CELEBRITY
Williams ready to find new Serena after U.S. Open exit
A defiant Serena Williams bid an emotional good-bye to the U.S. Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, in what may have been the last singles match of her glittering career.
Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and no doubt the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the 46th ranked Australian stung her to her core.
But after a joyous run into the third round there was no shame in a loss to the gritty Tomljanovic, allowing the 23-times Grand Slam winner to exit with dignity intact and head held high
Her three matches, highlighted by a second-round win over world number two Anett Kontaveit, were a gift to her fans, the relentless never-surrender attitude that made her tennis’ dominant player for over two decades on display right until the very final point.
“Clearly I’m still capable,” Williams told reporters. “But it takes a lot more than that.
“I’m ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena.
“Technically in the world I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking.
“I have such a bright future ahead of me.”
Always up for a fight, the 40-year-old came out swinging, forcing Tomljanovic to go the distance.
The Australian needed six match points to deliver the knockout punch and bring an end to an engrossing three-plus-hour slugfest.
Without a WTA Tour title and never before going beyond the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam, Tomljanovic has spent most her career as one of tennis’ lesser-known names.
But now the 29-year-old will live on forever in tennis history and at sport trivia pub nights, as the answer to the question; “Who was the last player to beat Serena Williams”.
“No one’s going to pronounce my name right,” laughed Tomljanovic. “That’s going to suck.
“I don’t think I’ve been part of tennis history, so that’s pretty cool.”
Williams had signalled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.
Given the opportunity to put speculation to rest that the U.S. Open may not be the end, Williams left the door open just a crack.
Asked whether she might be tempted to return to tennis, she responded: “I don’t think so but you never know.”
“I always did love Australia, though,” she later told reporters, hinting at a tilt at the Australian Open in January.
For fans, however, the message was clear, the U.S. Open would be where Williams would take her final bow.
The raucous New York crowd that had backed her from the very beginning and over the years, fuelling her runs to six U.S. Open titles, was in her corner once again but could not lift her to one more win.
“I BELONG HERE NOW”
Tomljanovic, who is yet to win a WTA Tour tournament, appeared to have had little chance against Williams, winner of 73 career titles, but would not be intimidated.
Before stepping out onto center court Tomljanovic paused for a moment and touched the plaque quoting Billie Jean King that hangs at the entrance: “Pressure is a Privilege”.
“I liked the quote,” explained Tomljanovic. “I felt pressure, from myself, where I’m at in my career.
“I feel like I belong here now. That’s why I expect myself to perform well in these circumstances. When I saw that, yeah, just felt right.”
Despite an electric atmosphere the match got off to a sluggish start with the players trading breaks before settling in.
Williams had looked to seize control when she broke Tomljanovic to go ahead 5-3 and serving for the set.
But with Williams two points from a 1-0 lead Tomljanovic dug in, breaking back and sweeping four straight games to steal the set, leaving the stadium stunned.
A defiant Williams, as she has done so many times, lifted her game hitting back in ruthless style in the second and breaking the Australian twice on the way to 4-0.
Playing her fourth match in five nights, Williams suddenly seemed to run out of gas and Tomljanovic, showing some steel of her own, pulled level at 5-5 as the set moved to a tie-break.
Everyone inside Arthur Ashe, now on their feet, knew Williams was not going to exit without a fight, and running on fumes dug into her reserves to take the tie-break 7-4.
Williams had the crowd roaring again when she broke Tomljanovic to start the third but simply had nothing left in the tank. The Australian put the former-world number on the ropes, storming through the next four games for a 4-1 lead.
But Williams was not going to hand Tomljanovic the win, she would have to earn it, needing six match points to get the job done.
-Reuters
A court in Argentina has heard fresh testimony in the ongoing trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona, with a psychologist telling judges that the late icon suffered from bipolar disorder, narcissistic traits and required strict abstinence from alcohol.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition marked by extreme mood swings ranging from periods of intense emotional “highs” (mania) to deep “lows” (depression).
Carlos Díaz, 34, one of seven medical professionals charged in connection with Maradona’s death, appeared before the court in Buenos Aires on Thursday, where he faces a charge of manslaughter with reckless intent for allegedly prescribing inappropriate medication.
According to Argentine media reports, Díaz told the court that Maradona’s mental health condition was complex and deeply intertwined with substance dependency.
“There was bipolar disorder and narcissism,” Díaz was quoted as saying. “He could bring a country to its knees, but one glass of alcohol could bring him to his knees.”
Díaz said he first met the former Argentina captain on October 26, 2020 — less than a month before his death — and was alarmed by Maradona’s condition. He recalled seeing the football great drinking wine at the time, an image he said reminded him of his late father, who struggled with alcoholism.
The psychologist told the court that he believed Maradona was willing to change his lifestyle and that his treatment approach was centred on complete abstinence from alcohol. He added that toxicology findings indicated the football legend had gone 23 days without drug use before his death.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, Maradona enjoyed a glittering career with clubs such as Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli, and famously captained Argentina to victory at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, following surgery for a subdural hematoma. His death shocked the football world and prompted widespread mourning across Argentina and beyond.
The trial is seeking to determine whether members of his medical and care team bear criminal responsibility for his death, with prosecutors alleging negligence in his treatment and supervision during his final days.
Also testifying on Thursday was neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, another of the defendants. He told the court that Maradona’s home-based care was appropriate under the circumstances and was never intended to function as an intensive-care unit.
The case continues to draw intense public interest in Argentina, where Maradona remains a revered national figure, even as questions persist over the circumstances surrounding his final days.
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Every week, hundreds of people line up to fill a plastic container with food in an unlikely place: the humble home where Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona was born.
The house in Villa Fiorito, a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, no longer belongs to the family of Maradona, who died in 2020 after a heart attack. Still, for the last month, its current owner has lent its dirt yard to a group of volunteers who light a grill and cook for neighbours.
Last Thursday, Maria Torres stirred a stew in two large pots while several others peeled potatoes and chopped pieces of chicken. A mural painted on the house’s facade depicts the soccer player next to the words, “The house of god.”
A man cooks stew for residents of the working-class neighbourhood of Villa Fiorito at a soup kitchen set up in the house where late soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona spent his early childhood, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 26, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Miguel Lo Bianco
Poverty has been trending downward in Argentina, with official statistics released on Tuesday showing it dropping to 28.2% of the country’s population in the second half of 2025 from 52.9% in the first half of 2024, when President Javier Milei sharply devalued the peso and inflation spiked.
While there has been a “very important drop” in poverty, Argentina needs to see more GDP growth in labour-intensive sectors, such as mining, as opposed to capital-intensive sectors, such as agriculture, said Eduardo Donza, a sociologist at the Catholic University of Argentina.
Volunteers chop chicken before cooking a stew for residents of the working-class neighbourhood of Villa Fiorito at a soup kitchen set up in the house where late soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona spent his early childhood, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 26, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Miguel Lo Bianco
The drop in the poverty rate has followed a substantial drop in monthly inflation, from double digits when Milei took office to 2.9% in February.
A man cooks stew for residents of the working-class neighbourhood of Villa Fiorito at a soup kitchen set up in the house where late soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona spent his early childhood, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 26, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Miguel Lo Bianco
However, Milei’s austerity measures have sharply diminished the public sector workforce, and many say they have lost purchasing power as the government has cut transportation and energy subsidies.
Volunteers chop chicken before cooking a stew for residents of the working-class neighbourhood of Villa Fiorito at a soup kitchen set up in the house where late soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona spent his early childhood, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 26, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Miguel Lo Bianco
Leonardo Fabian Alvarez, a pastor who runs the makeshift soup kitchen, said he has seen the demand for food in Villa Fiorito and other neighbourhoods grow as small factories have closed. Deregulation and a stronger peso have led to cheaper imports under Milei.
“People obviously lost their jobs,” he said, adding that “they come to the line, pick up food, take what we give them.”
Argentina declared the home of Maradona a National Historic Site in 2021.
-Reuters
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The legacy of Brazilian football legend Pelé has taken a new turn after Neymar Santos Sr, father of Brazil star Neymar Jr, confirmed the acquisition of the commercial rights to Pelé’s name and image through his agency, NR Sports.
Speaking at the Pelé Museum in Santos, Brazil, Neymar Sr said the deal marks a new chapter for one of the most iconic brands in global sport.
“We are proud. I think it’s a very strong brand. We want to strengthen its identity and adapt it to the current era,” he said, describing the project as deeply emotional and nationally significant.
Although financial details were not officially disclosed, Brazilian media estimate the acquisition at around $18 million. The rights had previously belonged to US-based company Sport 10, which many in Brazil accused of underdeveloping a national treasure.
A ‘Repatriation’ of Pelé’s Legacy
NR Sports described the agreement as a “repatriation” of Pelé’s brand—bringing back to Brazil “one of the greatest symbols in the history of world sport.”
Pelé’s daughter, Flavia, attended the announcement and welcomed the move, saying the family had tried—and failed—to reacquire the rights after Pelé’s death in 2022.
“There are no words to describe the emotion of bringing back a brand that embodies soul, humanity, and love. It’s priceless,” she told AFP.
The unveiling was accompanied by an emotional tribute at the Pelé Museum, which erected a massive green screen with Pelé’s iconic logo. A video shared on Pelé’s and NR Sports’ official accounts celebrated the “universal language” of Brazilian football, showing some of the King’s most memorable goals from his World Cup triumphs in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Neymar Jr: ‘Pelé Was Born to Change Everything’
Neymar Jr, who recently returned to Pelé’s former club Santos and has surpassed the King as Brazil’s all-time top scorer, featured in a promotional video congratulating his father’s company.
“Some are born to play, others are born to change the game. Pelé was born to change everything,” the 33-year-old forward said. “Pelé never stopped being one of us, and now he is officially part of Brazil, again and forever.”
A New Era for an Underused Global Brand
For years, Pelé’s image rights were more prominently exploited abroad than at home—a situation that drew criticism from the family and Brazilian football circles. The new deal is expected to revitalise the Pelé brand through modern marketing, partnerships, and heritage initiatives anchored in Brazil.
“This is the beginning of a motivating project for us. We are very moved,” Neymar Sr added.
Pelé, who died in December 2022 at age 82, remains an enduring symbol in Santos, São Paulo state, where he played from 1956 to 1974 and where thousands still visit his mausoleum.
With the rights now back in Brazilian hands, NR Sports says the goal is clear: preserve, expand, and enrich the legacy of the King of Football for generations to come.
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