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Sergio Perez
Formula 1

“I think he’s old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions” : Christian Horner on Sergio Perez’s chances of leaving after Red Bull crash out of constructor’s title

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“I think he’s old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions” : Christian Horner on Sergio Perez’s chances of leaving after Red Bull crash out of constructor’s title Competing against Max Verstappen is obviously difficult, but having Max Verstappen on your team can prove to be a different type of pain after all. And that is one of the reasons why Sergio Perez is currently struggling with Red Bull. After yet another difficult weekend in Qatar, the Mexican was unable to finish the Grand Prix, leading Red Bull, who were the constructor’s championship holders for two consecutive years, to miss out on the title completely. It will now only be decided between Ferrari and McLaren, with the latter in the lead ahead of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi While Max Verstappen has won his fourth consecutive world championship, this leaves Sergio Perez in a difficult position. Currently eighth in the standings, the Mexican started off the season relatively well, but his recent performances have hindered the overall team’s chances for a treble of constructor’s titles, and questions have started to arrive if Mexican will attempt to leave or not. Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Christian Horner has recently addressed his point of view on how things are with the team, including Sergio Perez’s unconfirmed future. “First of all, we’ve won nine Grands Prix this year to five of any other team, now, all of those nine have come from Max [Verstappen], whereas every other team has split between two drivers.” Horner said when asked about Sergio Perez. “And I think to be third – we’ve still got half a chance of second but it’s a massively long shot – we are out of the constructors’ and that’s very frustrating because that’s obviously where the financial revenues are distributed from.” “Now, it does give us more wind tunnel time if you look it glass half full with the new regulations coming in ’26. It does give us more wind tunnel time to accommodate those new regs.” the Briton added. “Checo has been a wonderful driver for us” : Christian Horner The RB20 is not the easiest to drive even for the pros, but the difference in class between the Dutchman and the Mexican has been highly visible this season, and maybe Perez is not the right fit for now and the future if things progress like this. Christian Horner also lauded the Mexican on helping Red Bull claim the constructor’s title 2022 and 2023, while also immensely contributing in Verstappen’s maiden world championship in 2021. Even though the Briton did not directly address that Sergio Perez is on the exit ramp for Red Bull next season, his comments were enough to hint that the Mexican is more out than in currently. “Checo has been a wonderful driver for us, certainly in ’21, ’22, ’23,” Horner added. “He contributed to Max’s championship in ’21, constructors’ championships in ’22 and ’23.” the 51-year-old said. “And, most of all, he’s a great guy and he’s not enjoying the situation he’s in at the moment. He knows the pressures of this business and we are going to give him all the support we can to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi next weekend and what he decides to do, that will be his decision at the end of the day.” “I think he’s old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions but there is still a race to go so let’s get to the end of Abu Dhabi and see where we are at,” Horner suggested. Although nothing official yet, but after an overall tough year and poor individual form for the Mexican, recent reports have now widely suggested that the 34-year-old is set to leave Red Bull, and the Abu Dhabi GP will be his last race with the brand. Also Read: “I heard the bells ringing two weeks before” : Toto Wolff reveals the moment he came to know Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari

Cricket

“I missed that, it happened too quickly” : Alex Carey takes a dig at India reminding them of the ‘36 all-out’ fiasco ahead of the Adelaide test

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“I missed that, it happened too quickly” : Alex Carey takes a dig at India reminding them of the ‘36 all-out’ fiasco ahead of the Adelaide test India made a great comeback during the first test held in Perth, as they batted their way towards victory courtesy of the knocks provided by the top order consisting of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and the back in form Virat Kohli. With momentum up their sleeve, the Indians are gearing towards what could be the most important game of the Border-Gavaskar series, in Adelaide. To say that the Indians do not possess good memories in Adelaide would be an understatement, as their last visit in Adelaide has gone down in history, but for the absolute worst reasons. On December 19, 2020, the Indians were batting their second innings of the third day of the Border-Gavaskar opener. What came after will be a permanent stain in the minds of all Indians, as they were all out for just 36 runs, recording their lowest score ever in test cricket history. Going into the second test in Adelaide, Australian wicket-keeper and batsman Alex Carey had an impudent way of reminding India about their mishap four years ago, as his comments also involved the present reporters to actively take part in the humour. “There have been amazing days in cricketing history, but we won’t go out there expecting to do it again. We have a process and plan, and we try to execute it regardless of what happens. I wasn’t here for the Test match, but I missed that, it happened too quickly,” Carey said. “We are excited, and we take a lot of confidence out of our record in the pink ball Test,” the wicket-keeper added. The Aussies’ insane record in pink ball Tests Alex Carey also believes that they are the ultimate favourites going into the second test, much of that reason will go the match being played with pink ball. Australia’s record in pink ball tests is better than any other country, losing only one out of the twelve tests they have participated in. And out of those twelve tests, seven have been played in the Adelaide Oval where they have not lost yet. The Aussies also have thrice the experience with the pink ball than India, who have only participated in four home matches till now, losing one. It can be said that this match might turn out way different than what happened in Perth, so the Indians should be extra prepared for their first away pink ball test match regardless of their heroics in Perth. “I’m not sure. We are confident enough, and I’m sure India are confident from their win in Perth. It will be a great contest,” the 33-year-old said. The second test commences on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval, and with India’s confidence after the first test and Australia’s dominance with the pink ball at home, this contest is a must-watch.

Featured

Vladmir Putin’s plans for the ‘Friendship Games’ that will rival the Olympics

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Vladmir Putin’s plans for the ‘Friendship Games’ that will rival the Olympics Russian President Vladmir Putin has decided to postpone the initially planned ‘Friendship Games’, a multi-sports world event that is supposed to rival the Olympics. It was first organized back in 1984 where countries across the world decided to boycott the Los Angeles Olympics due to political tensions leading to the Cold War. It basically served as an alternative which hosted athletes from countries like Soviet Union and East Germany among other allies. The Friendship Games were originally meant to commence this year only after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Russia from participating as a team after their invasion in Ukraine. Although, some Russian athletes were still allowed to participate as ‘individual neutral athletes’. But according to a Kremlin decree published on Monday which Vladmir Putin has signed, the Friendship Games which was set to take place in Yekaterinburg this September, has been postponed until a ‘special decision’ the Russian President makes, with no set date confirmed for 2025 as of now. As for the IOC, they view this competition purely as an attempt to politicize sport, and had already called on countries to not bother participating. Meanwhile, Russia accused the IOC of ‘neo-Nazism’ for banning them and their athletes. Until Vladmir Putin announces this ‘special decision’, for now, everything seems in the dark for the Friendship Games to make its return once again.

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic
Tennis

“There was zero reason why this needed to be announced” : Andy Roddick believes Novak Djokovic intentionally tried to overshadow Rafael Nadal’s retirement by appointing Andy Murray as coach

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“There was zero reason why this needed to be announced” : Andy Roddick believes Novak Djokovic intentionally tried to overshadow Rafael Nadal’s retirement by appointing Andy Murray as coach November has been one of the most hectic months tennis fans have had to follow in recent times. From Jannik Sinner continuing his domination to Rafael Nadal’s emotional retirement and final match in the Davis Cup, there was room for one more shock of the year courtesy of Novak Djokovic. The Serbian, who had been without a coach since March, announced the world that none other than recently retired Andy Murray would be his coach going into 2025. This news was shocking mainly due to the Englishman’s age and that he has never coached anyone before, but the Serbian feels that this will work exceptionally at this stage of his career. But Andy Roddick believes Djokovic also had another motive to announce this decision, which was surprisingly very close to the Spainard’s retirement. Roddick dropped a big allegation on the Serbian and the Brit that they are enjoying this attention by overshadowing Nadal’s retirement, which some fans feel was already underwhelming for someone his stature. “I get memes are fun, but there is no part of this that’s a joke. I don’t think it’s a vanity project. Hey listen, is the attention fun? Is the buzz fun? Is it fun to know that you can create a s**tstorm in the tennis world and override any storyline?” The American said on his podcast Served with Andy Roddick. “Oh, oh, oh! Rafa retired this weekend? Should we dominate the headlines at the end of that week? There was zero reason why this needed to be announced. Zero,” the 42-year-old added when asked if he was referring to something specific. It is also worth noting that Novak Djokovic was initially scheduled to attend the Spainard’s retirement ceremony but, in the end could not make it, and then proceeded to announce Murray as his coach the very same week. The iconic rivalry of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic No rivalry, not even Federer vs Nadal, has come this close over the years, The Serbian and Spainard have fought valiantly against each other for many years, with both not even giving an inch of breather to the other. In the end, Djokovic just about edged Nadal 31-29 in the 60 times they have met each other. Djokovic can also proudly say that he has the most wins vs Nadal on clay (the Spainard’s most dominant area of speciality) than anyone else. He has defeated Nadal twice in the French Open and all three clay court Masters events.  The tennis world will surely be missing the duo together on the court already, but Novak Djokovic has already set out with new coach Andy Murray to try and claim back his crown against the young guns Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. His first attempt of extending his lead of Grand Slams will start next month in the Australian Open. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy

Ruben Amorim
Football

“I will be judged on the place that we finish” : Ruben Amorim after Manchester United’s huge win over Everton

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“I will be judged on the place that we finish” : Ruben Amorim after Manchester United’s huge win over Everton With his first home game taken place, Ruben Amorim’s era as Manchester United manager is officially underway, in some fashion. The Red Devils thrashed Everton 4-0 as both Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford scored a brace, the latter’s name on the scoresheet has given much joy to the fans. Manchester United are finally inside the top 10 in the Premier League table, four points separate them to the Champions League spots. And of course, the Portuguese manager was asked if playing in Europe next season is becoming more realistic or not, to which he replied that his tenure will be judged by the position he brings the club to, although he would prefer looking more into performances than results. “I will be judged [on] the place that we finish. If I said no you will say that I cannot be a Manchester United manager,” Amorim said. “I want to be honest with our fans – so let’s focus on the performance, not the results. Let’s focus just on the next game and look at the performance. Thursday [against Bodø/Glimt] it was 3-2, but I think we deserved more. Today was 4-0 – but I think Everton deserved [more]. So let’s focus on the performance.” the Portuguese added. “He can do so much” : Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford can do even better Marcus Rashford’s brace has certainly gotten fans excited for what is to come. We all know how lethal the Englishman can be over the years, but he has been widely inconsistent throughout his career with the United first team. When in form, there are not many which can be compared to Rashford and his intent of always attacking and going forward, but unfortunately consistency is what he lacks. When asked about his display against Everton, Amorim, who on Friday said that Rashford would want to have it inside him to be the best, had big words to describe the Englishman as he wants him to do even more. “Yeah. He can do so much, he has to continue to improve, he has the ability to do it and he has already proved that. But he can play so much better, like the other guys, so it was a good performance. Tomorrow, he has to recover and start thinking about Arsenal [on Wednesday].” the 39-year-old said. Ruben Amorim also explained why he chose the Dutch striker over Rasmus Hojlund, who also scored a brace against Bodo/Glimt. The Portuguese thinks that the Danish striker would have struggled to get away from the Everton centre-backs. His guess was right as Zirkzee was able to score twice which helped him and the team’s overall confidence further. “It would have been really hard for Rasmus to fight with the two centre-backs of Everton so we tried to push them to a position they are not so comfortable with. Josh did a great job, scored two goals which is always important for the confidence, and more important than that is the performance and how he fought in every situation. It was a good day for him and our team.” Amorim explained. Ruben Amorim’s next and first real challenge will be to face arch rivals Arsenal at the Emirates, who themselves have gotten into fantastic form after the international break and the re-addition of captain Martin Odegaard in the first team dynamics. A win would see them get inch close to the top four. Also Read: “I feel a lot of sympathy” : Mikel Arteta on Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s recent poor form

Tennis

“I am ready to play my tennis again and I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys” : Novak Djokovic reveals that he will battle it out against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the Grand Slam stage

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“I am ready to play my tennis again and I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys” : Novak Djokovic reveals that he will battle it out against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the Grand Slam stage You would think that after winning 24 Grand Slam titles, an Olympic Gold, and countless other ATP trophies would be enough to call it a day. But not in the slightest for Novak Djokovic, who plans out to head-to-head with the youngsters to claim more Grand Slams. The Serbian will start a new chapter of his career next year as he teams up with head coach Andy Murray to retrieve the Grand Slam titles which he was unable to get his hands on this year, thanks to the sheer dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who beat him in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals respectively. Djokovic won three out of the four Grand Slams back in 2023 before his current drought this year, which makes it the first time since 2017 that the Serbian failed to secure even a single Grand Slam in a year. In a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serbian addressed that he will challenge Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev provided he is fit physically and mentally. “I feel I can still play at the highest level. Sinner and Alcaraz have established themselves as the two best players in the world, not to forget (Alexander) Zverev,” “All of them will be the main candidates to win the Slams and other titles. However, physically and mentally I am ready to play my tennis again and I have the feeling that I can challenge these guys, my experience can come in handy.” Djokovic said. The Serbian also confirmed that he will do his best in order to play more matches and tournaments, as one of the main reasons for his slip-ups this year was his knee injury which led him to skip and even forfeit many tournaments. “So next year I will play more tournaments and the Grand Slams will be my priority. I will give my best to win, of course if my body allows me to,” Djokovic, who has now gone to the world no.7 ranking, was asked if he would give any solid advice to world no.1 Jannik Sinner after his successes this year winning eight titles which includes two Grand Slams. The Serbian admitted that time will tell if he can keep up with this kind of consistency. “It seems to me that he is doing well even without my advice. But winning your first two Slams and becoming No. 1 is one thing, staying at that level for years is another.” the 37-year-old explained. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired and Andy Murray becoming his own coach, only Djokovic is left from the previous era’s golden generation, as he does not want to give the crown to the youngsters just yet. The Serbian looks to extend his record and win Grand Slam no.25 as the Australian Open commences on January 12. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy

Featured

“It’s gonna be a tough road trip” : LeBron James ahead of playing away for four games

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“It’s gonna be a tough road trip” : LeBron James ahead of playing away for four games After a clinical start to the season for the LA Lakers courtesy of a six-game winning streak, they now find themselves in a bit of an odd spot as they have struggled in recent games, leading to being on the losing end in four out of five games. Those losses comprise of Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and the final addition being on Friday against Oklahoma City. Safe to say, the alarm bells have started ringing and the Lakers’ dream start needs to be revisited from scratch. James, the leader of the Lakers spoke after their loss to Thunder this Friday about how to go on about things ahead, with the overall schedule in December not helping their case at all. “You got to figure it out, lean on each other. If you don’t have it, you don’t have the energy, lean on the guy next to you. So it’s gonna be a tough road trip first starting Utah, back-to-back Minnesota, Miami and then Atlanta, last game of the trip. So we gotta be ready to go.” James said. Lakers look to start the month on a high note with a win against Utah Jazz The California-based team’s first challenge away will be to put away Utah Jazz, but it will be tough because the team is facing many challenges and an away game is not their strongest suit, looking back previously. But the same cannot be said for King James, as his availability shall be the key for Lakers to finally end their winning drought. The 39-year-old had an off day against OKC Thunders, but has enjoyed solid runs against Jazz throughout his career. LeBron James averages 28.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 41 matches against Jazz, with his best performance coming during his Cleveland days where he scored an astounding 51 points back in 2006. After their match on Sunday, the Lakers will have to straight away travel to Minnesota to take on Anthony Edwards’s Timberwolves, and the outcome of both games will heavily depend on the 39-year-old’s availability and form as a hectic month awaits them starting today. Also Read: “That’s your parents over there, right” : LeBron James’s crazy ‘vision’ left Jared McCain in shock

Virat Kohli
Cricket

“Geniuses aren’t born overnight” : Ajay Jadeja on Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Adelaide Test

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“Geniuses aren’t born overnight” : Ajay Jadeja on Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Adelaide Test The first test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy highlighted many important things about both teams. With the Aussies dominating with the ball early on, it was India who were able to once again show their class on Perth courtesy of world class second innings batting from ace batter Virat Kohi along with KL Rahul and youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.  Virat Kohli has been heavily scrutinized the whole year on his inability to find the middle of the bat, and going into the first test the Indian had an immensely forgettable series against New Zealand at home, where the whole team’s shambolic performance led to a historic whitewash as well. But once again on his pursuit to prove the doubters wrong, King Kohli scored his 30th test century and will look forward to continue this run in the whole series. Talking about his doubters and the criticism he has faced till now, former Indian batsman and analyst Ajay Jadeja has backed up the skills and ability of the 36-year-old, as he believes the genius of Virat Kohli is not born overnight. “Doubters can rest in peace… The name itself says it all. If there were doubters, they can rest in peace. Geniuses aren’t born overnight,” the 53-year-old said. “They have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli” : Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli once again having a captaincy role in IPL The 2025 IPL Mega Auction recently concluded, and it is safe to say that with the picks chosen by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, we will once again be seeing King Kohli captaining them come next year, as he was retained for a massive 21 crore fee. Kohli was somewhat sidelined after RCB decided to go the other way and make Faf du Plessis the skipper, who is now out of the team plans in 2025. Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra reflected his take on hi YouTube channel about the 36-year-old being back as the face of RCB next year. “When they have not taken anyone, they have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli, and he will once again become this team’s captain. They also thought that they wouldn’t pick anyone who was with them,” Chopra said. Virat Kohli has never been able to win the IPL Trophy before, but has come very close to obtaining it multiple times. RCB have tried their best to boost both batting and bowling through new additions like Phil Salt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone and Josh Hazlewood among others. Kohli will once again make the effort to lead his team from the front, although historically speaking about the Bengaluru team, getting into brass tacks this early should not be bothered. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

Formula 1

“I don’t think he will ever lose it” : Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton’s abilities after enduring a tough 2024 season

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“I don’t think he will ever lose it” : Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton’s abilities after enduring a tough 2024 season After announcing the world about his departure from Mercedes and starting a new chapter of his career with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has faced a tough last season with the Silver Arrows, where horrendous qualifying (17-5 losing record against teammate George Russell) and car troubles have tested his patience the whole year. But despite these challenges, the Briton never once backed down from a fight, and even managed to win two Grand Prix ahead of the summer break. Just in the recent race at Las Vegas, Hamilton was also able to claim the second spot even after qualifying 10th. Now a four-time world champion at just the age of 27, Max Verstappen is closing in on the record but even he explained why the Briton’s issues this season has nothing to do with his ability, as he believes he will never lose it. “It has been tough for him to get motivated fully this year because he knows he is leaving the team. As soon as he had a competitive car, you could see he really stepped up. There were some races where the car was difficult, and he was like, ‘whatever.’ I don’t think he will ever lose it. He has achieved so much.” Verstappen said. “It will depend on the material he has got” : Verstappen believes Hamilton’s chances next season will depend on Ferrari’s competitiveness About to embark on a new journey with the Italian team, Lewis Hamilton will be looking to turn his fortunes over next season and go for his eighth world championship from the start. But the Dutchman believes this challenge will depend on how well the whole of Ferrari initiates their plans, rather than just the Briton going all out. “It is a new challenge for him next year. He will be very, very motivated to show he is a seven-time world champion. But it will depend on the material he has got.” the 27-year-old said. Apart from competing with the likes of the Dutchman and Lando Norris, Hamilton will also need to look out for his teammate Charles Leclerc, who is just getting better and better each season and as already made a case for himself to be a future world champion without any doubt. The Briton obviously does not have that much time left on his side; soon approaching 40, just one more world championship eludes him to reach a galaxy of his own. 2025 will be a massive year for F1, and fans cannot wait for the battle for the top spot to commence. Also Read: “I heard the bells ringing two weeks before” : Toto Wolff reveals the moment he came to know Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari

Tennis

“I think his serve was very underrated” : Denis Shapovalov picks Novak Djokovic’s most underrated trait

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“I think his serve was very underrated” : Denis Shapovalov picks Novak Djokovic’s most underrated trait Novak Djokovic in his initial years in professional tennis was not the most prolific of technicians on court. But now at the age of 37, the Serbian is one of the most complete players we have ever seen play. The 24-time Grand Slam champion really does not have any genuine weakness, as apart from his insane consistency and work rate, he is also able to best his opponent throughout the match nine times out of ten. Among the many players who have tried to take down the Serbian, Denis Shapovalov is one who has never been able to beat him. The Canadian’s backhand is regarded as one of the best in the game, and he recently revealed what he thinks is the Serbian’s best move. “I think his serve was very underrated. Especially under pressure the guy would serve on the lines,” Shapovalov said (via UTS Tour’s YouTube channel). “I feel like Novak makes you play worse. He does nothing wrong but he will find whatever is not working that day but then hit it there every single time!” the 25-year-old added. Djokovic’s serve has greatly improved over the latter stage of his career, as his serves land almost at or on the line while his second serve has won him points 69% of the time, the highest from anyone else as recorded by the ATP Tour. “The guy was toying with me” : Denis Shapovalov recalls his time against Novak Djokovic To say that the former world no.1 made his opponents suffer would be an understatement. Djokovic has made his opponents look like fools and much more at times, and Shapovalov is an unfortunate victim as well. In the eight times the duo has met each other, the Canadian has failed to record even a single victory. Shapovalov remembered in the 2019 Paris Masters Final that the Serbian was unwell ahead of their clash, yet he was still unable to provide any answer for his brilliance even when sick. Djokovic was easily able to get the victory over the Canadian 6-3, 6-4, making it the sixth of a record seven titles at the Masters 1000 event in Paris. “I remember Paris the year I made finals, I played him in the finals and I heard rumours he had been sick all week. He was drinking his juices and drinking stuff all the time,” “I was like I have got him, I am playing the best tennis of my life. The guy is not feeling good, he’s not 100%. This is my chance. No chance. The guy was toying with me.” Shapovalov revealed. Also Read: “He’s a good-looking No. 1 in the world, wins a lot of tournaments” : Daniil Medvedev gives his opinion regarding Jannik Sinner’s popularity in Italy This statement from the Canadian helps us more understand on how difficult it is to beat the likes of Novak Djokovic, as even world class individuals and way younger than him tend to struggle.

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