SASSUOLO, Italy: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen scored first-half goals as Napoli opened an 18-point lead in Serie A with a 2-0 win at Sassuolo on Friday.
Giovanni Simeone, the son of Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone, thought he’d made it 3-0 in injury time but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Simeone had come on late for Osimhen as Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti made his five substitutions presumably with Tuesday’s visit to Eintracht Frankfurt in mind.
His team had shown no sign of conserving any energy for the Champions League clash.
Kvaratskhelia got the visitors off to a great start in the 12th minute when he won the ball in the center circle and tore off toward goal, skipping over a challenge and then finding the space to shoot through a defender’s legs and inside the left post.
Armand Laurienté struck the post in response for Sassuolo before Osimhen took over. The Nigeria striker scored a hat trick in Napoli’s 4-0 win over Sassuolo in October and seemed keen to repeat the feat.
Osimhen hit the left post in the 27th, then scored in the 33rd, when he squeezed the ball inside the near post from a narrow angle despite facing two defenders.
Osimhen almost made it 3-0 minutes later when he headed just wide from Kvaratskhelia’s cross.
Laurienté replied with a fine finish for Sassuolo, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check as teammate Gregoire Defrel was offside when he impeded Napoli defender Mathias Olivera.
Osimhen could have scored again after the break. He had an uncharacteristically poor touch with only goalkeeper Andrea Consigli to beat, then Consigli pulled off a good save as the visitors kept pushing forward.
Osimhen had to be content with one goal. He now has nine in his last seven league matches and 18 in Serie A this season.
Second-place Inter Milan hosts Udinese on Saturday.
Napoli increases lead at top of Serie A to 18 points
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Napoli increases lead at top of Serie A to 18 points
- Second-place Inter Milan hosts Udinese on Saturday
World No. 5 Elena Rybakina to headline strong field at 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins defending champion Belinda Bencic and Spanish favorite Paula Badosa for the event from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7
- Rising stars Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala continue breakthrough journeys at WTA 500 platform
ABU DHABI: One of the strongest fields in its history has been unveiled for this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina will head an exciting line-up featuring Grand Slam winners, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting rising stars when the WTA 500 tournament returns to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7.
The Kazakh powerhouse, who won the tournament in 2024, has established herself as one of the game’s elite competitors. Since her triumph at Wimbledon, she has reached the 2023 Australian Open final and secured multiple WTA 500 and 1000 titles, including the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh where she brushed aside World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
“I really enjoyed my time in Abu Dhabi last year,” said Rybakina, who was defeated in the semi-finals by Bencic. “The city’s support for tennis is amazing, and reaching the semifinals was a solid way to begin 2025. This year, I’m coming back with the goal of going all the way again. The competition will be fierce, but that’s what makes it exciting.”
Rybakina will be joined by Belinda Bencic, who returns to defend her unbeaten record at the event. The Swiss Olympic gold medalist has lifted the trophy in both 2023 and 2025 and remains the only player never to have lost a match at the tournament.
Spanish favorite Paula Badosa adds further depth to the elite contingent. A former world No. 2 and Indian Wells champion, Badosa brings explosive power and fierce competitiveness to a field that promises compelling matches throughout the week.
The tournament’s commitment to the next generation is underlined by the confirmation of two of 2025’s most compelling breakthrough stars. Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, who rocketed from outside the world’s top 300 at the start of 2025 to inside the top 20 following titles in Montreal and Hong Kong, continues her remarkable rise on the WTA Tour.
Joining her is Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who returns to Abu Dhabi following her 2024 debut. The 20-year-old former US Open girls’ champion has continued her steady climb through the rankings and remains the highest-ranked Filipino player in tour history.
Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova, a multiple Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, and Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, bring proven track records while American rising star Emma Navarro, Denmark’s Clara Tauson and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez — the 2023 French Open finalist — add further depth to an already formidable lineup.
The field also features former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who captured the 2025 doubles title in Abu Dhabi alongside Ellen Perez. Chinese star Qinwen Zheng, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin round out a top 20 that promises world-class tennis from the opening qualifiers through to the championship weekend.
Further elite talent includes Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, Belgium’s Elise Mertens, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, American McCartney Kessler and Australian Maya Joint.
Nigel Gupta, MARI tournament director, said: “The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open field represents everything this tournament has become — a compelling blend of Grand Slam champions, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting emerging talent. Elena Rybakina’s arrival as our top seed adds tremendous star power, while Belinda’s pursuit of a third title and the inclusion of breakthrough stars like Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala demonstrate our commitment to showcasing both today’s champions and tomorrow’s legends. This is shaping up to be our strongest edition yet.”
