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Tennis

“I wasn’t like a Carlos Alcaraz or a Holger Rune, who everyone knew was good” : Alex Michelsen believes he was never on the elite level initially

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“I wasn’t like a Carlos Alcaraz or a Holger Rune, who everyone knew was good” : Alex Michelsen believes he was never on the elite level initially The Next Gen ATP Finals are about to commence next month, and one of the favourites, Alex Michelsen will be returning to right the wrongs of last year, where he was unfortunately eliminated in just the round-robin stage. The 20-year-old is already the world no.42 in the ATP rankings, as he would like to keep this momentum up and be crowned the best under-21 player in this upcoming tournament. But the American initially had doubts over if he would ever make a career in professional tennis, let alone reaching this far. Michelsen recently revealed that he believed he was not one of the better players at his age and that the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune were a tier above entirely.  “Two years ago, this time I never thought I would be a professional tennis player, I was always solid. I was never too good. I wasn’t like a [Carlos Alcaraz] or a [Holger Rune], who everyone knew was good. I was good, but I wasn’t great.” the American explained in an interview with ATP.com. Well, Carlos Alcaraz has reached a level above the ‘great’ territory, as he is already performing at world class levels at the age of 21. The Spainard is ranked no.3 in the world and is the reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion. So yes, excluding him from comparison would be a better move for young professional tennis players. Alex Michelsen wants all the glory as he eyes for the Next Gen title Regardless, the American believes that he is much stronger and able than last year, courtesy of hitting the gym. Michelsen thinks that nowadays, consistency in the gym is as important as practicing your sport. Nothing new, as in the past few years we have seen many professionals adding the gym in their sessions, while a few veterans have extended their playing career because of it. “It’s a big stage. The top eight 20-and-under players in the world, it’s tough, but I think I’ll know to handle it a little better this year. I think that the gym work is just as important, if not more important than the tennis stuff now, at least for me,” the 20-year-old said. Out of the eight best under-21 players, Alex Michelsen has qualified for the second spot in the Race rankings, just behind current champion Arthur Fils. This second position also makes him one of the leaders of the round-robin group stages. The Next Gen ATP Finals will commence on 18 December, with the final match being on the 22nd. 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

Harry Kane England
Football

Harry Kane believes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are to blame for the lack of strikers in the current era of football

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Harry Kane believes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are to blame for the lack of strikers in the current era of football Since the past few years, there has been a heavy decline on both quality and quantity of out and out strikers. Football is changing, and gone are the days that the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan, Robin van Persie, Andriy Shevchenko, among many other world class strikers are the main source of presence inside the 18-yard box.  Many young talents and the current best players in the world right now are actually wingers (and one very potent CDM) as Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr., and even Kylian Mbappe’s preferred position is out wide. Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski remain the last of what seems to be like a dying breed of complete strikers, and the former believes it is due to the impact of two players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. For the past 15 years, this legendary duo has dominated the sport so much so that they have undisputedly become the two greatest players the sport has ever seen. This in turn has made their influence tenfold, as all young prospects want to become like them. We already have live examples, as Kylian Mbappe and Alejandro Garnacho have been lifelong Ronaldo fans and their preferred position is the same as the Portuguese. While Lamine Yamal, who has been in La Masia all his life, is obviously more drawn to the Argentinian and thus, has grown into possibly the best right winger the world has seen in decades. The England captain believes this is the main reason for the shortage of no. 9s, and he recently expressed this feeling over at TNT Sports Brazil. “The game is changing a little bit” : Harry Kane The Englishman said that during his youth, there were exceptional strikers which led him to pursue the same position, and that the tactics are different now as more managers tend to have strikers, wingers or attacking midfielders in a false 9 role. “The game is changing a little bit. The way coaching is now [means] a lot of players grow up wanting to be wingers. I think [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo] dominated for a long, long time playing off the wings. I think a lot of players wanted to watch them. When I was growing up, I had some of the best strikers in the world [to watch], so I wanted to be a No. 9. That’s just the way football goes. I think, tactically, some managers play with a false nine, or a nine-and-a-half/10 position. It’s a shame because, ultimately, I think scoring goals is the hardest thing in football, so I would like to see more No. 9s coming through, but over the years you’ll see it come and go. But for sure, when I was growing up at No. 9 there were some incredible players.” the Bayern Munich forward addressed. Harry Kane is also one of the more complete strikers still around, as apart from goals, he can also contribute in terms of creative playmaking. However, he revealed that he admired the way R9 played, from his insane speed and movement to his unplayable dribbling. “I think we’re totally different players in the way we play, but ultimately, the way he used to finish was as good as anyone, as well as the way he moved with the ball. His dribbling ability. His movement. I think he was as good as anyone in the world. He had a lot more ability than me if I’m totally honest. He had good pace as well. But for me growing up, I tried to watch all the best strikers in the world, and he was in his prime at the time. It was a joy to watch him, and it’s been nice to score a few goals myself and take a few bits from his game.” the 31-year-old revealed. While football might be changing to a more tactical way and forwards approach being one of minimal risk and keeping possession, it makes the need of special talents bursting out the scene even more. While we may not see Messi’s complete mastery of the game or Ronaldo’s insane goalscoring ability, the likes of Lamine Yamal and his creative playmaking and Jamal Musiala’s close control dribbling are some aspects that the game will never leave out.

Formula 1

“I hope they look back and say… ‘maybe he moved the needle a little bit’” : Lewis Hamilton discusses about his time with Mercedes 

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“I hope they look back and say… ‘maybe he moved the needle a little bit’” : Lewis Hamilton discusses about his time with Mercedes  Lewis Hamilton drove his penultimate race with the Silver Arrows before leaving for Ferrari. With Mercedes, the Briton has achieved the status of the greatest F1 driver of all time, and one look at his accolades definitely justifies that. Apart from winning six world championships, eight straight constructor’s titles and 154 podium finishes, Lewis Hamilton’s name is renowned worldwide. His achievements are unparalleled, from on-track dominance, cultural and social impacts, various businesses and above all, the inspiration he is for young fans and up and comers. When asked recently about how he would remember the 12 years he spent with Mercedes, the Briton reflected on the successes of Mercedes and how he has helped them become one of the best constructors ever. But as for himself, Hamilton wants to be remembered for more than just his performances on track. “I get asked about legacy a lot, but honestly, I don’t really think about that. I’ve tried to hold the brand to the highest level throughout the years and everything that I do hopefully has reflected the brand.” Hamilton said to the Doha News. “I hope that in 10 or 20 years, they look back and say, ‘maybe he moved the needle a little bit’, to enable people from all shapes and sizes, all different backgrounds, religion, gender, to get into the sport where they perhaps wouldn’t have been able to do before.” the Briton added. While his dominance has occasionally drawn criticism for making the sport less competitive, Hamilton’s commitment to excellence and advocacy for change ensures his place as an iconic and transformative figure not just in F1, but in all of sports. Simply as one of the best ever. “It’s a much better car than last year so I’m hoping this weekend will be different” : Lewis Hamilton wants to carry on with the momentum after success in Vegas The seven-time world champion was placed tenth after qualification but managed to finish at second place. It was a much-needed win for the Briton and Mercedes to end the drought they had been in after the summer break. With just two races left, the Brackley-based team now want to finish on a high note, and this morale might also spoil some plans for the other constructors.  For Lewis Hamilton, this the best possible chance he has to get another, and possibly his last victory with the Silver Arrows before he joins the Italians. His record is sublime in Qatar as he describes the track as ‘amazing to drive on’. “It’s a much better car than last year so I’m hoping this weekend will be different — maybe something special,” “This track is amazing to drive and it felt good. Being that it is such a fast circuit I don’t think it’s the easiest of circuits to follow, but it’s good for the tyres,” the 39-year-old explained. Qatar was also one of the four races Hamilton had to win in order to win the championship over Max Verstappen in 2021. Although that dream was crushed in the final minutes in Abu Dhabi, the experience could certainly come in handy. But when asked about that, the Briton said he does not even remember it. “I barely remember last week, I don’t remember the race but I remember the qualifying lap was pretty special.” 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

Mikel Arteta Arsenal
Football

“I feel a lot of sympathy” : Mikel Arteta on Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s recent poor form

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“I feel a lot of sympathy” : Mikel Arteta on Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s recent poor form Manchester City have far and away been the best English team in football for the past decade. But when Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016, he brought in a new era of football with him, an era which we are still living in. The Spainard, after his heroics with FC Barcelona from 2008-2012, made him cemented as one of the greatest managers of all time. And while there were doubts regarding whether or not he would hack it in the toughest league in the world, those soon vanished after he dominantly won the league in his first full season with the club. Now, with six Premier League titles and one Champions League while breaking a variety of league records, the Spainard has revolutionized the sport once again, and it seemed like there was no stopping Manchester City as long as the Spainard is around. But, for the first time in his whole managerial career, Pep Guardiola just lost five matches in a row, add a draw against Feyenoord in the most recent match and that was the breaking point for Guardiola, as his face was literally filled with question marks. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, formerly Guardiola’s assistant during his stint with the Blues, knows what its like working with the Spainard and the huge responsibility that comes with the job, after setting the standards so high. Naturally, Arteta showed sympathy towards Guardiola and has suggested worry for his mental well-being. “Everybody has a bump” : Mikel Arteta Although Mikel Arteta has confirmed his worry for his former boss and now rival, he believes that City will ultimately get back on track like nothing happened, as the empire that Guardiola has built up over his tenure cannot just go in vain. “That is something very personal, but I feel a lot of sympathy for all my colleagues because I know the job, I know how ruthless this industry is, I know how we get judged just by one thing, which is results, regardless that you have done exactly the same thing and the outcome becomes different. We have to deal with that. I know how difficult it is because personally I have been through that a lot and every defeat is obviously super-painful. And that’s it. Then just put some perspective into it like we always do and move on, because there is always another game.” Arteta said. The Gunners head coach also talked about the level and consistency the teams have to be in in order to gain monumental success, and to do that for more than eight years is something else. “What people have to talk about [is] how difficult it is what they have done for nine years consistently. And yeah, a bump, everybody has a bump. For them, it is very strange because in nine years they never had it. But that tells you as well the level and the environment that we are in, that everything has to go almost perfect. Performance has to be perfect, availability of your squad has to be perfect, things have to go your way and the opposition, the level is different, and it’s so hard to win.” the 42-year-old added. Apart from losing Rodri through an unfortunate ACL injury, blame can also be put on Manchester City’s dull transfer window. Their average squad age has grown over the years to more than 27, as the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Kyle Walker, newly returned Ilkay Gundogan among others look a shadow of their former self. It is clear that the Spainard would need fresher legs in the upcoming winter window as the level of intensity in Europe nowadays require more than just 11 starting players. To get their first win in seven matches, Pep Guardiola now has to go to a literal lion’s den in the form of Liverpool, who look out of this world at the moment. Although it is a high-risk high reward game, Pep is one of those few managers who can turn the tide in his favour at any given moment.

Is Novak Djokovic playing Laver Cup?
Tennis

“Murray fit the bill perfectly” : Novak Djokovic addresses the reason he chose Andy Murray as his coach at this stage of his career

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“Murray fit the bill perfectly” : Novak Djokovic addresses the reason he chose Andy Murray as his coach at this stage of his career In one of the late surprises of the tennis calendar year, Novak Djokovic dropped a bombshell for the tennis world to see, as he will now join forces with long-time rival and friend Andy Murray, who will be the Serbian’s coach going into the Australian Open next year. Although the Englishman has retired just this year only, the Serbian still believes that he can be of great value and add a different kind of experience to his team. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was as surprised as anyone when this decision was made as well. Obviously, some can argue that after cutting ties with Goran Ivanisevic in March, the Serbian still performed immensely well as he won the coveted Olympic gold medal in Paris this year after beating one of the best players in the world in Carlos Alcaraz, that too without the advice of any coach. Talking to the Sky Sports News about why he chose Andy Murray as coach at the age of 37, the Serbian had some great points to justify his addition to his team. “I was going through a process of thinking about next season and trying to figure out what I need at this stage of my career. Because I stopped with my coach Goran Ivanisevic, that I was very successful with for many years, in March.” 37 years of age, completed the sport, part of the Big 3; there really is nothing much left for the Serbian to prove his status as an icon of the sport. So naturally, he does not require the services of any world class tennis coach as much as he did when he was younger. And that is why appointing Murray seems like a valid decision, because of the duo facing similar experiences throughout their careers, and the Englishman may be more than just a coach to help out the Serbian during the final stages of his career. “So, I took about six months to really think about if I really need a coach, and if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach. We were going through different names and I realised the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone that has been through the experiences that I’m going through, possible multiple Grand Slam winner, former No 1.” “I was thinking about different people and then an Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. It was still a shock decision. It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it, so we connected really fast and he accepted after a few days.” “I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me as well, to everyone. But it’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.” Djokovic explained his actions as to why Andy Murray fit the bill perfectly. Novak Djokovic reveals he has no intention of retiring just yet With two-thirds of the Big 3 now retired, fans thought it would be a matter of time to see the Serbian hit the road as well, especially after winning the only accolade which has escaped his grasps throughout his career, the Olympic gold medal. But all those rumours have hit a dead end, as Djokovic stated he still plans on to continue because his body is serving him well. “We all know that we all have to stop and say goodbye at some point to what we’ve done all of our lives, [with] Andy and Rafa [Nadal], we knew that the end was coming. But both of them saying farewell to tennis in the same year, it’s a shock for all of us. It’s a shock for the tennis world because they are legends in our sport.” “I still will try to go strong because I feel like my body is serving me well. I still have motivation to win Grand Slams, make more history.” Still the world no.7 and now with Andy Murray by his side, the Serbian can make more history by attempting to reach Grand Slam no. 25 next year. “That’s one of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to work with me. Because I still have big plans. So as long as that’s the case, I’ll keep going. I don’t have any date in my mind or any result after I achieve it potentially that I’m going to say goodbye and retire.” “I’ll keep going as much as I feel like I can be one of the candidates for the biggest titles in sport.” the Serbian said. It will not be that surprising to see Novak Djokovic play for another year or two, and if he is able to keep his injuries sidelined, we may well see the Serbian claim the crown of the greatest among the Big 3 by the end of his career. 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

Rafael Nadal (Source: X)
Tennis

“He can literally make you feel like a junior” : Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov and Thanasi Kokkinakis give their stance on the Federer vs Nadal debate

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“He can literally make you feel like a junior” : Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov and Thanasi Kokkinakis give their stance on the Federer vs Nadal debate With Rafael Nadal now retired as well, only Novak Djokovic remains from the Big 3 still putting in fight as the world no.7 at the age of 37. The legendary trio holds a whopping 66 Grand Slam titles between them, as they have completely dominated professional tennis for the past two decades. It is still quite impossible as fans to properly claim who the best between the three were, as all of them have arguments for themselves to be the definite greatest ever, be it Federer on the basis of eye test, Nadal sheer dominance on clay, or Djokovic’s consistency. But professional tennis players, who have played against the Big 3 are the closest to understand the difference between them, and that was recently reflected by Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov and Thanasi Kokkinakis in a discussion on UTS Tour. The trio mainly addressed the spark difference between the two retired players, and what it was like facing against them during the heat of the battle. “He can literally make you feel like a junior, because I played in Miami semi-finals, I beat good players, I beat [Andrey] Rublev, I beat [Frances] Tiafoe on the way there, I beat some other guys, and yeah, I felt like a junior on the court. It was insane.” Shapovalov initiated the conversation talking about Roger Federer. “No one can make you feel more ridiculous than him. I’ve never seen him sweat, his hair just stays like that. He’s got the biggest calves ever, if he shaved his legs it would have been game over for everyone. And also he’s not even trying.” Thanasi Kokkinakis added his take about Federer. “He’s not even trying. He is just like messing around. He’s slicing one point, hitting the next” Shapovalov added. “At least when Rafa plays he’s grunting and you’re feeling like you’re getting pushed around. And with Nole (Djokovic) he’s just sliding and stuff.” Kokkinakis continued. Shapovalov then began explaining the main difference between Federer and Nadal, saying that Nadal’s predictability does not matter because he has perfected every shot, while Federer looks like he never breaks a sweat even during the pressure moments. “But to me, they’re so different. I felt like Rafa was so predictable. You knew exactly what he’s going to do but he’s just so good at it that you can’t do anything right?” “But Roger, you feel like okay I’m going to play full heavy spin on his backhand, I think that’s good. And then first point you play a really good one to his backhand, and he steps in and he goes down the line.” Thiem also added about playing against Federer. Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal head-to-head Although looking at stats might not tell the full story, it does give a basic retrospect on how the duo have fared against each other over time. For starters, the Swiss has 103 ATP Tour-level titles, 11 more than the Spainard. While Federer dominated the proceedings in the 2000s, it was Nadal who was able to overcome the 20-time Grand Slam champion more often than not in the latter years. Overall, this iconic duo has met 40 times, with the Spainard having the lead over the Swiss 24-16. But again, as we saw from how the professionals described Roger Federer, one would think that the Swiss is out of this world, almost having a god-like presence on the court. While Nadal and Djokovic have gotten the better of the Swiss from time to time, when he was at his best, he was basically unplayable. But probably the best thing coming out of this long running rivalry was the friendship and mutual respect shared over the years. In no other sport has it happened that two rivals, at the top of their game, are this close together and their friendship is admired among all tennis fans. One of the most emotional moments in sports history have also involved this duo; when during Federer’s retirement in the 2022 Laver Cup, the duo was seen crying together. 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

Pep Guardiola
Football

“My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self-harm” : Pep Guardiola retracts his comments on potentially harming himself after draw against Feyenoord

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“My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self-harm” : Pep Guardiola retracts his comments on potentially harming himself after draw against Feyenoord This sport never fails to surprise us. For the first time in history, a Pep Guardiola managed team has lost five games in a row. English football royalty Manchester City were off to a great start to the season, up until the point their star man and Ballon d’or winner Rodri got injured. But even after this major loss, Guardiola managed to adapt so as to continue the winning streak. But his plans came crashing down like nothing we have ever seen before. City have failed to win a match the whole of November, as problems keep on arriving as stated by the Spainard. From Victor Gyokeres’s hattrick to Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs dismantling them from minute one, it looks like even Pep Guardiola will need to make drastic changes in order to get back. But even the greatest managers have a breaking point, and we finally saw the Spainard completely spiralling after drawing 3-3 to Feyenoord in the Champions League, ‘bottling’ a 3-0 lead in just 15 minutes. During the post-match interview, Pep Guardiola’s head was seen with visible scratches, and also a minor cut on his nose was present. When asked by a journalist about those marks, the Spaniard’s reply shocked everyone, with some even worried about his mental health. “I want to harm myself.” Pep Guardiola said while smiling, as he swiftly left the press conference. Pep Guardiola issues his statement on social media As the whole footballing world was left in shock and concern after the Spaniard’s remarks, he was quick enough to notice and addressed himself on social media, saying he was caught off guard by the journalist’s question. “I was caught off guard with a question at the end of a press conference last night about a scratch which had appeared on my face and explained that a sharp fingernail had accidentally caused this.” “My answer was in no way intended to make light of the very serious issue of self-harm.” Pep Guardiola explained his post-match comments on X (formerly Twitter). The Spainard also showed empathy towards the people who are actually struggling with mental health, and placed a kind gesture of plugging the Samaritans hotline for those who need it. “I know that many people struggle with mental health issues every day, and I would like to take this moment to highlight one of the ways in people can seek help, by calling the Samaritans hotline on 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org” the 53-year-old added. While we have seen Guardiola absolutely losing it during matches, this was something way more serious and was rightfully addressed by the Spainard.  A win would be the best way to move on from this fiasco and to regain momentum, but that is easier said than done. Pep Guardiola faces his biggest rival Liverpool in possibly the worst time of his managerial career. The Reds have completely revamped under Arne Slot this season and are the title favourites this time around. Although, Manchester City are surprisingly still in second place even after so many implosions this month, and coming out on top of this fixture at Anfield would perfectly summarize the genius of Pep Guardiola.

Formula 1

“That’s been something I’m most proud of” : Lewis Hamilton opens up about conversations beyond the track during his time at Mercedes

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“That’s been something I’m most proud of” : Lewis Hamilton opens up about conversations beyond the track during his time at Mercedes During the later stages of his career, Lewis Hamilton has become an important figure outside the F1 world as well, as he has been doing a lot of work for the benefit of the underprivileged while also being an advocate of social and cultural aspects. Now that the Briton is leaving Mercedes, where many of these operations first initiated with the help of Team Principal Toto Wolff, he recently revealed that he hopes and expects the Austrian to continue this work even after he is gone, for the well-fair of others. “I think the thing that I’m most proud of when I think about what I leave behind, I hope, in a positive way, is the work we’ve done with diversity inclusion. That’s been something I’m most proud of.” Hamilton said to PlanetF1.com. The seven-time world champion talked about how literally everyone he talked to was in favour of this great motive, and he has full faith that Wolff along with the others will continue doing this work even after he is gone to Maranello. “From the first moment sitting down with Toto, him being open-minded, for the whole team being open-minded, all team members going through diversity inclusion training, actually creating a diversity team. “We did Ignite, actually really putting their money where their mouth is and investing and we have a very, very diverse team now, which is something that I’m really grateful for being a part of. “And when I sit with Toto, I’m like, ‘Look, when I leave, there’s going to be no one in the room that’s going to have these difficult conversations with you, but I hope that you continue that’, and obviously he will.” Hamilton states his belief over the Mercedes CEO. Lewis Hamilton talks about his final years in Mercedes The Briton and Mercedes together have had over the top success together in the last decade, as they dominated everyone else in both singles and constructor’s world championships. The name Lewis Hamilton became a life of its own, winning six more world championships and matching the record of the great Michael Schumacher, while also completely sweeping the constructor’s championships from 2014-21.  Obviously, his last few years with the Silver Arrows was not anything ground breaking, but the Briton believes that the fact that they are still showing up from time to time says it all. “And then on the track, I think naturally it’s our show of resilience over the years and the continued pursuit of perfection,” Hamilton continued. “I loved that journey. “These last few years have not been obviously spectacular in terms of performances, but there’s a lot of great things we’ve done away from the track, particularly. And again, I think this has been a real test of time to show how resilient we are. We’re still here. We’re still showing up. We’re still giving it our all. And that’s something to be proud of.” the 39-year-old explained. Lewis Hamilton will be leaving with a lifetime worth of memories with the Brackley-based team, as his new chapter at 40 years old with his favourite childhood team is about to start. 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

Jannik Sinner- Carlos Alcaraz
Tennis

“There are a lot of ups and downs and it changes often” : Patrick Mouratoglou shares his opinion on the Sinner-Alcaraz debate

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“There are a lot of ups and downs and it changes often” : Patrick Mouratoglou shares his opinion on the Sinner-Alcaraz debate Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have established themselves as the two best players on the planet this year, as the duo also shared the Grand Slam titles. While the Italian has won double the titles this year and also been crowned the year-end world no.1 by a landslide, it has been a different story when the duo has gone head-to-head. Sinner-Alcaraz was played three times this year, with all the three wins going to the Spainard. Their overall head-to-head record now stands at 6-4 to Alcaraz, as the world no.3 has taken the bragging rights for this year. But what makes Carlos Alcaraz get the upper hand over the Italian more often than not? French tennis coach and commentator Patrick Mouratoglou recently shared his take on the matter. “When Alcaraz plays at his best, I think he’s able to be better than Sinner…. but Sinner always stable” : Patrick Mouratoglou On the latest episode of the Eye of the Coach, the Frenchman revealed that while Alcaraz can be more lethal when he is at is best, it is the Italian who has the better consistency out of the two, and that is what makes this competition so close and interesting. “Alcaraz can create more. He has this extra power and he can fight with him in terms of movement also.” “The thing is, Alcaraz is making quite a lot of unforced errors whereas Sinner doesn’t, so the matches between them, there are a lot of ups and downs and it changes often.” Mouratoglou explained. This point made by the Frenchman can very well describe the business end of the year, where the Spainard at times struggled with inconsistency and as a result was eliminated from tournaments sooner than expected. Meanwhile, Sinner has been winning trophies for fun ever since the start of the year, and it is with that consistency he is able to best his opponents without breaking a sweat. An example can be brought up from his matches against USA no.1 Taylor Fritz, who he defeated comfortably in both the US Open Final and the ATP Finals while the American was on a hot streak. “When Alcaraz plays at his best, I think he’s able to be better than Sinner – but he cannot play like this a whole match, and Sinner is always stable.” “Sinner can hit a winner on every single shot. That’s the feeling. You can never relax. You’re always in danger, always in every shot.” the 54-year-old added. Sinner’s sheer consistency and Alcaraz’s relentlessness even while not playing his best tennis has what brought them to the top of the sport. The duo will again be in direct competitions next year, and most probably the year after that as well. We as fans should brace ourselves as we are going to watch this duo in many finals for years to come. 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

“They were shocking him versus the quick blitz in some of his picking roles” : Lakers coach JJ Reddick defends LeBron James after frustrating loss to Denver Nuggets

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“They were shocking him versus the quick blitz in some of his picking roles” : Lakers coach JJ Reddick defends LeBron James after frustrating loss to Denver Nuggets Once again, Nikola Jovic and the Nuggets have comfortably overpowered the Lakers 127-102, as the game in itself seemed finished by the third quarter where the California based team managed only 15 points. Jokic as usual, shined with a whopping 34 points, 8 assists and 13 rebounds while no player from the Lakers, not even the King were able to get to 20 points. In their last 14 meetings, the Serbian’s squad has won 13 of them and it feels like the Lakers have no answer whatsoever to their offence. But this time, turnovers were the biggest issue the Lakers faced, as this concern has been slowly creeping up to them for a while now. When asked about this, head coach JJ Reddick did not mind being crystal clear. “Have you seen any causation as to what is occurring? Either within his role in the offense or the other players’ roles in the offense? Is that what’s leading to his turnovers growing over the last week or so?” Reddick said. The Lakers actually had a 10-point lead by the end of the second quarter which made this loss even more disappointing for their fans as they ran riot on social media, and this time, even LeBron James was not spared of criticism. But the Lakers coach did not want to hear any of this discourse, and quickly backed up his star player. “They were shocking him versus the quick blitz in some of his picking roles.” Reddick defended LeBron James. “I think some of that with tonight, sometimes high usage players can kind of go through stretches where they do have high turnover games, and you have to live with that.” the Lakers coach added. “It’s not just players not executing the game plan, it’s all of us” : JJ Reddick wants the whole Lakers to take credit for this loss The American coach’s very candid post-match press continued with him outing basically the whole of Lakers, as this was a second straight loss and he was obviously not delighted with the subpar performance. LeBron James was the only exception as he managed 18 points with 7 assists and 6 rebounds, a ‘bad’ performance considering his standards, but even Anthony Davis could not go past 14 points, as he got completely outmatched by Jokic. “We didn’t execute it,” “Me and my staff will take some ownership of that as well. It’s not just players not executing the game plan, it’s all of us. We’re all on the same team, we all want the same outcome. We all want to be a good defensive team, so we’ve got to figure out that together.”  Nonetheless, the LA Lakers now need to bounce back in some fashion, as they play the Phoenix Suns next in the group stage of the NBA Cup. Their defence needs to be sharp as the likes of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker possess the threat of scoring out of nowhere. Also Read: “That’s your parents over there, right” : LeBron James’s crazy ‘vision’ left Jared McCain in shock

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