PARIS: Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 when she skipped the news conference after her first-round victory at the French Open on Sunday — and drew a stunning warning from all four Grand Slam tournaments that she could face stiffer penalties, including disqualification or even suspension, if she continues to avoid the media.
Osaka returned to Roland Garros after sitting out the tournament last year and turned in a mistake-filled 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over 63rd-ranked Patricia Maria Tig at Court Philippe Chatrier on Day 1. She had declared Wednesday on social media she would not speak to the press and kept that promise.
Hours later, Osaka turned to her preferred method of communication these days, tweeting: “anger is a lack of understanding. change makes people uncomfortable.”
Other results perhaps were more newsworthy than a straight-set win by the No. 2-ranked Osaka — US Open champion and two-time French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem’s 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 loss to 68th-ranked Pablo Andujar comes to mind — but the events that unfolded after the Japanese superstar’s match were of high interest.
Tennis players are required to attend news conferences if requested to do so. The maximum fine, of course, is not a big deal to Osaka, the world’s highest-earning female athlete thanks to endorsement contracts totaling tens of millions of dollars.
She framed the matter as a mental health issue, saying that it can create self-doubt to have to answer questions after a loss.
“She’s capable of making her own choices and obviously she will do always what’s best for her,” Tig said. “I think that’s what’s happening now.”
Other players, notably 13-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal and No. 1-ranked Ash Barty, have said they respect Osaka’s right to take a stance but explained that they consider speaking to reporters part of the job.
The fine was assessed by the tournament referee at Roland Garros and announced in a joint statement from the president of the French tennis federation, Gilles Moretton, and counterparts at the sport’s other majors: Tennis Australia President Jayne Hrdlicka, All England Club Chairman Ian Hewitt and US Tennis Association President Mike McNulty.
“A core element of the Grand Slam regulations is the responsibility of the players to engage with the media, whatever the result of their match, a responsibility which players take for the benefit of the sport, the fans and for themselves,” they said. “These interactions allow both the players and the media to share their perspective and for the players to tell their story.”
They said they understand the importance of protecting athletes’ mental health but also noted that “rules are in place to ensure all players are treated exactly the same, no matter their stature, beliefs or achievement.”
The statement said Osaka had been approached and asked to reconsider her position but there was a “lack of engagement.”
Osaka, the group of Slam leaders said, has been “advised” that “should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences.”
Citing the rule book, the statement noted that “tougher sanctions” from “repeat violations” could include being defaulted from the tournament and “the trigger of a major offense investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions.”
Osaka’s agent did not reply to an emailed request for comment from the AP.
Her sister, Mari, wrote in a post on Reddit, which she later deleted, that Naomi was “not OK mentally” after a first-round loss this month in Rome.
“Her confidence was completely shattered and I think that everyone’s remarks and opinions have gotten to her head and she herself believed that she was bad on clay,” Mari wrote. “This isn’t true and she knows that in order to do well and have a shot at winning Roland Garros she will have to believe that she can. ... So her solution was to block everything out.”
After her win Sunday, Osaka did go ahead with the perfunctory exchange of pleasantries with an on-court French Open “interviewer” who lobs softball questions so spectators can hear something from the athletes.
The topic of Osaka’s troubles on clay arose in that chat with former player Fabrice Santoro.
“I would say it’s a work in progress,” said Osaka, who has won four Slam titles on hard courts but never been past the French Open’s third round. “Hopefully the more I play, the better it will get.”
Unlike Osaka, Thiem has shown plenty of prowess on clay, never before losing in the first round at Paris and making it as far as the final twice before losing to — who else? — Nadal in 2018 and 2019.
Andujar, who beat Roger Federer on clay in Geneva this month, had never managed to come back to win after dropping the initial two sets for a match.
Two other past Grand Slam champions exited: Svetlana Kuznetsova bowed out against two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in three sets, while Angelique Kerber was beaten in two by Anhelina Kalinina, a qualifier from Ukraine ranked 139th and making her French Open debut.
It was Kerber’s third consecutive first-round exit in Paris; she’s won each of the other Slams once apiece.
With Thiem gone, there are zero past major champions on the bottom half of the men’s draw. There are four on the top: Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic — with a combined 58 Slam trophies — and Marin Cilic, with one.
One man who could take advantage of the lopsided nature of the bracket is No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev, the runner-up to Thiem at Flushing Meadows last September. Zverev did not look ready to contend for much of anything Sunday, however, needing a comeback of his own from two sets down to get past 152nd-ranked qualifier Oscar Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0.
Zverev acknowledged he stepped on court Sunday aware — maybe too aware — of his good friend Thiem’s surprising loss.
“You try to focus on yourself. You try to not pay too much attention. But you do know the draw. You know who is where. You know that Dominic is one of the best clay-court players, especially here, one of the toughest opponents you can have. And then he’s out,” Zverev said.
“It does affect you a little bit,” he said. “Maybe that was part of the reason why I was a little bit nervous in the beginning.” ___
Leicester reported from Paris, Dampf reported from Rome. AP Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich contributed from Washington.
Osaka fined $15K for skipping French Open media; Thiem out
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Osaka fined $15K for skipping French Open media; Thiem out
- Tennis players are required to attend news conferences if requested to do so
- The maximum fine is not a big deal to Osaka, the world’s highest-earning female athlete
Riyad Mahrez asks to be left out of Algeria squad for friendlies against Bolivia, South Africa
- Coach Vladimir Petkovic confirmed player’s decision as Al-Ahli captain assess international future
Riyadh: Al-Ahli captain Riyad Mahrez has been left out of the Algerian national team squad announced by Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic ahead of the upcoming friendlies against Bolivia and South Africa on March 22 and 26, Arriyadiyah reported.
Petkovic confirmed that Mahrez was the one who asked not to be summoned to the mini tournament taking place in Algeria, the player explaining that he was currently assessing his international future after the recent exit in the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast.
Mahrez’s career with the national team has witnessed success and disappointment since he was given his debut by Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic in 2014.
He played against Belgium at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but Algeria failed to qualify for Russia 2018.
After the arrival of Djamel Belmadi as national team coach, Mahrez led Algeria to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations title, scoring three decisive goals, including a last-minute winner in the semi-final against Nigeria. The Desert Warriors went on to claim the title by beating Senegal 2-1 in the final.
During his career with the national team, Mahrez has scored 31 goals and made 40 assists in 93 official matches.
Despite his brilliance between 2018 and 2021, the national team declined significantly after that, exiting the group stage twice in the Africa Cup of Nations, in 2021 and 2023, and also failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
Australia scraps Afghanistan T20s, citing worsening women’s rights
- Cricket has surged in popularity in Afghanistan in recent years but women are effectively barred from the game
- It is third time since 2021 that Australia has refused to play Afghanistan outside of international tournaments
Australia on Tuesday scrapped a T20 men’s cricket series against Afghanistan later this year, saying the situation for women in the Taliban-ruled country was deteriorating.
Cricket Australia said it had received advice “that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse” and so had postponed the three-match series scheduled in August at a neutral venue.
Cricket has surged in popularity inside Afghanistan in recent years, fueled by triumphs over bigger nations on the international stage.
But under the Taliban’s brand of Islamic rule, women are effectively barred from the game.
Australia’s cricket governing body said its stance continued a “strong commitment to supporting participation by women and girls in cricket around the world.”
It is the third time since 2021 that Australia has refused to play Afghanistan outside of international tournaments.
Cricket Australia canceled a one-off Test in 2021, months after the Taliban swept back into power.
“If recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan,” officials said at the time.
In 2023, Australia pulled out of a three-match one-day international series in the UAE, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in Kabul describing the decision as “pathetic.”
Afghanistan’s best known cricketer, leg-spinner Rashid Khan, threatened to boycott Australia’s Big Bash League as a result.
Before the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan’s cricket board was slowly making progress growing the game among women — even contracting a small number of semi-professional players in 2020.
Most of those players would eventually flee to Australia.
The Taliban took control of the country in August 2021, renaming it the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and installing an interim government they said would rule according to sharia.
Teenage girls have been banned from attending most secondary schools and women from universities.
In November 2022 women were prohibited from entering parks, funfairs, gyms and public baths.
Women are also barred from traveling without a male relative and have been told they must cover up, with a veil or burqa, when outside.
The two countries last played at the 50-over World Cup in India last year when Australia won by three wickets en route to lifting the trophy.
Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans in last-ball thriller to clinch third PSL title
- All-rounder Imad Wasim returns figures of 5/23 to guide Islamabad to victory over Multan by 2 wickets
- United skipper Shadab Khan bags Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs, taking 14 wickets
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United became the most successful Pakistan Super League franchise on Monday night after clinching their third PSL title, edging out former champions Multan Sultans by two wickets in a last-ball thriller.
The Sultans, batting first, finished at 159/9 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Rizwan’s side were restricted to the total by clinical allrounder Imad Wasim, who returned figures of 5/23. United skipper Shadab Khan pitched in with figures of 3/32 and spectacular fielding at regular intervals to ensure the Sultans did not post a huge total.
From the Sultans, Usman Khan top-scored with 57 runs from 40 balls while Iftikhar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 32 runs from 20 balls. United chased the target on the final ball of the innings, with Hunain Shah hitting a boundary off the last ball to send the stadium into a frenzy.
“We did it! Champions once again! Huge praise to our boys for holding their nerves in a nail-biter of a finale,” United wrote on social media platform X.
United got off to a solid start in their chase with opener Martin Guptill scoring 50 runs from 32 balls. Colin Munro and Salman Ali Agha scored 17 and 10 runs, respectively, while Khan managed to make only four before he was bowled by Ahmed.
Azam Khan scored 30 runs from 22 before Wasim and Shah held their nerves to ensure the United win off the last ball. For the Sultans, Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2/19 while Khushdil Shah ended up with 2/21. David Willey, Mohammad Ali and Usama Mir took a single wicket each.
“Believed in staying calm at the crease, focused on tapping and running,” Shah said at the end of the match. “Imad Wasim advised to keep it easy and just make contact. Beyond words right now, just overwhelmed with happiness.”
Wasim bagged the Player of the Match award for his fifer while Khan was given the Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs and taking 14 wickets. The Karachi Kings’ batter Muhammad Irfan Khan was named Emerging Player of the Tournament for scoring 171 runs while Peshawar Zalmi’s Saim Ayub bagged the All-Rounder of the Tournament award for scoring 345 runs and taking eight wickets.
The Sultans’ spinner Mir bagged the Bowler of the Tournament award for his 24 wickets while their batter Usman Khan won the Batter of the Tournament award for scoring 430 runs.
Former champions Peshawar Zalmi won the Spirit of Cricket Award.
Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans in last-ball thriller to clinch third PSL title
- All-rounder Imad Wasim returns figures of 5/23 to guide Islamabad to victory over Multan by two wickets
- United skipper Shadab Khan bags Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs, taking 14 wickets
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad United became the most successful Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise on Monday night after clinching their third PSL title, edging out former champions Multan Sultans by two wickets in a last-ball nail-biting thriller.
The Sultans, batting first, finished at 159/9 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Rizwan’s side were restricted to the total by clinical all-rounder Imad Wasim, who returned figures of 5/23.
United skipper Shadab Khan pitched in with figures of 3/32 and spectacular fielding at regular intervals to ensure the Sultans did not post a huge total on the scoreboard.
From the Sultans, Usman Khan top-scored with 57 runs from 40 balls while Iftikhar Ahmed remained unbeaten on 32 runs from 20 balls.
United chased the target on the final ball of the innings, with Hunain Shah hitting a boundary off the last ball to send the entire stadium into a frenzy.
“We did it! Champions once again! Huge praise to our boys for holding their nerves in a nail-biter of a finale,” United wrote on social media platform X.
United got off to a solid start in their chase with opener Martin Guptill scoring 50 runs from 32 balls.
Colin Munro and Salman Ali Agha scored 17 and 10 runs, respectively, while Khan managed to make only 4 before he was bowled by Ahmed.
Azam Khan scored 30 runs from 22 before Wasim and Shah held their nerves to ensure United won the trophy off the last ball.
For the Sultans, Ahmed was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2/19 while Khushdil Shah ended up with 2/21.
David Willey, Mohammad Ali and Mir took a single wicket each.
“Believed in staying calm at the crease, focused on tapping and running,” Shah said at the end of the match.
“Imad Wasim advised to keep it easy and just make contact. Beyond words right now, just overwhelmed with happiness.”
Wasim bagged the Player of the Match award for his fifer while Khan was given the Player of the Tournament award for scoring 305 runs and taking 14 wickets.
Karachi Kings batter Muhammad Irfan Khan was named Emerging Player of the Tournament for scoring 171 runs while Peshawar Zalmi’s Saim Ayub bagged the All-Rounder of the Tournament award for scoring 345 runs and taking eight wickets.
Sultans spinner Usama Mir bagged the Bowler of the Tournament award for his 24 wickets while Sultans batter Usman Khan won the Batter of the Tournament award for scoring 430 runs.
Former champions Peshawar Zalmi won the Spirit of Cricket Award.
How Turki Alalshikh turned Saudi Arabia into the boxing capital of the world
- British newspaper highlights role of the Saudi Royal Court advisor behind attractions such as ‘Ring of Fire’ and ‘Battle of the Baddest’
LONDON: Saudi Arabia is yet again making headlines in sports and entertainment, and the newest association the kingdom is enjoying is with world-class boxing. Just recently, the London-based Daily Mail’s sports editor Oli Gabb highlighted the topic in a lengthy and detailed piece he wrote on the topic.
The profile highlighted the efforts and achievements led by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), under the leadership of its’ chairman, Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, who successfully delivered a series of boxing and sporting events. The matches and fights were all part of a mega six month festival, known as the ‘Riyadh Season 2023’.
“Whether you are a fan of the growing boxing scene in Saudi Arabia or not, the investment from the Middle East has forever changed the face of this sport,” Gabb wrote. He added that there is one person behind all of what has been happening on that front.
“Behind the most powerful fights like ‘Battle of the Baddest,’ ‘Day of Reckoning,’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ is Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh,” he wrote
“ He didn’t stop there; he made boxing a force to be reckoned with through promotional shows that emulate Hollywood productions, huge winning bonuses for boxers, and a significant role in overseeing major events in the Kingdom,” Gabb adding that Saudi Arabia managed to achieve what many others failed to due to egos and negotiations getting in the way.
Through his efforts and personal touch, Alalshikh is credited with bringing together stars like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Francis Ngannou to Saudi Arabia.
“Athletes in the field of boxing have every reason to be proud of the work done by Alalshikh. Boxing is often criticized due to the presence of numerous intermediaries that hinder negotiations. However, when Alalshikh gets involved, matches are quickly settled,” said the article.
As an example, the report said that prior to Alalshikh involvement in boxing, rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren ‘did not speak to each other’. But now, they are now seen side by side as organizers and even planning matchups between their fighters.
Hearn and Warren were brought in to work together when each of them participated in the Riyadh Season Joshua vs. Ngannou fight. Alalshikh found a quick way to improve relations between them—through a face-off between their top fighters. He proposed the idea of a “5 vs 5” card that would bring together five fighters from Hearn’s Matchroom team and five fighters from Warren’s Queensberry team to settle the debate about who has the better team.
Prior to Alalshikh involvement in boxing, rival promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren ‘did not speak to each other’. But now, they are now seen side by side
In a joint press conference featuring all three of them, Alalshikh jokingly remarked, “I don’t like peace between them,” and wrote a comment saying, “The ultimate showdown in Riyadh! Matchroom vs. Queensberry, the giants in the boxing world, finally clash in an exciting 5 vs. 5 battle. After years of promoting their own fighters, it’s time for these giants to face off. Prepare yourselves, people of Riyadh, for a night of epic confrontations.”
Additionally, the inaugural season of the Riyadh Season tennis championship took place in December, featuring top players such as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, who emerged as the winner.
The report also highlighted Alalshikh’s organization of the first-ever professional snooker tournament in Saudi Arabia, the World Snooker Masters Championship, which took place earlier this month and renowned player Ronnie O’Sullivan emerge as the winner.
The tournament included the introduction of the Golden Ball and a prize of $500,000. And as no one achieved the required century break to claim the Golden Ball, Alalshikh announced after the final that he would double the prize fund for the Golden Ball in the following year and offered Ronnie the opportunity to open his own snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.
While the report also discusses Alalshikh’s success in bringing events organised by UFC, and WWE before it, to the kingdom, he says the Royal Court advisor’s biggest prominence has been in boxing. This is only due to the high-quality events he organized and the high-level fighters he attracted, but also because of the quality of promotion. The teaser for the “Day of Reckoning” event, which depicted Joshua and Wilder as zombies in a video clip, wowed the audience. The same level of quality was observed in the promotion of Joshua’s “Knockout Chaos” match against Ngannou, where they were portrayed as video game characters.
The report argued that: “A lot of effort and investment have been made in the events of the Riyadh Season, led by Turki Alalshikh, and this demonstrates the seriousness of his approach in making Saudi Arabia the boxing capital of the world. With numerous major matches held in Saudi Arabia, the Saudis have provided significant financial support and shown seriousness and credibility in their dealings. So why wouldn’t boxers prefer to come here?”
The report concluded by saying, “While the debate continues over whether Saudi Arabia is good for boxing, the argument against it diminishes as long as the person leading the campaign delivers the desired results.”