CELEBRITY
Djokovic tearful but feels ‘relief’ after bid for calendar Grand Slam falls short
Novak Djokovic’s loss in the US Open final on Sunday (Sept 12) denied him a calendar-year Grand Slam but the Serbian world No. 1 said he was just happy his chase for perfection was finally over.
He was left in tears after his taxing bid – both physically and emotionally – to become the first man since 1969 to win the year’s four Grand Slams ended in a surprisingly one-sided 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev.
“Relief,” the 34-year-old Djokovic told reporters when asked what his emotions were after the match.
“I was glad it was over because the build-up for this tournament and everything that mentally, emotionally I had to deal with throughout the tournament in the last couple of weeks was just a lot. It was a lot to handle.”
From the outset, Djokovic was unable to match the level brought by Medvedev, who proved his mettle and got stronger as the match progressed except for a few late nerves while trying to wrap up his first Grand Slam title.
Djokovic admitted after the match that the time spent on court this year ultimately took a toll and that he lacked his usual energy.
“My legs were not there. I was trying. I did my best. Yeah, I made a lot of unforced errors. I didn’t have – no serve really,” said Djokovic.
“If you’re playing someone like Medvedev who hits his spots so well, just aces, gets a lot of free points on his first serve, you’re constantly feeling pressure on your service games.
“I was below par with everything, to be honest. So just one of these days where unfortunately, yeah, wasn’t meant to be.”
During the final changeover, with his hopes of a record 21st Grand Slam all but dashed, emotions got the better of the Serb who held a towel over his face and cried, clearly overwhelmed by the support he was getting from the New York crowd.
Djokovic, who has yet to earn the same level of admiration bestowed on his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, said the tears were the result of a feeling he had never experienced before from the New York crowd.
“The crowd made me very special. They pleasantly surprised me. I did not know, I did not expect anything, but the amount of support and energy and love I got from the crowd was something that I’ll remember forever,” said Djokovic.
“I mean, that’s the reason on the changeover I just teared up. The emotion, the energy was so strong. I mean, it’s as strong as winning 21 Grand Slams. That’s how I felt, honestly. I felt very, very special.”
-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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