CELEBRITY
Wildcard Serena is the ultimate Wimbledon question mark
Serena Williams, an indomitable force for the best part of two decades, launches her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam at Wimbledon next week as the tournament’s biggest question mark after ending a year-long absence from competition.
Williams played doubles at the Eastbourne International with Tunisian Ons Jabeur this week but the former world number one has not featured in a competitive singles match since limping out of last year’s first round at the grasscourt major through injury.
Her return at Wimbledon, where she has won seven singles titles, has left even the sport’s foremost experts stumped on what fans can expect when she takes the court.
“She could lose first round or win the tournament,” seven-times major winner and ESPN analyst John McEnroe declared.
The 40-year-old dropped to 1,208th in the rankings following her tearful departure from the All England Club a year ago, taking time to recover from a hamstring injury, and needed a wildcard entry for the tournament
Williams told reporters earlier this week she was taking her return “one day at a time” and “absolutely” had moments of doubt about competing again.
“I love tennis and I love playing, or else I wouldn’t be out here, right?” she said.
Williams and Jabeur came from a set down to win their Eastbourne women’s doubles opener and followed that with a straight sets victory in the quarters on Wednesday before the Tunisian got injured and they had to withdraw.
Williams has been on the hunt for an elusive 24th Grand Slam singles title, which would put her level with record-holder Margaret Court, since the American last hoisted a major trophy at the Australian Open in 2017.
She has come tantalisingly close to achieving that feat, featuring in four Grand Slam finals since she gave birth to daughter Olympia in 2017.
But jumping back into competition after a year away is a Herculean task – even for tennis’s toughest competitor.
“When you don’t play for a long time … it takes a while for your tennis instincts and your tennis IQ to come back,” 18-time Grand Slam winner and ESPN analyst Chris Evert told reporters.
“It’s hard to really assess how she’s going to play in singles just because you see her playing doubles.”
Williams faces long odds to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish, with Poland’s world number one Iga Swiatek, on a 35-match winning streak that included her second French Open title earlier this month, a strong favourite.
“The serve looks good, the power is there. I’m excited for the tournament, that she’s playing, and I think it’s great for everybody around,” said Evert.
“But you know, it’s a question mark.”
The main draw at Wimbledon starts on Monday.
-Reuters
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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