CELEBRITY
It’s home-coming for Osaka as she qualifies for Tokyo 2020
Japan’s world number two Naomi Osaka has secured her place at this year’s delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games following the release of the tennis rankings.
The top 56 players in the men’s and women’s singles standings have gained automatic entry into the Games, based on today’s Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and Association of Tennis Professionals rankings.
There is a limit of four players per country, meaning Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys of the United States look set to miss out despite being placed in the top 30 as Sofia Kenin, Serena Williams, Jennifer Brady and Coco Gauff are all ranked ahead of them.
Andy Murray of Britain and Monica Puig of Puerto Rica are the reigning Olympic champions after winning the respective men’s and women’s singles titles at Rio 2016.
The top 10 men’s and women’s doubles pairs have also been assured of their spots at the Games.
Osaka, who has yet to play at an Olympic Games, pulled out of the recent French Open amid the fallout from her decision not to attend press conferences.
The Japanese star was warned by Grand Slam organisers that she faced expulsion from the French Open and future majors if she continued her boycott.
She was fined $15,000 (£10,570/€12,302) after refusing to “honour her contractual media obligations” following a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Patricia Maria Tig of Romania.
In her statement, Osaka said she would take time away from the court.
The 23-year-old has also withdrawn from this week’s Berlin WTA 500 grass-court event, raising doubts over her participation at Wimbledon, which is due to start on June 28.
Osaka grew up in the United States but confirmed her Japanese citizenship in October 2019 in order to represent the host nation at the Games.
The former world number one has previously said winning gold at Tokyo 2020 would be a dream come true.
“It would be the biggest thing I would have achieved in my career, although in some ways that is simply because of timing,” said Osaka in an interview in July 2019.
“I contest grand slams every year, but an Olympic Games is only once every four years so there are not many opportunities to become an Olympic champion.”
Osaka has also expressed concerns for her country, with the Olympics set to be held amid a pandemic and a backdrop of discontent among citizens in Japan.
The women’s and men’s singles draws at Tokyo 2020 will comprise 64 players, with the tennis tournaments scheduled to run from July 24 to August 1 at Ariake Tennis Park.
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Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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