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
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Scorer of Nigeria’s World Cup 2026 Qualifying Goal, Semi Ajayi Suspended for Gabon Play-Off Duel
Toriola and Saleh: African Table Tennis Legends Now Guiding the Next Generation in Tunis
Assar, Goda Set New Records as Egypt Sweep Titles at 2025 ITTF Africa Championships
- U20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Flying Eagles Bank on ‘Magic of October 8’ to overcome Argentina
- World Cup6 days ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- World Cup2 days ago
Victor Osimhen qualifies South Africa for World Cup as Super Eagles go for Play-Off
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria, Argentina Renew Rivalry as Flying Eagles Target Quarter-Final Spot in Chile
- World Cup6 days ago
BREAKING! Lookman Suspended for Crucial Benin Clash
- World Cup1 week ago
Logistics reduce Super Eagles 23-man squad
- World Cup5 days ago
Judgment Day Beckons in Group C: Only One Ticket, Three Contenders, Infinite Drama
- World Cup5 days ago
Super Eagles Stranded in Angola After Aircraft Suffers Cracked Windscreen