Grand Slam champions Osaka, Raducanu, Wozniacki and Kerber receive wild cards for Wimbledon

Britain’s Emma Raducanu in action during her women’s singles semi final match against Katie Boulter at the Nottingham Open — Nottingham Tennis Center, Nottingham, on Jun. 16, 2024. (Reuters)
Updated 19 June 2024
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Grand Slam champions Osaka, Raducanu, Wozniacki and Kerber receive wild cards for Wimbledon

The grass-court tournament starts on July 1
Osaka — a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player — and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season

WIMBLEDON, England: Former Grand Slam champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Emma Raducanu have all been awarded wild cards for Wimbledon.
The grass-court tournament starts on July 1.
Osaka — a four-time major champion and former No. 1 player — and three-time Grand Slam winner Kerber returned from maternity leave at the start of this season.
Currently ranked 113th, Osaka was the only player to take a set from top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the French Open and followed that up with a quarterfinal spot last week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a warm-up event for Wimbledon.
Former US Open champion Raducanu made her breakthrough at Wimbledon by advancing to the fourth round in 2021. She will be playing there for the first time in two years after undergoing wrist and ankle surgery in 2023.
Kerber won the 2018 Wimbledon title and was runner-up at the All England Club in 2016. She is also a former top-ranked player.
Wozniacki returned from maternity leave last August. She’s never got past the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she will be playing for the first time since 2019.
British players Francesca Jones, Heather Watson and Yuriko Miyazaki were also included in the initial list of invitations. One main draw wild card remains to be allocated. Seven British players have been invited to play in the men’s draw, including last year’s junior champion Henry Searle.


Karim Benzema joins Al-Hilal

Updated 03 February 2026
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Karim Benzema joins Al-Hilal

RIYADH: Karim Benzema has joined Al-Hilal after leaving Al-Ittihad, the Riyadh club announced early Tuesday.

The former French international was introduced with a post on social media, “Karim Benzema is officially Hilali.”

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, who scored eight goals in 14 league matches this season, joined on a free transfer, his new club added.

Though this chapter comes to an end “respect and gratitude will always remain,” the Frenchman said.

“Thank you to the club, the staff, my teammates, and especially the fans for the welcome, the love, and the energy you gave me every day,” Benzema wrote on social media.

“This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally. I leave with my head held high, proud to have worn these colors and of everything we shared.”

Benzema moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023 after 14 seasons with Real Madrid. Last season he scored 21 goals as Al-Ittihad won the league.
This season Al-Ittihad trail leaders Al-Hilal by 12 points. 

— with input from Reuters