straight sets by none other than eventual winner Novak Djokovic. These performances showcased his ability to be able to handle high pressure situations at a young age, which led to him being in the top 20 of the ATP rankings for the first time as well. In 2024, Ben Shelton made history by winning the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships, defeating third seed Frances Tiafoe in the first African-American men’s singles tennis final in the Open Era. He won his second overall career title and first on clay, while becoming the youngest champion since Andy Roddick in 2002 to do so. The American made it to the third round of the 2024 US Open recently, and currently sits at 17th in the ATP rankings, with a personal best of 13th which he achieved in the previous month. With continued development and experience, the soon to be 22-year-old’s professional tennis career looks to be a bright one ahead.  Also Read: “It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions” : Jannik Sinner reflects on him and Carlos Alcaraz sweeping this year’s Grand Slam titles

Jannik Sinner- Carlos Alcaraz
Tennis

“It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions” : Jannik Sinner reflects on him and Carlos Alcaraz sweeping this year’s Grand Slam titles

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“It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions” : Jannik Sinner reflects on him and Carlos Alcaraz sweeping this year’s Grand Slam titles After almost two decades worth of dominance portrayed by the ‘Big 3’, it finally seems like tennis is about to move on from the titans of this sport that are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The two main characters who have been responsible for dethroning everyone in this current era of tennis is world no.1 Jannik Sinner and world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz. After their historic 5-hour 15-minute clash in the quarter-finals of the US Open two years ago, it was speculated if the two youngsters will be the leaders of this new generation of tennis stars. Fast forward to late 2024, and the Sinner-Alcaraz era is well and truly underway. The Italian and the Spaniard shared the four Grand Slam titles equally this year, with Sinner winning the two hardcourt tournaments while Alcaraz showed his class in the Wimbledon and French Open. Jannik Sinner admits rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz helps both to ‘push each other’ even more The 23-year-old’s breakthrough season will be one to remember. Returning after minor injury issues and allegations of positive anti-doping tests, the Italian was able to thin the noises around him and win the Cincinnati Masters Open, and his second Grand Slam title at the Flushing Meadows, eliminating four Americans along the way. This win will probably seal his top spot in ATP rankings by the end of the year. Speaking at the post-match interview after comfortably beating 12th seed Taylor Fritz in straight sets, the Italian was delighted to be in the position he is currently in, and highlighted how important constant pressure is for that extra motivation. “It doesn’t matter what tournament you play in, the pressure is always gonna be there. So, I’m happy about that. Privileged to be in this position. The work is never done. There are always players who are gonna push you to the limit. I’m just looking forward to my process,” the 23-year-old explained. When asked about how him and his Spanish counterpart dominated the sport this year and where the direction of tennis is next headed, Sinner had a humble reply where he stated how each player improves every game by pushing each other, and that it is nice for the sport to move forward with new champions. “It’s nice to see for the sport to see some new champions. The new generation, we push each other, trying to improve. Then obviously there are a lot of players who we first have to beat to play against the best players in the world. There are a couple of upsets lately. Just trying to stay focused on my own path,” said the US Open champion. With this year’s major tournaments in the books, Sinner and Alcaraz will be hoping to keep up with this pace for next year, although; the competition will be getting tighter and tighter as other talented prospects like Jack Draper, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud are rapidly sneaking up behind them. But most importantly, the future of tennis has struck gold with the talented duo of the Italian and Spaniard. 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

Formula 1

“I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it” : Lewis Hamilton reveals difficulty during his first win with Mercedes 

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“I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it” : Lewis Hamilton reveals difficulty during his first win with Mercedes  The soon-to-be Ferrari man has already conquered F1 racing and has also made the sport more popular along the way. When Lewis Hamilton was in McLaren, everyone knew the amount of potential he had, and it was on joining the Silver Arrows where he received the title of the greatest F1 driver of all time. The Briton last won the world championship in 2020, and has since been on an inconsistent journey with Mercedes. Tied with Michael Schumacher at seven world titles, the 39-year-old is still hungry to break the record next year with the Italian team. Talking about world titles, the Mercedes man gave media a surprise headlines by recently revealing in an interview about the difficulty he had enjoying his first championship win with the AMG Petronas in 2014. “It just wasn’t a great time for me” : Lewis Hamilton admits having a hard time in his initial season with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton joined the German team in 2013 in what was deemed as a gamble due to no recent success of theirs. He was also able to reunite with his childhood karting teammate, Nico Rosberg. After just a one victory in 2013 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, 2014 was the defining year for the Briton where he won his second world championship which started his dominance in the sport. In contrast to what was supposed to be a huge and positive victory, the Briton has revealed he did not ‘enjoy’ his first title with the Brackley-based team. Hamilton said that he would have rather faced competition from several other teams than his own teammate. Although, he did admit that it felt sweet to make his doubters wrong. “I was competing with my teammate. He was tough to beat, but in general you would always prefer that you’re competing with several teams. That’s what the sport should be doing. More often than not, that’s not the case, but I’m still grateful for it obviously. I think it was until 2015 that I was really, really able to properly enjoy it,” said the 39-year-old (via podcast ‘Performance People’). “The first one I didn’t enjoy because it was just – I don’t know – it just wasn’t a great time for me. The second [title in 2014] was just like: ‘I made the right decision and I proved everyone wrong. Great, so I can sleep’. But then the next one felt like: ‘OK, we’re here to stay, this is really [going to mean] something’ – because [three titles is] also what Ayrton won,” the Briton added. It must have been hard to admit for the 39-year-old to speak his true feelings, as he is also soon to leave the team where he spent his peak years at. But the Briton still has one last fairytale chapter left in his career to give out to his fans worldwide, as he is set to finally pursue his childhood dream of racing in red. 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

Featured

“As much as I wanted the gold, I’m really proud of myself” : Iona Winnifrith makes history at 13 years old by winning silver at the Paralympics

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“As much as I wanted the gold, I’m really proud of myself” : Iona Winnifrith makes history at 13 years old by winning silver at the Paralympics Even after the end of the Paris Olympics, records and surprises have still not stopped just yet. The 2024 Paralympics have continued the trend which has broken major viewership records along the way as well. Great Britain’s Iona Winnifrith has just made history at the Paralympics by winning the silver medal in the 100m breaststroke SB7 this Thursday. The 13-year-old became the youngest British Paralympic swimming medallist this century. The teen was already a double European champion before coming to the Paralympics. The Tonbridge native’s role model which led her to participate in the Paralympics is Ellie Simonds, who herself made history in the 2008 Paralympics held in Beijing, by winning two gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle S6 at the same age. And like a true champion mindset, the 13-year-old was not satisfied with her silver medal, as she lost to the new world record set by NPA’s Mariia Pavlova. “I met her a few times… she’s very good talking to us,” said Winnifrith on meeting Ellie Simonds. “Today it just wasn’t enough” : Winnifrith has the gold medal in sight After barely missing the podium in the 200m individual medley S7, the 13-year-old redeemed herself by winning silver in her second event. Winnifrith revealed in the post interview that she was proud of her performance even after not getting the gold, how she got here and what all difficulties she had to go through. “I am really happy about the performance, it’s pretty cool. As much as I wanted that gold, I knew I had to fight for it and that’s what I did. I tried to catch the other girl as much as possible, try and fight her. Today it just wasn’t enough. I knew what I needed. I spoke with my coach (who said), ‘Just try and keep up with the girls all the way through, try and power it through the last lengths.’ And that’s what I did, so really happy with that performance.” said the teenager (via Olympics.com). Although the Briton was aiming for the gold, she broke immense records on the way at her timid age, and was able to make her nation proud regardless of the colour of the medal. Also Read: “I know I can jump higher” : Mondo Duplantis on setting greater world records

Jannik Sinner
Tennis

Jannik Sinner vs Taylor Fritz : Where to watch the US Open Final?

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Jannik Sinner vs Taylor Fritz : Where to watch the US Open Final? The 2024 US Open has reached its climax, and the final is all set to be played at the Arthur Ashe stadium in New York. World no.1 Jannik Sinner and world no.12 Taylor Fritz are the last two remaining players after providing the fans a quality display of tennis performances throughout the tournament. In what was already one of the greatest breakthrough seasons ever, Jannik Sinner has now upped the ante once more and is the first ever Italian to reach the US Open final. Prior to the US Open, the 23-year-old tested positive for two anti-doping tests which caused a lot of controversy on his arrival in New York, but the Italian can look past it now. After losing just one set in the first three rounds, the world no.1 was able to convincingly best 14th seed Tommy Paul, 5th seed Daniil Medvedev and British no.1 Jack Draper in the Round of 16, Quarter Final and Semi Final respectively. Sinner is now the ultimate favourite to win the final at the Flushing Meadows, which will be just his second career Grand Slam. Meanwhile, for the first time since 2006, an American will be playing in the US Open final after Andy Roddick. Taylor Fritz will also be appearing in his first final at the Flushing Meadows, after winning his seventh straight game against countryman Frances Tiafoe, while also showing the door to world no.4 Alexander Zverev and world no.8 Casper Ruud. The 26-year-old now has the opportunity to cause an upset and win his first ever Grand Slam title in home soil. Where to watch the 2024 US Open final? : Available broadcasts and online sites The time for Jannik Sinner vs Taylor Fritz is yet to be declared. Here are some of the available broadcasts and online sites to watch the final at: India SonyLiv, Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 5 China Migu Tv, CCTV Japan WOWOW USA ESPN UK Sky Sports France Eurosport Germany Sky Sport DACH Canada RDS Australia Stan Sport Spain Movistar 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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