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TRIBUTE TO TENNIS GREAT, MARIA SHARAPOVA
BY MAX WINTERS
Maria Sharapova was the cover girl tennis star who won Wimbledon at 17, dated the rich and famous and was embroiled in a drugs scandal… all after her family had fled Belarus to avoid the impact of Chernobyl
Ever since she shocked Serena Williams to win Wimbledon as an unknown 17-year-old, Maria Sharapova has rarely been out of the spotlight – on or off the court.
Her decision to retire from tennis on Wednesday means the end of a career for one of the game’s true bona fide stars who transcends the world of tennis.
It was immediately obvious there was more to Sharapova than just powerful groundstrokes when, after dismantling Williams all those years ago, she stunned onlookers by climbing into the crowd on Centre Court to embrace her family and called her mother to celebrate.
Sharapova was born in Siberia after her parents moved away from Belarus in fear of the repercussions from the Chernobyl disaster. Thanks to advice from tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Sharapova and her father Yuri moved to Florida when she was just six to step up her tennis coaching.
Unable to speak English, Sharapova’s mother was unable to join them for two years but that call from the Centre Court was just reward for their sacrifices.
After that famous win she became an overnight sensation and that was the catalyst for a successful career both on and off the court. Sharapova quickly became the face of global brands, including Nike, Porsche and Evian, and was a cover star for Teen Vogue magazine.
Her love life became of particular interest to fans and just a year after her stunning upset at Wimbledon, Sharapova was dating Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine following a rumoured meeting at her 18th birthday party.
It did not last long though and her next romance was with someone slightly closer to home. Talk was rife during the 2006 US Open that Sharapova and Andy Roddick were together but again things went south quickly.
She also dated Charlie Ebersol briefly before engaging in a three-year relationship with basketball player Sasha Vujacic. They were serious and even got engaged in 2010 before breaking up after two years.
Sharapova returned to the tennis dating scene with Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov after catching his eye during a match in 2013. Things didn’t last long again with Dimitrov, who also went out with rival Serena Williams, and they broke up two years later.
She is now dating British business man Alexander Gilkes, the co-founder of online auction platform Paddle8 and they have been together since 2018.
It is well know that her contemporaries in the women’s game have often found Sharapova cold and unfriendly. Nobody more so than Williams, with whom Sharapova has had a long-running feud ever since that Saturday at SW19 over a decade ago.
There was certainly tension between then pair but on court it was Williams who was the dominant force, with the American winning 19 straight matches against Sharapova dating back to 2004.
Writing in her autobiography, ‘Unstoppable: My Life So Far’, Sharapova said: ‘I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon.’
Agonising shoulder pain put paid to her best days on court while a 15-month suspension in 2016 for testing positive for cardiac drug Meldonium saw her spotlight dim massively.
In recent years, Sharapova has made the most of her position in sports to launch business interests, including the launch of her sweet and chocolate line Sugarpova.
Her portfolio also includes investment in UFC, sun cream brand Supergoop and an app that allows normal folk to message celebrities. It sounds like there will be plenty to keep her occupied as she puts her racket down for good.
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Morocco Handed Boost as Brazil Lose Only Specialist Right Back Ahead of World Cup Clash
Morocco have received an early boost ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group C opener against Brazil after the South Americans lost their only specialist right back, Wesley, to injury.
The AS Roma defender was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a left thigh muscle injury during Brazil’s 2-1 international friendly victory over Egypt in Cleveland on Saturday.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Sunday that medical examinations revealed damage to the adductor muscle in Wesley’s left thigh, forcing him to withdraw from Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man World Cup squad.
His absence leaves Brazil with a significant selection headache ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Morocco. Wesley was the only natural right back in the squad, meaning Ancelotti may now have to rely on makeshift options such as versatile defenders Danilo and Ibanez to fill the position.
“The MRI scan revealed a muscle injury to the adductor muscle in his left thigh,” the CBF said in a statement.
“The CBF regrets the injury. Wesley is a player much loved by the squad and will always be considered part of this team as it seeks to win its sixth World Cup title.”
Brazil have moved quickly to replace the injured defender, calling up Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who is expected to join the squad in the United States on Monday.
For Morocco, the development could offer a tactical advantage as the Atlas Lions prepare to face the five-time world champions in what is expected to be one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the group stage.
The North Africans, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and continue to be regarded as one of the strongest teams outside Europe and South America, will be looking to exploit any defensive uncertainty on Brazil’s right flank.
Brazil, chasing a record-extending sixth World Cup title, are grouped alongside Morocco, Haiti and Scotland in Group C. The opening encounter between Morocco and Brazil is expected to play a key role in determining the eventual group winner.
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Algeria have extended the contract of national team coach Vladimir Petkovic and his technical staff until 2028, the country’s football federation said on Sunday, days before the World Cup in North America, with his previous deal due to expire immediately after the tournament.
Petkovic, who took charge in February 2024, has overseen a strong turnaround, leading Algeria to 21 wins, four draws and three defeats in 28 matches and guiding the team to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, after their absence from the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Algeria also reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after consecutive group-stage exits in 2021 and 2023, while climbing from 43rd to 28th in the FIFA world rankings and from seventh to fourth in Africa during the Bosnian’s tenure.
The federation said the extension reflected “stability and confidence in the work accomplished”, with Algeria set to open their World Cup Group J campaign against Argentina on June 17 before facing Jordan and Austria.
-Reuters
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Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
The busy day of friendlies saw some of the biggest stars on display, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Vini Jr and Mohamed Salah playing, but three-time champion Argentina opted to rest Lionel Messi against Honduras in Texas in a game where forward Lautaro Martinez shone with a goal and one assist for a 2-0 win. Simeone scored the second for Argentina.
Five-time champion Brazil beat Egypt 2-1 in Cleveland with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes scoring early from inside the box and Lyon forward Endrick adding in the second half after an assist from Barcelona’s Raphinha. Zico scored for Egypt, while Salah played the first half and seemed to be in good form.
There was some drama with Brazil and AS Roma right back Wesley leaving the field in tears after what appeared to be a serious muscle injury in the left leg, which might take him out of the World Cup. Teams can change players up to one day before their first games.
Harry Kane’s first-half header earned England a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, while there were also victories for Scotland and Belgium as teams fine-tune ahead of the tournament’s kickoff next week.
With England manager Thomas Tuchel rotating his entire team at halftime and handing minutes to 22 players in the scorching 32-degree Celsius (90-degree Fahrenheit) heat, the result was secondary to the process.
But Kane’s clinical finish with a glancing header into the bottom corner from Djed Spence’s cross offered a timely reminder of the skipper’s importance to their hopes of winning a second Cup.
Four-time world champions Germany secured a ninth win in a row with a 2-1 victory over World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago.
Germany’s Kai Havertz (left) challenges United States captain Tyler Adams during the international friendly match between the USA and Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on June 6, 2026. Photo: Talia Sprague/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters.
Kai Havertz headed in Joshua Kimmich’s free kick to give them a second-minute lead, but the Americans snatched a stunning equaliser when Antonee Robinson thundered in a volley after defender Jonathan Tah had headed away a corner.
But Leroy Sane rifled in from 12 metres to restore Germany’s lead in the 57th minute.
Portugal defeated Chile 2-1 in an ill-tempered clash in Oeiras, where both teams finished with 10 men as Rafael Leao and Ivan Roman received their marching orders.
Goncalo Guedes gave the home side the lead before Bruno Fernandes added a second from outside the box. Lucas Cepeda scored a late consolation for Chile.
“We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third,” Fernandes told RTP.
Striker Romelu Lukaku continued his comeback from injury for Belgium with 25 minutes off the bench as they enjoyed a 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia in Brussels.
Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin scored the goals as Lukaku grabbed an assist.
“We wanted a good performance in front of our fans,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “It is a good preparation for the World Cup, we know this team can do great things.”
A much-changed Scotland scored all their goals in the first half as they romped to a 4-0 success over Bolivia in New Jersey.
Che Adams bagged two to go with strikes from Lawrence Shankland and Scott McTominay in an impressive performance.
Switzerland and Australia drew 1-1, while Bosnia and Herzegovina were held to the same scoreline by Panama.
-Reuters
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