What is the real meaning behind Pete Hegseth's tattoos?

Viral video shows cross falling on Colombia priest, no official confirmation | WATCH

'My name has always been Ilhan Omar': Congresswoman hits back at Trump, calls him a 'creep'

Pezeshkian says Iranians ‘struggling to put food on the table’ as war with US drags on

AI slop or smart strategy? South African author Coral Hart defends Her 370 AI- assisted books in 20 months

Could you survive 3 days without power? UK tells households to prepare now

Can Putin cheat death? All about his daughter’s billion-dollar quest for immortality

India-China face-off continues near Arunachal’s Taksing, reveals ITBP chief in first official confirmation of tensions

Saudi says debris fell in Mecca, Medina after missile interceptions; Houthis deny targeting holy cities

Trump invokes Operation Sindoor at US midterm rally, claims 250% tariffs stopped India-Pakistan war

France protests: Clashes erupt between police and protesters in Paris as nearly 410,000 take to streets across country

Tu Hai Meri Kiran box office: Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal's film fails to take off, mints Rs 15 Lakh on day 1

After France and Italy, protests erupt in Spain: What’s fueling the anger?

Pakistan airline PIA unveils new crew uniforms, faces online criticism

US midterm elections face second polling hoax from fake pollsters

'Already tired of his 9-to-5': Baby born with a moustache becomes internet sensation, video goes viral | Watch

Horrific video shows the moment 18-year-old fell to her death from Mexico amusement park ride

France protests: 135 arrested, weapons seized as fresh demonstrations erupt amid heavy security

French Open: PV Sindhu storms into final with win over Hina Akechi

Albania protests enter 12th day as students clash with police, demand Rama's exit

AI deepfakes are spreading online: Why is removing them so difficult?

Global cybersecurity alert: PHP flaws trigger website shutdowns as hack attempts surge into millions

'You’re a horrible little reporter, aren’t you?': Trump snaps at NBC reporter questioning his support for Ramaswamy's campaign ad

Rising Asia Cup 2026 schedule announced, India-Pakistan clash set for Nov 22

16-foot doomsday fish in Chile triggers fears that the next earthquake is coming

US Midterms 2026: Dead for years, paedophile Jeffrey Epstein finds mention in over 500 campaign ads; Texas alone spent $10 million

Bodies of 2 missing Japanese climbers recovered from Himalayan peak

New Friday OTT releases (October 23, 2026): Gajab Raat, Dorothy, Chaar Yaar- Watch these 6 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more

US midterm elections 2026: Minnesota heads to polls in the shadow of Minneapolis ICE shootings

Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ mountain retreat wrecked by fire, suspect detained: What to know about the Nazi-era site

Tu Hai Meri Kiran film review: Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal's thriller gets tangled in its own twists

Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, United States to meet in Abu Dhabi: Zelensky

UK Police confirm receiving letter containing number of claims about Meghan Markle's father in 2019, not 2018

Watched Manoj Bajpayee’s Gajab Raat on Netflix? 5 movies and TV shows to watch next on OTT

Farooq Abdullah says Pakistan’s raising of Kashmir issue keeps pressure on Delhi

Spain&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Carlos+Alcaraz" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Carlos Alcaraz</a> has moved a step closer to a career Grand Slam after he beat Japan&rsquo;s Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Australian+Open" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Australian Open</a> on Wednesday (Jan 15). Chasing his first Australian Open title, Alcaraz beat his Japanese opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 in a one-sided contest. Having won <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Wimbledon" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wimbledon</a> twice, the US Open and the French Open over the past couple of years, the Australian Open is the only missing piece of the puzzle for the 21-year old.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Alcaraz takes step closer to career Grand Slam<o:p></o:p></h2>
Ranked World No.3, Alcaraz has been in red-hot form in the last two years and was determined to start on the front foot. Having beaten Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstani in the opening round, the Spaniard was flawless on Wednesday. He won the opening set against Nishioka without dropping a game before dominating the second set. He dropped his first game in the second set and showcased his class at the Margaret Court Arena. <o:p></o:p>
Nishioka showed some fight in the third set but ultimately was broken in the 11th game, meaning Alcaraz was served for the match. With a perfect serve, Alcaraz was through to the third round as he now looks to add the Australian Open to his arsenal.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-india-womens-team-captain-priyanka-ingle-determined-to-clinch-kho-kho-world-cup-8622457" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Exclusive: India women's team captain Priyanka Ingle determined to clinch Kho Kho World Cup</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Zheng Qinwen knocked out<o:p></o:p></h2>
Last year&rsquo;s Australian Open women&rsquo;s singles runner-up Zheng Qinwen faced a shock exit after she was dumped out by Laura Siegemund. The Chinese star lost in straight sets 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, being the biggest upset of the tournament so far. Siegemund is the second oldest player in the draw and is ranked 97 in the world.<o:p></o:p>
On the other hand, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare as she scampered past Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 7-5. She saved 11 break points in the match before overcoming the Spaniard.<o:p></o:p>
"She played incredible tennis today and it was a really tough one. I expected this tennis from her, I'm really glad I was able to win this match," said Sabalenka.
Former world number one Osaka, the 2019 and 2021 champion in Australia but now unseeded, stormed back to defeat 20th seed Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Tennis:  Chasing his first Australian Open title, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz beat his Japanese opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 in a one-sided contest. 

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has moved a step closer to a career Grand Slam after he beat Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday (Jan 15). Chasing his first Australian Open title, Alcaraz beat his Japanese opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 in a one-sided contest. Having won Wimbledon twice, the US Open and the French Open over the past couple of years, the Australian Open is the only missing piece of the puzzle for the 21-year old. Alcaraz takes step closer to career Grand Slam Ranked World No.3, Alcaraz has been in red-hot form in the last two years and was determined to start on the front foot. Having beaten Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstani in the opening round, the Spaniard was flawless on Wednesday. He won the opening set against Nishioka without dropping a game before dominating the second set. He dropped his first game in the second set and showcased his class at the Margaret Court Arena. Nishioka showed some fight in the third set but ultimately was broken in the 11th game, meaning Alcaraz was served for the match. With a perfect serve, Alcaraz was through to the third round as he now looks to add the Australian Open to his arsenal. ALSO READ | Exclusive: India women's team captain Priyanka Ingle determined to clinch Kho Kho World Cup Zheng Qinwen knocked out Last year’s Australian Open women’s singles runner-up Zheng Qinwen faced a shock exit after she was dumped out by Laura Siegemund. The Chinese star lost in straight sets 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, being the biggest upset of the tournament so far. Siegemund is the second oldest player in the draw and is ranked 97 in the world. On the other hand, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare as she scampered past Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3, 7-5. She saved 11 break points in the match before overcoming the Spaniard. "She played incredible tennis today and it was a really tough one. I expected this tennis from her, I'm really glad I was able to win this match," said Sabalenka. Former world number one Osaka, the 2019 and 2021 champion in Australia but now unseeded, stormed back to defeat 20th seed Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Australian Open 2025: Carlos Alcaraz takes step closer to career Grand Slam, beats Yoshihito Nishioka in R2

Kho Kho World Cup 2025 has taken India by storm with men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s teams ready to give their best shot in the inaugural tournament. With expectations comes responsibility and India&rsquo;s women's team captain Priyanka Ingle has not disappointed after taking over the role. Captaining India in the first match of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, Priyanka led from the front as the hosts beat South Korea 175-18. She spoke exclusively to WION&rsquo;s Aditya Pimpale and opened up on her journey.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Priyanka speaks to WION<o:p></o:p></h2>
One of the best Indian Kho Kho women&rsquo;s team players, Priyanka hails from the Pune district of the west Indian state of Maharashtra where she first took Kho Kho lessons. While she represents India in the Kho Kho World Cup, she is also a dedicated employee of the Income Tax Department. After being announced as the captain in the build-up to the World Cup, she was thankful to everyone and determined to give her best.<o:p></o:p>
Question: How do you feel, after being announced as the captain of the Indian women&rsquo;s Kho Kho side for the World Cup?<o:p></o:p>
I can&rsquo;t describe the feeling. I probably could not believe in the first place that I was going to lead the side. I am thankful to everyone who has been associated with me in both good and bad times and helped me lead the Indian side. Things wouldn&rsquo;t have been possible without the support of the federation and all the administrative bodies.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-coach-gautam-gambhir-job-in-danger-champions-trophy-2025-result-to-decide-fate-8622116" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate</a>
Question: Kho Kho is a game that originated in Maharashtra, so you have a close connection with the sport, tell us about that.<o:p></o:p>
Yes, Kho Kho is something that I played when I was young and in Maharashtra, you are taught the sport in your younger days. I have been associated with the sport since I was in school. To lead a side in a sport that originated in your state and country makes me feel more proud.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Question: You will be carrying the hopes of 1.5 billion people during the Kho Kho World Cup, do you feel nervous about it?<o:p></o:p>
Playing other tournaments and playing the World Cup is completely different and with multiple cameras around, we do feel nervous. I have won medals at the South Asian Games, but the World Cup with 1.5 billion expectations and then cameras around it does give us some feelings of nervousness. But I am hopeful we&rsquo;ll be up for it. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
Priyanka also thanked Munni Joon, the veteran coach of the Indian women&rsquo;s team as she continues to inspire the next generation of Kho Kho athletes. Joon hails from Haryana and has been associated with the Indian side helping them build the side for the ongoing Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi.<o:p></o:p>

Sports: Priyanka Ingle led from the front as the hosts beat South Korea 175-18 in their opening match. She spoke exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale and opened up on her journey. 

Kho Kho World Cup 2025 has taken India by storm with men’s and women’s teams ready to give their best shot in the inaugural tournament. With expectations comes responsibility and India’s women's team captain Priyanka Ingle has not disappointed after taking over the role. Captaining India in the first match of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, Priyanka led from the front as the hosts beat South Korea 175-18. She spoke exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale and opened up on her journey. Priyanka speaks to WION One of the best Indian Kho Kho women’s team players, Priyanka hails from the Pune district of the west Indian state of Maharashtra where she first took Kho Kho lessons. While she represents India in the Kho Kho World Cup, she is also a dedicated employee of the Income Tax Department. After being announced as the captain in the build-up to the World Cup, she was thankful to everyone and determined to give her best. Question: How do you feel, after being announced as the captain of the Indian women’s Kho Kho side for the World Cup? I can’t describe the feeling. I probably could not believe in the first place that I was going to lead the side. I am thankful to everyone who has been associated with me in both good and bad times and helped me lead the Indian side. Things wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the federation and all the administrative bodies. ALSO READ | India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate Question: Kho Kho is a game that originated in Maharashtra, so you have a close connection with the sport, tell us about that. Yes, Kho Kho is something that I played when I was young and in Maharashtra, you are taught the sport in your younger days. I have been associated with the sport since I was in school. To lead a side in a sport that originated in your state and country makes me feel more proud. Question: You will be carrying the hopes of 1.5 billion people during the Kho Kho World Cup, do you feel nervous about it? Playing other tournaments and playing the World Cup is completely different and with multiple cameras around, we do feel nervous. I have won medals at the South Asian Games, but the World Cup with 1.5 billion expectations and then cameras around it does give us some feelings of nervousness. But I am hopeful we’ll be up for it. Priyanka also thanked Munni Joon, the veteran coach of the Indian women’s team as she continues to inspire the next generation of Kho Kho athletes. Joon hails from Haryana and has been associated with the Indian side helping them build the side for the ongoing Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi.

Exclusive: India women's team captain Priyanka Ingle determined to clinch Kho Kho World Cup

A second-half goal from Alex Grimaldo sent <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Bayer+Leverkusen" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bayer Leverkusen</a> to a 1-0 home win over Mainz, closing the gap with league leaders Bayern Munich to one point.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Borussia+Dortmund" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Borussia Dortmund's</a> struggles in the league continued with a 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel earlier on Tuesday, raising the heat on under-fire coach Nuri Sahin.
In Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso's defending champions were dominant against an in-form Mainz but were held at bay until Grimaldo produced a stunning free-kick after 48 minutes.&nbsp;
The Spain defender lifted the shot over the Mainz wall and beyond the outstretched palm of Robin Zentner, his 12th goal on his 50th Bundesliga appearance.&nbsp;
"He does that always, also in training -- it wasn't a surprise," Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick said of Grimaldo's strike.&nbsp;
Florian Wirtz, who won the free-kick, along with Nathan Tella and Jeremie Frimpong all had late chances saved.&nbsp;
Leverkusen's 10th straight win in all competitions moved them to 38 points and handed down the gauntlet to Bayern, who face Hoffenheim at home on Wednesday.&nbsp;
Mainz, who lost coach Bo Henriksen to two successive yellow cards for backchat in stoppage time, stay in fifth despite the loss.&nbsp;
Eintracht Frankfurt put on a second-half display to beat Freiburg 4-1 at home, with Omar Marmoush again getting on the scoresheet.
Marmoush, heavily linked with a winter move to Manchester City, scored Frankfurt's second, while Robin Koch, Hugo Ekitike and Nnamdi Collins all got on the scoresheet for the third-placed home side.
<h2>Sahin feeling the heat</h2>
Dortmund were heavily favoured against their promoted opponents, who sit second-last in the table, but were overrun as Kiel scored three goals in 22 first-half minutes.
Shuto Machino, Phil Harres and Alexander Bernhardsson found the net to have Kiel up by three at half-time.&nbsp;
Dortmund's Gio Reyna and Jamie Gittens scored in the second half but the visitors could not pull off an unlikely comeback, with Jann-Fiete Arp scoring Kiel's fourth in stoppage time.&nbsp;
Captain Emre Can said Dortmund's woes were "nothing to do with the coach -- we as players are responsible".
"With all due respect to Kiel, we can't play like that. It's a matter of honour," the 31-year-old added.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-coach-gautam-gambhir-job-in-danger-champions-trophy-2025-result-to-decide-fate-8622116" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate</a>
Kiel have now won two of their last three to boost their chances of avoiding a direct relegation.
With half the season played, Dortmund sit ninth, 14 points behind league leaders Bayern.&nbsp;
Questions will continue to be asked of coach Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic in the summer, despite the latter taking Dortmund to the Champions League final in June.&nbsp;
With want-away forward Donyell Malen joining Aston Villa just an hour before kick-off, Sahin handed teenage forward Julien Duranville a starting XI debut.
In cold, foggy conditions on Germany's northern coast, Dortmund dominated possession for much of the first half-hour, but were unable to break through the dogged hosts.
With 27 minutes gone, Kiel forced Julian Brandt into an error near his own penalty box, Bernhardsson then found Machino who blasted in the opener.&nbsp;
Harres, a fourth-division player this time last season, doubled Kiel's lead with a clever header on the counter shortly afterwards.&nbsp;
Kiel hit a third just before half-time, Bernhardsson tapping in a Harres cross to have Dortmund reeling.
Despite goals by Reyna and Gittens inside the final 20 minutes, Dortmund were unable to find a leveller, even as Kiel's Lewis Holtby was red carded with four minutes remaining.
Local boy Arp then struck in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal a famous Kiel win.&nbsp;
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg thumped Borussia Moenchengladbach 5-1 at home, with Lukas Nmecha scoring two goals in four second-half minutes.&nbsp;
The Wolves, cruising under former Southampton and RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuettl, have now won six of their last eight to sit in sixth.&nbsp;
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Borussia Dortmund's struggles in the league continued with a 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel earlier on Tuesday, raising the heat on under-fire coach Nuri Sahin.

A second-half goal from Alex Grimaldo sent Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 home win over Mainz, closing the gap with league leaders Bayern Munich to one point. Borussia Dortmund's struggles in the league continued with a 4-2 loss at Holstein Kiel earlier on Tuesday, raising the heat on under-fire coach Nuri Sahin. In Leverkusen, Xabi Alonso's defending champions were dominant against an in-form Mainz but were held at bay until Grimaldo produced a stunning free-kick after 48 minutes. The Spain defender lifted the shot over the Mainz wall and beyond the outstretched palm of Robin Zentner, his 12th goal on his 50th Bundesliga appearance. "He does that always, also in training -- it wasn't a surprise," Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick said of Grimaldo's strike. Florian Wirtz, who won the free-kick, along with Nathan Tella and Jeremie Frimpong all had late chances saved. Leverkusen's 10th straight win in all competitions moved them to 38 points and handed down the gauntlet to Bayern, who face Hoffenheim at home on Wednesday. Mainz, who lost coach Bo Henriksen to two successive yellow cards for backchat in stoppage time, stay in fifth despite the loss. Eintracht Frankfurt put on a second-half display to beat Freiburg 4-1 at home, with Omar Marmoush again getting on the scoresheet. Marmoush, heavily linked with a winter move to Manchester City, scored Frankfurt's second, while Robin Koch, Hugo Ekitike and Nnamdi Collins all got on the scoresheet for the third-placed home side. Sahin feeling the heat Dortmund were heavily favoured against their promoted opponents, who sit second-last in the table, but were overrun as Kiel scored three goals in 22 first-half minutes. Shuto Machino, Phil Harres and Alexander Bernhardsson found the net to have Kiel up by three at half-time. Dortmund's Gio Reyna and Jamie Gittens scored in the second half but the visitors could not pull off an unlikely comeback, with Jann-Fiete Arp scoring Kiel's fourth in stoppage time. Captain Emre Can said Dortmund's woes were "nothing to do with the coach -- we as players are responsible". "With all due respect to Kiel, we can't play like that. It's a matter of honour," the 31-year-old added. ALSO READ | India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate Kiel have now won two of their last three to boost their chances of avoiding a direct relegation. With half the season played, Dortmund sit ninth, 14 points behind league leaders Bayern. Questions will continue to be asked of coach Sahin, who replaced Edin Terzic in the summer, despite the latter taking Dortmund to the Champions League final in June. With want-away forward Donyell Malen joining Aston Villa just an hour before kick-off, Sahin handed teenage forward Julien Duranville a starting XI debut. In cold, foggy conditions on Germany's northern coast, Dortmund dominated possession for much of the first half-hour, but were unable to break through the dogged hosts. With 27 minutes gone, Kiel forced Julian Brandt into an error near his own penalty box, Bernhardsson then found Machino who blasted in the opener. Harres, a fourth-division player this time last season, doubled Kiel's lead with a clever header on the counter shortly afterwards. Kiel hit a third just before half-time, Bernhardsson tapping in a Harres cross to have Dortmund reeling. Despite goals by Reyna and Gittens inside the final 20 minutes, Dortmund were unable to find a leveller, even as Kiel's Lewis Holtby was red carded with four minutes remaining. Local boy Arp then struck in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal a famous Kiel win. Elsewhere, Wolfsburg thumped Borussia Moenchengladbach 5-1 at home, with Lukas Nmecha scoring two goals in four second-half minutes. The Wolves, cruising under former Southampton and RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuettl, have now won six of their last eight to sit in sixth. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen win to go one point behind Bayern, Kiel down Dortmund

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Liverpool" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Liverpool's</a> charge towards the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Premier+League" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Premier League</a> title was halted by stubborn Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw between the top two on Tuesday as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=+Manchester+City" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Manchester City's </a>resurgence came undone in a 2-2 draw at Brentford.
Chris Wood fired Forest in front early on at a raucous City Ground, but Liverpool dominated almost the entire 97 minutes and got back on level terms thanks to substitute Diogo Jota's goal with his first touch.
Only a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Matz Sels denied the leaders victory, but the point maintained a six-point cushion over Forest for Arne Slot's men, who also have a game in hand.
Forest had won their last seven games in all competitions to raise the possibility of matching Leicester's incredible title win of 2015/16.
The in-form Wood had the home fans believing after just eight minutes when he slotted in Anthony Elanga's pass.
Liverpool enjoyed over 70 percent possession and had 23 shots on goal but only posed a serious threat in front of goal after the break.
Jota had only been on the field a matter of seconds when he nodded in Kostas Tsimikas' corner.
Sels then made incredible saves to deny Jota, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo a winner, while Salah also had a goalbound effort cleared off the line.
"I could not have asked for more," said Slot. "Second half was outstanding.
"There are not many teams that can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. Unfortunately we couldn't get a second."
Liverpool's second consecutive league draw opens the door for Arsenal to cut the gap at the top to four points when they host Tottenham in the north London derby on Wednesday.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-coach-gautam-gambhir-job-in-danger-champions-trophy-2025-result-to-decide-fate-8622116" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate</a>
<h2>Man City, Chelsea stumble</h2>
Any suggestion City could get themselves back in the title race was ended in a late collapse in west London as Brentford struck twice in the final 10 minutes for a deserved point.
Phil Foden's double had City on course for a fourth consecutive win after a run of just one victory in 13 games.
However, the English champions' defending was not convincing all night and they were punished as Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard netted for the Bees.
Foden's return to the form that saw him crowned Premier League player of the year last season was the one positive for City.
But Pep Guardiola will reflect on a missed opportunity to make up ground on the top four as City remain down in sixth, 12 points off the top.
Foden produced a brilliant deft touch from Kevin De Bruyne's inviting delivery and then smashed in a rebound for his fourth goal in five league games.
Brentford wasted a host of chances before conceding but finally got some reward for their attacking endeavour when Wissa slotted in from Mads Roerslev's cross to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League.
They completed the comeback in stoppage time when Norgaard's header had too much power for Stefan Ortega.
"We are not (at our best) and we didn't take the right decisions," said Guardiola. "It's fine, it's not a good place to come. Unfortunately, we couldn't win."
Fourth-placed Chelsea's miserable run extended to five league games without a win but they were grateful for captain Reece James' stoppage-time equaliser salvaging a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
Cole Palmer's cool finish from Nicolas Jackson's through ball had given Chelsea the perfect start.
But Bournemouth hit back through Justin Kluivert's penalty, before Antoine Semenyo's blistering near-post effort put the visitors in front.
James has endured another injury-hit season but showed his quality by curling home a free-kick at the death.
West Ham boss Graham Potter enjoyed a winning home debut as Fulham were beaten 3-2 at the London Stadium.
Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta were on target for the Hammers to take Potter's men above Manchester United and Tottenham into 12th.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Chris Wood fired Forest in front early on at a raucous City Ground, but Liverpool dominated almost the entire 97 minutes in the match. 

Liverpool's charge towards the Premier League title was halted by stubborn Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw between the top two on Tuesday as Manchester City's resurgence came undone in a 2-2 draw at Brentford. Chris Wood fired Forest in front early on at a raucous City Ground, but Liverpool dominated almost the entire 97 minutes and got back on level terms thanks to substitute Diogo Jota's goal with his first touch. Only a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Matz Sels denied the leaders victory, but the point maintained a six-point cushion over Forest for Arne Slot's men, who also have a game in hand. Forest had won their last seven games in all competitions to raise the possibility of matching Leicester's incredible title win of 2015/16. The in-form Wood had the home fans believing after just eight minutes when he slotted in Anthony Elanga's pass. Liverpool enjoyed over 70 percent possession and had 23 shots on goal but only posed a serious threat in front of goal after the break. Jota had only been on the field a matter of seconds when he nodded in Kostas Tsimikas' corner. Sels then made incredible saves to deny Jota, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo a winner, while Salah also had a goalbound effort cleared off the line. "I could not have asked for more," said Slot. "Second half was outstanding. "There are not many teams that can create so many chances against an opponent so defensively strong. Unfortunately we couldn't get a second." Liverpool's second consecutive league draw opens the door for Arsenal to cut the gap at the top to four points when they host Tottenham in the north London derby on Wednesday. ALSO READ | India coach Gautam Gambhir's job in danger? 2025 Champions Trophy result may decide his fate Man City, Chelsea stumble Any suggestion City could get themselves back in the title race was ended in a late collapse in west London as Brentford struck twice in the final 10 minutes for a deserved point. Phil Foden's double had City on course for a fourth consecutive win after a run of just one victory in 13 games. However, the English champions' defending was not convincing all night and they were punished as Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard netted for the Bees. Foden's return to the form that saw him crowned Premier League player of the year last season was the one positive for City. But Pep Guardiola will reflect on a missed opportunity to make up ground on the top four as City remain down in sixth, 12 points off the top. Foden produced a brilliant deft touch from Kevin De Bruyne's inviting delivery and then smashed in a rebound for his fourth goal in five league games. Brentford wasted a host of chances before conceding but finally got some reward for their attacking endeavour when Wissa slotted in from Mads Roerslev's cross to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League. They completed the comeback in stoppage time when Norgaard's header had too much power for Stefan Ortega. "We are not (at our best) and we didn't take the right decisions," said Guardiola. "It's fine, it's not a good place to come. Unfortunately, we couldn't win." Fourth-placed Chelsea's miserable run extended to five league games without a win but they were grateful for captain Reece James' stoppage-time equaliser salvaging a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth. Cole Palmer's cool finish from Nicolas Jackson's through ball had given Chelsea the perfect start. But Bournemouth hit back through Justin Kluivert's penalty, before Antoine Semenyo's blistering near-post effort put the visitors in front. James has endured another injury-hit season but showed his quality by curling home a free-kick at the death. West Ham boss Graham Potter enjoyed a winning home debut as Fulham were beaten 3-2 at the London Stadium. Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta were on target for the Hammers to take Potter's men above Manchester United and Tottenham into 12th. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Liverpool frustrated by Forest, Man City blow late lead at Brentford

Wednesday (Jan 15) will mark a monumental day for Indian futsal as the national women&rsquo;s team takes the international stage for the first time in the AFC Women&rsquo;s Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers.
The debut match pits India against Hong Kong in Group B. The match will kick off at 11:30 am IST.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ioc-to-change-defective-medals-from-paris-olympics-2024-8622012" rel="dofollow">IOC to change defective medals from Paris Olympics 2024</a>
The team held their first training session under light drizzles on Tuesday (Jan 14).
&ldquo;This is a dream come true, not just for me but for every girl on this team,&rdquo; said head coach Joshuah Vaz in an AIFF press release. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an emotional and historic moment. The players know the responsibility they carry, representing India on an international stage."
India faces a formidable opponent in Hong Kong, ranked 31st in FIFA women&rsquo;s futsal. Hong Kong&rsquo;s head coach, Ho Wing Kam, expressed confidence in her team&rsquo;s goal of qualifying for the final round in China.
Acknowledging the challenge, Joshuah said, &ldquo;We have a solid strategy to keep our defence compact and focus on smart attacking movements. The girls are prepared to switch seamlessly between systems like 3-1 and 2-2 during rotations and capitalize on set pieces.&rdquo;
Leading the team is Arya More, a young talent from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, who will proudly captain the first-ever Indian women&rsquo;s futsal squad. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an incredible honour,&rdquo; Arya said on the eve of the match.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve trained hard, bonded well as a team, and are ready to make history. Hong Kong&rsquo;s players are strong, but we will hold our ground, play smart, and score goals," she signed off.
The Indian team&rsquo;s debut isn&rsquo;t just a match; it&rsquo;s the first step in carving out a legacy.
&nbsp;As they take to the court, there&rsquo;s a collective sense of pride and anticipation for what lies ahead and the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.

India faces a formidable opponent in Hong Kong, ranked 31st in FIFA women’s futsal. Hong Kong’s head coach, Ho Wing Kam, expressed confidence in her team’s goal. Sports

Wednesday (Jan 15) will mark a monumental day for Indian futsal as the national women’s team takes the international stage for the first time in the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers. The debut match pits India against Hong Kong in Group B. The match will kick off at 11:30 am IST. Also Read: IOC to change defective medals from Paris Olympics 2024 The team held their first training session under light drizzles on Tuesday (Jan 14). “This is a dream come true, not just for me but for every girl on this team,” said head coach Joshuah Vaz in an AIFF press release. “It’s an emotional and historic moment. The players know the responsibility they carry, representing India on an international stage." India faces a formidable opponent in Hong Kong, ranked 31st in FIFA women’s futsal. Hong Kong’s head coach, Ho Wing Kam, expressed confidence in her team’s goal of qualifying for the final round in China. Acknowledging the challenge, Joshuah said, “We have a solid strategy to keep our defence compact and focus on smart attacking movements. The girls are prepared to switch seamlessly between systems like 3-1 and 2-2 during rotations and capitalize on set pieces.” Leading the team is Arya More, a young talent from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, who will proudly captain the first-ever Indian women’s futsal squad. “It’s an incredible honour,” Arya said on the eve of the match. “We’ve trained hard, bonded well as a team, and are ready to make history. Hong Kong’s players are strong, but we will hold our ground, play smart, and score goals," she signed off. The Indian team’s debut isn’t just a match; it’s the first step in carving out a legacy. As they take to the court, there’s a collective sense of pride and anticipation for what lies ahead and the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.

A historic kickoff: Indian women’s futsal team gears up for debut in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ioc" rel="dofollow">International Olympic Committee</a> (IOC) is changing the defective medals given at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/paris-olympics" rel="dofollow">Paris Olympics 2024</a>. The medal quality at the quadrennial event came in question after several athletes posted on social media about them deteriorating post the conclusion of games.
"The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage," the IOC said on Monday (Jan 13).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/no-wags-travelling-together-in-team-bus-among-several-updates-in-bccis-new-mandate-8621027" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">No WAGs, travelling together among several updates in BCCI&rsquo;s mandate</a>
"Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically. The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks," it added.
An IOC spokesperson also confirmed that the IOC has changed most of the damaged medals since August and will continue to do so in future.
"We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before," said the spokesperson.
According to French media outlet La Lettre, the medals "had to bear the brunt of the new products used", as new regulations banned a component of the varnish previously employed and "had to be replaced at short notice."
<h2>Bhaker Wants Medal Replaced Too</h2>
Meanwhile, India's double medallist shooter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manu-bhaker" rel="dofollow">Manu Bhaker</a> also confirmed that she'd like to get her medal replaced.
&ldquo;Yes, I read about it today. If they are replacing, then yes, I would like to get mine also replaced,&rdquo; Manu told Sportstar.
Bhaker won a bronze medal in the women's 10 m air pistol event to open India's medal tally account at the Paris Olympics 2024. With the bronze medal win, she also became India's first medal winner woman shooter at the Olympics. She later won a silver medal in the mixed team event of 10 m air pistol along with Sarabjot Singh.

According to French media outlet La Lettre, medals "had to bear the brunt of the new products used", as new regulations banned a component of varnish previously employed. Sports

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is changing the defective medals given at Paris Olympics 2024. The medal quality at the quadrennial event came in question after several athletes posted on social media about them deteriorating post the conclusion of games. "The Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organising Committee is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution responsible for the manufacture and quality control of the medals, to assess any complaints about the medals and to understand the circumstances and cause of any damage," the IOC said on Monday (Jan 13). Also Read: No WAGs, travelling together among several updates in BCCI’s mandate "Defective medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved identically. The replacement process should begin in the coming weeks," it added. An IOC spokesperson also confirmed that the IOC has changed most of the damaged medals since August and will continue to do so in future. "We have replaced all the damaged medals since August and we will continue to do so in the same professional manner as before," said the spokesperson. According to French media outlet La Lettre, the medals "had to bear the brunt of the new products used", as new regulations banned a component of the varnish previously employed and "had to be replaced at short notice." Bhaker Wants Medal Replaced Too Meanwhile, India's double medallist shooter Manu Bhaker also confirmed that she'd like to get her medal replaced. “Yes, I read about it today. If they are replacing, then yes, I would like to get mine also replaced,” Manu told Sportstar. Bhaker won a bronze medal in the women's 10 m air pistol event to open India's medal tally account at the Paris Olympics 2024. With the bronze medal win, she also became India's first medal winner woman shooter at the Olympics. She later won a silver medal in the mixed team event of 10 m air pistol along with Sarabjot Singh.

IOC to change defective medals from Paris Olympics 2024

The Australian Open 2025 has overcome broadcasting rights issues by streaming animated versions of matches on YouTube. This innovative approach brings a fun, video game-style twist to live tennis action. Discover how this unique method is changing the way fans experience the sport!

How the Australian Open beat the rights issue with anime

Morocco has come under heavy criticism for allegedly killing millions of stray dogs in build up to the country hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Twenty-three venues have been proposed for the FIFA World Cup 2030, to be held across six countries. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will be the main hosts for the men&rsquo;s football tournament.
The claims imply that over three million dogs have been brutally culled to &lsquo;clean up&rsquo; urban areas ahead of the football World Cup. The move has sparked outrage among animal rights activists and raised questions about the ethical implications of prioritizing image over compassion.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daniil-medvedev-faces-hefty-fine-for-smashing-racquet-net-camera-in-australian-open-meltdown-8621081" rel="dofollow">Medvedev faces fine for smashing racquet, net camera in AO meltdown</a>
Several reports also indicate that many of the dogs were poisoned, shot, or subjected to other inhumane methods to reduce their numbers. The government has not yet issued a formal response, but local authorities reportedly justify the action as necessary to maintain public safety and cleanliness in cities such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier&mdash;key locations for World Cup events.
International animal welfare groups, including PETA and World Animal Protection, have strongly condemned the actions. A spokesperson for one group described the alleged killings as &ldquo;horrifying and unnecessary,&rdquo; urging Morocco to adopt more humane approaches to animal population control. These could include sterilisation campaigns, vaccination programmes, and adoption initiatives that ensure both public safety and animal welfare.
Social media platforms have also seen a surge in public outrage. Many users, both in Morocco and abroad, have called for boycotts of the event and demanded FIFA hold the Moroccan authorities accountable. Critics argue that such actions tarnish the image of the World Cup.
Experts say that Morocco is not the first host country to resort to such drastic measures. Past sporting events in countries like Russia and Brazil also faced backlash over similar actions. Nevertheless, the scale of the alleged culling in Morocco is unprecedented.
The incident has fuelled a broader discussion about the treatment of animals in developing countries, particularly where economic constraints and cultural attitudes often make humane solutions seem less viable. Activists hope that this public outcry will push Morocco and future host nations to embrace ethical alternatives and foster greater respect for all living beings.
&nbsp;

The claims imply that over three million dogs have been brutally culled to ‘clean up’ urban areas ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The move has sparked outrage . Sports

Morocco has come under heavy criticism for allegedly killing millions of stray dogs in build up to the country hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Twenty-three venues have been proposed for the FIFA World Cup 2030, to be held across six countries. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will be the main hosts for the men’s football tournament. The claims imply that over three million dogs have been brutally culled to ‘clean up’ urban areas ahead of the football World Cup. The move has sparked outrage among animal rights activists and raised questions about the ethical implications of prioritizing image over compassion. Also Read: Medvedev faces fine for smashing racquet, net camera in AO meltdown Several reports also indicate that many of the dogs were poisoned, shot, or subjected to other inhumane methods to reduce their numbers. The government has not yet issued a formal response, but local authorities reportedly justify the action as necessary to maintain public safety and cleanliness in cities such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier—key locations for World Cup events. International animal welfare groups, including PETA and World Animal Protection, have strongly condemned the actions. A spokesperson for one group described the alleged killings as “horrifying and unnecessary,” urging Morocco to adopt more humane approaches to animal population control. These could include sterilisation campaigns, vaccination programmes, and adoption initiatives that ensure both public safety and animal welfare. Social media platforms have also seen a surge in public outrage. Many users, both in Morocco and abroad, have called for boycotts of the event and demanded FIFA hold the Moroccan authorities accountable. Critics argue that such actions tarnish the image of the World Cup. Experts say that Morocco is not the first host country to resort to such drastic measures. Past sporting events in countries like Russia and Brazil also faced backlash over similar actions. Nevertheless, the scale of the alleged culling in Morocco is unprecedented. The incident has fuelled a broader discussion about the treatment of animals in developing countries, particularly where economic constraints and cultural attitudes often make humane solutions seem less viable. Activists hope that this public outcry will push Morocco and future host nations to embrace ethical alternatives and foster greater respect for all living beings.

2030 FIFA World Cup host Morocco faces outrage over ‘mass dog culling’

India&rsquo;s double ace and former World No 1 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohan-bopanna">Rohan Bopanna</a> and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos suffered a shocking exit in the opening round of the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australian-open">Australian Open 2025</a> on Tuesday (Jan 14).&nbsp;
The pair, currently ranked 14th, was beaten by Spain&rsquo;s Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar with a score of 5-7, 6-7 (5). The match lasted an hour and 54 minutes. The Indo-Colombian duo struggled to find momentum against the unseeded team from Spain.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-djokovic-news-novak-djokovic-wins-vs-nishesh-basavareddy-australian-open-2025-result-today-8618996">Australian Open 2025: 'I enjoyed it,' says Novak Djokovic on first win with coach Andy Murray</a>
<h2>Defending doubles champ Bopanna out</h2>
Rohan won the Australian Open doubles title in 2024 with his former partner Matthew Ebden. Rohan and Ebden had a successful two-year partnership.&nbsp;
During their partnership, the duo won the Australian Open title last year along with the ATP Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells in 2023 and the Miami Open in 2024. The Indo-Australian pair also reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2024 and reached the No. 1 rankings in the doubles category.
On Sunday (Jan 12), Sumit Nagal, the sole Indian singles tennis player in Melbourne, also crashed out after losing to Czechia&rsquo;s Tomas Machac in the first round of the men&rsquo;s singles event. The 27-year-old, seeded 91st in the ATP Rankings for singles, lost to his world No. 25 opponent 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly two hours.
Meanwhile, Indian interest continues in the doubles event despite Bopanna&rsquo;s loss, as other Indian players Yuki Bhambri paired with France&rsquo;s Albano Olivetti, N Sriram Balaji alongside Mexico&rsquo;s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, and Rithvik Bollipalli partnered up with the USA&rsquo;s Ryan Seggerman are set to begin their doubles campaign on Wednesday (Jan 15).
<h2>Medvedev faces fine</h2>
Daniil Medvedev <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daniil-medvedev-faces-hefty-fine-for-smashing-racquet-net-camera-in-australian-open-meltdown-8621081">faces a hefty fine</a> after mangling his racquet and a net camera in an epic temper tantrum before battling through a five-set roller coaster to start his Australian Open on Tuesday. The feisty Russian, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, lost his cool in the third set before rallying to beat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Rohan Bopanna and his new partner, Colombia's Nicolas Barrientos, suffered a shocking exit in the opening round of the ongoing Australian Open 2025 on Tuesday (Jan 14).  Sports

India’s double ace and former World No 1 Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos suffered a shocking exit in the opening round of the ongoing Australian Open 2025 on Tuesday (Jan 14). The pair, currently ranked 14th, was beaten by Spain’s Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar with a score of 5-7, 6-7 (5). The match lasted an hour and 54 minutes. The Indo-Colombian duo struggled to find momentum against the unseeded team from Spain. Also Read: Australian Open 2025: 'I enjoyed it,' says Novak Djokovic on first win with coach Andy Murray Defending doubles champ Bopanna out Rohan won the Australian Open doubles title in 2024 with his former partner Matthew Ebden. Rohan and Ebden had a successful two-year partnership. During their partnership, the duo won the Australian Open title last year along with the ATP Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells in 2023 and the Miami Open in 2024. The Indo-Australian pair also reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2024 and reached the No. 1 rankings in the doubles category. On Sunday (Jan 12), Sumit Nagal, the sole Indian singles tennis player in Melbourne, also crashed out after losing to Czechia’s Tomas Machac in the first round of the men’s singles event. The 27-year-old, seeded 91st in the ATP Rankings for singles, lost to his world No. 25 opponent 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 in a battle that lasted nearly two hours. Meanwhile, Indian interest continues in the doubles event despite Bopanna’s loss, as other Indian players Yuki Bhambri paired with France’s Albano Olivetti, N Sriram Balaji alongside Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, and Rithvik Bollipalli partnered up with the USA’s Ryan Seggerman are set to begin their doubles campaign on Wednesday (Jan 15). Medvedev faces fine Daniil Medvedev faces a hefty fine after mangling his racquet and a net camera in an epic temper tantrum before battling through a five-set roller coaster to start his Australian Open on Tuesday. The feisty Russian, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, lost his cool in the third set before rallying to beat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

Australian Open 2025: Rohan Bopanna fails to replicate 2024 success

Daniil Medvedev faces a hefty fine after mangling his racquet and a net camera in an epic temper tantrum before battling through a five-set roller coaster to start his Australian Open on Tuesday. The feisty Russian, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, lost his cool in the third set before rallying to beat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.<o:p></o:p>
Fifth seed Medvedev was 3-5 behind and on the brink of going two sets to one down against the Thai player when he exploded, slamming his racquet into the net camera repeatedly until they both became a broken mess.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>WATCH -</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5wc9yjs-q6fbqq1m-7yyq8v3y">
UPSET ALERT: Daniil Medvedev goes down 2 sets to 1 to the 418th ranked WC Kasidit Samrej and takes out the net camera in the process. <a href="https://t.co/RwvA9yYQp0">pic.twitter.com/RwvA9yYQp0</a>
&mdash; asud (@asud683385) <a href="https://twitter.com/asud683385/status/1879052220274274631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ball kids had to sweep up the debris when he lost the game and set, while the match was postponed briefly as officials ran repairs on the net.<o:p></o:p>
Medvedev is facing a big penalty.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-2025-naomi-osaka-stays-focused-amid-la-wildfire-scare-8619795" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025: Naomi Osaka stays focused amid LA wildfire scare</a>
"Honestly, I hope not too big. The fine is usually for breaking the racquet, and the camera is going to cost some, but I don't think GoPro is that expensive," he said. &nbsp;"When I did it, I didn't want to smash the racquet in pieces. When I saw the racquet, I was, like, okay, time to take a new one I guess."<o:p></o:p>
Medvedev was playing his first match since the ATP Finals in November after arriving in Australia late to be at home for the birth of his second child.<o:p></o:p>
He pledged before the tournament to be a "disruptor" against the big names this season, but his stuttering start against a player with no pedigree showed he has his work cut out.<o:p></o:p>
"In general, it was kind of a top level from him, serving good, one break each set, just what you need to do to win matches," Medvedev, who lost last year's final to Jannik Sinner, said. "Two sets to one down is not an easy feeling. I was, like: I don't want to be on the flight tomorrow.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm happy that I managed to stay tough. I think, in my opinion, I didn't play a bad level, I played quite well and will for sure try to play better throughout the tournament."<o:p></o:p>
The former world number one broke his opponent's opening service game and was never troubled in the first set, racing through it in 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
But the Thai player, who qualified for his Grand Slam debut by winning the Asia-Pacific wildcard playoff event, refused to go away.<o:p></o:p>
He stunned the Russian by breaking him at 5-4 to take the second and was well on top in the third before the Medvedev meltdown.<o:p></o:p>
But the 28-year-old is a veteran of five-setters in Melbourne, contesting four and winning three last year, and he regrouped, using his experience to reassert control as Samrej began flagging.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience

Sports, Tennis: Ball kids had to sweep up the debris when Medvedev lost the game and set, while the match was postponed briefly as officials ran repairs on the net.

Daniil Medvedev faces a hefty fine after mangling his racquet and a net camera in an epic temper tantrum before battling through a five-set roller coaster to start his Australian Open on Tuesday. The feisty Russian, a three-time finalist in Melbourne, lost his cool in the third set before rallying to beat 418th-ranked Kasidit Samrej 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena. Fifth seed Medvedev was 3-5 behind and on the brink of going two sets to one down against the Thai player when he exploded, slamming his racquet into the net camera repeatedly until they both became a broken mess. WATCH - UPSET ALERT: Daniil Medvedev goes down 2 sets to 1 to the 418th ranked WC Kasidit Samrej and takes out the net camera in the process. pic.twitter.com/RwvA9yYQp0 — asud (@asud683385) January 14, 2025 Ball kids had to sweep up the debris when he lost the game and set, while the match was postponed briefly as officials ran repairs on the net. Medvedev is facing a big penalty. Also read | Australian Open 2025: Naomi Osaka stays focused amid LA wildfire scare "Honestly, I hope not too big. The fine is usually for breaking the racquet, and the camera is going to cost some, but I don't think GoPro is that expensive," he said. "When I did it, I didn't want to smash the racquet in pieces. When I saw the racquet, I was, like, okay, time to take a new one I guess." Medvedev was playing his first match since the ATP Finals in November after arriving in Australia late to be at home for the birth of his second child. He pledged before the tournament to be a "disruptor" against the big names this season, but his stuttering start against a player with no pedigree showed he has his work cut out. "In general, it was kind of a top level from him, serving good, one break each set, just what you need to do to win matches," Medvedev, who lost last year's final to Jannik Sinner, said. "Two sets to one down is not an easy feeling. I was, like: I don't want to be on the flight tomorrow. "I'm happy that I managed to stay tough. I think, in my opinion, I didn't play a bad level, I played quite well and will for sure try to play better throughout the tournament." The former world number one broke his opponent's opening service game and was never troubled in the first set, racing through it in 30 minutes. But the Thai player, who qualified for his Grand Slam debut by winning the Asia-Pacific wildcard playoff event, refused to go away. He stunned the Russian by breaking him at 5-4 to take the second and was well on top in the third before the Medvedev meltdown. But the 28-year-old is a veteran of five-setters in Melbourne, contesting four and winning three last year, and he regrouped, using his experience to reassert control as Samrej began flagging. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience

Medvedev faces fine for smashing racquet, net camera in AO meltdown

Naomi Osaka said on Monday she was struggling to keep focused at the Australian Open with the deadly and massive wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles "three blocks" from her house.<o:p></o:p>
The two-time Melbourne champion defeated France's Caroline Garcia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round and afterwards said: "I was watching the fire map and the fire is three blocks from my house. I had someone go get my daughter's birth certificate."<o:p></o:p>
The 27-year-old former world number one, who has a young daughter named Shai, represents Japan but lives in Los Angeles.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-djokovic-news-novak-djokovic-wins-vs-nishesh-basavareddy-australian-open-2025-result-today-8618996" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025: 'I enjoyed it,' says Novak Djokovic on first win with coach Andy Murray</a>
After setting up a second-round meeting at Melbourne Park with Czech 20th seed Karolina Muchova, Osaka said "honestly I don't think I've been doing the greatest keeping focus".<o:p></o:p>
"It is really difficult for me because, I don't know, I think it's tougher now because I find now my home is more of a home because I have memories with my daughter.<o:p></o:p>
"There's so many things, keepsakes and stuff like that. Obviously you can't hoard them all when you're asking them to go to your house and just grab stuff. So it is really tough in that sense."<o:p></o:p>
At least 24 people have been killed in the blazes that have ripped through the United States' second-largest city for the past week.<o:p></o:p>
Whole communities have been scorched to rubble and thousands left without homes.<o:p></o:p>
Osaka said everyone in her family was safe but she is "checking the wildfire map any chance that I get just to see what's happening".<o:p></o:p>
"I also feel like in a way it's tough because I don't think I'll go back to L.A immediately after. I don't feel like it's safe enough to go back there," she said. "It's kind of a little bit in a limbo, but also motivating me to hopefully stay here as long as I can."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience

Sports, Tennis: After first round, Osaka said, "I was watching the fire map and the fire is three blocks from my house. I had someone go get my daughter's birth certificate."

Naomi Osaka said on Monday she was struggling to keep focused at the Australian Open with the deadly and massive wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles "three blocks" from her house. The two-time Melbourne champion defeated France's Caroline Garcia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round and afterwards said: "I was watching the fire map and the fire is three blocks from my house. I had someone go get my daughter's birth certificate." The 27-year-old former world number one, who has a young daughter named Shai, represents Japan but lives in Los Angeles. Also read | Australian Open 2025: 'I enjoyed it,' says Novak Djokovic on first win with coach Andy Murray After setting up a second-round meeting at Melbourne Park with Czech 20th seed Karolina Muchova, Osaka said "honestly I don't think I've been doing the greatest keeping focus". "It is really difficult for me because, I don't know, I think it's tougher now because I find now my home is more of a home because I have memories with my daughter. "There's so many things, keepsakes and stuff like that. Obviously you can't hoard them all when you're asking them to go to your house and just grab stuff. So it is really tough in that sense." At least 24 people have been killed in the blazes that have ripped through the United States' second-largest city for the past week. Whole communities have been scorched to rubble and thousands left without homes. Osaka said everyone in her family was safe but she is "checking the wildfire map any chance that I get just to see what's happening". "I also feel like in a way it's tough because I don't think I'll go back to L.A immediately after. I don't feel like it's safe enough to go back there," she said. "It's kind of a little bit in a limbo, but also motivating me to hopefully stay here as long as I can." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience

Australian Open 2025: Naomi Osaka stays focused amid LA wildfire scare

India kickstarted their Kho Kho World Cup 2025 campaign in style as the hosts beat Nepal 42-37 on Monday (Jan 13) at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi. A match that scripted history on multiple fronts saw Pratik Kiran Waikar become the first Indian player to lead a men&rsquo;s Kho Kho side in a World Cup match. A dedicated player known for his versatile skills, Pratik spoke exclusively to WION&rsquo;s Aditya Pimpale as he opened up on his journey to leading the Indian side.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pratik speaks to WION</h2>
A dedicated player hailing from the Pune district of Maharashtra, Pratik has already carved a reputation as one of the best Indian Kho Kho players. His accolade could be highlighted by the fact that he led Maharashtra at several levels before rising to prominence. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards from the Maharashtra government, including the Eklavya Award, Shivchhatrapti Sports Award, and the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Award.<o:p></o:p>
Question: What was it like when you were announced as the captain of the Indian Kho Kho side ahead of the World Cup?<o:p></o:p>
I can&rsquo;t describe it in words as I have been working hard for the last 24 years. It is a proud moment for me and my family as my hard work has paid off. I had goosebumps when I was announced as the captain of the side and I now look forward to leading from the front and setting an example. <o:p></o:p>
Question: India has won very few World Cups in any sports, notably led by the likes of Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Pratik Waikar could soon be the name on the list as well, are you prepared for it?<o:p></o:p>
To be honest, I am focusing on only one match at a time so winning the World Cup is a long-term target.&nbsp; Currently, my short-term target is to take one match at a time. Speaking of the cricket legends, I don&rsquo;t compare myself with anyone, but lifting the World Cup as a captain is everyone&rsquo;s dream and I want to complete that as soon as possible.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bbl-scores-sydney-thunder-perth-scorchers-match-result-david-warner-catch-video-thunder-beat-scorchers-8619176" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">BBL, Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers: WATCH | David Warner takes STUNNING catch</a>
Speaking of Rohit, he also comes from Maharashtra, so it will be an incredibly proud moment for everyone associated with the state if India wins the World Cup.<o:p></o:p>
How do you think India can tackle different oppositions and are the favourites to win the Kho Kho World Cup?<o:p></o:p>
Yes, we do have plans and we&rsquo;d like to execute them perfectly during the Kho Kho World Cup. Coach Ashwini Sharma has a key role to play in the entire process which will be helpful for India. Different oppositions bring different challenges and I hope we are up to it in the upcoming matches of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.<o:p></o:p>

Sports: A dedicated player known for his versatile skills, Pratik spoke exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale as he opened up on his journey to leading the Indian side.

India kickstarted their Kho Kho World Cup 2025 campaign in style as the hosts beat Nepal 42-37 on Monday (Jan 13) at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi. A match that scripted history on multiple fronts saw Pratik Kiran Waikar become the first Indian player to lead a men’s Kho Kho side in a World Cup match. A dedicated player known for his versatile skills, Pratik spoke exclusively to WION’s Aditya Pimpale as he opened up on his journey to leading the Indian side. Pratik speaks to WION A dedicated player hailing from the Pune district of Maharashtra, Pratik has already carved a reputation as one of the best Indian Kho Kho players. His accolade could be highlighted by the fact that he led Maharashtra at several levels before rising to prominence. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards from the Maharashtra government, including the Eklavya Award, Shivchhatrapti Sports Award, and the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Award. Question: What was it like when you were announced as the captain of the Indian Kho Kho side ahead of the World Cup? I can’t describe it in words as I have been working hard for the last 24 years. It is a proud moment for me and my family as my hard work has paid off. I had goosebumps when I was announced as the captain of the side and I now look forward to leading from the front and setting an example. Question: India has won very few World Cups in any sports, notably led by the likes of Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Pratik Waikar could soon be the name on the list as well, are you prepared for it? To be honest, I am focusing on only one match at a time so winning the World Cup is a long-term target. Currently, my short-term target is to take one match at a time. Speaking of the cricket legends, I don’t compare myself with anyone, but lifting the World Cup as a captain is everyone’s dream and I want to complete that as soon as possible. ALSO READ | BBL, Sydney Thunder vs Perth Scorchers: WATCH | David Warner takes STUNNING catch Speaking of Rohit, he also comes from Maharashtra, so it will be an incredibly proud moment for everyone associated with the state if India wins the World Cup. How do you think India can tackle different oppositions and are the favourites to win the Kho Kho World Cup? Yes, we do have plans and we’d like to execute them perfectly during the Kho Kho World Cup. Coach Ashwini Sharma has a key role to play in the entire process which will be helpful for India. Different oppositions bring different challenges and I hope we are up to it in the upcoming matches of the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.

Exclusive: India men's Kho Kho team captain Pratik Waikar ready to script history

Former world heavyweight champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/tyson-fury">Tyson Fury</a> said Monday he had retired from boxing just weeks after suffering a second straight defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.
"I'm going to make this short and sweet," the British fighter said in a social media post. "I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing."
"It's been a blast, I've loved every single minute of it," added Fury, who has, however, previously quit only to return to the ring.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/khabib-nurmagomedov-airplane-row-video-russian-mma-fighter-khabib-removed-from-flight-in-usa-8618817" rel="dofollow">Khabib Nurmagomedov Airplane Row: Russian fighter speaks on being removed from flight in USA</a>
The "Gypsy King", 36, last fought on December 21 when he lost his rematch against WBA, WBC and WBO champion Usyk in Riyadh.
Asked after the fight whether the public would see him fight again, Fury said: "You might do, you might not do. Who knows?"
Fury enjoyed two stints as heavyweight champion and retires with a record of 34 wins, two defeats and one draw.
He announced he was quitting after beating Dillian Whyte in April 2022 but returned to action later that year.
Frank Warren, who promotes Fury, told the BBC he had not spoken to the boxer prior to his retirement announcement.
"I've said all along that there is no way I will be trying in any way to influence him," Warren said.
"If that what he wants to do, that's great. He's done everything he can do. Probably been the best British heavyweight of his generation by far.&nbsp;
"Two-time world champion, two closely fought fights against Usyk. He's got plenty of money, got his wits about him, got a lovely family. God bless him, enjoy."
All three judges scored last month's fight in Saudi Arabia 116-112 in Usyk's favour.
The Ukrainian won their first fight in May 2024 by split decision.
Fury's retirement appears to mean he will not take on another former world champion, Anthony Joshua, in a long-anticipated all-British showdown.
Joshua said Saturday that a fight with Fury "has to happen this year".
And Joshua's promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, said he doubted it was the end of the road for Fury.
"If you haven't got a heart for it anymore and you don't want to compete anymore, I think retirement is the best option," Hearn said.
"Disappointing obviously for British fight fans because we've got the chance to make the biggest fight in boxing but if that is the last we see of him, he's had a great career. I doubt it (is the last time we will see him box)."
Fury became world champion for the first time when he shocked Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, becoming WBA, IBF and WBO champion.
He was then out of the ring for more than two-and-a-half years, during which he tackled mental health issues.
Fury returned to action in 2018 and became a two-time champion by beating Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC belt in 2020 in the second of a trilogy of fights against the American.
He overcame a big scare against converted MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in 2023, before losing twice to Usyk last year.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tyson Fury enjoyed two stints as heavyweight champion and retires with a record of 34 wins, two defeats, and one draw. Both defeats came at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. Sports

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said Monday he had retired from boxing just weeks after suffering a second straight defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. "I'm going to make this short and sweet," the British fighter said in a social media post. "I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing." "It's been a blast, I've loved every single minute of it," added Fury, who has, however, previously quit only to return to the ring. Also Read - Khabib Nurmagomedov Airplane Row: Russian fighter speaks on being removed from flight in USA The "Gypsy King", 36, last fought on December 21 when he lost his rematch against WBA, WBC and WBO champion Usyk in Riyadh. Asked after the fight whether the public would see him fight again, Fury said: "You might do, you might not do. Who knows?" Fury enjoyed two stints as heavyweight champion and retires with a record of 34 wins, two defeats and one draw. He announced he was quitting after beating Dillian Whyte in April 2022 but returned to action later that year. Frank Warren, who promotes Fury, told the BBC he had not spoken to the boxer prior to his retirement announcement. "I've said all along that there is no way I will be trying in any way to influence him," Warren said. "If that what he wants to do, that's great. He's done everything he can do. Probably been the best British heavyweight of his generation by far. "Two-time world champion, two closely fought fights against Usyk. He's got plenty of money, got his wits about him, got a lovely family. God bless him, enjoy." All three judges scored last month's fight in Saudi Arabia 116-112 in Usyk's favour. The Ukrainian won their first fight in May 2024 by split decision. Fury's retirement appears to mean he will not take on another former world champion, Anthony Joshua, in a long-anticipated all-British showdown. Joshua said Saturday that a fight with Fury "has to happen this year". And Joshua's promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, said he doubted it was the end of the road for Fury. "If you haven't got a heart for it anymore and you don't want to compete anymore, I think retirement is the best option," Hearn said. "Disappointing obviously for British fight fans because we've got the chance to make the biggest fight in boxing but if that is the last we see of him, he's had a great career. I doubt it (is the last time we will see him box)." Fury became world champion for the first time when he shocked Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, becoming WBA, IBF and WBO champion. He was then out of the ring for more than two-and-a-half years, during which he tackled mental health issues. Fury returned to action in 2018 and became a two-time champion by beating Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC belt in 2020 in the second of a trilogy of fights against the American. He overcame a big scare against converted MMA fighter Francis Ngannou in 2023, before losing twice to Usyk last year. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tyson Fury announces retirement from boxing

Serbian tennis star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/novak-djokovic" rel="dofollow">Novak Djokovic</a> started the quest for the record 25th grand slam with a hard-fought win against the USA's Nishesh Basavareddy in Australia Open. Djokovic, playing first match with his 37-year-old coach and former rival Andy Murray, won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in first round on Monday (Jan 13).
<h2>Djokovic praises coach Murray</h2>
Novak Djokovic's announcement of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/andy-murray" rel="dofollow">Andy Murray</a> as the coach created a lot of buzz in the tennis world. The two 37-year-olds have been rivals since age 12 before Murray called time on his career at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/paris-olympics" rel="dofollow">Paris Olympics 2024</a>. This was the duo's first official match at player-coach.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/khabib-nurmagomedov-airplane-row-video-russian-mma-fighter-khabib-removed-from-flight-in-usa-8618817" rel="dofollow">Khabib Nurmagomedov Airplane Row: Russian fighter speaks on being removed from flight in USA</a>
Djokovic was full of praise of Murray after the win and said: "A few times I did approach Andy, asked him something about whatever it was, whatever shot. He was giving me his feedback, his guidance and opinion."
"It's important. I enjoy talking to Andy. I mean, he knows tennis as well as anybody out there.
"I think he was doing great today," he added. "He was standing up several times, trying to encourage me and support me. I enjoyed it."&nbsp;
<h2>Basavareddy gets acknowledgement from Djokovic</h2>
The Serb was full of praise of his 19-year-old opponent Nishesh Basavareddy as well who is making his grand slam debut.
"I was very impressed by him. I think the whole stadium was really," Djokovic said after the match.
"Huge credit to him for stepping out in his debut in a Grand Slam, first time on a big court, playing the way he did play. So well done. &nbsp;I'm sure if he keeps going this way, he's very young, we are going to see quite a bit of him in the future," he added.
Indian-origin Basavareddy quit Stanford University to turn pro in December 2024. He had won the boys' double US Open 2022 with Ozan Baris at the junior level.

Novak Djokovic, playing first match with his 37-year-old coach and former rival Andy Murray, won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in first round on Monday (Jan 13). Sports

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic started the quest for the record 25th grand slam with a hard-fought win against the USA's Nishesh Basavareddy in Australia Open. Djokovic, playing first match with his 37-year-old coach and former rival Andy Murray, won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in first round on Monday (Jan 13). Djokovic praises coach Murray Novak Djokovic's announcement of Andy Murray as the coach created a lot of buzz in the tennis world. The two 37-year-olds have been rivals since age 12 before Murray called time on his career at the Paris Olympics 2024. This was the duo's first official match at player-coach. Also Read: Khabib Nurmagomedov Airplane Row: Russian fighter speaks on being removed from flight in USA Djokovic was full of praise of Murray after the win and said: "A few times I did approach Andy, asked him something about whatever it was, whatever shot. He was giving me his feedback, his guidance and opinion." "It's important. I enjoy talking to Andy. I mean, he knows tennis as well as anybody out there. "I think he was doing great today," he added. "He was standing up several times, trying to encourage me and support me. I enjoyed it." Basavareddy gets acknowledgement from Djokovic The Serb was full of praise of his 19-year-old opponent Nishesh Basavareddy as well who is making his grand slam debut. "I was very impressed by him. I think the whole stadium was really," Djokovic said after the match. "Huge credit to him for stepping out in his debut in a Grand Slam, first time on a big court, playing the way he did play. So well done. I'm sure if he keeps going this way, he's very young, we are going to see quite a bit of him in the future," he added. Indian-origin Basavareddy quit Stanford University to turn pro in December 2024. He had won the boys' double US Open 2022 with Ozan Baris at the junior level.

Australian Open 2025: 'I enjoyed it,' says Novak Djokovic on first win with coach Andy Murray

Russian national and former UFC fighter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/khabib-nurmagomedov" rel="dofollow">Khabib Nurmagomedov</a> was recently removed from a flight in the USA. The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mma">Mixed Martial Arts</a> (MMA) fighter was sitting in the emergency seat of a plane set to take off from Las Vegas but was de-planed by the crew after an argument.
In the video doing the rounds on social media, Khabib can be seen arguing with the flight attendant, who raised questions over the fighter's ability to help other passengers in case of an emergency. Have a look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
UFC World Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/khabibnurmagomedov?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#khabibnurmagomedov</a> removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyFrontier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FlyFrontier</a> airplane because someone reported that she is not comfortable he is sitting next to the emergency exit. The only reason that comes to the mind that she knows he is Pro-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Palestine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Palestine</a> and Anti-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israel</a>. Really they should&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/wDBQuV0mkB">pic.twitter.com/wDBQuV0mkB</a>
&mdash; Shaheen (@shaheena45) <a href="https://twitter.com/shaheena45/status/1878627983315091511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Russian Fighter Removed From Plane in USA</h2>
Khabib repeatedly argued with the flight staff that he's completely capable of helping people in case of emergency, including communicating with the staff and passengers in English. The argument by the 36-year-old, however, didn't make an impact on the airline staff, and the fighter was soon seen walking out of the plane.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dakar-rally-2025-results-roadblock-error-creates-chaos-8613571" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dakar Rally 2025: 'This was disaster,' roadblock error creates chaos</a>
After it was believed that Khabib was taking an Alaska Air flight, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ufc" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">UFC</a> fighter, in a post shared on X on Monday (Jan 13), cleared that it was a Frontier Airlines flight. Khabib also accused the flight attendant of being rude with him.
"First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir. Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat. What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I'm not sure," Khabib wrote.
"But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1.5 hour I boarded another airline one and left to my destination. I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see in the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients," he added.

Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently removed from a flight in the USA after an argument with airline staff. He accused the flight attendant of being rude. Sports

Russian national and former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently removed from a flight in the USA. The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter was sitting in the emergency seat of a plane set to take off from Las Vegas but was de-planed by the crew after an argument. In the video doing the rounds on social media, Khabib can be seen arguing with the flight attendant, who raised questions over the fighter's ability to help other passengers in case of an emergency. Have a look at the video below: UFC World Champion #khabibnurmagomedov removed from @FlyFrontier airplane because someone reported that she is not comfortable he is sitting next to the emergency exit. The only reason that comes to the mind that she knows he is Pro-#Palestine and Anti-#Israel. Really they should… pic.twitter.com/wDBQuV0mkB — Shaheen (@shaheena45) January 13, 2025 Russian Fighter Removed From Plane in USA Khabib repeatedly argued with the flight staff that he's completely capable of helping people in case of emergency, including communicating with the staff and passengers in English. The argument by the 36-year-old, however, didn't make an impact on the airline staff, and the fighter was soon seen walking out of the plane. Also Read - Dakar Rally 2025: 'This was disaster,' roadblock error creates chaos After it was believed that Khabib was taking an Alaska Air flight, the UFC fighter, in a post shared on X on Monday (Jan 13), cleared that it was a Frontier Airlines flight. Khabib also accused the flight attendant of being rude with him. "First of all, I need to clarify that it was @FlyFrontier not AlaskaAir. Lady who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat. What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I'm not sure," Khabib wrote. "But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1.5 hour I boarded another airline one and left to my destination. I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see in the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients," he added.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Airplane Row: Russian fighter speaks on being removed from flight in USA

Coco Gauff fired an Australian Open warning shot on Monday as she swept aside former champion and fellow American Sofia Kenin in straight sets on Rod Laver Arena. The world number three, who is unbeaten this year after leading the US to win the United Cup, eased past the 2020 Melbourne Park winner 6-3, 6-3 in 80 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
"I knew it was going to be difficult, but you know, I'm happy with how I played," said Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion who admitted to being troubled when serving by the fierce Melbourne sunshine. "I maybe could have had a better second serve, but on that side, I was struggling to see the ball, so I was just happy I was able to manage through that today."<o:p></o:p>
The gutsy Kenin, ranked 74th, did not go down without a fight but could only convert one of her six break-point opportunities and had no answer to Gauff's 28 winners.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-romp-past-real-madrid-5-2-to-win-spanish-super-cup-in-jeddah-8613866" rel="dofollow">Barcelona romp past Real Madrid 5-2 to win Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah</a>
Gauff will face 173rd ranked Briton Jodie Burrage in round two.<o:p></o:p>
The American has been on a scintillating run of form that has made her a major threat to double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park.<o:p></o:p>
The pair are drawn to meet in the semi-finals which would be a repeat of their last-four encounter 12 months ago, when the Belarusian won in straight sets.<o:p></o:p>
The 20-year-old Gauff finished 2024 with a flourish by winning the China Open and the season-ending WTA Tour Finals.<o:p></o:p>
She took that form to Australia, winning all her singles matches at the United Cup including beating world number two Iga Swiatek in straight sets.<o:p></o:p>
Gauff changed coaches in the autumn after her US Open defence fell flat, parting with Brad Gilbert and bringing in the little-known Matt Daly.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: The American has been on a scintillating run of form that has made her a major threat to double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park.

Coco Gauff fired an Australian Open warning shot on Monday as she swept aside former champion and fellow American Sofia Kenin in straight sets on Rod Laver Arena. The world number three, who is unbeaten this year after leading the US to win the United Cup, eased past the 2020 Melbourne Park winner 6-3, 6-3 in 80 minutes. "I knew it was going to be difficult, but you know, I'm happy with how I played," said Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion who admitted to being troubled when serving by the fierce Melbourne sunshine. "I maybe could have had a better second serve, but on that side, I was struggling to see the ball, so I was just happy I was able to manage through that today." The gutsy Kenin, ranked 74th, did not go down without a fight but could only convert one of her six break-point opportunities and had no answer to Gauff's 28 winners. Also read | Barcelona romp past Real Madrid 5-2 to win Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah Gauff will face 173rd ranked Briton Jodie Burrage in round two. The American has been on a scintillating run of form that has made her a major threat to double defending champion Aryna Sabalenka at Melbourne Park. The pair are drawn to meet in the semi-finals which would be a repeat of their last-four encounter 12 months ago, when the Belarusian won in straight sets. The 20-year-old Gauff finished 2024 with a flourish by winning the China Open and the season-ending WTA Tour Finals. She took that form to Australia, winning all her singles matches at the United Cup including beating world number two Iga Swiatek in straight sets. Gauff changed coaches in the autumn after her US Open defence fell flat, parting with Brad Gilbert and bringing in the little-known Matt Daly. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gauff beats Kenin in first round to fire Australian Open 2025 warning

Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup Clasico final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era.<o:p></o:p>
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half. Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 home defeat by Barcelona in October's La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dakar-rally-2025-results-roadblock-error-creates-chaos-8613571" rel="dofollow">Dakar Rally 2025: 'This was disaster,' roadblock error creates chaos</a>
After Mbappe's opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target.<o:p></o:p>
Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalise further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions.<o:p></o:p>
"I think today is a good day because we beat one of the best teams in the world, for the second time this season, Real Madrid, and this is unbelievable," Flick told reporters. "We won a title here and we are really happy... today is a day to look positively at this team."<o:p></o:p>
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team's poor defending was the main reason for the heavy defeat.<o:p></o:p>
"We defended badly and that cost us the game -- they found their goals quite easily," Ancelotti told Movistar. "We're sad, like all our fans, it's disappointing and we don't have to hide that... we have to look forwards, there's nothing else we can do."<o:p></o:p>
Despite a strong Barcelona opening salvo it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe's brilliant goal on the counter-attack. <o:p></o:p>The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny.<o:p></o:p>
It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, to whom he is often compared.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Always special'<o:p></o:p></h2>
Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski's penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi.<o:p></o:p>
Raphinha soon added Barcelona's third with a header from Kounde's cross from deep and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break.<o:p></o:p>
Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois.<o:p></o:p>
Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finish after Marc Casado played him in.<o:p></o:p>
The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed.<o:p></o:p>
Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny's replacement Inaki Pena.<o:p></o:p>
Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham but the England international was denied by a superb Jules Kounde challenge in stoppage time. The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display but Pena tipped away his effort.<o:p></o:p>
"He was the best (Madrid player)," said Ancelotti, noting an improvement after Mbappe's hit-and-miss start to life at the club following his switch from Paris Saint-Germain. <o:p></o:p>
"We can't always win, if we have to lose a cup, it's better that it's this one," said veteran Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.<o:p></o:p>
Barcelona brought on playmaker Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue which overshadowed the semi-finals earlier in the week.<o:p></o:p>
However their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup.<o:p></o:p>
"It's really nice, it had been a season since we won a trophy, it's always special and on top of that in a Clasico against Real Madrid," Barcelona defender Kounde told Movistar.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Barcelona routed Real Madrid 5-0 in Saudi Arabia classico to win the Spanish Super Cup. Yamal and Robert Lewandowski were on the scoresheet for the Catalans. 

Barcelona hammered rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in a wild Spanish Super Cup Clasico final in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the first trophy of the Hansi Flick era. Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half. Madrid were hoping to avenge their 4-0 home defeat by Barcelona in October's La Liga Clasico but instead were left battered and bruised by their arch-rivals in Jeddah. Also read | Dakar Rally 2025: 'This was disaster,' roadblock error creates chaos After Mbappe's opener, Lamine Yamal levelled and Robert Lewandowski sent Barcelona ahead from the penalty spot, with Raphinha bagging a brace and Alejandro Balde also on target. Rodrygo Goes pulled one back for Madrid with a free-kick but they could not capitalise further on their numerical advantage in a humiliating defeat for the European champions. "I think today is a good day because we beat one of the best teams in the world, for the second time this season, Real Madrid, and this is unbelievable," Flick told reporters. "We won a title here and we are really happy... today is a day to look positively at this team." Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team's poor defending was the main reason for the heavy defeat. "We defended badly and that cost us the game -- they found their goals quite easily," Ancelotti told Movistar. "We're sad, like all our fans, it's disappointing and we don't have to hide that... we have to look forwards, there's nothing else we can do." Despite a strong Barcelona opening salvo it was Real Madrid who took the lead in the fifth minute with Mbappe's brilliant goal on the counter-attack. The French forward, frustrated numerous times by the offside flag in the league defeat by the Catalans, broke loose on the halfway line after Vinicius won the ball back and, after bursting into the area, clipped past Szczesny. It took a stunning individual goal from 17-year-old Yamal to level the scoreline, with the Spanish winger cutting in from the right before stroking home a low finish inside the near post in a similar style to former Barca great Lionel Messi, to whom he is often compared. 'Always special' Barcelona kept pushing and moved ahead through Lewandowski's penalty after Eduardo Camavinga arrived late and carelessly clattered Gavi. Raphinha soon added Barcelona's third with a header from Kounde's cross from deep and they grabbed their fourth before half-time on the break. Yamal and Raphinha combined and the latter slipped in Balde, who slotted past Courtois. Barcelona continued in the same vein after the break and Raphinha netted the fifth with a neat dribble and finish after Marc Casado played him in. The Catalans were reduced to 10 men when Mbappe sped in at the other end, rounding goalkeeper Szczesny, who brought him down outside the area and after a VAR review was dismissed. Rodrygo, who earlier hit the post, rifled home the free-kick past Szczesny's replacement Inaki Pena. Mbappe brilliantly teed up Jude Bellingham but the England international was denied by a superb Jules Kounde challenge in stoppage time. The French forward also came close to scoring again himself on a fine individual display but Pena tipped away his effort. "He was the best (Madrid player)," said Ancelotti, noting an improvement after Mbappe's hit-and-miss start to life at the club following his switch from Paris Saint-Germain. "We can't always win, if we have to lose a cup, it's better that it's this one," said veteran Madrid midfielder Luka Modric. Barcelona brought on playmaker Dani Olmo for his first appearance since he was registered to play for the club on a temporary basis, a controversial issue which overshadowed the semi-finals earlier in the week. However their five-star display offered a host of other talking points as Barca won a record-extending 15th Spanish Super Cup. "It's really nice, it had been a season since we won a trophy, it's always special and on top of that in a Clasico against Real Madrid," Barcelona defender Kounde told Movistar. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Barcelona romp past Real Madrid 5-2 to win Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah

An organisers' error in the drivers' route guide caused chaos at the Dakar Rally on Sunday as cars went off the route into the vast Saudi Arabian desert in a blunder blasted as a "disaster" by a former champion.
The roadbook error came at kilometre 158 of stage 7, a 412km loop which started and finished in Al Duawadimi, and was enough to take the leaders off course.&nbsp;
Losing precious time, they drove aimlessly in the desert until an organisation helicopter came to put the cars back on the right track.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hady-habib-australian-open-first-lebanon-player-to-win-grand-slam-tennis-match-8613336">Australian Open 2025: Hady Habib makes history with win 'for Lebanon'</a>
"We were there for 50 minutes, 50 minutes of going round in circles," said Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius, who was among the first to arrive at the faulty mark in his Mini.&nbsp;
"We were crossing paths with everyone who was turning round, trying to get to the same place as us but which we'd already tried."
As a result, the organisers had to erase the times on a 20-kilometre section of the special although there was still confusion over the remainder of the course because of the order in which the cars had set out.&nbsp;
The incident prompted stinging criticism of the organisers.
"When you want to do the roadbook, do it well," said Qatar's five-time winner Nasser al-Attiyah, driving a Dacia, at the finish.&nbsp;
"You have to check it many, many times because this was a disaster. It was a big risk."&nbsp;
Brazilian Lucas Moraes of Toyota emerged from the confusion as the day's stage winner, finishing 7min 41sec ahead of Swede Mattias Ekstrom with American Mitchell Guthrie at 9min 28sec, both in Fords.
"Nice to win one more stage in the Dakar, these things are really hard to get," said Moraes.&nbsp;
"I think maybe tomorrow it's going to be just like this one today and then we're going to start reaching the Empty Quarter."
In the overall standings, South African leader Henk Lategan in a Toyota has a lead of just 21 seconds over Saudi Arabia's Yazeed al-Rajhi. Ekstrom is third at 10min 25sec.&nbsp;
The car category also saw the withdrawal for "medical reasons" of the duo of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland of Overdrive. The double Dakar winners in the bike category had teamed up this year in the cars.
<h2>'Pretty fast' Sanders</h2>
Daniel Sanders underlined his dominance on the bikes, which were not affected by the roadbook error, with his fifth stage win of this year's race.
The 30-year-old Australian (KTM) finished 3min 36sec ahead of 19-year-old Spaniard Edgar Canet.
"It was pretty fast, very fast," said Sanders.&nbsp;
"Technical at the start, we had a lot of rain but it was only at the start. So it was a pretty wet line to see in front and just had us kind of correct and not following mistakes with the navigation.&nbsp;
"The speed was good, head was good, so it was a much better day."
Sanders now leads the standings by 15min 33sec from Spaniard Tosha Schareina (Honda) who finished the day in third place, a further nine seconds behind Canet.
Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren is third in the overall standings at 26min 07sec
Monday's eighth stage is a 483km special from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The roadbook error came at kilometre 158 of stage 7, a 412km loop which started and finished in Al Duawadimi, and was enough to take the leaders off course. Sports

An organisers' error in the drivers' route guide caused chaos at the Dakar Rally on Sunday as cars went off the route into the vast Saudi Arabian desert in a blunder blasted as a "disaster" by a former champion. The roadbook error came at kilometre 158 of stage 7, a 412km loop which started and finished in Al Duawadimi, and was enough to take the leaders off course. Losing precious time, they drove aimlessly in the desert until an organisation helicopter came to put the cars back on the right track. Also Read: Australian Open 2025: Hady Habib makes history with win 'for Lebanon' "We were there for 50 minutes, 50 minutes of going round in circles," said Belgian driver Guillaume de Mevius, who was among the first to arrive at the faulty mark in his Mini. "We were crossing paths with everyone who was turning round, trying to get to the same place as us but which we'd already tried." As a result, the organisers had to erase the times on a 20-kilometre section of the special although there was still confusion over the remainder of the course because of the order in which the cars had set out. The incident prompted stinging criticism of the organisers. "When you want to do the roadbook, do it well," said Qatar's five-time winner Nasser al-Attiyah, driving a Dacia, at the finish. "You have to check it many, many times because this was a disaster. It was a big risk." Brazilian Lucas Moraes of Toyota emerged from the confusion as the day's stage winner, finishing 7min 41sec ahead of Swede Mattias Ekstrom with American Mitchell Guthrie at 9min 28sec, both in Fords. "Nice to win one more stage in the Dakar, these things are really hard to get," said Moraes. "I think maybe tomorrow it's going to be just like this one today and then we're going to start reaching the Empty Quarter." In the overall standings, South African leader Henk Lategan in a Toyota has a lead of just 21 seconds over Saudi Arabia's Yazeed al-Rajhi. Ekstrom is third at 10min 25sec. The car category also saw the withdrawal for "medical reasons" of the duo of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland of Overdrive. The double Dakar winners in the bike category had teamed up this year in the cars. 'Pretty fast' Sanders Daniel Sanders underlined his dominance on the bikes, which were not affected by the roadbook error, with his fifth stage win of this year's race. The 30-year-old Australian (KTM) finished 3min 36sec ahead of 19-year-old Spaniard Edgar Canet. "It was pretty fast, very fast," said Sanders. "Technical at the start, we had a lot of rain but it was only at the start. So it was a pretty wet line to see in front and just had us kind of correct and not following mistakes with the navigation. "The speed was good, head was good, so it was a much better day." Sanders now leads the standings by 15min 33sec from Spaniard Tosha Schareina (Honda) who finished the day in third place, a further nine seconds behind Canet. Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren is third in the overall standings at 26min 07sec Monday's eighth stage is a 483km special from Al Duwadimi to Riyadh. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Dakar Rally 2025: 'This was disaster,' roadblock error creates chaos

Lebanon's Hady Habib has become the first male player from his country to win a grand slam tennis match. He reached the milestone after winning his first-round <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australian-open" rel="dofollow">Australian Open 2025</a> match on Sunday (Jan 12) against Bu Yunchaokete of China. He won the match 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6).
<h2>US-born Habib Creates History for Lebanon</h2>
&ldquo;This is probably one of the best days of my career, honestly. It's such an incredible feeling to get this win &mdash; not only for myself but for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis,&rdquo; said the 26-year-old Habib after the match. &ldquo;As you guys could see there, the crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them. ... I felt the energy out there.&rdquo;
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/novak-djokovic-news-djokovic-jaw-drop-video-melbourne-stars-vs-melbourne-renegade-bbl-score-result-mark-sketekee-five-wickets-8613067" rel="dofollow">Novak Djokovic's JAW DROP moment in Stars v Renegades BBL match</a>
Habib, who is ranked outside of the top 200 in ATP Tour rankings, has played college-level tennis at the USA-based Texas A&amp;M University. He was born in Houston, Texas (USA), but lived in Lebanon, his father's home country, between ages 6 and 12.
The 26-year-old had also represented Lebanon at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/paris-olympics" rel="dofollow">Paris Olympics</a> 2024 but lost to Spain's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz" rel="dofollow">Carlos Alcaraz</a> in the first round.
His win comes as a rare thing to celebrate by his country, which was engaged in war with Israel until a ceasefire was struck in November last year.
&ldquo;It's a huge win, especially what we've been going through as a country,&rdquo; Habib said. &ldquo;It's just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the people.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He said he decided to play for Lebanon at 15 and now has done it proud. &ldquo;I just wanted to represent the country that I've lived in, and been a part of the tennis culture. ... It's a decision I made at a young age,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Just gives me the motivation to keep going. To play for a small country is something special for me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Habib won three qualifying round matches to enter the pool of 128 players at Melbourne Park for the main draw of the Australian Open.

Hady Habib is the first male player from Lebanon to win a grand slam match after beating Bu Yunchaokete of China 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) in 1st round of Australian Open 2025. Sports

Lebanon's Hady Habib has become the first male player from his country to win a grand slam tennis match. He reached the milestone after winning his first-round Australian Open 2025 match on Sunday (Jan 12) against Bu Yunchaokete of China. He won the match 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6). US-born Habib Creates History for Lebanon “This is probably one of the best days of my career, honestly. It's such an incredible feeling to get this win — not only for myself but for Lebanon and Lebanese tennis,” said the 26-year-old Habib after the match. “As you guys could see there, the crowd was absolutely wild. It made it even more special to win in front of them. ... I felt the energy out there.” Also Watch: Novak Djokovic's JAW DROP moment in Stars v Renegades BBL match Habib, who is ranked outside of the top 200 in ATP Tour rankings, has played college-level tennis at the USA-based Texas A&M University. He was born in Houston, Texas (USA), but lived in Lebanon, his father's home country, between ages 6 and 12. The 26-year-old had also represented Lebanon at Paris Olympics 2024 but lost to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the first round. His win comes as a rare thing to celebrate by his country, which was engaged in war with Israel until a ceasefire was struck in November last year. “It's a huge win, especially what we've been going through as a country,” Habib said. “It's just nice to get this win for Lebanon and for the people.” He said he decided to play for Lebanon at 15 and now has done it proud. “I just wanted to represent the country that I've lived in, and been a part of the tennis culture. ... It's a decision I made at a young age,” he said. “Just gives me the motivation to keep going. To play for a small country is something special for me.” Habib won three qualifying round matches to enter the pool of 128 players at Melbourne Park for the main draw of the Australian Open.

Australian Open 2025: Hady Habib makes history with win 'for Lebanon'

Dubai Capitals rode on the backs of stellar spells from Gulbadin Naib and Olly Stone to clinch a one-run victory against the MI Emirates in the first match of the DP World ILT20 Season 3.

DP World ILT20 Season 3: Dubai capitals beat MI emirates

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen overcame a sluggish start to blast into the Australian Open second round on Sunday as storms caused havoc ahead of Aryna Sabalenka beginning her quest for a historic third consecutive crown.<o:p></o:p>
Fifth seed Zheng, last year's losing finalist, had the honour of playing the first point on centre court at the opening Grand Slam of the season against Romania's 110th-ranked Anca Todoni &nbsp;She came through unscathed 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena but was clearly rusty after opting not to play a warm-up event.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/carlo-ancelotti-backs-real-madrid-to-avenge-liga-thrashing-on-barcelona-in-spanish-super-cup-final-8611022" rel="dofollow">Madrid to avenge Liga thrashing on Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup final: Ancelotti</a>
Zheng had three set points on-serve at 5-3 in the first set, but allowed Todoni to come roaring back before closing her down in the tiebreak then racing through the second set.<o:p></o:p>
"The first match is always not easy," she said. "Just happy to get through the match, the tiebreak and find my rhythm."<o:p></o:p>
The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 with her Australian Open exploits helping spur her to Olympic gold --- beating Iga Swiatek on the way -- and three WTA titles.<o:p></o:p>
While Zheng was able to play, the action on outside courts at Melbourne Park was halted barely an hour after it started when storms rolled in that turned the sky black.<o:p></o:p>
Thunder and lightning saw players and fans rushing for cover, with heavy rain lashing Melbourne Park in a headache for organisers with a match backlog looming.<o:p></o:p>
No play was scheduled before 3:00pm (0400 GMT) at the earliest.<o:p></o:p>
Only the three main stadiums -- Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena -- have roofs.<o:p></o:p>
Mirra Andreeva was the first player through to the second round, with the 14th seeded Russian easing past the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3 on John Cain Arena.<o:p></o:p>
The 17-year-old made a run in Melbourne last year to the fourth round with her next opponent either Poland's Magda Linette or Japan's Moyika Uchijima.<o:p></o:p>
"Honestly it was a bit hard for me when they started closing the roof (mid-match)," said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. "I'm very happy today that I played in a stadium with a roof."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Hat-trick bid<o:p></o:p></h2>
Belarusian world number one Sabalenka headlines the evening session on Rod Laver Arena in a potentially tricky encounter with 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.<o:p></o:p>
Men's second seed Alexander Zverev rounds off the first night against the dangerous Lucas Pouille of France, who made the semi-finals in 2019 before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.<o:p></o:p>
Sabalenka is aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive Australian Opens.<o:p></o:p>
If she lifts the winner's Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup again, Sabalenka will join a select group of Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis as the only women to complete a Melbourne three-peat.<o:p></o:p>
"I know that I have the possibility of joining legends by winning three times in a row," Sabalenka said. "Hopefully by the end of this tournament I'll be able to put my name into history."<o:p></o:p>
The Belarusian won the Brisbane International in the lead-up and accepts she is the woman to beat after the best season of her career in 2024, where she also won a maiden US Open.<o:p></o:p>
"I like that feeling. That's what drives me and helps me to stay motivated because I know that I have a target on my back and I really like to have it," she said.<o:p></o:p>
Germany's Zverev, at a career-high number two ranking, has eyes on Jannik Sinner and a first Grand Slam title after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Roland Garros last year.<o:p></o:p>
"Going into a Grand Slam as the world number two, you have to have the mindset of, I want to win the tournament," he said.<o:p></o:p>
Men's sixth seed Casper Ruud of Norway begins his challenge against Spain's world number 61 Jaume Munar.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Zheng enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 with her Australian Open exploits helping spur her to Olympic gold --- beating Iga Swiatek on the way -- and three WTA titles.

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen overcame a sluggish start to blast into the Australian Open second round on Sunday as storms caused havoc ahead of Aryna Sabalenka beginning her quest for a historic third consecutive crown. Fifth seed Zheng, last year's losing finalist, had the honour of playing the first point on centre court at the opening Grand Slam of the season against Romania's 110th-ranked Anca Todoni She came through unscathed 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena but was clearly rusty after opting not to play a warm-up event. Also read | Madrid to avenge Liga thrashing on Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup final: Ancelotti Zheng had three set points on-serve at 5-3 in the first set, but allowed Todoni to come roaring back before closing her down in the tiebreak then racing through the second set. "The first match is always not easy," she said. "Just happy to get through the match, the tiebreak and find my rhythm." The 22-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 with her Australian Open exploits helping spur her to Olympic gold --- beating Iga Swiatek on the way -- and three WTA titles. While Zheng was able to play, the action on outside courts at Melbourne Park was halted barely an hour after it started when storms rolled in that turned the sky black. Thunder and lightning saw players and fans rushing for cover, with heavy rain lashing Melbourne Park in a headache for organisers with a match backlog looming. No play was scheduled before 3:00pm (0400 GMT) at the earliest. Only the three main stadiums -- Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena -- have roofs. Mirra Andreeva was the first player through to the second round, with the 14th seeded Russian easing past the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3 on John Cain Arena. The 17-year-old made a run in Melbourne last year to the fourth round with her next opponent either Poland's Magda Linette or Japan's Moyika Uchijima. "Honestly it was a bit hard for me when they started closing the roof (mid-match)," said Andreeva, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. "I'm very happy today that I played in a stadium with a roof." Hat-trick bid Belarusian world number one Sabalenka headlines the evening session on Rod Laver Arena in a potentially tricky encounter with 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens. Men's second seed Alexander Zverev rounds off the first night against the dangerous Lucas Pouille of France, who made the semi-finals in 2019 before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Sabalenka is aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis (1997-99) to win three consecutive Australian Opens. If she lifts the winner's Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup again, Sabalenka will join a select group of Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis as the only women to complete a Melbourne three-peat. "I know that I have the possibility of joining legends by winning three times in a row," Sabalenka said. "Hopefully by the end of this tournament I'll be able to put my name into history." The Belarusian won the Brisbane International in the lead-up and accepts she is the woman to beat after the best season of her career in 2024, where she also won a maiden US Open. "I like that feeling. That's what drives me and helps me to stay motivated because I know that I have a target on my back and I really like to have it," she said. Germany's Zverev, at a career-high number two ranking, has eyes on Jannik Sinner and a first Grand Slam title after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Roland Garros last year. "Going into a Grand Slam as the world number two, you have to have the mindset of, I want to win the tournament," he said. Men's sixth seed Casper Ruud of Norway begins his challenge against Spain's world number 61 Jaume Munar. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Zheng wins Australian Open 2025 first round before storm causes havoc

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said on Saturday that club captain Kyle Walker has asked to leave the English champions to explore opportunities abroad.<o:p></o:p>
Walker, 34, has won 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, since joining City in a &pound;50 million ($61 million) deal from Tottenham in 2017.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/carlo-ancelotti-backs-real-madrid-to-avenge-liga-thrashing-on-barcelona-in-spanish-super-cup-final-8611022" rel="dofollow">Madrid to avenge Liga thrashing on Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup final: Ancelotti</a>
"Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad and end his career," said Guardiola after Walker did not feature in his side's 8-0 FA Cup third round win over Salford. "In his mind, he would like to explore it, to go to another country, to play the last years (somewhere else) for many reasons."<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola confirmed that Walker had also asked to leave at the beginning of the 2023/24 season amid interest at the time from Bayern Munich.<o:p></o:p>
However, the England international was convinced to stay and signed a new contract until 2026.<o:p></o:p>
"He asked (to go) two years ago after the Treble. I think Bayern Munich wanted him but the offer wasn't good enough and I and the club asked him (to stay) because of how important he is," added Guardiola. "We cannot understand the success we've had these years without Kyle. It's impossible.<o:p></o:p>
"Having a right-back (like him) gave us something that we didn't have and he has been amazing."<o:p></o:p>
Walker, who has been capped 93 times by England, has also been part of the Three Lions squads that have reached the last two finals of the European Championship.<o:p></o:p>
However, his struggles for form and fitness have played a part in City's disappointing season so far.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola's men won just once in 13 games between October 30 and December 29 to slip out of contention for the Premier League title and exit the League Cup.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Kyle Walker, 34, has won 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, since joining City in a £50 million ($61 million) deal from Tottenham in 2017.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said on Saturday that club captain Kyle Walker has asked to leave the English champions to explore opportunities abroad. Walker, 34, has won 15 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, since joining City in a £50 million ($61 million) deal from Tottenham in 2017. Also read | Madrid to avenge Liga thrashing on Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup final: Ancelotti "Two days ago Kyle asked to explore the options to play abroad and end his career," said Guardiola after Walker did not feature in his side's 8-0 FA Cup third round win over Salford. "In his mind, he would like to explore it, to go to another country, to play the last years (somewhere else) for many reasons." Guardiola confirmed that Walker had also asked to leave at the beginning of the 2023/24 season amid interest at the time from Bayern Munich. However, the England international was convinced to stay and signed a new contract until 2026. "He asked (to go) two years ago after the Treble. I think Bayern Munich wanted him but the offer wasn't good enough and I and the club asked him (to stay) because of how important he is," added Guardiola. "We cannot understand the success we've had these years without Kyle. It's impossible. "Having a right-back (like him) gave us something that we didn't have and he has been amazing." Walker, who has been capped 93 times by England, has also been part of the Three Lions squads that have reached the last two finals of the European Championship. However, his struggles for form and fitness have played a part in City's disappointing season so far. Guardiola's men won just once in 13 games between October 30 and December 29 to slip out of contention for the Premier League title and exit the League Cup. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Kyle Walker to leave Manchester City at end of season: Guardiola

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his players could avenge their thrashing earlier this season by Barcelona to win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, if they avoided making the same mistakes.<o:p></o:p>
Hansi Flick's Barcelona routed Los Blancos 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga, although a slump before the winter break helped Real Madrid overtake them.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/usa-swimmer-gary-hall-olympics-gold-medals-burned-in-la-wildfire-8609532" rel="dofollow">LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno</a>
"We have to think about that game obviously, they beat us, we had a clear evaluation of what happened," Ancelotti told a news conference Saturday ahead of the clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "We started the game well, then had problems in the second half, so we have to try and repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes we made.<o:p></o:p>
"The Clasico is even more pressured when it's a final, we've played a lot against Barcelona and playing a final against them is always something special."<o:p></o:p>
Madrid are still searching for a balance between attack and defence in their game after the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.<o:p></o:p>
Along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes, the four players give Madrid a significant edge going forward but can hurt the team if they are not focussed defensively.<o:p></o:p>
"(In recent Clasicos) individual quality has prevailed over team balance," continued Ancelotti. "An important aspect tomorrow will be balance and collective work -- defending.<o:p></o:p>
"If you defend well, there's more chance of winning."<o:p></o:p>
Ancelotti previously said his worst memory from a successful 2024, in which Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League, was the beating by Barcelona.<o:p></o:p>
"We're close to another trophy, we're thinking positively, but we know that in football anything can happen, above all when the opponent is strong and competes well like Barcelona," added Ancelotti, whose side have won the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup already this season.<o:p></o:p>
"Our team has improved, nobody can argue with that.<o:p></o:p>
"A defeat wouldn't be good but the team is not going backwards, it will keep moving forwards."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Minimise' Olmo<o:p></o:p></h2>
Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be able to play after the Catalans were controversially granted a temporary licence for him by Spain's national sports council (CSD).<o:p></o:p>
"Olmo will play and we have to minimise his quality," said Ancelotti, who has resisted giving his opinion about the case which has aggravated Spanish football.<o:p></o:p>
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Olmo was ready to play but suggested he might not start after Gavi shone in the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao in the attacking midfield role.<o:p></o:p>
"Gavi had a great performance against Athletic, he's got confidence... I think he's is going to play, but I am not 100 percent sure of who will play," said Flick.<o:p></o:p>
The Super Cup offers the German coach's first chance of silverware since arriving at Barcelona.<o:p></o:p>
"If we win, we will have more confidence for the rest of the season," added Flick. "Winning the game would be something really big for everyone."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Madrid are still searching for a balance between attack and defence in their game after the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe from PSG last summer.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his players could avenge their thrashing earlier this season by Barcelona to win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, if they avoided making the same mistakes. Hansi Flick's Barcelona routed Los Blancos 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga, although a slump before the winter break helped Real Madrid overtake them. Also read | LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno "We have to think about that game obviously, they beat us, we had a clear evaluation of what happened," Ancelotti told a news conference Saturday ahead of the clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "We started the game well, then had problems in the second half, so we have to try and repeat the good things we did and avoid the mistakes we made. "The Clasico is even more pressured when it's a final, we've played a lot against Barcelona and playing a final against them is always something special." Madrid are still searching for a balance between attack and defence in their game after the arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain last summer. Along with Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo Goes, the four players give Madrid a significant edge going forward but can hurt the team if they are not focussed defensively. "(In recent Clasicos) individual quality has prevailed over team balance," continued Ancelotti. "An important aspect tomorrow will be balance and collective work -- defending. "If you defend well, there's more chance of winning." Ancelotti previously said his worst memory from a successful 2024, in which Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League, was the beating by Barcelona. "We're close to another trophy, we're thinking positively, but we know that in football anything can happen, above all when the opponent is strong and competes well like Barcelona," added Ancelotti, whose side have won the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup already this season. "Our team has improved, nobody can argue with that. "A defeat wouldn't be good but the team is not going backwards, it will keep moving forwards." 'Minimise' Olmo Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo will be able to play after the Catalans were controversially granted a temporary licence for him by Spain's national sports council (CSD). "Olmo will play and we have to minimise his quality," said Ancelotti, who has resisted giving his opinion about the case which has aggravated Spanish football. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Olmo was ready to play but suggested he might not start after Gavi shone in the semi-final against Athletic Bilbao in the attacking midfield role. "Gavi had a great performance against Athletic, he's got confidence... I think he's is going to play, but I am not 100 percent sure of who will play," said Flick. The Super Cup offers the German coach's first chance of silverware since arriving at Barcelona. "If we win, we will have more confidence for the rest of the season," added Flick. "Winning the game would be something really big for everyone." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Madrid to avenge Liga thrashing on Barcelona in Spanish Super Cup final: Ancelotti

Nishant Dev, the Indian boxer who narrowly missed out on his maiden Olympic medal at the Paris Games 2024, has turned professional, with his debut bout scheduled for January 25 in Las Vegas. The 24-year-old Indian boxer took to his social media (Instagram handle) to announce his decision to turn professional, expressing his excitement for stepping into a new field and making India proud internationally.
Nishant has urged support from his countrymen upon switching professional.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/usa-swimmer-gary-hall-olympics-gold-medals-burned-in-la-wildfire-8609532" rel="dofollow">LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno</a>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited to be joining Matchroom Boxing and beginning my professional career in Las Vegas on January 25th,&rdquo; Dev wrote on Instagram. &ldquo;My goal is to become India&rsquo;s first-ever world professional boxing champion, and I know I have a whole nation behind me to help me achieve this.&rdquo;
Dev, the two-time national champion, is trained by former professional boxer Ronald Simms.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m working hard every day with my trainer Ronald Simms. I know I have the right team behind me and the biggest promoter in the world to ensure that I reach the very top in the sport,&rdquo; Dev added.
<h2>&lsquo;Enjoyed my time&rsquo;</h2>
Reflecting on his career as an amateur boxer, Dev wrote he enjoyed competing at the highest level &ndash; the Olympics and winning a World Championship medal.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I enjoyed my time as an amateur boxer and competed at the very highest level in the Olympics and winning a World Championship medal. But now, I&rsquo;m ready for this new chapter in my career.
&ldquo;The journey to the World Championship starts in Las Vegas on January 25th!&rdquo; Dev added.
<blockquote class="instagram-media publive-iframes-block publive-Instagram-block" contenteditable="false" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEqEbQ6SdsS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m5s47age-ty8797lw-r2viih1i">
<div style="padding: 16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEqEbQ6SdsS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEqEbQ6SdsS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯 (@nishantboxer_jr)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<h3>So close, yet so far</h3>
Nishant came close to winning his maiden medal at the Paris Summer Games 2024, but following a split-decision loss against Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez in the 71kg category (on August 3), saw him missing it by a whisker.&nbsp;
Had he won that bout, he would have ensured another medal for India at the 2024 Olympic Games.&nbsp;
"I am feeling very bad. India has lost not only a bronze but a gold medal, and I was seeing myself getting such a gold medal because I had defeated the person with whom I had a fight before and I had defeated him in this fight too but the point of view of the judges was different and I was not at all happy with their decision," Nishant said in a chat with ANI after the Paris Games exit.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Boxing: Nishant announced his decision to turn professional, expressing his excitement for stepping into a new field and making India proud internationally.

Nishant Dev, the Indian boxer who narrowly missed out on his maiden Olympic medal at the Paris Games 2024, has turned professional, with his debut bout scheduled for January 25 in Las Vegas. The 24-year-old Indian boxer took to his social media (Instagram handle) to announce his decision to turn professional, expressing his excitement for stepping into a new field and making India proud internationally. Nishant has urged support from his countrymen upon switching professional. Also read | LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno “I’m very excited to be joining Matchroom Boxing and beginning my professional career in Las Vegas on January 25th,” Dev wrote on Instagram. “My goal is to become India’s first-ever world professional boxing champion, and I know I have a whole nation behind me to help me achieve this.” Dev, the two-time national champion, is trained by former professional boxer Ronald Simms. “I’m working hard every day with my trainer Ronald Simms. I know I have the right team behind me and the biggest promoter in the world to ensure that I reach the very top in the sport,” Dev added. ‘Enjoyed my time’ Reflecting on his career as an amateur boxer, Dev wrote he enjoyed competing at the highest level – the Olympics and winning a World Championship medal. “I enjoyed my time as an amateur boxer and competed at the very highest level in the Olympics and winning a World Championship medal. But now, I’m ready for this new chapter in my career. “The journey to the World Championship starts in Las Vegas on January 25th!” Dev added. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 𝐍𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯 (@nishantboxer_jr) So close, yet so far Nishant came close to winning his maiden medal at the Paris Summer Games 2024, but following a split-decision loss against Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez in the 71kg category (on August 3), saw him missing it by a whisker. Had he won that bout, he would have ensured another medal for India at the 2024 Olympic Games. "I am feeling very bad. India has lost not only a bronze but a gold medal, and I was seeing myself getting such a gold medal because I had defeated the person with whom I had a fight before and I had defeated him in this fight too but the point of view of the judges was different and I was not at all happy with their decision," Nishant said in a chat with ANI after the Paris Games exit. (With inputs from agencies)

Olympian boxer Nishant Dev seeks support after turning professional

Carlos Alcaraz said Saturday his burgeoning rivalry with Jannik Sinner brought out the best in him, with the Spanish star driven by winning more Grand Slam titles and toppling the Italian as world number one. The 21-year-old clinched both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon last year and is preparing to take Melbourne Park by storm and lift the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors.<o:p></o:p>
With the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in his twilight years, world number three Alcaraz's rivalry with 23-year-old Sinner has taken over at the summit of the game.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/usa-swimmer-gary-hall-olympics-gold-medals-burned-in-la-wildfire-8609532" rel="dofollow">LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno</a>
"When I'm facing him, I just know that I have to play my best if I want to win. That's it. Probably if I have a bad day against Jannik, it's 99 percent that you're going to lose," said the Spaniard. "That's what is in my mind every time that I'm going to play against him. <o:p></o:p>
"The good thing for me is when I'm seeing him winning titles, when I'm seeing him in the top of the ranking, it forces me to practise even harder every day," he added. "In the practice, I'm just thinking the things that I have to improve to play against him. <o:p></o:p>
"That I think is great for me, having him, have such a great rivalry so far, just to give the best of me every day."<o:p></o:p>
Despite Alcaraz and Sinner becoming the Grand Slam kings by sharing the four major titles last year, the Italian raced away as world number one due to his greater consistency through the season.<o:p></o:p>
Alcaraz has tweaked his serve, and has a lighter racquet, in a bid to up his game this year, knowing he needs to play better for longer.<o:p></o:p>
"After the US Open for me is kind of difficult to stay at a high level. I mean, is kind of when I'm tired, I've played a lot of tournaments, a lot of time outside home," he said. "So, for me is difficult, that part of the year. Last year I did much better than 2023. So hopefully this year is going to be better."<o:p></o:p>
While ousting Sinner as top dog remains a key goal, winning more Slams is his focus.<o:p></o:p>
"For me the goal is try to win Grand Slams, Masters 1000s. That's for me the most important tournaments of the world," he said. "Obviously the ranking is up there in the goals, as well, trying to get as close as I can to Jannik or try to pass (world number two Alexander) Zverev as well. <o:p></o:p>
"But mainly for me it is Grand Slams, try to win as many Grand Slams as I can. That's my main goal."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: With the retirements of Federer and Nadal, and Djokovic in his twilight years, Alcaraz's rivalry with 23-year-old Sinner has taken over at the summit of the game.

Carlos Alcaraz said Saturday his burgeoning rivalry with Jannik Sinner brought out the best in him, with the Spanish star driven by winning more Grand Slam titles and toppling the Italian as world number one. The 21-year-old clinched both Roland-Garros and Wimbledon last year and is preparing to take Melbourne Park by storm and lift the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam of all four majors. With the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in his twilight years, world number three Alcaraz's rivalry with 23-year-old Sinner has taken over at the summit of the game. Also read | LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno "When I'm facing him, I just know that I have to play my best if I want to win. That's it. Probably if I have a bad day against Jannik, it's 99 percent that you're going to lose," said the Spaniard. "That's what is in my mind every time that I'm going to play against him. "The good thing for me is when I'm seeing him winning titles, when I'm seeing him in the top of the ranking, it forces me to practise even harder every day," he added. "In the practice, I'm just thinking the things that I have to improve to play against him. "That I think is great for me, having him, have such a great rivalry so far, just to give the best of me every day." Despite Alcaraz and Sinner becoming the Grand Slam kings by sharing the four major titles last year, the Italian raced away as world number one due to his greater consistency through the season. Alcaraz has tweaked his serve, and has a lighter racquet, in a bid to up his game this year, knowing he needs to play better for longer. "After the US Open for me is kind of difficult to stay at a high level. I mean, is kind of when I'm tired, I've played a lot of tournaments, a lot of time outside home," he said. "So, for me is difficult, that part of the year. Last year I did much better than 2023. So hopefully this year is going to be better." While ousting Sinner as top dog remains a key goal, winning more Slams is his focus. "For me the goal is try to win Grand Slams, Masters 1000s. That's for me the most important tournaments of the world," he said. "Obviously the ranking is up there in the goals, as well, trying to get as close as I can to Jannik or try to pass (world number two Alexander) Zverev as well. "But mainly for me it is Grand Slams, try to win as many Grand Slams as I can. That's my main goal." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Carlos Alcaraz thrives on Sinner rivalry as Australian Open 2025 looms

Former USA <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/olympics" rel="dofollow">Olympic</a> gold-medalist swimmer Gary Hall Jr. has lost all his medals in the raging <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/la-wildfire" rel="dofollow">Los Angeles wildfires</a>. The LA area is burning for days now, forcing people to evacuate their homes and belongings and get to safety. Hall is one of those people whose house burned down in the wildfire.
<h2>Olympian loses gold medals in LA wildfire</h2>
"It was worse than any apocalypse movie you&rsquo;ve ever seen and 1000 times worse," Hall told Australian media outlet the Sydney Morning Herald.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/la-wildfires-nfl-teams-donate-5-million-to-help-tackle-inferno-8609152" rel="dofollow">LA Wildfires: NFL, teams donate $5 million to help tackle inferno</a>
"I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them," Hall Jr said. "Everyone wants to know did the medals burn? Yeah, everything burnt. It&rsquo;s something I can live without. I guess everything is just stuff. It&rsquo;ll take some hard work to start over. What can you do?"
"It&rsquo;s mayhem in Los Angeles. We were surrounded by flames. The embers were raining down on me as I jumped into my car. I had time to grab my dog and just a couple of personal items. It&rsquo;s just every person for themselves," he added.
Hall had represented the USA in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens) Olympics. He won gold medals in 50-metre freestyle in back-to-back Olympics in 2000 and 2004 editions. He had also won three golds in 1996 edition as part of the Team USA relay teams. His other medals included three silvers and two bronze medals.
The wildfire has <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/la-wildfires-update-death-toll-climbs-to-10-curfew-in-place-amid-reports-of-looting-8607848" rel="dofollow">gutted down nearly 10,000 homes and killed 10 people so far</a> in the LA area with firefighters finding it difficult to contain the catastrophe. Hall used LA as a base for his business including teaching kids swimming at his now burned down house.
United States Olympics and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) were not aware of Hall situation but would now be reaching out to the Olympian.
In addition, USA Swimming will also be helping out Hall and other affected athletes.

Hall had represented the USA in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens) Olympics. He won gold medals in 50-metre freestyle in back-to-back editions in 2000 and 2004. Sports

Former USA Olympic gold-medalist swimmer Gary Hall Jr. has lost all his medals in the raging Los Angeles wildfires. The LA area is burning for days now, forcing people to evacuate their homes and belongings and get to safety. Hall is one of those people whose house burned down in the wildfire. Olympian loses gold medals in LA wildfire "It was worse than any apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen and 1000 times worse," Hall told Australian media outlet the Sydney Morning Herald. Also Read: LA Wildfires: NFL, teams donate $5 million to help tackle inferno "I did think about the medals. I did not have time to get them," Hall Jr said. "Everyone wants to know did the medals burn? Yeah, everything burnt. It’s something I can live without. I guess everything is just stuff. It’ll take some hard work to start over. What can you do?" "It’s mayhem in Los Angeles. We were surrounded by flames. The embers were raining down on me as I jumped into my car. I had time to grab my dog and just a couple of personal items. It’s just every person for themselves," he added. Hall had represented the USA in 1996 (Atlanta), 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens) Olympics. He won gold medals in 50-metre freestyle in back-to-back Olympics in 2000 and 2004 editions. He had also won three golds in 1996 edition as part of the Team USA relay teams. His other medals included three silvers and two bronze medals. The wildfire has gutted down nearly 10,000 homes and killed 10 people so far in the LA area with firefighters finding it difficult to contain the catastrophe. Hall used LA as a base for his business including teaching kids swimming at his now burned down house. United States Olympics and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) were not aware of Hall situation but would now be reaching out to the Olympian. In addition, USA Swimming will also be helping out Hall and other affected athletes.

LA wildfires: Ex-Olympian Gary Hall's gold medals lost in inferno

sports

Sports, News on Sports, stories on Sports, articles on Sports, Sports stories at Wion, Sports news, Sports latest news