CELEBRITY
Serena Williams withdraws from US Open
Former world No. 1 Serena Williams has pulled out of next week’s US Open, saying on Wednesday (Aug 25) that her torn harmstring has not completely healed ahead of the final tennis Grand Slam of the year.
Williams, a six-time winner at Flushing Meadows, has had an injury-marred season and limped out of her first-round match at Wimbledon in tears due to the leg injury.
The 39-year-old, who has been on the hunt for an elusive 24th Grand Slam singles title, skipped the Olympics in Tokyo and also opted out of the Cincinnati Masters, a tune-up event to the US Open.
“After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,” the American, who turns 40 in a month, wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play – I’ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone from afar.”
Williams is the latest big name to pull out of the tournament, after reigning men’s champion Dominic Thiem and four-time winner Rafa Nadal ended their 2021 season due to injuries
The main draw of the US Open gets under way on Monday. Japanese Naomi Osaka is the defending women’s champion.
Williams has not played since Wimbledon when she hobbled off the court during the first set in the first round against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Williams, whose ranking has now slipped to 22nd, won her first Slam at the 1999 US Open as a teenager, the first step on her path to domination of the women’s game.
She last missed the event in 2017 for the birth of her daughter Olympia but she returned to the courts in March 2018.
She went on to reach the final in 2018 and 2019, losing to Osaka and Bianca Andreescu respectively before falling last in the semi-finals to Victoria Azarenka, all of which added to her frustration as she attempted to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 singles Slam titles.
–AFP
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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