CELEBRITY
Tomljanovic conflicted after beating idol Serena at U.S. Open
Ajla Tomljanovic admitted to feeling “a little bit like the villain” after she beat her idol Serena Williams on Friday at the U.S Open in what was likely the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s final match.
The Australian overcame a Serena-crazed sold-out crowd and an in-form Williams to emerge with a hard-fought 7-5 6-7(4) 6-1 third-round victory under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It was probably the most conflicted I’ve ever felt after a win,” she told reporters.
“During the match I was so eager to win. I wanted to win as much as the next person because I didn’t look at her like, Oh, Serena, her last tournament.
“But then when it ended, it almost didn’t feel right. When she started talking about her family and everything, I got emotional because I can relate to having a strong bond with your family.”
A tearful Williams, who is considered by many to be the greatest of all time, thanked her family and fans for what she called “an incredible journey” over her 27-year career in an on-court interview before an adoring crowd.
Tomljanovic, 29, said the journey that Serena and her older sister Venus have been on has served as a lifelong inspiration to her.
“Growing up I didn’t really have idols, but Serena and Venus were just so good that I looked up to them the most,” she said.
To beat Serena, Tomljanovic said she took a page out of the six-time U.S. Open champion’s book.
“Serena one time said she only thinks about the next point,” she said. “If I’m playing her, I might use her tactic.”
Asked how it feels to be the answer to a possible future tennis trivia question about who beat Serena Williams in her last match, Tomljanovic said it would be “cool” to be part of tennis history.
“No one’s going to pronounce my name right,” she said with a laugh. “That’s going to suck.”
-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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